Tony M Trawler: Herkimer to Seneca Falls

Lock 17

All through the Erie Canal the locks operated the same by swinging open the doors to let boaters in - Except for Lock 17. This special lock is not only the highest lift lock on the Erie Canal (40'), it is one of only two locks in North America where the entrance gate is lifted above the boater. We watched the gate as it pulled up over the canal and then we motored under it, water dripping on us from the gate.


Canal warehouse for navigational aids- Herkimer, NY

After the comfortable dock at Canajoharie, Herkimer was a bit of a disappointment. The New York Thruway was about 100 feet away with all of its rumbling trucks and speeding cars. The canal warehouse divided the highway from us. Next to the warehouse was a restaurant and souvenir shop, Gems Along the Mohawk,that boasts they house 50 vendors from the area. They did have lots of "stuff" and oddly enough, the world's largest tea pot.
It was 136 years old, 57 inches tall, 58 1/2 inches wide, 492 pounds filled (who could lift it?) and could hold 58 gallons or 972 cups of tea

World's Largest Tea Pot

Lots of flotsam in the river

Baldwinsville Lock 24

Could this be an ad for next year's Super Bowl?

From Herkimer we stayed in Sylvan Beach, crossed Oneida Lake and then stayed in Brewerton. These are all great stops, aging but interesting. We locked through Lock 23 and 24 and held our breath as we went under a 15 1/2 foot bridge-we clear 14 1/2 feet but we weren't sure about the measurement because of the heavy spring rains. My job was to stand on the propane box on the bridge, peer over the canvas top and then guestimate if we were going to make it. Fortunately, my guess was right on and we had inches to spare- whew!
Lock 24 brought us to Baldwinsville where we enjoyed their wall with power, the absence of the trains and a welcoming town. Too bad it wasn't Thursday night or we could have enjoyed the concert from the Budweiser Amphitheater across the canal..maybe on the way back!

Just so you don't miss the turn!!

Baby bald eagles

The Cayuga-Seneca Canal

We wanted to explore the Finger Lakes and that's possible by taking a left turn off the Erie Canal and using the Cayuga-Seneca Canal (C/S Canal) to get to either Cayuga Lake or Seneca Lake. The other Finger Lakes are all stand alones. We locked through the first three locks on this C/S Canal on our way to Seneca lake and arrived at Seneca Falls, a delightful, very attractive, town. While once a prosperous mill town, it is now suffering from the manufacturing withdrawal. Most storefronts are filled and tourists can be seen walking around town. The village boasts a Museum Trail consisting of five museums. We visited two and were pleasantly surprised at their quality. The Women's Rights National Historical Park preserves the importance of the 1848 First Women's Rights Convention where the reformerss wrote the Declaration of Sentiments, outlining their desire to vote, speak in public, hold office, attend college, own property and the list goes on. The other museum was the Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry, explaining the history and rise and fall of Seneca Fall. Besides dockage, the village provides boaters with electricity and water, immaculate restrooms and showers and laundry facilities- I think I may move in here! We could have also used the Community Center if we were so inclined to have a workout--we skipped that workout since walking Buddy is our daily workout!
Overall, Seneca Falls is a very attractive place to live. The homes are well kept, the town offices are interesting, the library was helpful to us and the numerous parks were great places to walk in. Too bad it's so cold here in the winter.