Little Falls to Amsterdam, NY

Determined to make it through the Erie before the next set of storms arrives, we went from Brewerton to Little Falls in one day, a distance a little over 60 nautical miles.  Big difference from when we were going west in June.  Then, there were many Loopers and Snowbirds with us.  Going back east, we practically have the canal to ourselves.  Mostly we lock through alone, but occasionally have a boat with us.

Sometimes they are big, like this Canal cruiser that tied on just a little bit too tight to the lock wall and struggled to get loose.

Sometimes they are quite small, as was this fellow following us like a duckling.  We offered him a tow, but he said "I have to paddle."  Turns out he only does a little bit each day, and has taken several years to complete his journey.

 

 

We stopped for lunch at Canajoharie, a lovely little town boasting a free municipal dock in a park.  There is a gem of an art museum there, the Arkell Museum, donated by the founder of the Beech-Nut Packing Company.  Canajoharie was the Beech-Nut company town, and the owners had a sense of pride in their company, its products, and the people and town in which they were located. 

After lunch in the Village Diner, we decided to press on to Amsterdam, which puts us a day away from Waterford, NY and the end of the Erie Canal.