Lock 20 Canal State Park, NY

Ah, the familiar smell of wet dog.  Ellie hit her tennis ball into the water, and dove in after it.  I now accept that she loves to swim and that fishing her out of the water is just a part of daily life.

We left Little Falls this morning, with the water still and the canal deserted.  The scenery was much like the prior days, some debris in the river, canal work boats painted in their distinctive yellow and blue. 

This is how we roll - dogs have mastered the technique of being underfoot at all times.

The guard gates are interesting to pass through and are an important part of the canal hydro-mechanics in that they are closed to control the water levels when work is being done.

With the radio on (we found an NPR station with classical music), we cruised up the river for several hours, ending the day at Canal Lock 20 State Park. The further from Connecticut we get, the less expensive the overnight stays have become. We started with an overnight docking charge of $136 in Norwalk, and it has been going down ever since. We were happy to have a $72 charge, happier yet with $66, and thrilled when it went to $32. We have now hit the ultimate - FREE! We are tied up here outside of the lock at a little state park and are finally off the grid.

The canal park is a haven for families and fishermen, kids catching craw fish and sun fish, splashing in the shallows by the dock, and fishermen of every age casting their lines hoping for a big fish.

Marcel and Tracy, who we met in Little Falls, joined us at Lock 20 and we spent the night talking until the sun set.