Sidetrip to Vermont

You probably don't associate Vermont with boating. We didn't.  We reached this sign and had to turn left or go straight.

We turned left to do the Erie Canal because many years ago I had seen a photo article on boating on the Erie and it planted this whole idea. Also, there is a restriction on "portapotties" in Ontario Canada so we couldn't legally go into Canada and down the St Lawrence.

But, since we were so close to Lake Champlain, and since Vermont was one of those states I had never visited, we docked the boat for a few days and took a road trip.  It was raining anyway.  In fact, its so rainy and cold that Rob has made the comment:  "Vermont looks so pretty.  We should come back in the summertime". (Recall that we are here in late July)

We looked for the Stafford Inn, owned by Dick and Joanna Loudon because we really wanted to meet Larry, his brother Daryl and his other brother Daryl.  We didn't find the Inn but along the way we did see the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory and also signs for the Ben and Jerry's factory.  Gorgeous farms and rolling hills... what we could see anyway.  I couldn't see mountains anywhere, though (because of the rain).  Since we missed out on meeting Dick, Joanna and crew, we settled on the Inn established by the Hamptons (aka Hampton Inn) just outside Burlington.

The next day was gray but at least not raining so we headed downtown to the lake and the Church Street Marketplace.  The area is gorgeous, even on a gray day.  Beautiful, well maintained, old homes and shops.  The college is very close to downtown and it has kept this very historic downtown vital and fun.

Here are some pictures of our day.

Lake Champlain

A yummy lunch (Rob had a watermelon beer; I had Vermont hard cider)

Love all the church steeples

The pedestrian friendly outdoor mall and restaurant row... 

Our new motto?

Cherry Garcia Street:  We were good and abstained... knowing that the Inn of the Hamptons specializes in homemade cookies in the evenings.

Waterford Flight and Mohawk River

I couldn't help feeling today was the beginning of the end, because this is the last "leg" of our crusing adventure.  We were on the Erie Canal at long last.  This is the day we've been training for.  We were a bit intimidated.  Today we were going up the Waterford flight, a series of 5 locks over less than 2 miles, that raised our level by about 165 ft! (And that's just the beginning.. we'll be doing 15-20 locks before we are done)

It was a gray morning and most boaters seemed to be hanging out thinking they were waiting out another storm.  We decided to proceed as we weren't actually anticipating a long cruise... about 3 hours to get us up to where our car was parked in Schenectady.

We donned our gloves and older clothing, knowing that these locks were going to be covered in greasy grimy gopher guts..

So, here we went, into the maws of the lock:

Check out this picture....  

Pretty good reflection, huh?  Yuck those walls were slimy!  Today I earned my field promotion from "Activity Director and Co-Purser" to "First Mate".  I'll gladly take a demotion tomorrow, Cap!


The locks might have been slimy but the river itself was lovely and peaceful.  We only passed two boats all day and shared a lock once.  The water was like glass in most places.  These pictures don't do it justice, primarily because it was a cloudy day, but it was a very pleasant run.

We approached the last lock and saw this massive white wall, wondering what it was... Most locks just spill the water, creating a little man made waterfall.   This lock is next to a very large dam and power plant.

As we reached the top of the lock, we could look across and see the rushing water.  This particular dock attracted observers as well... but by this time we had our act together and looked like pros.

Hudson to Erie Canal: Waterford NY

It rained last night but the forecast was fine so off we went... in very short order we reached Albany.  Some interesting architecture but we were happy to move on up the river to more sylvan views (I had to look up sylvan.. it means wooded)

We faced the first lock after the town of Troy NY.  This is called the Federal Lock and its the first lock we have had to do totally on our own (the prior ones at Dismal Swamp were in the company of fellow helpful C-Brats, and besides, they were far less "industrial sized".

(isn't that reflection off the window neat?)

Then we arrived at the town of Waterford, entrance to the Erie Canal.  It is a lovely waterfront area and we'd arrived just in time to catch the Sunday farmers market... fresh cherries, corn, plums and apricots were going to be our dinner and desert tonight (with probably some digestive distress at bedtime).  We were VERY disappointed at the Waterford visitors center... we were thinking it would have been more like a formal museum (like the Dismal Swamp visitor center), with Erie Canal history etc.  It was just a small room with some marketing literature for places along the route.  Docking at the wall is free, and ALL the reviews say this place is great... but the bathrooms were creepy and we didn't like it much.  We hate to dis the place, but we can't understand the great reviews.

We walked a few blocks into town and passed some formerly charming homes... a few had been renovated, but mostly it was a sad little downtown.  We did have a FABULOUS lunch at McGreavy's Pub (which was updated and very nice), and then walked around the harbor area to take pictures and view the lock:

Waterford Lock (see the spillway along the right side)

Spillway "waterfall" and bike path along the canal... This bike path goes all along the canal for many miles

The Waterford wall and park area

Hudson Day 3: Jamacan Jerk at the Shady Rest Marina

Today was a perfect day on the Hudson, the water was flat and the it was a flood tide (so, in our direction). We passed many beautiful estates, including the Vanderbuilt mansion, which is now open to the public.  Still many undivided zillionaire estates here.

Some very different lighthouses along the way:

We stopped early to dock at the Shady Rest Marina to take advantage of the pool and other really nice facilities.  We were happy to discover that today they were hosting the Jamacian Jerk Off (a BBQ contest between various yacht clubs and groups of individuals, benefiting  the Alzheimers Association). For $10 bucks we had all you can eat BBQ chicken, brisket, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob and dirty rice.  Not to mention the $5 margaritas... and a great band.  Everyone had an awesome time!

Hudson Day 2: Hyde Park and FDR home and presidential library

We arrived at the Hyde Park Marina which is just a tiny marina for small boats (we qualify).  It has no facilities besides a bathroom and a shower... BUT it is only a few miles from the family home of FDR.  According to Google Maps we could easily ride our e-bikes to it.  The dockmaster saw our funny little bikes, with the 12 inch tires and said "no way" can you climb that hill.  So he took us up up up this hill in his truck.  That was really appreciated.  MAYBE the ebikes would have gotten us there but it was certainly questionable.

First off, we sat and had a heart to heart with Franklin and Eleanor about our current political climate

Then we joined a ranger for the tour of the home... which had been in FDR's family for a couple of generations.  We even saw the room where he was born.  This was actually his mother's home and she ruled here but FDR loved it so that he visited here as much as he could . Eleanor didn't love it too much (two strong women living in the same home was a problem), so they built a cottage about 4 miles down the road for her to have her own retreat.  Interesting marriage for sure.  I've read several books on these two and they sure were fascinating personalities.

View off the back patio... out onto the Hudson in the distance.. way DOWN the hill

Even the barn was ELEGANT

Burial site in the rose garden next to the home

We then toured the presidential library which was designed and built by FDR towards the end of his second term... thinking he would retire then.  Inside we saw many exhibits of all of his challenges but what was especially unique was seeing his actual office where he worked during the rest of his presidency.  He invented the idea of a presidential library and all presidents since him now have them.  The exhibits were fascinating and very well done.  It makes me want to visit other presidential libraries.

Then we gritted our teeth for the death-defying ride down down down the hill... brakes engaged the whole way.  With 12 inch tires, our center of gravity is a bit unusual on these bikes.  At least that is my excuse why I found it a bit too thrilling.  We survived and it will be another memory as an adventure in and of itself.

Hudson Day 2.. Tappan Zee to Hyde Park

I thought I'd start today's blog by telling you some trivia I've learned about the Hudson and its history.  I was rereading "River Horse" (see earliest posts) with regard to their trip up the Hudson and learned a few things I didn't know.

The Hudson is mostly very straight with only one real "oxbow" and, the lower 140 miles of it is actually a fjord... the only one in our "lower 48".  I'm not sure what constitutes a fjord but is says here that the tidal reach goes the first 140 miles.  the first 140 miles brings you to Troy and the Erie Canal.

We were starting approximately at the Tappan Zee bridge which is Dutch name meanling "cold stream sea"

I THINK this is the Tappan Zee Bridge.  I have way too many pictures of bridges to know for sure

The current of the Hudson was something we had been warned about however it didn't seem bad at all.  Maybe its all "relative".  In fact, once we did pass that "ox bow" at Storm King Mountain, the water was glass like.  However, in River Horse he states that the current is "constant" and "predictable" and that a floating stick would take 3 weeks to float from Troy to the NYC Battery.  That's because it will ride a dozen miles down an ebb tide and then float back up 8 miles with every flood tide.

So after brushing up on "River Horse" last night I spent time looking for specific sights along the way up.  Here is West Point, which, in our opinion, looks more like a prison than a school.  Or at least more like a fortress with its high walls and towers.

The next place I wanted to see was called Pollepel Island (Bannerman's Island).  Here we saw the decaying remains of an American castle.  Between 1900 and 1918, Frank Bannerman, a munitions dealer built a folly of a castle on a little island in the middle of the Hudson.  He was a Scotsman who missed his home country and wanted his own little kingdom.   In his book, "River Horse", William Least Heat-Moon meets and interviews one of Bannerman's descendents.  Apparently no one besides Frank Bannerman really liked coming to the castle.  It was given to the state and for a time there were tours given.  Then there was a fire and it became so dilapidated that landing on the island is prohibited.  That didn't stop River Horse, however.  Ignoring the laws and the dangers of very shallow rocky waters, he and his crew landed and explored.  River Horse, his C-Dory, did suffer a big ding on a submerged rock.  Not an auspicious way to start his adventure to the west.

He talks of a moat, turrets, parapets etc.  It must have been something to see and explore!

The sights were so interesting and the weather so lovely that the 50 miles went by very quickly.  Rob is especially enjoying the fact that the Hudson has rail road tracks on both sides of the shoreline... right at the shoreline.  In fact, our marina tonight in Hyde Park is virtually on the tracks of the Amtrack.  Freight train just across the river.  Rob, at least, won't mind the whistles as we sleep onboard tonight.