Revisiting the Erie Canal: Buffalo to Brewerton, NY

Canalside in Buffalo to Brewerton, NY. 
Saturday, July 12, 2014
The alarm jolted us awake at 6 am!  We have plans on this beautiful summer morning with sunshine and temps in the 70's!  So, off we go...
The Canalside Park and dock areas are quiet this morning (wonderful!) except for a few people out for their morning coffee and walk.  Before long, the crowds will gather for the morning yoga class in the park, a ride on a masted ship called the Spirit of Buffalo, take the Buffalo River History Tour by boat, or just people watch. We walked about 2 blocks to our rental car and headed for breakfast.
At 7 am, we met Andrew Nicholson (Mary's cousin's son) and his wife, Sarah, for breakfast at Sophia's on Military Road in Buffalo.  So fun to catch up as it had been about 10 years since our last visit.  Also, fabulous food (amazing omelets) and 5 star reviews!

This morning after breakfast, we drove through areas of Buffalo and were impressed by the design and intricate architecture of the old sandstone buildings.  The massive old churches with stained glass windows and high steeples peeked out across the skyline.

This large brick building is typical of the area and houses the Pearl St. Brewery and Grill.  However, most of these buildings do not have massive hanging baskets with gorgeous flowers or a large beer tap on the corner of the building.  After a quick stop at Wegmans for provisions, we returned the rental car and prepped to depart Buffalo.

Information for boaters!.....Canalside in Buffalo is a busy place and very convenient to most venues, however, do not assume that they will have dock space for your boat.  They turned many boats away during our stay.  We were told at 9 am, this morning, that the entire dock needed to be cleared for a group of 30 boats arriving at 10 am, this morning! We received no pre-warning!

The engines were humming as Dream Chaser cruised briefly into Lake Erie and then into the Niagara River.  On our return to Tonawanda, we will be following the Niagara River and bypassing the  Black Rock Lock.  With stabilizers activated and Captain Steve ready for a challenge, Dream Chaser followed the red and green buoys as we passed under the Peace Bridge.  We were warned about the very swift current and they were right!  Setting our normal speed at 7.5 mph, Dream Chaser increase from an additional 5 mph to an additional 12 mph.  Steve was having an adrenaline rush as Dream Chaser was cruising at 19.5 mph!   A new speed record!

This is our Garmin electronics display which we use for navigation.  The top number on the right shows the speed of the boat (19.5 mph), and the bottom number shows the speed of the current (9.1 mph)

After 10 minutes of surprising speed, Dream Chaser passed under the International Railway Bridge and her moments of being a "speed boat" ended as the current slowed to 1-2 mph.

As we motored through Tonawanda, the beginning of the Erie Canal, we expected lots of activity due to the BIG Canal Fest this weekend. People must have been sleeping off the hangovers from their partying last night, because it just appeared to be another busy weekend day on the river.  Boats were docked three deep along the canal wall, and people were moving into position for the next events.

Notice the guy at the bottom of the picture...

He was working on his tan during his boat ride!

 People were headed to Canalfest in whatever way they could.  Dinghies take less space for docking!

What a cool boathouse!  Live upstairs and park your boat down below.   

Yes, these carousel horses are on the end of a dock in the canal.  Easy to find your dock after a BIG party with too much to drink!

About 7 miles east of Tonawanda, Andrew and Sarah Nicholson hopped aboard and cruised with us through the afternoon to Medina, NY.  They live in Lockport, and wanted a cruising experience on Dream Chaser.  She didn't disappoint them as she is steady and moves so smoothly through the water;  you hardly know you are on a boat!  From the shaded upped helm, we chatted and enjoyed the historic Erie Canal while snacking on chicken, cheese, crackers, grapes, and cold drinks.  What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Andrew and Sarah in their official Dream Chaser crew caps!

This area along the Erie Canal was know for its production of fruit and the  many apple orchards.  This large apple, a piece of art in the park, honors the fruit growers of Western New York and all that they have done for this area.

About 5:30 pm, we slid up to the city dock in Medina, tied Dream Chaser securely, plugged in the electricity, and headed into historic Medina to the Shirt Factory (Restaurant) for dinner.  Sarah's father had come to give them a ride back to Lockport, so he joined us for dinner.  Such a perfect way to end the day:  great conversation, great food, great family!
The bright sun and warm breeze through the upper helm while motoring seven hours took it's toll, and the result was an early bedtime.  The dock area is so quiet, and the sun is setting,

Sunday, July 13, 2014
After a restful quiet night tied to the city wall in Medina, we woke to overcast skies and temps in the low 70’s.  Our air conditioner had run through the night, but humidity levels have dropped, so the windows are wide open again.  Dream Chaser has fabulous air flow, so we very seldom need the air on.
Medina is one of the town's we've already explored and wrote about on the previous post, however, there some important facts to repeat.  Medina is an interesting town with most of the buildings on Main Street listed on the Historic Register and in the process of being restored and preserved. Medina calls itself a towpath community, "born of Clinton's ditch and founded upon a rock".  Clinton was the governor, at the time, and the world famous sandstone for constructing the Erie Canal was first quarried here in 1837.

After a short morning walk through town, the boat engines were started at 7:45 am, the bimini top was folded down due to 15’ bridges today, and we are prepped for departure.

The canal is quiet this morning;  too early for boaters and walkers-just a handful of fishermen along the canal.  Dick, a local boater docked next to us last night, informed us that the small numbers of boats on the canal, this year, was probably due to flooding in the canal areas over the last two years which not only damaged parts of the canal, but delayed boaters (for over a month) their access to Lake Erie.  Many boaters just avoid the canal due to possible problems and find alternate routes through Lake Ontario.  It’s really too bad that they are missing the Erie Canal experience!  We have loved it!

Today as we continued down the tree lined canal, we motored passed small farms with green fields, apple orchards, flocks of geese, backyards with big green lawns, a heron, two cats at play, and a few private docks.  Yesterday, Andrew informed us that people are allowed docks on the canal, but the owners are heavily taxed as a result.

A pair of long distance bikers were headed east on the scenic canal trail at a good pace.

The area has been a big apple producing region in the early 1900’s and, although wineries are abundant, there are still several orchards along the canal.

At 9 am, we passed the northern most point on the Erie Canal!




After leaving Medina, the canal took us passed Knowlesville, Eagle Harbor, Albion, Hulberton, and Holley-all with friendly lift bridge operators and LOW bridges that we squeezed under.



By 10:30 am, we arrived at Holley, secured Dream Chaser against the city wall, chatted with other boaters tied to the wall, and set out to explore the town. As we followed the path down the hill, we passed a beautiful park with a children's playground.  Holley is a cute little town near the canal with old German churches and Queen Anne style frame homes with beautiful flowers.  On our return trip to the boat was walked to the 35 ft Holley Canal Waterfalls surrounded by lush woods. Beautiful!

Although, the waterfall was man-made, it is over 100 years old and very pretty.  Sam’s Diner was our destination for lunch-Great Salads!  Unlike the big cities, these little towns have home-made food, and the friendly wait staff are eager to serve you.  We are spoiled!

According to the history markers located along the walkways, Holley was settled by Norwegian immigrants about 1825.  According to historians, 52 Norwegian immigrants arrived in NYC from Stavanger Norway in 1825, traveled up the Hudson River and newly completed Erie Canal, and disembarked at Holley.  Their spiritual leader and organizer, Lars Larson, had stayed behind to sell their ship.  He then planned to join the group in Holley and bring the proceeds of the sale, but winter had set in.  It is reported that Larson was so dedicated as a leader, he skated 290 miles to reach Holley and his group of followers.
Since it poured while we were eating lunch and Steve loves to scrub the boat when it rains, Dream Chaser was in for a good wash-down once we returned.  As we returned to the boat, we chatted with boaters from Camelot, and they shared
great information on the next segment
of our trip- the Oswego Canal, Lake
Ontario, and Thousand Islands.


Shiloh, one of the “boat dogs”,
became Mary’s friend and followed
her back towards the boat.  He wanted
to join us on our trip, but his owners
and Steve had other ideas.
He is a bit large for the boat!

We pulled out from Holley, motored to Brocksport and tied up by Harvester Park for a few hours.  The rain was threatening when we headed for downtown, a block away.  We explored the nearby quaint town, checked out some nice shops, and purchased some macaroon cookies at the coffee shop.

 This is a busy local "biker bar" in Brockport, NY

 This is our view as we passed under a low bridge.  The dark blue and rolled plastic is the bimini top and the green is the lower portion of the bridge.  Very little clearance!

Our next destination was Pittsford which is 24 miles away and will take us under several more low bridges and back through a massive cut of high rock walls.  The sun has come out, and it has turned into a wonderful afternoon.  People are out enjoying the canal.
At Lock 33, we hopped out of Dream Chaser and walked over to a kayak course that runs parallel with the lock.  According to the lock master, the course is busy everyday.

By 6:45 pm, Dream Chaser was docked and secured at the city canal wall in Pittsford, NY.  Less than a week ago, we were docked in this same spot while we explored the area.  It is quiet, the birds are chirping, people are enjoying the walkways along the canal, and it is just beautiful!

After a light dinner, a walk along the canal, and a few loads of laundry, it was lights out!

Monday. July 14, 2014
Our overnight in Pittsford was so restful. that it is tempting to stay a few more nights.  But, we have more miles to cover, so after the usual preparation, we are on our way.  We are cruising with the bimini top down until we pass under the remaining low bridges.
We  passed Buchnell Basin, known for a popular stop and houses of ill repute.

As we pass Fairport, we remember it as a great stop, probably one of the best along the Erie Canal.
The funny angled bridge is located here, and near lock E30 is one of the lowest bridges on the canal (15'6").

 With the bimini top down, Steve is sitting at the upper helm and touching the bottom of the bridge!

About noon, we arrived at lock 29, and were greeted by a crowd of spectators.  We had just enough time to answer questions, give a very short version of our trip, and pass out boat cards before we descended into the bowels of the lock. This is the Mormon town of Palmyra.  The land is being bought up by Mormon followers of Joseph Smith whose historic home is nearby.  When we exited the lock, the captain sounded the boat horn, and the crowd responded with waves, cheers, and wishes for a safe trip.

After two hours of cruising, we arrived at Newark. NY and tied up at the city cement  dock wall.  By this time, the skies were overcast with a threat of rain predicted about 7 pm.  A need for a walk combined with the fact that it was lunch time had us out scouting for a good spot to eat.  On our way through the little park along the canal, we stopped to chat with a local, and his suggestion was to try Wegmans Grocery about a mile away.  The salad bar was great, and after gathering some provisions, we were headed back to our dockage.
The rains came proving the weatherman correct, so we spent the afternoon and evening with boat project, scheduling, and organizing.  About midnight, we completed our Rummikub game and called it a night.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014
It was another of those blissfully quiet nights while docked in Newark.  At 6 am, we woke to light rain and cloud covered skies.  Dream Chaser was dry and cool with the air conditioning working beautifully!

Steve had met a group of three men, also docked at the wall, while out walking and socializing yesterday and had suggested breakfast this morning.  They were traveling in a 24 ft. pontoon boat with a canvas enclosure to make it more like home.
Mary donned her raincoat and Steve, a positive thinker, grabbed an umbrella.  We met the men at Canal Place, a local cafe about three blocks away.  Minutes after arriving at the cafe, the skies emptied to the point at which an umbrella would be useless.
So, over breakfast and lots of hot coffee, the both Freds told their stories. The two older gentlemen, both 77 years old, have been friends since they were 6 months old. Ryan, a grandson, teaches in Phoenix and had the time free to join them on their adventure.  The pontoon boat in stored in Buffalo, NY and the two Freds have taken it on a 2-3 week adventures every summer for the past 10 years.  They told of  many adventures and "situations" in which they found themselves, but the best story is...
They planned a fun trip to New York City with one of the wives and a niece.  All went well along the Erie Canal and through the Hudson River Valley.  Gorgeous areas with lots to see!  As they neared NYC, the water became very choppy.  Remember, they are in a pontoon boat which is not made for waves.  Well, it became VERY rough, and the ladies were situated in the back of the pontoon.  It became so rough that the only thing the ladies could see was first water...and then sky due to the pitching up and down. After repeated cries and shouts of "Oh My God!", the ladies were finally dropped off at a nearby marina and flew home.  It has been just the men traveling together on adventures ever since, and they do try VERY hard to avoid BIG water!

With more adventures to come and rain tapering off, we made our way back to Dream Chaser and prepped for departure.

As we departed Newark, we passed under the base of the nearby bridge which has this beautifully painted mural.

Dream Chaser was a bit humiliated today when she was passed, easily, by bikers traveling on the walking/bike path along the canal.  She typically only goes 7-8 mph and the bikers had a schedule!

Since we have no intercom on the boat, we use a system which works very well and reminds us of the lyrics from an old song sung by Tony Orlando and Dawn.  "Knock three times on the ceiling if you want me."  The banging from the upper helm can be heard very well when attention is needed like coming to a lock, a tie up at the dock, or perhaps just coffee!

By 10:30 am, we had reached Lyons, NY, and Dream Chaser slid up to the city concrete wall.  We had motored passed Lyons on our way west to Buffalo, and now we had an agenda.  Since Lyons was once called the "Peppermint Capital of the World", we set off to find the historic Hotchkiss Essential Oil Building next to the canal. 

The owner and president of the company, Hiram Hotchkiss, was a brilliant man and known as the "Peppermint King".  When we arrived at the factory building, "Peppermint Patty" greeted us, gave us a tour of the offices, and filled us in on the history of the Hotchkiss essential oil empire.  Established in 1839, this factory has processed and bottled the essential oils at this location.  The herb was grown extensively in the fields around Lyons.  At one time, this village was responsible for over half the annual production of peppermint in the US.  Peppermint has been regarded as the "world's oldest medicine", but now is used mostly for flavoring of candy, etc.

 This is a mural painted on wall by the old canal depicting those old Erie Canal Days!  Steve was thinking he was strong as three mules!

With peppermints and peppermint oil in hand, we were off to destination number two, the museum of  Wayne County History.  As we passed a beautiful large brick church on our way to Butternut St,  the church bells began ringing out the song, "Onward Christian Soldiers" and then other favorite songs from long ago.  So beautiful! Such a treat!

The Wayne County Museum contains many interesting
displays and artifacts, but it is best known for
the old Wayne County Jail which is attached to
the sheriff's house where he and his family lived.
The residence was built in 1856 and used
until 1960.  The old stone jail consists of
24 cells which are still intact with original
inmate art work on the walls. Included are
detailed accounts of infamous past prisoners 
who were held here, including train robber,
Oliver Curtis Perry, bank robber "Big Ed" Kelly,
and convicted murderer, William Fee. 
Mr. Fee was the only inmate (who in 1860)
was hung for murder  in the north side cell
block.  Don't miss the Carriage House Exhibition
out back which is full of more history displays
with buggies, sleighs, and a huge collection of
farm items.   Great collections!

 Steve had to try out the jail!

Our third destination was the Ohmann Theater.  Built in 1914, it continues to provide live plays, musical entertainment, and movies.  Unfortunately, the doors were locked and no one was visible for a tour, so a peek through the windows would have to suffice. 
All the exploring had created quite an appetite, so our stop at Burnhams Canalside Café was the perfect answer.
Having completed our "to see" list, Dream Chaser pulled out into the canal and headed east.  Our final destination and dockage for tonight is in Baldwinsville, NY. 

It was a warm day, and these guys (with some whooping and hollering) were enjoying bridge jumping.

Some people chose quieter activities.

It has been a long day of motoring with warm, humid weather, and several near top-scraping low bridges.  We were happy when we arrive at Baldwinsville and found an empty spot on the city canal wall.

Sunset in Baldwinsville, NY.

Tomorrow, we leave early for Brewerton.

Experiencing the Erie Canal: The Western Section of the Erie Canal

Sunday, July 6, 2014
Western Section of the Erie Canal:  Pittsford to Buffalo, NY

 This is our view off the stern of Dream Chaser.  You can see why we love it here!

Sunday, July 6, 2014
We are in Pittsford, NY, tied at the “free” canal wall.
Our overnight at the canal wall at Pittsford was perfect;  there were no waves, no noise, and beautiful sparkling lights from the restaurant and shops danced on the water. This is definitely one our favorite places to tie up and it’s free for up to two weeks.
The sun streamed into the cabin awaking us about 6 am, but after the late baseball game, we weren’t ready to “rise and shine”.  About 7 am, we finally gave up on sleeping...too much to see and do!
The walkway along the canal was very busy this morning with people out taking a stroll and feeding the ducks.  Family groups began arriving around 10 am, and the restaurant and cruise boats were getting busy.  The walkways on both sides of the canal between the two main bridges has been popular and busy all day and into the night while we have been docked.
Several locals stopped by the boat to chat and about 10:30 we headed to Rochester for church.
The 11 am service was on the 4th floor of a huge old red brick building on Main St. in a (once very prosperous) old section of Rochester. It was a contemporary service at the Grace Road Church which is connected with the Acts 29 network.  The inside of the building had intricately carved wood moulding with painted accents-obviously VERY old and beautiful.
You need to know that New York is  more than just NYC!  North of NYC, it  is beautiful;  it is an incredible state with the awesome Hudson River Valley, green rolling hills north and south of the Erie Canal, the quaint towns of the Erie Canal, and the breathtaking Adirondack Mountains.  It’s on our “Return To” list for the fall!
We stopped by Taco Bell for our two free tacos.  In the previous blog, we had attended a triple A Red Wings baseball game in Rochester, and the Red Wing's pitcher had struck out the designated "Taco Man" from the opposing team, so the crowd was rewarded with a free taco when they redeemed their ticket at a nearby Taco Bell.   Our drive to Corning, NY took us through beautiful lush green rolling hills.

 When you enter the Corning Museum, you are greeted by a glass chandelier by Dale Chihuly.

The Corning Museum of Glass is the world’s largest glass museum about 1 1/2 hours from Rochester.  This large museum features live glass-blowing demonstrations, 35 centuries of glass artistry, an opportunity to make your own glass piece, and an international GlassMarket.  We enjoyed the collections from the various glass artists and the glass demonstrations.  The lady below is demonstrating how safety glass (the glass in your car, for example) breaks into small pieces because it has tape between two layers of glass.  The tempered glass is used for high stress situations and is difficult to break.  The regular glass (like in house windows) breaks into shards.  It is a great educational stop and there is shopping!

Next, we are headed to...Watkin’s Glen International Raceway called “The Glen”.  It is a Grand Prix course which is 3.4 miles long, with 11 turns, and an asphalt & concrete surface.  It hosted the Grand Prix from 1961-1980 and many other events. Initially, public roads in the village of Watkin’s Glen were used until 1956, when the first raceway was built.  Of course there have been many improvements since that time.  Steve attempted to tour the racetrack, but due to a private engagement, the guard had other plans.  It was disappointing, but we can always return another time.

Another 20 minutes brought us to Watkin’s Glen which is located at the end of beautiful Seneca Lake, one of the finger lakes.  These finger lakes of NY occupy the beautiful deep the north-south valleys and gently rolling hills.  The Seneca Harbor Station, overlooking the marina and a main dock, was our choice for dinner.  Great salads, grilled chicken and shrimp!  Originally built in 1876 as a train station, the building became a restaurant in 1999.

This was the end of the dock overlooking Seneca Lake.  It is a gorgeous area, but the light was poor for pictures.


Captain Bill’s Lake Cruise and the Seneca Legacy Cruise depart from this location.  Captain Bill's Stroller IV was built and launched in 1934 to provide sightseeing cruises on Seneca Lake.  The classic wooden sailing schooner, True Love, was available for cruises, also.  Built by John Alden it appeared in the 1956 movie "High Society" with Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Frank Sinatra.  What a beautiful spot to people watch and enjoy a delicious dinner.

Mary met this gentleman and his parrot friend, Manse, outside the restaurant.  Manse is at least 18 years old, loves to pretend he's a ringing telephone, and also likes to say "kill the rabbit".  That was a little too intense for Mary, so she didn't ask to hold him!

The town of Watkin's Glen is quaint and very popular.  We passed these vintage trailers on the way out of town and noticed that they are for rent.  Another possibility for lodging!?

After dinner, we stopped at a state park on the edge of town and hiked up to the water falls-breathtaking!

Our drive back to Rochester took us through beautiful wine country and past dozens of wineries where the grapes flourish due to the fertile soil and the gentle winds.  This finger lakes region was home to Seneca and Cayuga Indians of the Six Nations whose lands were devastated by the Clinton-Sullivan Experience of 1779.  After 1830,  the Erie Canal linked Cayuga and Seneca Lakes and the area flourished.
After another long, fun filled day, we were eager for a good night’s rest.

Monday, July 7, 2014
Our overnight in Pittsford was restful and quiet. Can’t get over what a great spot this is!
For boaters, the town is steps away... with no noise!

We woke to cloudy skies and a prediction of light rain today.  Most of the day was taken up in errands, walks, provisioning, and completing the blog to be posted (since WiFi has been lacking all week).
Pittsford, NY is a wonderful place to visit, and we enjoy the restful Erie Canal City Park walkways. 

After a healthy dinner at Aladdin’s Natural Eatery and a small cup of gelato, we strolled along the canal joining others out for a walk on this perfect evening.  It’s interesting how the old buildings have been transformed into usable spaces, like the grain elevator by the canal that has been reborn into condos and offices.

But, some buildings just remain standing as they are with their history still contained within their walls.

The rain held off today, but tomorrow is another story.  We will see.
Tonight, while we relaxed on the boat, both sides of the canal are busy with families;  their little ones, fascinated by the large numbers of ducks, are feeding or chasing them. The restaurant is full with patrons filling the outside decks and enjoying the breeze. It’s just a lovely evening to take advantage the beautiful surroundings.  Just lovely!

Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Another blissful morning of sleeping in until 7:30 am.  Dream Chaser’s air-conditioners were flipped on last night due to warm temps, but mostly because of the high humidity.  So, this morning, Dream Chaser was cool and dry...perfect!
We are delaying our departure from Pittsford, this morning, due to changing phone service providers and also getting new I-phone 5’s.  We want the phones working, before we depart.  It’s a wonderful sunny, warm day with some predicted storms possibly later in the day.

About 10:30 am, with temps near 80 and high humidity, we said a farewell to Pittsford and motored west towards Buffalo, NY.  We transited Locks 32 & 33 with 6 other boats; the locks are very busy today.

These (rental) Erie Canal boats appear to be very popular.  The boats sleep four and remind us of a small type of packet boat from the old Erie Canal days.

 Poor Man's Paradise;  he's got everything he needs!

Along the Erie Canal, miles 260 to 264 is known as the “Rock Cut” which required the  most extensive excavation of the canal made through sold rock.  Eighty years ago they didn't have earth moving machinery;  they did it the old fashioned way! Also, the old cement canal walls line other sections of the canal.

It was a hot day on the Erie Canal today.  This was the first day we left the air conditioning on in the salon while were motoring. The bimini top was down for good reason- notice how the bridges are still very low, but Dream Chaser fits under!   Also, the front windows are covered to keep out the hot glaring sun.

At 1:30 pm, we arrived at Spencerport and tied to the wall.  This is a great town with a welcome center in a trolley & canal museum, a big grocery store, restaurants, coffee shop, many miscellaneous businesses, and a wonderful ice cream shop!  From 1908-1931, this depot was the only stop on the Rochester-Buffalo Trolley Line.
The six boats following us pulled into Spencerport, also, and jockied for a spot to tie up on the wall.
We wanted to check out the town before the rainstorm arrived.

The Book Center in the Plaza has an overwhelming number of books, and the owner can find whatever you are looking for! Yes, the books almost reach the ceiling!

Just after walking through Spencerport, a predicted storm cell passed through bringing a deluge of rain.  After three hours, the sun returned, and we walked to the popular Taste of Texas Bar-B-Q and enjoyed some BBQ.
A relaxed walk along the canal followed by a quiet evening in Dream Chaser completed our day.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

After a great night’s sleep in
Spencerport, we were ready
for a nice morning walk
along the canal. It was a
gorgeous morning, temps
in the 70‘s, and the uncomfortable
humidity is gone. The light
was good for a nice shot of
Dream Chaser with the town
of Spencerport in the background.

We’ve added Karma and Abbey
to our list of new friends- they
like the walking trail, also!





We planned to leave earlier today,
but sometimes, it’s hard to get your
ducks all in a row.  About 9 am,
 it all came together, and Dream 
Chaser pulled from the canal wall.

We have been noticing that the land along the Erie Canal from Pittsford west has become more populated and affluent. We motored by Arrowhead Golf Course only about 10 minutes west of Spencerport. Beautiful area!  The towpath, where the mules once pulled barges, is part of the  365 mile Erie Canalway Trail from Albany to Buffalo and has been very busy today.

Brockport was the next town along the canal, and we will probably do an overnight on our way back to Brewerton, next week.  Brockport is a college town and the location of the factory that mass-produced reapers invented by Cyrus McCormick, an inventor and founder of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.

We passed Holley Canal Park.  Holley is a quiet rural community with an historic village square.  Originally, it was named Saltport, but later changed to honor one of the canal commissioners.
We passed by Albion, the home of George Pullman, the inventor of the Pullman sleeping train cars.

 At mile 301 the Erie Canal crosses over Culvert Road on an aqueduct!  This is the only place where you can drive under the Erie canal.  It is a very strange feeling!  In a few days, we will be in a rental car down on that road and will drive under the aqueduct!

Just prior to entering the locks, we passed under Lockport’s “upside-down bridge”.  Built in 1902, this multi-span railroad bridge looks like a through truss positioned upside-down.  The bridge really isn’t upside-down, it is a deck truss bridge.  Below, is a picture of the bridge and what the area looked like many years ago.

 At  4 pm, we reached the popular town of Lockport which is the location of the last two locks on the Erie Canal, Locks 34 and 35. 

Lock 34 & 35 are two of the highest locks on the Erie Canal which replace the original five locks. We hopped off in Lock 35 once Dream Chaser had been raised and talked with the lock master.  Lots of history here.
We were fascinated by the “Flight of Five”, an engineering wonder of step locks which were created by blasting through a 60 ft. wall of solid granite.  Also, the Erie Canal Discovery Center, an interpretive museum, is located in Lockport.  This museum transports you back to the old canal days.

As we proceed west, the homes along the canal are nicer, a few are small estates with manicured lawns.  Amhurst was the next town on the canal.  Originally settled by German speaking settlers and Mennonite populations, it is has become more like a suburb of Buffalo.  The Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village is a living history museum based in 19th century Western NY with 10 historic structures on the 35 acre campus. 

Tonawanda Gateway Harbor Park is the last stop before Lake Erie and our destination for tonight.      We arrived at Tonawanda Gateway Harbor about 7 pm, and joined the mass of boats already lining both north and south docking walls.  We knew the Tonawanda Canal Fest was to start this weekend, but obviously, boats were already staking claim to their spots days in advance.  As luck wold have it, the one spot left was on the south wall which was what we had hoped for...away from the loud band playing in the green space just across the canal.
The free concert scheduled for tonight, had drawn hundreds of people to the canal area.  The bands were “Ultraviolet” and “Black Widow”.  The band could be heard for blocks and, actually, played a few OK songs.  The crowd was everywhere:  some up close and personal with the band and others relaxed on blankets across the canal or had brought their lawn chairs.  Thankfully, they were across the canal and that the “music” ended at 10 pm.  Enough said!



We were greeted by a very friendly
local lady who brought us maps and
more information on the up-coming
weekend.  Sounds like quite a week
of celebrations and partying.
She had a helper with her!

Just across the canal from us, two kids were jumping off the train bridge.  This guy "thought about" his jump for a looooong time, but finally jumped.

After our dinner of grilled turkey burger topped with chili sauce, rice, and Cuban beans, we were off to explore North and South Tonawanda.  We discovered some interesting restaurants and old historic buildings, but no carousel factory.  We will look for it tomorrow when we have a rental car.
In spite of Dream Chaser being docked a few boat lengths from an overhead railroad track, we slept well!

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Our eyes popped open about 6 am. Today, we planned to leave the Erie Canal, enter the Niagara River, motor into Lake Erie, "shuffle on down to Buffalo", and dock at Canalside in Buffalo Harbor,
Sun streamed through the windows as we finished breakfast and headed to the upper helm with coffee in hand.  We felt a little remorse as we slipped from our coveted dock and motored into the Niagara River.  We had decided that although Tonawanda Canal Fest was the biggest event of the year (in this area and lasting for a week), it wasn’t where we wanted to spend our time.

Dream Chaser moved slowly from the dock due to a momma duck attempting to get all her little duckings in a row!

By 8:50 am, Dream Chaser had cleared the Federal Lock, raised the 6 ft., and passed Grand Island.  A right turn would have taken us up the Niagara River towards Niagara Falls.  We took a left into the wide, deep commercial channel and Lake Erie.

Our view of Buffalo, NY.

The Peace Bridge is an architectural symbol of Buffalo and is the bridge between Canada and the US.

With clear blue skies, sunshine and temps in the 60’s, we entered Buffalo Harbor and took Dream Chaser for a quick spin into Lake Erie  This is the 4th of the Great Lakes we have visited with Dream Chaser. We are back to navigating channels and big water so, we are remembering “red right return”  which means red buoy on the right if returning from large body of water and going inland.  It is vital to know which side of the buoys to be on.  We have navigated Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and now, Lake Erie.  Only Lake Ontario is left.

 This is the big water of Lake Erie!
 

Notice the USS Little Rock, a guided missile cruiser in the background.  The ship is now a museum vessel on display at the Naval & Military Park next to where we are docked.

By 9:30 am, we were docked at Canalside, the Buffalo City Marina, in Buffalo, NY.
Tonight from 6:30-9 pm, there is a free concert 500 ft. from our boat with “Fitz and the Trantrums”.
The name sounds VERY loud!
This morning, we moved Dream Chaser about 150 ft. to make room for the U.S.Brig Niagara, which arrives by 3 pm this afternoon.  The Niagara is a 198 ft. long two-masted, square-rigged sailing vessel reconstructed relief flagship of Commodore Perry in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.

The US Brig Niagara from the museum in Erie, PA.

This guy paddle by Dream Chaser in this Chesapeake Light Craft kayak which he made himself.  Steve was very impressed!  It was beautiful!

After a quick chicken salad for lunch, we hopped in the rental car and headed to Tonawanda, determined to find the unique Herschell Carousel Factory Museum.

At  180 Thompson St., we found the only historic carousel factory in the nation. The museum is located in the factory which Allen Herschell, a Scottish immigrant, started in 1915.  Herschell originally built machinery and boilers until he began producing hand carved carousels.  For a while, Herschel order the barrel organs to go with the carousels, but he finally bought the company that produced them. There are demonstrations on wood carving, horse restoration, and two original carousels.

Mary chose the lead horse on one of the original carousels built in 1916 with 36 jumping horses, 2 chariots, 588 light bulbs, and weighing over 2 tons. Over 3,000 hand-carved, wooden carousels were produced in this factory which were not always horses, but sometimes a menagerie of creatures.  The original carousels were for adults, but by the 1930’s, Herschell was producing Kiddie Carousels for Kiddie lands which became very popular in the 1950’s.  The popularity peaked in the 60‘s, and due to high costs, very few remain, today.

 Anybody remember the "Kiddie Boat Ride"?

Anyone have a chance to ride on the "Little Dipper"?

Our next destination was the Lumber Company Museum which contains the history of North Tonawanda. North Tonawanda had the largest manufacturing plant of Wurlitzer organs, pianos, and jukeboxes.  It’s the home of the Rands, who are known for their banking, patented banking bookkeeping systems, and were eventually owners of Remington Manufacturing (typewriters), eventually known as Remington-Rand.  This museum has an amazing collection of history of the area!
We knocked on the door of the Riviera Theater, went inside, and found the managing director who gave us a little tour of this historic theater.  Built in 1926 as a showplace, it has ornate carvings with gold plating and is awesome!  The theater has shown silent movies, films, and was a popular vaudeville venue.  Over the past 35 years, top name artists have performed in hundreds of concerts.  Frankie Avalon is scheduled in September, and they presently have a summer film series. An Opus 1524 Wurlitzer organ is played briefly before each venue. Unfortunately, nothing is on the schedule while we are in the area.

Steve suggested that the gentleman play something for us, but he declined.  Would love to hear it!

For lunch, we chose Pud Thai and Mutsamun Curry at “Yummy Thai” in North Tonawanda.  Delish!
When we returned to Canal Park about 5 pm, the hundreds of people had already gathered 
for the Thursday night FREE outdoor concert at the park area above where Dream Chaser is docked.  This is one big event!

By 7 pm, the boats were tied 2-5 boats deep, the river was clogged with boats of all sizes, jet skies, pontoon boats, paddle boards, kayaks, and police boats on patrol!  The crowd kept mushrooming until thousands were gathered for the concert, with beer and food concessions on the fringes. 
When the bands in the park took a break, the boaters down below would turn up THEIR music!  It settled down about midnight.  Quite a night!

Friday, July 11, 2014

This is a better shot of the USS Little Rock that we are sharing the harbor with.  Massive!

After a quick breakfast, we walked through Canalside Park where a large yoga class is being held outside.  We walked several blocks to where the car was parked (difficult parking around Canalside) and drove to Medina, NY.  We are back tracking to see some of the areas we passed on the canal.  We are enjoying the little towns, country roads, small old farms, and green corn fields.  Many of the barns will be history if there is a big wind.  Lots of 4th of July flags and banners were still out.  Along the road on the edge of a farm property, hundreds of small American flags were stuck in the ground about 20 ft. apart.  Really cool!
Medina has some very old buildings and interesting churches.  This is just one of the churches.

 The churches are so large that it's hard to get a picture of the whole building.

Medina has some interesting paintings on the outside walls of their buildings.

 In Medina, our first stop was the Medina Railroad Museum on West Avenue which is housed in a 1905 wooden freight depot.  The picture above shows Steve buying our tickets for our passage back in time and through history. There are exhibits with over 7,000 artifacts and thousands of items of memorabilia line the walls of this old freight terminal as long as a football field.  There is a huge model train display with several trains running with accompanying miniature towns, farms, animals, and people. There are collections of historic fire fighting equipment.

Marty Phelps and Steve standing next to the train layout and artifact displays.

It all started out as a childhood hobby for the owner of the museum, Marty Phelps, and has grown into the largest railroad museum in New York.  He started with a layout in his basement and it just kept growing.  The museum also has train rides scheduled throughout the year:  A Ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, dinner trains, wine tour, Fall colors, and the Polar Express pajama party in Nov/Dec.  Lots of fun!

It was time for lunch and we found Rudy's, a popular 50's diner with a special fish fry and great chicken salad. 
As we were walking through town admiring all the old historic brick buildings, we wandered into the "Shirt Factory" located in a big renovated building that had been a shirt factory.   This is now a coffee shop, and we found some delicious freshly baked scones.
After checking out some of the little shops in town, we drove to the aqueduct on Culvert Road and took a picture of the spot that Dream Chaser had motored over just days before! This is the only spot on the Erie Canal where you can drive under the canal!

We drove on Route 104 through Amish and Mennonite communities and small farms until we reached Miller's Bulk Food and Bakery.  Oh, the mouth watering aged and smoked cheddar cheeses!  We purchased our cheese, and when we returned to our car, there was a lady getting inside.  It took awhile for her to realize it wasn't her car, and then she was REALLY embarrassed.  Next stop was a country fruit stands for  local cherries.  YUM!

Lockport was the next town on our list.  Lockport earned its name back in 1825 from the five flights of canal locks which were constructed to overcome the difference in elevation along the Niagara Escarpment.  This is also the location of the “upside down railroad bridge”.
The Erie Canal Discovery Center really added to our awareness of the Erie Canal.  We gained new information and details to what we already know about this amazing feat of engineering.  We thought it was interesting that the man who really came up with the idea of digging a canal had written a letter to Governor Clinton from debtor's prison.

The average canal boatman had 2 boats and six horses/mules.  He often had a family that traveled with him.  Their living quarters were the cabin under the stern.  The wife washed, ironed, and cooked for the family and crew.  The stable was located in the bow of the boat-below.

This picture shows a family enjoying the day on the roof of the canal boat.

This is a great picture showing how the canal boat crew assisted the horses on and off the boats.

We also walked down to the Erie Canal Museum along the remaining portion of the Flight of Five.
The state is in the process of restoring this area.  Initially, there were 10 locks:  five locks going up and five locks going down.  One set of the locks was used to create the two larger updated locks which are used today.

After a quick dinner aboard Dream Chaser, we walked about six blocks to the Coca Cola Stadium where the triple A Buffalo Bisons were playing the Durham Bulls.  The Buffalo Bisons are the feeder team for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Bulls are the feeder team for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.     We were very lucky...while we were standing in the ticket line with 50 other people, a lady walked up to us and asked if we wanted to buy her two tickets. They were $13 seats, and she wanted $8 total.  SOLD!  We were thrilled to see that they were fabulous seats!  The 7:05 pm game began after the required "play ball" and national anthems.  The crowd cheered, sang, and clapped, but the Bisons (the home team) lost.  It was a very entertaining evening and fireworks (worth oo's and ahs) followed the game.
After the long day and the six block walk back to Dream Chaser, it was time for bed!