18 Locks and Counting

Sunday, June 26, 2016, we finished up the Hudson River, and docked in a marina at the beginning of the Erie Canal.

 Albany, NY

Albany, NY This is the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company building. This tower is 13 stories.

House in the Hudson

We stayed at a special little park in Waterford, NY, where you can dock for $10. Volunteers run it and help get you ready to enter the Erie Canal.

We set out on Monday the 27th, following two other boats. Here is lock number 4, they are between 1-10 miles apart.

These locks have ropes you have to hang onto. This was Stu's first lock experience, it's so much easier to go through a lock with three people rather than two. 

Here is a lock with the doors closed.

They open the doors, and we all go in and tie up to a wall.

Then they close the doors behind us.

Then they fill the lock with water, and we all float to the top.

This guy is doing the Erie Canal in a small sail boat.

This is an especially deep one.

Here we are at the top of the lock.

When we get to the top, we release the ropes, they open the doors, and we float away at a higher level.

We didn't expect the Erie to be this wide.

It's so beautiful.

We stayed at another little park Monday night after going through 8 locks. It had a restaurant, so we had dinner with Ken and Lois, owners of the boat we have been following. They are Gold Loopers, which means they have already done the Loop once, and they are doing it again!

Evening view, before sunset.

We left early on Tuesday for another day of endless locks.

Early morning view

The view behind us.

Today, Tuesday, June 28th, 2016, we were about to enter our last lock of the day, number 18, when this rolled in.  The lockmaster wouldn't let us in the lock, and suggested we wait. So, we tied up to a wall and waited for it to pass, but it never did. We eventually went through the lock in the rain, it poured on us the rest of the trip.
We are in our marina and it's still raining!

This guys played the bagpipes for us, in the rain, after he helped us tie up. We are in Ilion, New York. 

Tonight's sunset. I made Robbie and Stu come and look, they are now trying to figure out how to get those
logs out of our way!

Cruising the Hudson River

Saturday, June 25, 2016
We left Croton On Hudson, and continued up the Hudson River.
What a beautiful river, on a perfect day.

Bear Mountain Bridge

Lots of lovely homes in the hills.

United States Military Academy at West Point

We had a lot of jet skis playing in our wake.

Culinary Institute of America

Stuart drove most of the day, it was a nice break for Robbie.
We are in Catskill, New York tonight. Tomorrow, we will be in the Erie Canal.

Croton On Hudson

Thursday, June 23, 2016
I moved back onto the boat at Half Moon Marina in Croton On Hudson, NY.

This osprey had a fish under his claws that was still moving around.

There were condos behind the marina.

My old friend, Rosemary, drove to see us from Connecticut. I was the maid of honor at her wedding over 20 years ago. We both worked on the Navy base in Spain.

That night we walked to dinner with Scott and Brenda, and Steve and Kathleen, the first time we have all been together since Dundalk, MD.

Later on, Robbie, Stuart and I took the train into New York City.

We stopped at Grand Central Station.

From there we caught the subway to the 9-11 Memorial Ponds.

The water goes down the sides, and then into a big hole in the center. Each pond is an acre, and sits on the footprint of the original buildings.

The names of all the people who died in each building are engraved on the borders.

This is the One World Observatory

Transportation Hub, across from the museum.

This was a memorial to all the firefighters who lost their lives.

This was some type of federal building.

I just thought this was pretty.

Live music in the subway. Had enough heat and crowds, going back to the boat!

Awwwww, now we're better.