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Published: July 25th 2017
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We passed through our last lock on this journey today. In total on this trip we have done 62! Our destination is Tonawanda, the end of the Erie Barge Canal. Weather pending, we will probably be home within a week! Looking back, cannot believe how the time has flown.
This adventure has been full of new experiences through which we have continued to learn and grow, especially for me being fairly new to boating. But I guess you can’t say I am an inexperienced boater any longer! Sometimes it surprises me, when talking to other boaters, how much I know now. In some ways, I have done more than many of them; cruising ocean waters and anchoring for months at a time. What a blessing to live this life!
Our latest travels have taken us to Spencerport, Holley, Albion, Medina and Middleport. Sometimes, these towns seem to blur together, but in each, there have been highlights.
Spencerport is a great stop for boaters as there is a grocery store a couple blocks from the dock; an easy place to provision. One thing we have noticed with many of these small towns, is that there are no grocery stores
in town. Sadly, Walmart’s and other such large box stores have built up on the major highways on the outskirts of the towns, shutting out the smaller local stores that once existed. I can’t deny finding Walmart shopping convenient – everything in one place – but the disappearance of small shops seems to rob us of the local color of an area.
Holley was easily one of my favorite stops along this canal. As many of you may have guessed from previous posts, I love natural settings and waterfalls. A short 10 minute walk from the dock in Holley, there is a lovely little park crisscrossed with wooded trails, and at it’s heart, a picturesque waterfall. We enjoyed several walks/runs throughout the park and took time to snap a plethora of photos. One evening, we were treated to the sounds of a local band in the pavilion adjacent our boat; that is until the rain poured down! So much rain this year; we have heard a lot of talk about high water levels and flooding. Fortunately, on a boat, you don’t have to worry too much about that.
Our next stop was Albion, home of some of the
Liftbridge in Spencerport
Waiting for the liftbridge to raise for us to go under. Notice the lovely sky in the background...we have seen many dark skies this summer. best pizza I have had. On one of my runs, I discovered a newly opened pizzeria, boasting fresh-made, never frozen ingredients. The crust was crispy, the toppings abundant, and the sauce was made from fresh roma tomatoes; sweet and tangy. Albion is also full of beautifully maintained historic buildings including an 1858 courthouse boasting an impressive silver dome and churches with statuesque steeples stretching high into the sky. One of the most interesting structures was the church (see note below for Lukus’ input as I read this to him...) built by George Pullman, the inventor of the Pullman railroad sleeping car, in memory of his parents. Although not towering as many cathedrals, the eclectic design of varying roof levels, turrets and stain glass windows lends the church distinctive character.
(Church, as Lukus inserted, was not intended to denote a building. Rather it is the body of people who are followers of our omnipotent Creator; and wherever two or more of them are gathered, there you find church. Somehow along the way, the word has become used to define an inert object, rather than a living, breathing unified entity. He is astounded by how convoluted our language has become!)
Liftbridge in Spencerport
Cruising under the liftbrdige In Medina, one afternoon was spent perusing the Medina Railroad museum. It houses the most impressive model train setup I have ever seen. It stretched on and on for almost the entire length of the museum. As some of you may know, I am entranced with miniatures; have been since I was young. I was enthralled with the detail of the myriad of scenes depicted; rock climbers scaling a mountain wall, sunbathers frolicking in the basin of a waterfall, an amusement park complete with moving rides, even a swamp littered with refuse (perhaps an environmentalist statement?). Everywhere you looked there was so much to take in; it was enchanting and mesmerizing.
We met one of the most inspiring couples ever in Medina. As we sat at our table playing cards, we had noticed them walking down the dock, hand in hand. Lukus made a comment that something about them appealed to him. A few minutes later we heard them calling out hello and so we stepped out to chat with them. Upon first impression, I would have guessed them as a spry 70 at most. It turns out the gentleman was 90! How has he maintained his youth? Apparently
Pullman Memorial Universalist Church
The church built by George Pullman in Albion, NY in his 50’s he was overweight and out of shape and he just made the decision to make a change. He has been working out for the past 35 years; he still does about 50 pushups a day (and me, who cannot do 1!), and he showed us his biceps to prove it! Along with being physically active, his secret to a long and healthy life is simply that he loves life; he enjoys living. It certainly showed in this couples’ effervescent enthusiasm towards each other and to us.
More rain hit us when we arrived in Middleport, so we took full advantage of the stormy day to huddle in the boat. It was a relaxing day of reading, watching a movie, playing cards and eating Japanese ozoni (Dad, I could picture you shaking your head – I didn’t have any cabbage, so we had ours with carrots, onion and…brussel sprouts – but hey, they are like baby cabbage…lol).
After Middleport we moved onto Lockport, NY, a place steeped in Erie Barge Canal history, where we spent two nights. A couple we had met in Middleport had said not to bother stopping there as there were no good
places to tie up and not much to see. Well, we are glad we bothered. Lockport reverberates with an ambience of by-gone days. Perhaps it is because we had also read about the significance this area had played in the original building of the canal.
Lockport is home to the “flight of five” locks of the original Erie Canal. Back in the mid 1800’s, there were two sets of 5 step locks, moving boats up and down 60 feet in elevation. Despite the fact that boats were moved through the locks on a 24 hour basis, the traffic was so heavy, tow barges could end up waiting as long as 3 days to get through this section! As the barge captain and crew waited, they would seek entertainment, food and comfortable shelter. Thus the establishment of saloons and hotels soon followed, and Lockport was born.
One set of the original “flight of five” locks still exist while the other was modified into 2 locks in the early 1900’s. Other infrastructure from the 1800’s is still evident, including the remains of 3 factories predominant in those times. These factories were run through hydro-mechanical power; using water diverted from the
Model Train in Medina
For more detailed photos, check out my Facebook canal through a tunnel to power their machinery. By joining a tour, we were able to explore the tunnel and even ride a boat through a cave deep under the city. For me, journeying into the bowels of the earth through underground passageways and caves always elicits a secretive, almost mystical aura.
Now we wait in Tonawanda for a good weather window to head out onto the lake. It has been a while since we have been out on open water; having to think about weather, winds and waves is a change again. But that is part of the fun of boating, things are always changing.
We still haven’t decided if we will run the whole 60 miles home once we hit the lake or if we will stop along the way. But, rest assured, we are on our way. The countdown is on, it will be a matter of days now! Looking forward to seeing all our family and friends. Much love from Abigail!
Abigail out.
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