All is Calm....

The Erie Canal is all I thought it was going to be, so far! 

There is something very calming about smooth water and a canal that goes on for miles and miles. No big winds, no big waves, no big deal.

Erie Canal near Clyde, N.Y.

We have a chart book that tells us where all the bridges and locks are and a book called "Skipper Bob" (really!)  that is like a guide book and tells you where you can stop for the night and what is there for facilities and shopping. It's very useful and everyone seems to have it. I have been ticking off places as we go by so I can keep track of where we are. Hugh drives Trekker as this is not something Helmut can do very well with all the bends and curves, as well as avoiding debris (there are a lot of branches floating down the canal!)
Sometimes I feel like we are in deepest, darkest, Upper State New York. A little bit like a jungle in some places with trees and vines hanging over the canal. We have seen quite a few herons and hawks flying by, I'm still waiting for my first croc!! Lol! 
Then suddenly, you turn the corner and you are in a cute little town with, always, a church steeple towering above. 

The first two questions we find we are frequently asked are: "where are you headed?" and "where are you from?". These are hard questions to answer as there are many ways to respond. My usual answer is: "we are headed down the Erie Canal, to the Hudson River, down the ICW to Florida then to the Bahamas". People look at us like we are either crazy or very brave ... or both !

Where we are from is harder ... "we live in Kitchener, but our boat is out of Georgian Bay, and we have been down Lakes Huron and Erie to get to Buffalo and now down the Erie Canal"!! Again crazy looks! We have become used to people staring at us, and quite a few will come up to say hello and ask more questions. I guess we are quite a spectacle with our Canadian flag flying high and our mast cradled on top! As we cruise down the canal most people will wave to you. It's all very nice. 

Trekker docked in Brockport, N.Y.

Brockport turned out to be a very nice town. We stayed the next day and did a walking tour of the downtown. Very old, very beautiful architecture.  After lunch the skies darkened and it started raining, so we decided to go to the movies. The town's only movie theatre was showing Dunkirk at 4pm so off we went and had a private showing!! I think that is a first!

The Strand Theatre, Brockport, N.Y.

Tuesday we moved to Fairport. We had dinner out with our new cruising friends Sheila and Bob. Next stop was Newark where we visited a Clock Museum and Heritage Museum. Apparently it was the rose growing capital of the states for a long time. I wonder if my Dad bought roses from there? The other excitement was the free laundry by the dock. I never thought I could get excited about doing laundry, but, hey, it was free!!
We are currently heading for Baldwinsville. So far we have gone through four locks this morning. We are becoming very good at them. I am keeping track of how far down we have dropped ... so far, 150ft. 

Slow and steady down the Erie Canal ... one day at a time.