Erie Canal - West Part 1

Getting into the canal system at Buffalo was a lot easier than we had expected. Everything was well marked with buoys and the current from the Niagara River pulled us right along to the mouth of the canal where we entered into placid water. There is a lot of boat traffic at this end of the canal—a constant parade of “muscle boats” with drivers on testosterone overload and music booming from stereos competing for space with big family cruisers. Everybody here at the Gateway Canal Park in Tonawanda is looking to see and be seen. But mostly they are here for a good time. Every weekend, all summer long this place rocks! The first band started blasting out tunes at six. By nine the well lubricated crowd of all ages, shapes & sizes was bumping, grinding and shaking their “money-makers” in wild abandon. The music was really very good and the people friendly and lots of fun. But as the band finished up with “Life is a Highway” we decided to hit the road ourselves and boogey on back to bed.

Early the next morning while everyone else slept in boats rafted together 2 and 3 deep, we cast off our dock lines and silently slipped into the waterway heading east. The next few days were the anti-thesis of what we had experienced in Tonawanda. Mornings were spent—coffee in hand—floating peacefully through leafy landscapes. The old towpath running alongside the walls of the canal has been restored and we’d pass the occasional jogger or cyclist out for exercise. Other than that and the odd fisherman or canoeist, the canal itself was empty. A few boats were tied up at docks of homes along its banks but we were lucky to see more than 1 or 2 other boats in transit. Sometime during the afternoon we’d pull into the town dock at one of the many quaint villages lining the waters edge. The facilities that they have on offer to boaters here are amazing! Electrical hook-ups, water, restrooms, showers, benches and picnic tables in lovely settings are available for less than $10/night. Some places simply ask for a donation and others are actually free.

In the sleepy village of Middleport we had a gourmet dinner in a wonderful restaurant called “The Basket Factory” packed with out-of-towners from Buffalo and beyond. Then it was on to the town of Holley with its beautifully landscaped wilderness park complete with fountain, pond, waterfall and fascinating “Slooper” history. Brockport was one of our favourite stops—a charming university town with interesting shops and docking facilities which offered boaters a lounge complete with TV, DVD, computers, book exchange and the use of bicycles and wagons. We were expecting suburbs and city as we floated by the city of Rochester but the banks of the canal here were thickly lined with woods and the only signs of civilization was graffiti under the bridges. We are now at Fairport—a busy “upscale” place where we’ve decided to layover, relax and make a few minor repairs. A well-equipped, air-conditioned library is across the street from where our boat is tied up and we’ve spent a comfortable afternoon here reading, writing and playing with the computer. This morning we ran a few errands and walked for over an hour along the beautiful canal pathway to a lovely park filled with families having fun. Last night was another great dinner at a canal side restaurant and we even managed to take in a show—the Bourne Ultimatum. We’re finding life on the waterway to be a lot of fun. There’s never a dull moment and always someplace new to discover, something to do or someone to meet.