Tomorrow – July 24th – is Take-Off Day!!

Our 2022 America’s Great Loop adventure paused for the winter last October, after completing 2,412 miles, 12 states and 52 locks. On October 1st, we left you on our last blog at Safe Harbor Toledo Beach, in LaSalle, Michigan. Tomorrow, July 24th, we will resume our travels. Our travel plan is to leave Safe Harbor Toledo Beach and go back to Middle Bass Island Yacht Club from Monday to Wednesday and then go to Kelleys Island from Wednesday to Sunday. Lake Erie is very unpredictable, so tune in next Sunday to see if our plan works.

If you are curious about why we’re leaving so late, below are the details.

Winter 2023 to Launch Day- July 3, 2023

On October 28th, HOMES was pulled out of the water and taken to her heated building. We were somewhat surprised that the props looked pretty good. After wrapping all of that stuff around our prop in Daytona (Week One blog) and then mulching logs with the props through the Great Dismal Swamp (Week Six blog), we were expecting much worse.

We scheduled with the marina to have some work done over the winter. We asked them to 1) pull the props and send them out to be trued up and have prop speed (anti fouling coating) painted back on; 2) have the steering fluid flushed; and, 3) have fiberglass repairs done to some stress cracks that were there when we bought HOMES, as well as some that popped up on our voyage. I wish that I could agree with the late, great Meatloaf and say that Two out of Three Ain’t Bad; however, it took the marina until the last week of June to even get the two out of the three jobs completed. We’ll do the steering fluid on our own later.

The jobs that we had on our to-do list, on the other hand, we got done timely over the winter. We took the pilot house deck hatches out and took them home to clean up and repair the wood. We noticed the leaky pilot house deck hatches at the beginning of our trip and made a temporary fix with caulking in Murrells Inlet, SC (Week Four blog).

We took the control valve for the stabilizers off and shipped it back to the manufacturer for repair. I say “manufacturer,” but Gyro-Gale Stabilizers is a family-owned and operated business out of Stuart, FL. Zeyad Metwally and his sisters took the business over from their father. Zeyad came on our sea trial last year and enthusiastically showed us how wonderful the system is. We ran into him again at the North Palm Beach Boat show and Tim has texted him periodically about the system. Within a few weeks, we had the control valve back at no charge and reinstalled for our next choppy water.

The other tasks dealt with ordering, buying and collecting miscellaneous items like extra parts, oil and filters. We like to be prepared! Tim also made screens for two windows and three doors. We haven’t needed screens so far, but we feel like a summer and fall on the Great Lakes will be buggy.

FINALLY!! We got a call on June 29th that HOMES was ready for launch, so we scheduled July 3rd as our launch date. The props looked good. They also installed the line cutters that we bought. Line cutters will prevent crab pots and fishing nets from getting wrapped around the props. We figured that since the props were already off, it would be an easy addition that will give us some piece of mind.

Once HOMES was in the water, we got onboard. The engines fired right up. However, the thrusters didn’t work. Tim checked and the batteries were so dead that they wouldn’t even take a charge. Fortunately, Tim took the advice of Morgan, our boat broker in Florida, and learned to drive the boat without thrusters for just this reason. However, it was a pretty simple docking job just on the T-dock immediately across from where we were launched.

Tim spent the rest of the day tinkering around the boat and I cleaned, vacuumed, put on fresh bedding and got out clean towels – making HOMES our home again! That evening, we had a drink at the marina’s restaurant – The Sand Bar – and watched boats heading out to watch the fireworks. We were content to see a few fireworks from the pilot house windows before calling it a day.

We’ve been up to HOMES several times since launch day getting things ready for our take-off day. The extra time at home this spring and summer allowed us more time to enjoy family and friends, so we are not disappointed with our late take-off date, but we are definitely ready to go! We’re hoping that you are planning to follow along with us as we explore the Great Lakes this summer, head down through Chicago and make our way to the Gulf of Mexico in the fall, and then around the Florida Keys for the winter.

See you next Sunday!

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March 7 to March 19, 2023

Our 10-day trip (12 days counting travel) began and ended in Dublin, Ireland – circling down to Kinsale, out to the Dingle Peninsula, up to Galway and back to Dublin. Our favorite way to meet locals was to visit bars and pubs. I numbered the bars and pubs in my below narrative. You will see that we met a lot of locals! 😂

Tuesday, March 7, 2023 – Plain City, Ohio, USA to Dublin, Ireland

This trip began its planning stage in February of 2022. Our friends, Robb and Tracy, asked if we’d like to go to Ireland to see their son, Zach, march with the Purdue Marching Band in Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The answer was a resounding “YES.” Fast forward to March 7, 2023 and our trip begins…

On Tuesday, March 7th, Robb and Tracy picked us up for the first leg of our trip – a drive to Pittsburgh to drop off their dog – a cute dachshund named Roxy – with Robb’s dad. Robb’s dad had agreed to take care of Roxy and drop us off at the Pittsburgh International Airport that afternoon for our short flight to Philadelphia. In the Philadelphia International Airport, we met up with the other 2 couples joining us on the trip – David and Andrea (Tracy’s brother and his companion) and Eric and Crystal (friends of David). Crystal made my day by bringing us Philadelphia pretzels! I lived on those when I was in paralegal school in Philadelphia.

Our flight left Philadelphia at 9:00 PM and arrived in Dublin, Ireland 6 hours and 40 minutes later. While it was only 3:40 AM at home, it was 8:40 AM in Dublin, and we were all ready to start our adventure – despite sleeping little on the flight over. After getting our luggage, we easily found our driver for the trip, Oliver, waiting for us.

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 – Dublin to Kilkenny

Day 2 of our trip began as we got off the plane, without much sleep, but going strong on excitement. Oliver drove us directly to Guinness Storehouse for our 10:45 AM tour, telling us about the sites of Dublin as we rode along. Robb worked with Ellen McNulty, of Lynott Tours, who created the trip for us, based on where we wanted to go. Ellen booked our boutique hotels, arranged our transportation and got most of the admission tickets that we needed.

Guinness wasn’t busy on a Wednesday morning, which is why we opted to tour Guinness today and not next week when we return to Dublin… with the other 500,000 people who will be here for the parade. We leisurely wound our way up through the museum, which covers seven floors surrounding a glass atrium shaped like a pint glass. Arthur Guinness founded his brewery in 1759, signing a 9,000-year lease on the St. James’s Gate property in Dublin. With the high cost of Dublin property, Arthur was a true visionary. 😁 The signed lease is displayed on the ground floor. In 1796, Arthur decided to stop brewing ale and concentrate solely on a new type of English beer, called a porter. Arthur’s porter is the now-famous “black stuff” that we know as Guinness today. On the 2nd floor, we learned to identify the aromas in Guinness and got a free sample – my first-ever Guinness and I liked it! On the 3rd floor, we came upon Brewers’ Dining Hall, one of the on-site restaurants. After enjoying a delicious bowl of the Signature Beef & Guinness Stew, we continued up to the 4th floor to “Guinness Academy” (#1) where we learned the legendary six-step ritual to pour the perfect pint of the black stuff! After “graduating,” we drank our pints and continued up through the museum until getting to the 7th and final floor of the tour – the Gravity Bar (#2). The Gravity Bar is a cylindrical bar with glass sides giving incredible views of Dublin. A drink was included in our package, but this time I opted for a cider made by Guinness – Rockshore Apple Cider.

After making purchases at the Guinness gift shop, we found Oliver waiting for us up the street. Our next stop was Kilkenny, where we would spend the night. We all dozed a little on the nearly 2-hour drive to Kilkenny. After checking into the Kilkenny Hibernian Hotel, we walked straight to Kilkenny Castle, so that we’d have an hour to tour it, before it closed at 5:00 PM. This stone castle was built in the 1200s, but a castle has been at this spot on the River Nore since the Normans invaded and built the original wooden castle in 1173. The castle was once the home of the grandmother of Anne Boleyn- the famous second wife of King Henry the VIII of England. The castle was under siege many times, including the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1650 and the 1922 Irish Civil War.

After the castle, we headed to Kyteler’s Inn (#3) – a pub/inn, which was recommended by our driver, Oliver. The original owner was Alice Kyteler – the first recorded person in Ireland to be condemned for witchcraft. Alice was born to wealthy Norman parents in 1280. By 1324, the year that she was condemned, she had accumulated four dead husbands and a considerable fortune. Her enemies accused her of being a witch and confiscated her property, including her Inn. Alice fled to England to escape being burned at the stake. There is no record of Alice after that, but it is said that she is still around. We didn’t see Alice, but we had the quintessential Irish pub experience, with the solid oak beams, open hearth, local hewn stone, friendly staff and pints of Guinness!

The evening was cold and windy, with drizzly rain, but we still made the walk over the bridge to Sullivan’s Brewing Company (#4). Tim only discovered Sullivan’s Irish Red Ale at Sylvan Beach, NY last summer when we were boating on the Erie Canal; however, it has been brewed in Kilkenny since 1702. Tim enjoyed a flight of three Sullivan’s beers, but I opted for Barry’s Tea – the popular tea in Ireland. Depending on where you are in Ireland, you’ll have either Barry’s Tea or Lyons’ Tea.

On our walk back to the hotel, we saw the beautifully lit castle and River Nore. We had a final night cap in our hotel bar – Hibernian Bar (#5) – before calling it a day. It was only 9:00 PM, but at home it was 2:00 AM. Considering it was 3:40 AM at home when we got off the plane, we had a full first day! Tim will tell you that it isn’t a vacation with me unless there’s at least one 22+ hour day.😂

Thursday, March 9, 2023 – Kilkenny to Kinsale

We woke to an unusual site in Ireland – snow! We only had flurries in Kilkenny, but Oliver said that up in County Clare they got 3 feet, which is unheard of! Oliver said, fortunately for us, it will be gone quickly. He said the Irish don’t do very well in the snow.

Every hotel on our trip provided breakfast – a buffet, plus ordering off the menu. Today, Tim had a full Irish breakfast – rashers (bacon, which looks more like ham slices), bangers (sausage with an almost hotdog texture inside), beans, egg, grilled tomato, mushrooms and black and white pudding. The “pudding” is similar to haggis in Scotland. It is made of pork or beef blood, with pork or beef fat and a cereal, usually oatmeal, oat groats or barley groats. The white pudding is the same, except there is no blood in it. Both tasted mostly of spices and had a crumbly texture. I was the only one of our group that didn’t mind the taste. I never ordered off the menu. I just indulged every morning in the breakfast buffet of scones, brown bread, soda bread, and cheeses, plus yogurt and fruit. The butter in Ireland is heavenly – so creamy and smooth!

With all of those carbs, I was ready for a quick walk before meeting back up with the group to leave Kilkenny. The town of Kilkenny has a cathedral. “Kil” is the Gaelic word meaning a church, so if a town begins with “Kil,” you know that it has a church or cathedral. I didn’t have time to walk to St. Canice’s Cathedral (the Protestant Church of Ireland), but I walked to St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in the “Catholic Quarter.” There was a historical marker reminding visitors that the majority of the native population of Kilkenny was Catholic in the 16th century, but because of the Reformation and religious wars, they were forbidden to own land, receive an education, or vote, and Irish culture, music and education were banned. City authorities generally tolerated the practicing Catholics as long as they did so outside the city walls. This practice continued until the relaxation of the Penal Laws in the 18th century and the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829.

On my walk back to the hotel, I found a little gift shop. I was the only customer since it was only 9:00 AM. The owner, Austin, was very talkative and wanted to know where I was from. When I told him that I attempted to learn Irish Gaelic for two months using Duolingo and YouTube, before giving up when I realized that everyone seemed to say everything differently. He agreed that it is a hard language to lean, but was excited that I’d tried to learn. While I shopped, he gave me a crash course on how to say the basics in the local dialect. I bought a hat and scarf – Aren Wool, which Austin told me all about. I also bought a sweatshirt and little bracelet. With my purchases, I rushed back to the hotel to meet up with the others.

Today, our first leg of the trip was to Waterford – the oldest city in Ireland. It is located on the River Suir and was founded by the Vikings in 914 A.D. Parts of its ancient city wall remains. In the mid-19th century, Waterford was Ireland’s busiest and most important industrial port and had Ireland’s largest shipbuilding yard. It is also the home of Waterford Crystal – the brand beginning in 1783 and known for the crystal ball that drops every year in New York City’s Time Square, the chandeliers at Westminster Abby and the NBA trophy.

We enjoyed our guided tour of the House of Waterford Crystal, which walked us through the stages of how their masterpieces are crafted- from initial design up to the final engraving. There were a few craftsmen working in each area. Austin, from the gift shop this morning, told me that Waterford Crystal isn’t really made in Ireland anymore – just a few pieces for the “tourist trap.” He suggested that we go to Irish Handmade Glass Company, which is in the Kite Design Studios on Henrietta St. This company was founded by a team of master craftsmen who lost their jobs in 2009 when Waterford Crystal closed it factories in Ireland and moved its production to Eastern Europe. When we asked Oliver to drive us there after the Waterford Crystal tour he said: “no.” First, he said it was out of business. Finally, he said that he knew a tour guide who got fired for taking a group there. It seems Waterford Crystal still has a lot of clout in the city. So… we walked to Kite Design Studios and had a nice time talking with the artisans. Besides the Irish Handmade Glass Company, there were other artisans doing metal work and jewelry. They were all really nice. The women making jewelry tried to teach me more Irish Gaelic. My feeble attempt to speak the language has been a great conversation starter with locals!

The rain was annoying, but we still walked the quaint streets and found a tiny coffee shop – Arch Coffee– which was more like a walk up counter than a shop. We enjoyed talking with the barista, who found it funny that we came from Dublin, “Ohio.” On our way back to the van, we found the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity – the oldest Catholic Cathedral in Ireland. The Cathedral’s windows are over 220 years old. It also contained some Waterford Crystal.

Our next stop was Kinsale, where we would be spending the next two nights at Actons Hotel. Kinsale is a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, sitting at the mouth of the River Bandon. The narrow streets have colorful shops and many pubs.

Now that we are in the west of Ireland, the drink of choice is no longer Guinness – it’s Murphy’s. Murphy’s has been brewed in Cork since 1856. It is a stout, like Guinness, but we actually liked it a little better, because it seemed more fruity. Tracy and I learned that we like both Murphy’s and Guinness better with blackcurrant addded. Oliver gave us this tip. It’s common to do that, so all the pubs have blackcurrant. The blackcurrant balances the bitterness of the stout and complements the natural dark fruit flavors.

I still prefer Bulmers Irish Cider. I discovered this refreshing cider last year in Delray Beach, FL when our boat was conveniently docked near a recreated English Pub, called the Blue Anchor. However, in the U.S. the cider is called Magners. It is 100% Irish cider that is made in Clonmel in County Tipperary. Oliver said that we were close to Clonmel yesterday when we were in Waterford. Oliver recounted the story about why it is called Bulmers in Ireland and Magners everywhere else in the world. Apparently in the 1990s, the company changed hands and it was decided to export the cider outside Ireland and rebrand it as Magners. Oliver said that the Irish people refused to drink it and the sales plummeted, forcing the company to make an exception and continue calling it Bulmers in Ireland. It may be the same product with a different name, but the Bulmers in Ireland seems crisper and more bubbly than any Magners that I’ve tasted in the U.S.

After checking into the hotel, we walked around the picturesque little town of Kinsale. We found Oliver out taking in the sites too and he agreed to doing a selfie with us. Next, we had drinks and dinner at Kitty O Se’s Bar (#6), as recommended by Oliver. After dinner, we walked around the corner to the Grey Hound (#7), a pub established in 1690.

Then, we went to Dalton’s Bar (#8) for Trad (traditional) Irish music. The music was supposed to start at 9:00 PM; however, it was more like 9:30 PM, but well worth the wait! We were told that nothing starts on time in Ireland, so we weren’t surprised. It felt surreal sitting in a cozy pub, with the smell of an open coal fire on a chilly, damp evening, drinking Murphy’s with friends, while listening to Irish music. The musicians played: an Uilleann pipe (the bagpipes of Ireland), a banjo, a guitar and a bodhran (a hand-held, one-sided drum, which native citizens say speaks the words of their ancestral linage). A very magical evening!

Friday, March 10 – Excursion from Kinsale to Midleton, Cobh and Cork City

Oliver picked us up at our hotel and we headed back through County Cork to Midleton for our tour of the Old Midleton Distillery, which was established in the early 17th century. The tour guide explained the history of Jameson Whiskey – which is made in the modern factory next door. In the 19th- and early 20th-centuries, Irish whiskey companies were struggling to survive, due to historical events such as the temperance movement in Ireland, the Irish War of Independence and prohibition in the United States. Therefore, in 1966, John Jameson merged with Cork Distillers and John Powers to form the Irish Distillers Group. The Group decided to close their existing distilleries and consolidate all production to the old Midleton Distillery, which was the only place with room for expansion. In 1975, the Old Jameson Distillery on Bow St. in Dublin closed, but this original distillery, built in 1780, is now a museum.

As part of our tour, we had a tasting of three whiskies – Jameson, Scotch and Jack Daniels. Jameson distills its whiskey 3 times (triple pot) vs. Scotch being distilled 2 times (double pot) and Jack Daniels being only distilled once (single pot). Jameson was the best, but I didn’t enjoy any of them. At the end of our tour, we got a free drink. All of us, except for Tim and Robb, opted to have our Jameson with ginger ale and lime – now that was good!

Tim and Robb both poured their own bottle of cast-strength Jameson. It was a one-of-a-kind opportunity. After labeling the bottle, they got to index their bottles with a short note. The records are kept for 20 years, so we can look it up, if we ever go back.

Our next stop of the day was Cobh, which Oliver explained to us is pronounced “Cove.” Cobh is on an island (accessible by a bridge) in Cork City’s Harbor, known for being the Titanic’s last port of call in 1912. It was also the embankment point during Ireland’s mass emigration during the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1852). Our self-guided tour of the Cobh Heritage Center also focused on the sinking of the Lusitania off the coast of Kinsale by a German U-boat in 1915. The Lusitania was traveling from New York City to England. The loss of 128 Americans set off the chain of events that eventually led to the US entering WWI in 1917. Outside the museum, Tim enjoyed watching a boat pulling away from the dock in the harbor.

From Cobh, we had a very short ride to Cork. Oliver dropped us off at the English market, so that we could grab some food and explore the city. Cork’s English market has been trading since 1788 -surviving famine, flood, war and fires. It was set up by the Protestants or “English” that controlled the city at that time. In May 2011, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the market during a historic royal visit to Ireland. According to Oliver, the Irish like the English royals, despite the ugly history.

After getting coffee at the market, we headed out to explore Cork – the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland. After finding Tim a stocking hat in the shopping district, we walked across the River Lee to the Shannon area of Cork, because the churches up on the hillside looked interesting. Cork began as a monastic settlement in the 6th century. At the top of he hill, we also found an interesting round building – the Firkin Crane Building– constructed in 1855 and used by the Butter Exchange to prepare and repair the butter barrels, called firkins. It is now a dance and cultural center. A local lady walking by told us about the butter industry in Cork and she pointed out the butter museum next door. We didn’t have time for the butter museum, but I do agree with her – Irish butter, with its grass-fed cows, is amazing!

We then walked up the street to St. Anne’s Church (Protestant), which was built in 1722 and is one of a small number of churches that still retains its original bells. the bells rang as we were taking pictures outside. We then continued our walk up to the Cathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne (Catholic). Construction began in 1799 and the cathedral was dedicated in 1808. It was built on the site of an earlier church from the 1730s.

Heading back down the hill, we spotted a unique old building back across the River Lee. Much to our delight, it was a pub – Jim Cashmans (#9) – named after a famous Cork hurler. Hurling is one of Ireland’s native Gaelic games – kind of like a cross between lacrosse and field hockey. It is a very popular sport, so we were probably the only people in the place who didn’t know that Jim Cashman is a retired and beloved hurler. What we did know was that the warm pub felt so inviting after our walk in the biting wind. The owner, Donncha O’Leary, was behind the bar. When Tim teased him about having Coors on tap, which Tim called “a crappy American beer” – he just smiled and poured Tim a sample. Tim was amazed that it tasted creamy, with lots of body. Donncha smiled again and said: “It’s brewed up the road in Cork and made the way we like it.” Sure enough, Molson Coors Beverage Company brews Coors at the Franciscan Well Brewery and Brewpub in Cork!

Ironically, David and Andrea came into the pub too. In the big city of Cork, three of our four couples ended up at the same pub. We are that in sync! Eric and Crystal spent their time in Cork visiting with people whom they met on a vacation years ago.

After our busy morning and afternoon, Oliver drove us back to Kinsale. We split up for dinner. Tim and I wanted to get fish and chips and then go check out the Kinsale Yacht Club. All winter, I read the Irish Village Mystery series by Carlene O’Connor. The main character often goes to the chipper shop for curry chips, so I wanted to experience them for myself! Actually, Kinsale is very similar to the fictional town in the series. Dinos was the “chipper” shop in Kinsale and we had the best fish of our whole trip. For the curry chips, we were just given curry sauce to dip our chips in. After our fabulous meal, we walked to the Kinsale Yacht Club (#10). It looked like most yacht clubs, complete with old guys sitting around the bar. 😁 We had a drink and watched rugby on the TV and talked to the bar tender about boating in Kinsale. It’s mostly a sailing area, with competitions being hosted in Kinsale. We bought a glass and a magnet to remember our visit.

It was a cold, rainy, and windy evening, so instead of heading back up to the pubs in town, our group met back up for a nightcap at the hotel bar – Sidney’s Bar and Garden Lounge (#11).

Saturday, March 11, 2023 – Kinsale to Tralee

After one last walk around Kinsale Harbor, we began our journey to County Kerry. Our first stop, still in County Cork, was Blarney Castle, built nearly 600 years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy. Yes, we all kissed the Blarney Stone – even germaphobe Tim! Although, Tim already has the gift to gab – which is what kissing the stone is supposed to endow the kisser. The stone is built into the battlements, so you have to lay on your back and slide out to it! With my short torso, I had to do quite a big backbend! 😂

Tim and I opted to meander around the 60 acres of parkland surrounding the castle, instead of shopping at Blarney Woolen Mills with the others. The gardens contain some of the largest trees in Ireland- some over 300 years old. We found the Blarney House, built in 1874. It is the private home of Sir Charles St. John Colthurst, Baronet. If he was home, he didn’t invite us in, so we continued on to visit: the lime kiln, the Vietnamese woodland, the bee hives, the horse stables, Blarney Lake, the herbaceous border and Badger Cave, at the foot of the castle.

All of that walking worked up our appetites, so we walked to the town square and found Muskerry Arms Pub (#12). We shared a ham and cheese toastie with chips, and washed it all down with a Smithwick’s for Tim and an Irish coffee for me. Then, we headed across the street to the Blarney Woolen Mills to meet up with our group, who had purchased lots of wool sweaters.

Our next stop was one that I had been waiting for – Killarney! Bing Crosby’s “Christmas in Killarney” has been a part of my Christmas memories since I can remember. I played the song on my phone as we pulled into Killarney. Oliver didn’t seem impressed. He said some things are better left in the past. Despite Oliver’s lack of enthusiasm of an Irish-American classic Christmas song, Tim, Robb, Tracy and I excited the van in search of a Christmas ornament. It was quite easy after finding the tourist shops. Clearly, I am not the only fan of Bing’s 1951 song. Father John, from the song, was probably from the Catholic cathedral – St. Mary’s Cathedral, but that was too far of a walk. As I said before, the Catholics were overlooked if they practiced outside of the city walls. We did go in the Protestant church – St. Mary’s Church, which was in the town center.

Killarney sits on the southwestern shore of Lough Leane, part of the Killarney National Park. After leaving Killarney, Oliver drove us to an overlook of the Killarney Valley from Aghadoe, County Kerry. Despite the hazy day, we could see Lough Leane in the distance.

Our next stop was our lodgings for the next two nights – Ballyseedy Castle!

Ballyseedy Castle is just outside Tralee, in County Kerry. It was built in 1721 as a garrison by the rebellious Fitzgerald family, who refused to swear allegiance to Queen Elizabeth the I of England. Their refusal only got Fitzgerald beheaded and his head was gruesomely displaced in a cage on London Bridge, as a warning to others. The Crown then gave his property to the Blennerhassett family, who owned the property until 1965 when Hilda Blennerhassett died. Hilda’s ghost, as well as some children who died in the potato famine, are said to roam the castle. The only “paranormal” activity experienced by us was that our shower turned on around midnight on our first night. Tim said the shower valve was in the off position, so he had to turn it on to then turn it off. Oooh… could it have been Hilda??

Our room at the castle was phenomenal! The large room came complete with wine, fluffy robes and slippers. On our first evening, we had drinks at the tiny pub in the castle – Pappy’s Bar (#13) – then we went across the hall to the dinning room for dinner. There was a wedding party in the castle, so the kitchen seemed overwhelmed and it took a long time to get our food. However, when you’re sitting in a beautiful castle with views of the garden and drinks in hand, it really didn’t matter.

Sunday, March 12, 2023 – Excursion day to the Dingle Peninsula and Tralee.

Our morning began with a spectacular breakfast at the castle. We then headed for the Dingle Peninsula – a 30-mile stretch out into the Atlantic Ocean with coastlines of cliffs and beaches, and a range of mountains on the interior.

We continued our journey to the Fahan Beehive Huts – early medieval stone-built roundhouses (also know as clochan huts). These huts date back over 1000 years! It’s believed that hermit monks and followers of Saint Peter lived in them, though pagans may have lived in them even earlier. The builders didn’t use mortar, but instead stacked the stones. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you may recall these huts from Luke Skywalker’s hideaway in Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), which was filmed on the nearby island of Skellig Micheal. Across the road from the huts was the Ceann Sleibhe (Slea Head) Discovery Point sign. This is the westernmost part of the Dingle peninsula.

As we continued along the peninsula on the Sea Head Drive, the roads got narrower and more curvy. Our next stop was Ceann Sraithe where seabirds such as puffins and cormorants, as well as whales and sharks can sometimes be seen. However, on our chilly, rainy day, we just got too see the beautiful views. In the distance, you could see Sybil Head – a major filming location for Star Wars VIII. According to Oliver, the filming was very good for the economy of the Dingle Peninsula.

From Ceann Sraithe, we began our journey back to Dingle. We passed a historic potato field, from the days of the Great Potato Famine. The vertical lines show where the potatoes were grown. According to Oliver, these fields are protected for historical reasons, so if they are on your land, you must leave them as they are.

Once back in Dingle, we were given time to explore. The rain, plus most stores being closed on Sunday, made our exploration a little less enjoyable than I had hoped. However, the tourist shops and the pubs were open, so not all was lost.

We began at Dick Mack’s Pub (#14). We enjoyed a pint and some Tayto Crisps (an Irish potato chip). Getting a bag of Taytos was on my bucket list. Tayto crisps are a cultural phenomenon throughout the Republic of Ireland. There is even a Tayto theme park, which opened in 2010, called “Tayto Park,” near Ashbourne in County Meath.

Dick Mack’s Pub still had a “snug” – a small, screened off room where Irish women, prior to the 1960s could drink less conspicuously. Due to social convention, many pubs wouldn’t let women in, so the snug allowed women, or anyone who didn’t want to be seen enjoying a pint, to drink privately. The snug has a small window for bartenders to pass the drinks through.

Robb and Tracy headed off for lunch, but Tim and I headed off to explore more of the town. We visited a few tourist shops and then found the next famous pub of Dingle, Foxy Johns Bar (#15) – a pub, hardware store and bike rental/ repair shop, all in one. Not surprisingly, we found Eric and Crystal there and Robb and Tracy came in soon after us. The back room was full of regulars watching the rugby finals.

Since I didn’t let Tim eat lunch, we stopped at Garvey’s Super Valu on our way back to the van. It was a small grocery store, much like our IGAs. We bought some pastries and water, trying to act more like locals than tourists . However, I’m sure I blew our cover when I took a picture of the door as we left – which said “thank you” in Irish – Go raibh maith agat. This was the end our our Irish speaking area.

Oliver insisted that we stop in Tralee on our way back to the castle. Since it was raining and little was open, we took a 30-minute walk around before finding Oliver and heading back to the castle to dry out and warm up.

The wedding party was still consuming the restaurant, so we claimed the Orangery (lounge) at the back of the castle, off of the garden. We continued to order drinks from Pappy’s Bar, but it soon became clear that we were never going to get to eat in the restaurant. The staff had no complaints when Eric asked If we could have pizza delivered. So, Eric called Apache Pizza and ordered a variety of pizzas, boneless wings, and fried cheese. Nothing like having a pizza party in an elegant castle! On the wall behind me was a portrait of a lady who everyone thought looked like me, so I posed for a picture. Interestingly, the next morning, while walking through the Organery, I noticed that the portrait was askew. Perhaps one should not make fun of portraits in a haunted castle. However, if this lady climbed out of the portrait to haunt me, I was too tired to notice.

Monday, March 13, 2023 – Tralee to Galway

After another delicious breakfast in the Stone Room Restaurant in the castle, we loaded up, said goodbye to the resident dogs and left County Kerry behind.

Our next short stop was in County Limerick at the village of Adare– designated a Heritage Town. It began as a market town in Middle Ages, forming along the River Maigue. It is known for it’s Main Street, lined with thatched cottages built in the 1820s. We enjoyed a walk along Main Street with Robb and Tracy, until we were drawn into Aunty Lena’s Bar and Lounge (#16) because of its sign – “Last Watering Hole Until Dublin 135 Miles.” Luckily, that was only the case when it was established in 1806. Despite just having had breakfast a few hours ago, the four of us still had some room for a treat. Tim and I had tea and shared a scone.

While leaving Adare, we caught a glimpse of the ruin of the Franciscan friary, founded in 1464, along the banks of the River Maigue. The ruin is on the grounds of Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort – a luxury resort in an early 19th-century Tudor-revival style mansion.

We were soon at the rugged coast of County Clare and at our next stop – the Cliffs of Moher – a UNESCO Global Geopark. The cliffs were formed over 320 million years ago and rise up out of the Atlantic Ocean to a height of over 700 ft. at O’Brien’s Tower and running along the coast for almost 8 miles. The weather began a little rainy and windy, but we were just happy that it wasn’t too foggy or too windy to prevent us from visiting. Much to our delight, the weather actually cleared up after about 30 minutes and we had fabulous views!

After walking up the south trail, we could see O’Brien’s Tower off in the distance, so we headed back down the trail and up the other side. O’Brien’s Tower was built in 1835 by Cornelius O’Brien, the landlord, who was also member of parliament for Clare. He built it for the English tourists who were beginning to frequent the area. The views from the top of the tower were phenomenal! The Aran Islands continued to show more and more as the weather cleared.

While the cliffs were beautiful, the land neighboring the cliffs – the Burren– is a rocky limestone landscape that deserves mention.

With lunch on on our minds, we continued on though the Burren region of County Clare. We made a quick stop along side the road to see Doonagore Castle – a 16th-century tower house on a hill overlooking Doolin Point and the Aran Islands. It is currently a private residence.

Minutes later, we were pulling into the tiny coastal village of Doolin. We had drinks and a delicious lunch at Gus O’Connor’s Pub (#17). I had a creamy bowl of vegetable soup, warm brown bread with creamy Irish butter – heavenly! After lunch, we walked up the short street that made up the village. The tourist gift shop was having repairs done to its thatched roof. The thatch bundles were as tall as Tim. It was fascinating watching the skill it takes to thatch a roof. Oliver told us that it is a dying trade.

The views, as we continued on to Galway, continued to amaze us! Oliver stopped at an overlook so that we could look down upon the picturesque Harbor village of Ballyvaughan on Galway Bay. Oliver specifically wanted us to see the turloughs – disappearing lakes virtually unique to Ireland. He explained that the dissolving limestone in the Burren region has created caves, springs and fissures that flood annually in autumn and drain in the springtime. How fortune that we are here to catch such a sight!

Soon, we reached Galway in County Galway. Oliver dropped us off at Jurys Inn for our next two-night stay. The Jurys Inn is conveniently located on Quay Street, with a short walk to the Spanish Arch, Galway Bay, as well as the shopping, pubs and restaurants of the Latin Quarter. Our room looked out on the River Corrib, which gushed by on its way out to Galway Bay.

After getting settled, Robb, Tracy, Tim and I walked straight to the Galway Cathedral to see it before it closed for the evening. While the Cathedral is the youngest of Europe’s great stone cathedrals – dedicated in 1965, we really wanted to see the famous Connemara marble. The marble, also known as “Irish green” is a rare variety of marble found exclusively in Connemara, which is 46 miles from Galway.

After taking in the beauty of Galway Cathedral, we headed back over the River Corrib to the Latin Quarter where there were dozens of pubs and restaurants. We found The Kings Head (#18), which was on my bucket list. The building was the home of the mayor of Galway, dating back over 800 years to the 13th Century. It’s claim to fame is being the home of the executioner of King Charles I of England in 1649.

After drinks at the historical Kings Head, we meandered through the Latin Quarter to meet up with our group for dinner at Finnegans – Galway’s oldest pub (#19). While about the same age as the 3-story building of the Kings Head, Finnegan’s was a very small building, with our group of 8 taking up most of the restaurant. Sheppards pie and fish and chips were the popular dishes in our group. I opted for the smoked salmon salad, since the River Corrib is known for its salmon fishing. We went back to the Kings Head for one more drink and some live music before calling it a day.

Tuesday, March 14, 2023 – Day in Galway

After breakfast, Tim and I shopped and explored Galway on our own. Robb, David and Eric went golfing and Tracy, Andrea and Crystal explored on their own. The weather was crazy. It went from sun to rain to sleet, throughout the day. First, Tim and I walked to the heart of the city to see Eyre Square, which dates back to 1710 when it was a medieval open space in front of the town gate. It is also referred to as “John F. Kennedy Memorial Park,” because Kennedy gave a speech there in 1963. Kennedy is very popular, being the first Irish-American President and first American President to visit Ireland. There are many places named after him. Oliver explained that Bill Clinton is also a revered American president in Ireland because of his involvement in the Northern Ireland peace process, leading up to the 1994 Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire and the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. That agreement ended the “Troubles,” which was the conflict between the Catholic and Protestant factions in Northern Ireland beginning in the 1960s. If you have Netflix, The Derry Girls is an excellent British sitcom taking place in the final years of the “Troubles.”

We continued our chilly walk to see the Spanish Arch, which was completed in 1584 to protect and defend the quays. The quays are the stone platforms along the water for loading and unloading ships of this medieval seaport. On our walk along the quays, we saw several Galway hookers…a traditional fishing boat used in Galway Bay…not what you were thinking, right? The boats were used for fishing and to carry cargo across Galway Bay. After finishing our walk along the bay in a rain/sleet storm that lasted about 10 minutes, we walked back through the Claddagh District, which was originally a fishing village outside the old city walls of Galway, dating from the 5th century. The Claddagh District is most famous for the Claddagh ring, which is a friendship and wedding ring. The design consists of two clasped hands holding a crowned heart, and symbolizes love, friendship and loyalty.

Before leaving the Claddagh District and crossing back over the River Corrib, we saw the Galway Fisheries Watchtower. It is the only building of its kind in the whole country. It was built in 1853 as a netting station – stretching a net across the river. It was later used to monitor illegal fishing. It is now a museum.

With lunch on our mind, we walked back over the bridge, passed by our hotel, and walked back into the Latin Quarter. Our first attempt for lunch at the Quays Bar (#20) only yielded drinks. Before discovering that the kitchen was closed, Tim ordered a Galway Hooker (a drink named for the boat -again, not what you were thinking) and I warmed up with an Irish coffee.

After warming up at The Quays Bar, we took our publican’s (bartender’s) advice and went to the Front Door (#21) for a delicious lunch.

After lunch, we went shopping for my ring. I had planned on getting a Claddagh ring in Dingle or Galway. I even had jewelry stores picked out before beginning our trip. For those of you who know me, this level of planning should not come as a surprise. 😂 Since all of the jewelry stores in Dingle were closed (since it was a Sunday), Galway was it! However, after shopping, I found that I liked the Irish Celtic Trinity Knot ring better. The Celtic Trinity Knot is attributed to the Celtic tribes of Ireland in the 4th Century, but the design goes back at least 4,000 years, adorning stone crosses and other ancient artifacts. It has many meanings: 1) Pagan God of Maiden, mother and crone; 2) the Christian Holy Trinity; 3) Earth, sky and sea; 4) birth, life and death; and 5) everlasting love. It has a sixth meaning for me – Tim, Beth and Nick!

While the jeweler sized my ring, Tim and I continued to explore the Latin District and found a pastry shop – The Gourmet Tart Company– where we could sit and watch the traffic go by – just like we do at home at Winans Chocolates & Coffees in Historic Dublin (Ohio). We opted for hot chocolate and split a chocolate eclair, while trying to figure our which cars had the right of way – making us extra glad to have Oliver doing the driving!

In the evening, we reunited with the whole group for drinks. However, before heading into the pubs, we all hit the “Drink Link,” known to us Americans as a cash machine. Oliver explained that cash machines got that name in Ireland because pubs in the past would only take cash, therefore, the local ATM became your link to a drink! 😂 We never encountered a pub that wouldn’t take a credit card, but we always had cash, just in case.

We started at The Quays Bar, which Tim and I discovered earlier in the day. Next, we went to Garavan’s Bar (#22), where I had, as the sign said, “The Best Irish Coffee!” Next, we strolled through the lively streets of the Latin Quarter and ended up back at The Kings Head (#23) for a drink before walking the short distance back to the hotel to end our day.

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 – Galway to Dublin

We woke to a rainy morning. Today is our long drive back to Dublin. After breakfast, we found Oliver outside the door of the hotel and loaded up. To break up the long drive, we stopped halfway to Dublin in Athlone, a town in central Ireland, established because it was once a great ford across the River Shannon (the longest river in Ireland). Yes, it has a medieval castle; however, we were here to see something even older than the castle. We were here to visit Sean’s Bar (#24). Sean’s Bar is listed by Guinness Book of Records as “Ireland’s Oldest Pub!” It is in the process of being named the oldest pub in the world! It began as an inn around 900 AD, for travelers crossing the rapid waters of the river at the ford. On this cold and rainy day, Sean’s Bar greeted us with the warmth and smell of a coal fire in the ancient fireplace. The pub felt as old as it is, with its low ceiling, its dark, wooden bar and its sloping floor covered in sawdust. We were told that the sloping floor was a form of ancient engineering – allowing rain and flood waters to drain through the building, preventing water damage. The sawdust prevented people from slipping on the wet floor. Today, the sawdust is just a novelty. We enjoyed looking at the ancient artifacts that hung on the walls and peeking through the exposed wall to see the original wall – consisting of interwoven branches and horsehair covered in mud and clay. It was nice soaking up this history, while warming up with an Irish coffee on this cold, rainy day!

Before meeting back up with Oliver, we stopped at Nave Coffee Shop and had a mozzarella and pepperoni toastie. The barista/ cook was excited to talk to us about the United States. He said that he wants to travel to the U.S and do some hiking, but is afraid that he will get shot. He knew all about the Utah college students who were were killed recently. We told him that he shouldn’t let fear dissuade him from exploring the U.S. The strict gun control in Ireland does give the county a peaceful feel – which we will appreciate even more when we get the St. Patrick’s Day parade with 500,000 people. Firearms in the Republic of Ireland are strictly controlled, both with strict legislation governing licensing, the core being: all firearms must be licensed individually, each applicant must have a good reason for having the firearm, must have a safe place in which to use it, must have a secure place in which to store it, and to be of sound mind and temperate habits. No worries, you can still have guns to hunt. Oliver told us that he is an avid hunter and has several hunting guns.

We rolled into Dublin around 5:00 PM. We said goodbye to Oliver and thanked him with words and a big tip. He was off to pick up a new group at the airport. We were his first group of the year.

We felt very proud of ourselves for having booked our four rooms at The Brooks Hotel six months ago. Oliver said there were no rooms left in Dublin, because of the parade on Friday and the rugby finals on Saturday. That is why you could have knocked us over with a feather when the front desk receptionist said our THREE rooms were ready!!! Robb held it together and made a quick call to Ellen, our travel agent. Fortunately, we had the additional room in a matter of 20 …slightly tense…minutes. Considering that was the only mixup of a 10-day trip, I say it was a huge success! Ellen did a fabulous job picking beautique hotels in the heart of each town.

After dropping our luggage in our rooms, we walked to dinner at Gallagher’s Boxty House (#25) for our 6:30 PM reservation. If you’ve seen the Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil, Phil ate here on his Ireland episode. A boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake, but Gallagher’s puts a spin on this traditional dish. My dinner consisted on the boxty sampler – the trinity of boxty – 1) crisp Boxty fries with garlic and rocket aioli; 2) toasted boxty loaf with goat cheese topped with tomato and red onion salsa; and, 3) boxty dumplings in a sweet chili and honey sauce. Yes, I had a festival of potatoes for dinner! Gallagher’s also makes craft beer, Jack Smyth Stouts & Ales, so Tim enjoyed a flight.

After dinner, we walked around the lively streets of Temple Bar – a busy riverside neighborhood of Dublin, known for its cobbled pedestrian streets full of pubs. Despite the large number of pubs, they were all packed, because of St. Patrick’s Day and the rugby tournament. Tim and I, along with David and Andrea, headed back to our hotel bar – Jasmine Bar (#26) – while the others squeezed into the famous “Temple Bar” of Temple Bar. Tim and David stayed in the hotel bar late talking with two neighborhood Catholic priests. Tim and David said it was a hoot talking to them because they were drinking and cussing up a storm. 😂

Thursday, March 16, 2023 – Free day in Dublin

Today is my ancestry day. Months ago, I made an appointment at Epic Museum to meet with a genealogist. I got the idea from that same episode of Somebody Feed Phil. According to 23andMe genetic test, I am 24% British and Irish…plus I have red hair, so surely I’m Irish, right? Well, I worked on Ancestry.com all winter to find these Irish relatives on my Dad’s side. While I discovered fascinating information about these first pioneers of Marion and Wyandot counties, Ohio, I couldn’t trace them past Pennsylvania. I didn’t want to cancel my appointment, so I decided to take the Hall family, on my mom’s side. I love the Hall side of my family! I always look forward to the yearly “Hall Reunion,” held on the property of my great-grandparents, still held in the family. However, our Irish past puts us…as they say… on the wrong side of history.

While my 4th great-grandfather was born in Northern Ireland in 1791, his father was a Protestant landowner. Ireland has had a war-torn past. From 1760-1880, 90% of Ireland was in the hands of English and Scottish Protestants, who supported Queen Elizabeth I and her protestant successors. These are the people who stole land from the Irish and passed laws forbidding the Irish from being educated, owning land, and practicing their religion and culture.

With hopes of finding information about my 4th great-grandmother, who died in Ireland in 1818, before my 4th great-grandfather emigrated to the United States with their two children, and a new wife, in 1821, Tim and I walked to Epic Museum. We crossed the River Liffey, getting a good view of the Custom House while walking over Talbot Memorial Bridge. The Custom House was originally built in 1791, but was burnt to the ground in 1921 during the Irish War of Independence. It was restored in 1928. Since we got to Epic Museum early, we got some coffee and admired the tour boats. Tim had a nice chat with the captain of the City Sightseeing Boat.

The genealogist was running a little behind for our 11:00 AM appointment, because she was filming a genealogy session with Patrick Duffy (U.S. actor of “Dallas” fame), who will be a guest of honor for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade tomorrow. She is also the genealogist who was on the Somebody Feed Phil episode! She seemed pleased that we had seen it. She logged into my Ancestry.com account and we started with me. She would not move on to the next generations until she had a document showing parentage. Once we got to the Irish people, she said that I had gone back as far as possible on the computer. She gave me the names of some organizations to contact, who can look up documents by hand. So, we spent our remaining time researching my 4th great-grandfather’s siblings who stayed in Northern Ireland- one was a shopkeeper. She liked a letter that I had found from 1880, from my 5th great-uncle in Ireland to my 4th great-grandfather in the U.S., explaining that the people (Catholic tenants) are discontent, murdering one another and refusing to harvest the fields (of the Protestant landowners) and 1000 soldiers had to be sent the Captain Boycott’s farm to reap his crops in Mayo. The genealogist explained that this is where the word “Boycott” comes from! History – good and bad – is important to learn and understand, so my genealogy research will continue.

From Epic Museum, we hustled back over the River Liffey to meet up with Robb, Tracy, Eric and Crystal at Trinity College to see the Book of Kells – the 800 AD, illuminated Latin manuscript containing the four Gospels of the New Testament. It takes its name from the Abbey of Kells, in County Meath, Ireland, which was its home for centuries. Its location was equally as stunning – the 18th-century library of Trinity College, which is one of the world’s most beautiful libraries. Trinity College is one of the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland, as well as Ireland’s oldest surviving university.

From the Ireland’s oldest university, we went to Dublin’s oldest pub for lunch – The Brazen Head (#27), established in 1198. It was really crowded, but luckily we found a table.

After some food and drink, we jumped on the “Hop-on-Hop-off” sightseeing bus, which we had tickets for. We rode around looking at the sites of Dublin, like Phoenix Park – twice the size of New York’s Central Park, it is one of the largest enclosed public parks in any capital city in Europe. It was a royal hunting park in the 1660s. When the bus drove us past Guinness and we saw the crowds standing in line, we realized how smart we were to have toured Guinness back on Day One of our trip!

We hopped off the bus at Grafton Street to walk along the pedestrian street, which is lined with shops. We lost Tracy and Robb at the shops, so we headed off to check two more things off my bucket list. First, we walked a few blocks over to St. Anne’s Street to browse Dublin’s oldest bookstore- Hodges Figgis. While only being at this location since 1992, it has been an operating bookshop in central Dublin since 1768. It is allegedly the third-oldest bookstore in the world.

Next, we were ready for coffee and my second bucket-list stop of the day. Luckily, I was able to unite coffee and history into one stop! The House of Read is not only a coffee and chocolate shop, it is housed in the only original merchant shop in Dublin! The House of Read is located at No. 4 Parliament Street and was established as a cutlers in 1670 by the Read family, who were world renowned for the manufacture and sale of tableware, cutlery, swords and instruments for over 340 years. It still showcases tableware in the original cabinets. Our son, Nick, called while we were having coffee, so we texted him a selfie.

After coffee, we meandered back toward our hotel. We continued past more overflowing pubs, like The Hairy Lemon, and walked another block until finding Peter’s Pub (#28). It wasn’t crowed and seemed to be filled with locals trying to avoid the partygoers. This was the only pub we found where the bartender made a design in the Guinness head – Shamrocks are everywhere! We enjoyed a drink while talking with a Dubliner who was killing time between work and meeting friends. Later, Robb and Tracy met us there for a drink, before meeting up with the rest of the group for dinner.

For dinner we decided to go to the Vat House Bar (#29). It was an excellent choice! The bar wasn’t overly crowded and gave away free hats! We even helped a guy celebrate his bachelor party. His shirt listed things that he had to do. Helping someone blow their nose was on the list, so Tim helped him accomplish that goal. 😂 In follow up of my potato dinner last night, tonight I had the cheese plate for 2! I love vacation! After enjoying dinner, drinks and live music, we walked back to the hotel. On our way, we stopped at the Molly Malone Statute. I’ll tell you more about Molly Malone later in the blog. Supposedly rubbing Molly’s breast brings good luck, so the guys gave it a try. With all of the revealers in the pedestrian street, they had to wait their turns.

Friday, March 17, 2023 – St. Patrick’s Day!!

After breakfast, Tim and I walked to Whitefriar Street Church with David and Andrea. This is a church that the priests, who were drinking with Tim and David on Wednesday night, told us to visit. They explained that the church has some of the remains of St. Valentine; however, most tourist miss it. The church wasn’t open yet so we ended up going back later.

From there, Tim and I walked to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It was an awesome experience being there on St. Patrick’s Day! The cathedral was founded in 1191 as a Roman Catholic cathedral and is currently the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland (Protestant). Johnathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, was dean of the cathedral from 1713 to 1745. In 1835, ninety years after Swift’s death, the cathedral was in dire need of renovation, due to water damage from the frequent flooding of the River Poodle. Repairs to the vaults led to the exposure of the coffins of Swift. William Wilde, a prominent medical figure in Dublin and father of author Oscar Wilde, examined and made a cast of the skull of Swift, which is on display.

The cathedral’s largest restoration project took place between 1860 and 1865 and was funded by Benjamin Guinness, the grandson Arthur Guinness, the founder of Guinness. In 1860, the cathedral was near collapse and it was thought to be cheaper to knock it down and rebuild it from scratch. Thankfully, Benjamin Guinness had an interest in architecture and agreed to fund the restoration, if he was allowed to make design decisions. Guinness changed much of the original medieval design. The sons of Benjamin Guinness continued his generous work. There was some humorous but genial criticism when they donated a stained glass window of “Rebecca at the well,” with the motto: “I was thirsty and ye gave me drink.” Restoration and preservation are constant concerns for the guardians of the cathedral and the Guinness family continues to be generous supporters.

Before exiting the Cathedral, we were given shamrocks. St. Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock as a metaphor for the Christian Holy Trinity. Outside the Cathedral, preparations for the parade were in full swing – stages were being assembled and barricades were being placed along the parade route. We walked back to the Whitefriar Street Church; however, mass was in progress, so we just explored the vestibule where there was a statue of St. Valentine. He is holding a crocus plant, which is regarded as one of the symbols of spring. His remains were donated by Pope Gregory XVI and brought to the church in a steel casket in 1836. It is believed that the custom of sending “Valentines” came from the belief that February 14th, which is Saint Valentine’s feast day, marks the beginning of Spring and the mating season of birds.

Next, we got a text from Tracy telling us where she and Robb had been standing for the past two hours staking out our space for the parade. After a pit stop at the hotel, we wended our way through the people-filled streets to find them. When we found them around 11:30 AM, people were filling in along the barricades. By 1:00 PM, when the parade started (late of course), we were smashed in deep.

Tim and Eric hung out in the back of the crowd, since neither of them enjoy crowds. David was a good sport and huddled with the masses like the rest of us.

This parade was the whole reason for planning our trip. St. Patrick himself must have been smiling down on our little band of Irish travelers, because, not only did the Purdue Marching Band stop to perform in front of us, but Zach was directly in front of us! Our trip couldn’t have ended on a better note – pun intended 😁

After Zach marched by, Crystal and I dove out of the crowd, grabbed Eric and Tim and made our way to the first pub we found – Foggy Dew (#30). We got a pint and found seats where we could watch the parade on TV, while also watching the real life show around us.

When we got hungry, Eric and Crystal suggested we go where they ate yesterday –Hanley’s Cornish Pasties. The light and flaky crust was filled with melting cheese and fillings of your choice, which hit the spot as we ate and strolled over the Ha’ penny Bridge. This pedestrian bridge over the River Liffey, built in 1816, is made of cast iron from Shropshire, England. It replaced seven ferries that were in bad condition. The operator of the ferries was told to either fix the ferries or build a bridge. He chose to build the bridge and was granted the right to charge a toll of “ha’penny” or half pence. The turnstiles have not been at either of the bridge since 1919.

We tried to find Robb, Tracy, David and Andrea at one pub, but immediately turned around when we saw the mass of people. So, we decided to rendezvous back at the hotel bar to make plans for our last evening together.

Leaving the hotel that evening, our only plan was to walk and enjoy the scenery until we found a restaurant or pub that wasn’t brimming with people. We eventually found Mom Chicken – a fast food restaurant serving southern comfort food in the basement of Maher’s Pub. Tracy and Robb decided to keep looking, but the rest of us jostled our way through the crowded Maher’s Pub to the steps down to the lower level. We were about the only people in the restaurant, so southern comfort food isn’t big on St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin. After dinner, we continued our stroll. We found Merrion Square and the Oscar Wilde Memorial Sculpture. Oscar Wilde is an Irish poet, playwright and author of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The park was locked, but I could still snap a picture of the statue through the wrought iron fence. Oscar’s face on the back of the statue has a different expression, but seeing that will have to wait for another trip.

We meandered back toward Trinity College and found Dingle Whiskey Bar (#31). It was a long and narrow bar that wasn’t too crowded. We found a table at the back of the bar, near a swinging door that was a back entrance to the loud, college-kid, dance club next door –Tapped Late Bar. When Crystal, Andrea and I heard “…Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears, we pushed through the swinging door and squeezed onto the dance floor to show these youngsters how to dance 90s style – since none of them were even born when this song came out. 😂

After checking “clubbing in Dublin” off our to-do list 😂, we started back toward the hotel. We had gotten a text from Robb and Tracy saying that they were heading back too. We all met back at the hotel bar for a toast to a wonderful trip!

Saturday, March 18, 2023 – Dublin, Ireland to Boston, MA to Pittsburgh, PA, USA

After breakfast (yes, my last breakfast of brown bread, butter and Brie cheese), Tim and I made one last walk around the neighborhood of Temple Bar. We were amazed at how clean the streets were after all of the partying last night. We got an unadulterated picture of Molly Malone and her cart of cockles and mussels. Molly Malone is the fictional 17th-century fishmonger in the 1876 song “Molly Malone” – the unofficial Irish anthem. As the song goes, Molly died young of a fever, probably of Cholera. Girls like Molly were usually fishmongers by day and prostitutes by night due to poverty. Therefore, the statue is also known as “The Tart with the Cart” by Dubliners. However, people like to believe that fictional Molly was a chaste fishmonger. The bronze statue was unveiled in 1988 during the Dublin Millennium celebrations – yes, Dublin was first settled in 988!

We also saw a florist setting up a stand. Tomorrow is Mother’s Day in Ireland. Tonight will be another busy night in Dublin because of big rugby game between Ireland and England (spoiler alert: Ireland wins).

Oliver was no longer our driver, but his company arranged for a taxi to take both of our groups to the airport. In the lobby, we said good-bye to David, Andrea, Eric and Crystal. While our flight left at 11:30AM, their direct flight to Philadelphia left in the afternoon. We had a short ride to the airport. After a little shopping in the Duty Free Shop (yes, 3 more bottles of Irish whiskey), we cleared customs and were on our way to the USA. The Purdue Marching Band flew out in the afternoon and David ran into Zach at the airport.

The daytime flight to Boston seemed fast, even though it was 7 hours and 30 min. Our connecting flight from Boston left at 6:00 PM and we landed in Pittsburgh around 8:00 PM. We spent the night at the Marriott at the airport. Robb’s dad picked us up in the morning and we all went to breakfast before picking up Roxy and heading back home. It was an amazing, fun-filled trip!! At home, we had fun going through our Irish treasures. However, the memories will live on for a lifetime!!

It took me two months, off and on, to complete this blog. It may have taken you that long to have read it! 😂 Our next focus is getting the boat back in the water and continuing on our Great Loop journey. We completed the work that we wanted to accomplish on HOMES, but the work that we hired to be done over the winter is yet to be completed. Hopefully, we’ll be back in the water by early July. Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading!

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Our 2022 journey, which began on June 7th, has been completed. We arrived at Toledo Beach Safe Harbor Marina in La Salle, MI on Thursday, September 29th. This is where HOMES will be pulled out of the water and receive some TLC in a heated building this winter. This first half of our journey was amazing!

Miles traveled: 2,412

Days traveled: 73

Hours underway: 330.8

States visited: 12 [FL; GA; NC; SC; VA; MD; DE; NJ; NY; PA; OH; and, MI]

Locks completed: 52 [Dismal Swamp-2; Erie Canal-35; Oswego Canal-14; Black Rock Lock-1]

We may still get to Kelleys Island, if the weather cooperates before our pull out date of October 28th. Plans for our 2023 journey are underway. Our current plans are to: spend the spring and summer on the Great Lakes; the fall going through Chicago, into the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway; the winter going across the Gulf of Mexico, around the Florida Keys and back to Deray Beach, Florida to complete our Great Loop.

No more blogs for now. We will let you know on Facebook when we begin our 2023 journey. Thanks for following along!!

Monday – Wednesday, September, 26-28, 2022 – Middle Bass Island (Middle Bass Yacht Club) – Weather Layover Days.

Because of the weather forecast, when we pulled in to the yacht club on Saturday, we knew that we’d probably be stuck until Thursday. Luckily, we got stuck on a beautiful island and the weather on the land was better than on the water. We enjoyed biking around the island and hiking on the trails in the state park.

The state park includes the Lonz Winery property. The hiking trail took us to the Lonz Boat House and the Lonz Mansion. Lonz Winery was established in 1884, by Peter Lonz. In 1926, his son, George, merged the Lonz Winery with Golden Eagle Winery, which had been on the island since 1866 and was at at one time one of the largest wineries in the country. George graduated in 1910 from Ohio Northern University – my college alma mater. He used his chemistry and botany degrees to develop his grapes and wines. He purchased the winery during Prohibition and on the eve of the Great Depression, but was able to stay solvent by selling 100,000 gallons of grape juice per year. from 1934-1944, the winery prospered because of the repeal of Prohibition and the New Deal – adding the Boat House and basin to the complex. George died in 1969 without any heirs and before finding a buyer for the winery, so it languished until a Cleveland winery purchased it in 1979. After the tragic collapse of the terrace in 2000, the state of Ohio purchased the property. The state of Ohio plans to restore the Lonz Mansion, which was built in 1906.

We spent Tuesday evening at the coffee shop/ bar, The Daily Grind, playing trivia. We teamed up with another boater who was stuck because of the weather. Our team was called: “Stuck.” There were three teams – us, a local couple, and a couple for Powell, Ohio who have a condo on the Island. It was a fun time and we even came in second place.

Thursday, September 29, 2022 – Middle Bass Island, OH (Middle Bass Yacht Club) to La Salle, MI (Toledo Beach Safe Harbor Marina)

We were finally able to continue our journey on Thursday – the last leg of our journey. After using the toilet pump-out station, we headed out into Lake Erie with 1-2 foot waves. We cruised in between the Lonz Winery complex and Put In Bay before continuing on our 5-hour journey of 34 miles to Toledo Beach in La Salle, MI.

After passing West Sister Island, we were back in new water. We could see Toledo, OH off in the distance, as we passed the channel of Toledo Harbor. A freighter was coming out through the channel and passed in front of us. Around 1:30, we crossed over into Michigan.

Tim expertly backed us into our slip at the marina. Another Looper boat docked next to use, shortly after we arrived. They had just completed their Loop and was proudly displaying their golden flag. We enjoyed talking with this young couple. They did the loop while working and home schooling their two young daughters. Plus, having a dog. That makes our loop sound so much easier.

For dinner, we took the dinghy to the marina’s restaurant. While the marina office and restaurant are about 50 yards across water from our dock, it is about a 20-minute walk on land. We haven’t used the dinghy since the ICW, so it was nice to go for a ride.

Friday, September 30, 2022 – La Salle, MI (Toledo Beach Safe Harbor Marina) – Excursion around Toledo Harbor Lighthouse.

Tim’s parents, Marsha and Jim, came today for a visit. We took them for a two-hour ride of 16 miles out around the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse – built from 1901 – 1904. It is still an active lighthouse, guiding the commercial traffic through the Toledo Harbor. It is allegedly haunted, but we didn’t see the eerie “phantom lightkeeper” beckoning from the upper-story window.

After our ride, we had a delicious dinner at Gander’s Family Restaurant in nearby Luna Pier, MI. Marsha and Jim are only our second overnight guests since beginning our journey on June 7th.

Saturday, October 1, 2022 – La Salle, MI (Toledo Beach Safe Harbor Marina) – The end…until May 2023.

Jim and Marsha gave us a ride home. HOMES will be safe at the Marina until we get back. Her pull-out date is October 28th. Hopefully we’ll get over to Kelleys Island before then, but now we have other priorities. Our son, Nicholas, is starting at Musicians Institute Guitar Craft Academy Nashville where he’ll learn to build and repair guitars. He has been tinkering in Tim’s wood shop since last winter building electric guitar bodies and pickups. He is excited about this nine-month course, which starts on October 10th. Orientation is this Thursday, so we’ll be moving him to Nashville this week. Never a dull moment!

No more blogs…until we resume our journey in the spring. Thank you for following along! It made our journey even more fun knowing that all of you were traveling with us!

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We finally made it to Ohio! Lake Erie is now dictating our travel plans – and Lake Erie is very unpredictable. Therefore, the week didn’t go as planned, but it was a good week nonetheless. We enjoyed stops at Geneva-on-the-Lake and Cleveland, before ending our week at Middle Bass Island.

Monday, September 19, 2022 – Erie, PA (Erie Yacht Club) – Weather Layover Day

After a week at home, we were ready to get back to cruising, but the forecast of 5-9 foot waves had us staying put for another day. So, we found a coffee shop, returned the rental car and accomplished some boat projects.

A day off wasn’t a bad thing. We had a busy week at home last week. Our friend, Vera, turned 100. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know who we are anymore, but she knows that we are friends, because we take her homemade yogurt and remind her of stories that she has shared with us over the years.

I also celebrated my birthday with family and friends. We visited my mom and she made me another delicious ”Mom Cake.” She lives close to the marina where we are taking HOMES out for the winter, so we drove up there and finalized our winter storage reservation. My mom treated us to lunch at the marina restaurant. HOMES will have heated, indoor storage at Toledo Beach Safe Harbor Marina, in LaSalle, MI, starting at the end of October. Tim is looking forward to accomplishing many projects, before we set off cruising the Great Lakes in April.

Tuesday, September 20, 2022 – Erie, PA (Erie Yacht Club) to Geneva-on-the-Lake (Geneva State Park Marina)

We got up early for our 59-mile journey today, which took us eight hours. If you noticed on the map, we had to backtrack out of Presque Isle Bay and around Presque Isle. It took us about an hour before we started our straight shot to Geneva State Park Marina.

We crossed the state line into Ohio around noon. When we began our journey on June 7th, people would look at us strangely when we’d say that we were headed to Ohio. The looks became less strange the closer we got…and now we’re here! About two hours after crossing into Ohio, we passed the Ashtabula Lighthouse, built in 1905. This is the third lighthouse marking Ashtabula’s harbor. The first was built in 1836 and the keeper had to keep eight lamps burning using sperm whale oil. The current lighthouse was the last of the 68 lighthouses in the Great Lakes to be manned, when it was fully automated in 1973. In 1995, a modern optic was installed and its Fresnel lens was removed. Efforts are being made to restore the lighthouse and the residence of the lighthouse keeper is now the Ashtabula Maritime & Surface Transportation Museum.

The waves started out as 2-4 feet. About 2 hours into the trip, they decreased and finally flattened out by the end of our trip. Lake Erie is known as being dangerous because, with an average depth of 24 feet, waves kick up quickly and come at short intervals. Lake Erie is the fourth largest of the five Great Lakes and is named after the Erie Indians who once inhabited the shores.

We got into Geneva State Park Marina around 3:30 p.m. When we pulled in, we knew that we’d probably be here until Friday, because of the weather – it is fall on Lake Erie.

Wednesday and Thursday, September 21-22, 2022 – Geneva State Park Marina (Weather Layover Days)

As we assumed, we decided to stay at Geneva State Park until Friday. We could have made it to Cleveland today (Wednesday) in 2-4 foot waves, but the marina could only accommodate us for one night. It is booked full on Thursday because of the Browns game. The Thursday forecast is calling for 6-9 foot waves, so we don’t want to move then. The Browns can irritate me even off the field.

Geneva-on-the-Lake wasn’t such as bad place to be stuck. We found craft beer at Ruff Life on the Lake and coffee at Corner Coffeehouse. Not much else was open, since it is a summer resort town – “Ohio First Summer Resort,” starting in 1869 as a picnic grounds. Soon, it grew to include campgrounds and cottages as wealthy families in Cleveland, Youngstown and Pittsburgh came to escape their smoke-filled cities during America’s Industrial Revolution (1870-1914). In the early 1900’s, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, and Harvey Firestone came here on their annual treks into the wilds of America’s North Coast for camping and fishing – although their servants made the campfires and pitched the tents. By the 1930’s, it opened up to the working class, thanks to Ford’s affordable car and Firestone and Rockefeller marketing the tires and gasoline. The town lost favor in the 1970’s and 1980’s, but is trying to come back with the local wineries as attractions. It looked a little rough to us, but it was off-season.

Thursday’s weather forecast turned out to be correct, so we were happy that we had stayed put. After coffee at the Corner Coffeehouse, we came back to HOMES. I continued my project of sealing and polishing the granite countertops, read a book and worked on my blog. Tim worked organizing the lazarette and fixing a few things. The cool weather also had him in cooking and baking mode. After making supper, he made yogurt for the first time on the boat. The yogurt culture is from our 100-year-old friend, Vera, who received it in 1956 from a Turkish friend at OSU. Tim has been making it for Vera for the last few years, since she can’t. My mom is making it too for herself. Vera said that the yogurt is what has made her live so long. After all of the cooking and cleaning, we used this cold, windy day as an excuse to cover up on the couch and watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Tim loves the Harry Potter movies.

A little drama entered our peaceful evening around 10:00 p.m. After Harry Potter, we were watching one of our favorite shows, Death in Paradise, when the electric went off in the whole marina! To add to the drama, Tim tried to start the generator too quickly, so it didn’t start right off – which always makes me nervous. However, as Tim said, it was just flooded and popped right off after a few minutes. We turned the heaters back on, continued watching our show and finished drying the clothes in the dryer. I felt bad for the sailboaters in the boat behind us who didn’t have a generator. Luckily, the power came back on around 11:30 p.m.

Friday, September 23, 2022 – Geneva-on-th-Lake (Geneva State Park Marina) to Cleveland, OH (Oasis Marina-Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

We consulted many weather maps and forecasts before deciding to head out today – 4-6 foot waves, subsiding to 1-2 foot. The small-craft advisory was over at 10:00 a.m., so we headed out around then. The biggest waves were right at the mouth of the channel as we left – a few 7 footers made it interesting. Once we got out into the lake, it was consistently 3-4 foot rolling waves. HOMES’s four active-fin stabilizers do a great job smoothing out the ride, so it wasn’t an uncomfortable ride. However, it was difficult to walk around. I hit my eye on window ledge, as I was ascending to the helm from the saloon. A bag of frozen grapes did the trick of taking the swelling down. Tim may have to explain the black and blue eyebrow. 😁

We got to Cleveland around 3:00 p.m – after 47 miles and 6 hours and 20 minutes. Tim cranked our speed to about 9 MPH because the plan was to get to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before it closed at 5:00 p.m. I only wanted to see two displays – Madonna and the Go Go’s. Well, my plans were foiled again. I asked the lady scanning tickets where to find my two chosen places. She said that they have NOTHING on Madonna! Her eyes got huge when I handed the wrist band back and said that we were leaving. 😂 She told me that I would find the Go Go’s display on level 3. So, we headed straight to Level 3, where two security guards said that Level 3 was closed for a private event! Ugh! There was some big event going on about the Nine Inch Nails. I’ll just blame the Browns, since we would have been here on Wednesday, if they hadn’t had a game. At least, they did beat the Steelers. 😁

So, after our 10-minute walk in and out of the crowded Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we went back to HOMES, had a cup of tea and took a nap. The long, bumpy ride was tiring. After our nap we walked around the marina and Voinovich BiCentennial Park. As par with my Cleveland luck, there was a truck parked behind the script Cleveland sign. 😂 After our walk, we called it a day. Tomorrow will be a long cruise to Middle Bass Island. We are skipping Kelleys Island for this weekend and going straight to Middle Bass, because we are meeting the people who we met at Erie Yacht Club. They are going to sponsor us to join Middle Bass Yacht Club. It’s good to be a member of a yacht club because of the reciprocity with other yacht clubs. Technically, we were supposed to be a member of a yacht club to dock at Erie Yacht Club, but being late in the season, they didn’t seem to care.

Saturday, September 24, 2022 – Cleveland, OH (Oasis Marina-Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) to Middle Bass Island, OH (Middle Bass Yacht Club)

We got up at 6:15 a.m., because of our long journey today – 59 miles; seven-and-a-half hours; and an average speed of 8.75 MPH. After calling the pedestrian bridge operator on the radio for a lift around 8:00 a.m., we headed out into Cleveland Harbor. The harbor was a little congested with a pleasure boat following us out of the marina, a freighter coming at us from the mouth of the Cuyahoga River and a cruise ship coming into the harbor.

We had sunny skies and flat water, after passing the West Harbor Lighthouse. The first lighthouse in the harbor was constructed in 1829 to guide ships into the Cuyahoga River – the Mohawk word for ”crooked water.” Moses Cleaveland was the area’s first white settler, arriving in 1796. By the 1830’s, the busy harbor town officially changed it’s name from “Cleaveland” to ”Cleveland.” The current lighthouse began operating in 1911 on a spur that extended the entrance of the harbor further out into Lake Erie. This 67-foot steel tower, with attached fog-signal building, is still a working lighthouse, guiding ships into Port Cleveland. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is famous for looking like an ice castle in the winter from the spraying water of Lake Erie.

Yesterday, our journey took us west along the shoreline. Today, we headed north out into the open waters of Lake Erie, before heading back west. The autopilot did all of the work today. I caught Tim coloring on his iPad. It was fun when we started seeing familiar landmarks – The tip of Sandusky, Cedar Point, Marble Head Lighthouse, Davis-Besse, Kelleys Island, Perry’s Monument, and finally Middle Bass Island.

Around 3:00 p.m., we pulled into the channel for the Middle Bass Yacht Club, which is also used for the Middle Bass State Park Marina. We were greeted by Mark, the dockmaster, and another member who helped us tie up. Right after we docked, James and Kim, who we met at the Erie Yacht Club, arrived on their sailboat. After filling out our membership paperwork and paying our dues, we walked into the General Store/ Uncle Joe’s Pizza for pizza. In the evening, we sat at the clubhouse patio with James and Kim and 3 other couples. Everyone brought snacks and drinks. We had a nice time getting to know James and Kim better.

Sunday, September 25, 2022 – Middle Bass Island, OH (Middle Bass Island Yacht Club)- Layover day.

After staying at the clubhouse patio until 11:00 last night, we opted for sleeping in today! We walked to the Island Grind for coffee and explored the State Park, which took over the Lonz Winery property. The winery closed in 2000, after the tragic collapse of its terrace, killing two people. The state reopened the property in 2017, after restoring the iconic 1930’s Lonz tower, the facade and the wine cellars.

In the afternoon, we borrowed bikes from the clubhouse and explored the rest of the island. We biked the whole island – it is only 805 acres. It was originally named Ile de Fleurs (Island of Flowers) and still has a large wildlife refuge. We stopped at the General Store/ Uncle Joe’s Pizza on our way back to HOMES and had an appetizer. Tim purchased some refreshments, in case we get rained in.

I’ll tell you more about Middle Bass Island in next week’s blog. We are staying here until at least Tuesday, because of the weather. See you next Sunday!

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This week, we finished up the Erie Canal, made our way out into Lake Erie and over the state line into Pennsylvania.

Monday, September 5, 2022 – Fairport, NY (Village Dock) to Bushnell’s Basin, NY (Free Dock)

We awoke to a drizzly day, but nothing that would prevent us from moving onto our next little town – which was only 4 miles away. We were only underway 40 minutes. 😂 We don’t want to miss any of these canal towns. The towns are very boater- friendly, because the canal is only used by pleasure boaters now – no more industry.

We enjoyed our two days in Fairport. After posting my blog yesterday afternoon, we walked to Fairport Brewing Co. The weather was dramatically opposite of the 86-degree day yesterday. It was a crisp and cloudy afternoon. The smell of a campfire made it feel even more fall-like. To our pleasure, the fire ring was at the brew pub. We got our drinks and the two people at the fire ring invited us over. We had the best time talking with Anne and Mike. A quick drink before dinner turned into a wonderful afternoon making new friends. They swung by the dock on their way home and we gave them a tour of HOMES. Mike’s little dog, Thor, was our first furry friend to visit the boat.

Our journey out of Fairport this morning took us under our first lift bridge. In the down position, this bridge has a 6-foot clearance, so Tim called the bridge tender on the radio asking for a lift. As we approached, we watched the whole bridge lift up 10 feet 7 inches. This particular lift bridge, built from 1913-1914, allegedly appeared in Ripley’s Believe It or Not because of its irregular, ten-sided structure. No two angles in the bridge are the same and no corners are square. This week we will be going under many lift bridges. Each end of a lift bridge has a stairway, which allows pedestrians to cross the bridge in the upper position. When these bridges were built, there was more boat traffic than vehicle traffic, so they were left in the upper position. Now, they are left in the down position.

Today and tomorrow, we will be traveling along the ”Great Embankment” – a 70-foot high embankment completed in 1822 – which carries the canal above the Irondequoit Valley. From 1905-1910, the embankment was enlarged using giant steam shovels. The mile-long trench holds 12-feet of water and was lined with three separate layers of concrete, forming a watertight seal.

Realizing that a 70-foot tall manmade berm could be a weak link, the engineers placed a steel guard gate at each end of the mile-long trough. We passed under one today. The other will be tomorrow.

We docked at the Village Dock in Bushnell’s Basin, NY. We paid the $20.00 dockage fee at the Marathon station at the end of the park. Across the street was Richardson’s Tavern, the oldest original inn on the Erie Canal. It was originally a farm house, but the farmer sold it when the Erie Canal was being cut through his pastures. William Bushnell bought the farm in 1823. The Richardson brothers established Richardson’s Tavern for the men digging the canal. It remained a pub and hotel until the 1930’s. It was eventually abandoned in the 1960’s. It is currently a restaurant, opened in 1978 after major restoration. Unfortunately, we couldn’t eat here because it didn’t open until tomorrow at 5:00 p.m.

We attempted to visit our first Tim Horton’s since leaving home, but it was closed. Later, we walked to Steven Story Brewing Co. – the real reason for our stop here at Bushnell’s Basin. The brewery is named ”Steven Story” because of the one-mile long, 70-feet high embankment on which the brewery (and Bushnell’s Basin) sits. The setting of the brewery, along the canal, was beautiful.

The cool weather has Tim in baking mode. He made some heath bar cookies. We took a walk after eating too many cookies and had one last drink at Seven Story Brewing Co.

Tuesday, September 6, 2022 – Bushnell’s Basin, NY (Village Dock) to Pittsford, NY (Free Dock)

Our journey today was 2.65 miles to Pittsford, NY, which was a 30-minute ride. 😂 Like I’ve said before, we don’t want to miss any of these little towns. As we pulled away from the dock in Bushnell’s Basin, we continued along the Great Embankment. It is hard to see the 70-foot drop off through the trees, but you can easily see the concrete sides of the canal and the bollards used by the big boats back in the day.

When we came to the end of the one-mile Great Embankment, we passed under the guard gate and soon entered Pittsford. The first dock that we tried on the little wall was too shallow, so we crossed to the other side of the canal and docked right in front of Lock 32 Brewing Co. While that seemed convenient (😂), that side of the canal did not have any power or water hook- ups. So, when we saw a boat leave the big wall on the other side of the canal, we quickly untied and headed over there. The people in the two little boats, who we met in Clyde last week, were docked there too, so they gave us a hand. Tim and I laugh about the Erie Canal making us soft. We used to go days without electric and water hook-ups when we were on the ICW!

We explored the town in a drizzly rain. What is now the Village of Pittsford was settled in 1796, but its roots go back to the 1600s French fur trade and when it was inhabited by the Seneca tribe of the Iroquois Indian Confederacy. Both Pittsford and Bushnell’s Basin (from yesterday) were on the stage coach route with Rochester. The Phoenix Hotel in Pittsford, built in 1813-1814, would have been a welcome sight to travelers in the 19th century, traveling by stagecoach on muddy, unpaved roads. However, Gov. Dewitt Clinton stayed at the Inn when he and a party were surveying lands for the Erie Canal and he said that he was unable to sleep “on account of fleas, etc.” I guess that was the first Yelp Review. 😂 In the 1930’s, the Inn was rebranded the Old Heidelberg and featured German beer, food and music. With the outbreak of WWII, when German culture fell out of favor, it was renamed the Pittsford Inn. In the 1960’s, after being vacant for years, it was preserved and renamed the Phoenix Building. Today it houses businesses.

We enjoyed dinner at the Pittsford Pub and then had a drink at Lock 32 Brewing Company, before calling it a day. The bartender remembered us from last night at the Seven Story Brewing Co. He works at both locations, because the same person owns both.

Wednesday, June 7, 2022 – Pittsford, NY (Free Dock) to Brockport, NY (Village Dock)

Today’s journey of 32 miles took us six hours, because it included two locks and three lift bridges. Despite having a long traveling day ahead of us, we still took time for breakfast at the Village Bakery & Cafe. I got the ”toast tasting!” I got to pick 4 of their homemade breads. What an awesome idea for a bread-lover like me!

Soon after pulling away from Pittsford, we entered Lock #32, along with a hired narrowboat. The lock took us up 25.1 feet. We continued on 1.3 miles and then came to our last lock of the day – Lock #33, which lifted us 25.4 feet. We shared that lock with two hired narrowboats. There are narrowboat rental companies at different towns along the canal.

The rest of our day was filled with guard gates, low bridges, lift bridges and some low water. We learned from the lock tender of Lock #33 that there was a sailboat grounded at the intersection of the canal and the Genesee River in Rochester. We passed the stuck boat port to port in five feet of water. The sailboat needed eight feet. About 4 hours after we passing the boat, we got an email alert saying that the boat had been towed.

After passing the grounded sailboat, I took a quick look up the Genesee River – the water source for Genesee Beer. Genesee Brewing Co. is one of the largest and oldest continually operating breweries in the U.S., starting in 1819 as Aqueduct Spring Brewery and changing names to Genesee Brewery in 1878.

Our last lift bridge of the day was Park Ave. bridge in Brockport, NY. We pulled up to the wall and a boater came over to help us with lines. He suggested places to eat in town – which is just steps away from the dock. On our way to pay our $20 docking fee, we were stopped by a local couple who wanted to chat. When we finally made it into the Visitor’s Center to pay, there were three volunteers there who shared some history about the town and gave us more suggestions on things to do. What a friendly town! The locals are proud of their town – and for good reason. They have a beautiful dock, where they host concerts in the summer, and they have a well-preserved Victorian town.

Once the Erie Canal was completed, shipping a ton of wheat from Buffalo to New York City fell from $100 to $5-$10. One of the seven Toll Collector’s offices on the canal was located in Brockport – making all traffic stop in the village. You can still see where the mules stayed under the Toll House, now a restaurant. We ate at Barber’s Grill and Tap Room, which opened in 1929 – the same year as the stock market crash and nine years into Prohibition. A local man told us that is was a speakeasy until Prohibition ended in 1933.

We finished off our evening by walking around the Victorian neighborhood surrounding the downtown area. I took a little trip on my paddle board and then we called it a day, as the moon was coming up over the trees.

Thursday, September 8, 2022 – Brockport, NY (Village Dock) to Medina, NY (Canal Port Medina)

We started our day by walking up to Java Junction for a coffee and then taking a final walk around the downtown. We headed out under the Brockport Lift Bridge around 11:30 a.m. Our journey of 4 hours took us 24.7 miles to Medina, NY. – seven lift bridges and four guard gates later.

The unique part of our journey today was crossing over a road. Culvert Road is the only road to go under the Erie Canal. From our perspective, we couldn’t see the one-car tunnel, with a 7-feet-6-inch clearance. It allegedly dips down so deep that a car will lose its radio signal. It was built in 1823 as a cheaper solution than building a bridge. The canal at this spot goes over a valley, so building the tunnel underneath made sense. We couldn’t see it, but allegedly there is a plaque on the bridge noting that it has been featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not.

As we pulled around the bend, approaching Medina, we spotted our dock for today – Medina Canal Port, aka ”the Canal Basin.” Here, the canal bends as it passes through the village, creating this wide basin where boats had room to stop over – like us today. After settling in, we took a walk to Medina Falls and Aqueduct. We travelled over the aqueduct as we came into Medina. Medina was incorporated in 1832, as a result of the canal bringing transportation for the area’s apples, cider (popular during prohibition) and sandstone. Its sandstone was used in the New York State Capitol in Albany (which we went by in Blog-Week Nine). The area still has lots of apple orchards along the canal.

The most interesting fact for me was discovering that H.J. Heinz opened a pickle factory here in 1899. My mom retired from H.J. Heinz in Fremont, OH, after 30 years. I worked there for 4 seasons while in college. The Medina plant processed pickles, but later processed apples for vinegar and made strained baby food. During WWII, Italian and then German POWs were used in the plant and housed in barracks on the property. In 1963, the plant was closed and production was moved to other locations. Our Fremont, OH plant opened in 1937 and luckily is still producing 80% of the Heinz ketchup supply today! Buy Heinz – it keeps my mom in a pension! 😁

After our walk to the falls, we walked around the town of Medina and then met the couple on the sailboat in front of us for drinks and appetizers at Zambistro and then across the street to Fitzgibbons Pubic House. Aaron and Danielle are from Canada and have been enjoying the Great Lakes all summer. They are now heading South for the winter. We enjoyed exchanging stories since we are heading in opposite directions.

Friday, September 9, 2022 – Medina, NY (Canal Port Medina) to Lockport, NY (Free Dock beside Lock #35)

Today, our 4-hour journey of 16.8 miles had us doing our last two locks on the Erie Canal. We have mixed feelings – happiness on accomplishing a goal and sadness of leaving all of the wonderful canal towns behind.

We went under five lift bridges and two guard gates before getting to Lock #34 and Lock #35. They are a ”flight,” meaning that the locks share the gate between them. Combined, they lifted us 49.1 feet.

Locks #34 and #35 were built in 1918 when the Erie Canal was enlarged. These mechanized gates replaced the original 1821 ”Flight of Five,” which continues to be used as a spillway. With the mechanized enlarged locks, the time for getting through Lockport went from weeks to hours – good for the barges, bad for Lockport’s local economy that had become dependent on accommodating the waiting mariners.

We took a walking and boat tour of the caves along the canal that were built by the factory owners, who used the water to move equipment in their factories. We walked through the 2,100-foot water power tunnel invented by Birdsill Holly, whose inventions of the fire hydrant, central steam heat and the rotary pump, might never have been realized without this tunnel.

The tunnel was blasted out of solid rock by Irish emigrants and children. One man would hold and twist a drill bit while the other hit it with a sledgehammer, making a hole. Children would then go in and put explosives in the holes, light them and run. The men made $.03 an hour, which was poverty level even then. As a way to make enough money to feed their families, the men were allowed to bring gypsum out of the cave – a worthless rock at that time. Their wives would polish the gypsum and sell it at Niagara Falls to the wealthy tourists – claiming they had figured out how to solidify the mist of the falls. The first tourist trap. 😂

We spent the rest of the day walking around the locks and visiting the museum. HOMES had a great view, docked next to Lock #35 and in front of the famous ”Flight of Five.” We walked to Lock 34 Bar and Grill in the evening, to top off our day.

Saturday, September 10, 2022 – Lockport, NY (Free Dock beside Lock #35) to Buffalo, NY (Seaway Piers)

Today, we had a six-and-a-half-hour cruise of 32.7 miles. Our day began at Steamworks Coffee, then to the Visitor’s Center and the Farmers Market – all on the street right above HOMES. After making purchases at all three places, we untied HOMES and immediately went under the “Big Bridge.” When the bridge was constructed in 1914, it was the widest bridge in the world at 400-feet wide, 129-feet long. It uses the large limestone rocks of the Niagara Escarpment as the foundation.

We went under our last guard gate around Pendleton, NY, where the Erie Canal begins using Tonawanda Creek. The creek took us under our last low bridges, as we dodged small pleasure boats, kayaks, water bikes and jet skis, making our way through Tonawanda, NY. Once we emerged out on the the Niagara River, we followed the sign pointing south toward Buffalo and Lake Erie. We didn’t want to go North and take HOMES over Niagara Falls!

We followed the river south and under the South Grand Island Bridge – the twin two-lane bridge, spanning the Niagara River, connecting Tonawanda and Grand Island, NY. We continued against the strong current and passed derelict old factories, but also the current GM Powertrain Plant in Tonawanda.

Ten minutes later, we came to Black Rock Lock, which lifted us 5-feet to Buffalo Harbor – bypassing the rapids of the Niagara River. Fortunately, the lock was ready for us to pull in. A lock has been here since 1833, In conjunction with the Erie Canal. The present lock was constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers from 1908-1913 to accommodate the large Great Lakes vessels. It has been updated and filled slower and more gently than the Erie Canal locks.

We are now done with locks until next spring when we journey out of Lake Erie and into Lake Huron -when HOMES can collect the ”H” in her name. As you probably know, HOMES is an acronym for the five Great Lakes. As of this week, she has collected two letters – the ”O” for Lake Ontario and the ”E” for Lake Erie.

We continued under a railroad lift bridge. We told the bridge tender that we would fit under by a few inches, but he raised it for us. We then went under Peace Bridge – a bridge that connects the U.S. and Canada.

The next hurdle was finding a place to dock. Our plan was to dock on the wall at Canalside in downtown Buffalo; however, there was no room. The wall was lined with little day boats and commercial sight-seeing boats, plus the area above the wall was full of restaurants – not what it said on the review. We hovered beside the dock, while trying to get the dockmaster on the phone to see if there was somewhere that we could dock while waiting for some day boaters to leave; however, the phone had a constant busy tone and they didn’t answer on the radio. We are too big for any of the marinas in Buffalo, so we started back out of the channel to an anchorage that we saw on the map.

The anchorage was an old seawall lined with chain-length fence, but it did have large bollards where we could tie off – and we did. Then, we set to work putting HOMES back to her normal height. Tim devised a pulley-system to help us get the arch back up; then he put the radar back on top; then put the canvas top back on; and, zipped in three of the four sides. It got too dark to finish the last side, because we also took time to deflate and pack away the paddle board and re-strap the Star Link dish in place. By the time we were done, we were exhausted, but happy to have HOMES looking back to normal. The anchorage did not have power or electric, so we ran the generator for a few hours to charge the batteries and watch a little TV before getting to bed. We have a long day planned for tomorrow.

Sunday, September 11, 2022 – Buffalo, NY (Seaway Piers) to Erie, PA (Erie Yacht Club)

Today we pulled away from Buffalo, NY around 5:50 a.m. and traveled nine-hours and forty-five minutes – 83.2 miles. Why the long push? Well, there is really only one stop between Buffalo, NY and Erie, PA – that is Dunkirk, NY. The marinas in Dunkirk have terrible reviews, plus the weather today is forecasted to be better than the rainy day forecasted for tomorrow. So, we reluctantly got out of bed at 4:30 a.m., started the generator, made tea and took showers. Our efforts paid off, because we had a nice, calm journey. The two-foot waves on Lake Erie, while leaving Buffalo soon flattened out. Tim used the autopilot most of the day. The temperatures were in the high 60’s and it was cloudy, but it only sprinkled occasionally. This weather didn’t deter the fisherman that we saw along our way.

Lake Erie is much deeper here than the western portion that we know. We saw depths of 130 feet! The western basin has an average of 23 feet. When we had our last boat, Slow Poke, we would see six-feet depths coming out of the channel in Port Clinton.

Today, at 12:45, we crossed out of New York and into Pennsylvania! We were in New York for 31 days and enjoyed every day – from NYC to the small canal towns; from the steep cliffs of the Hudson River Valley to the open waters of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

However, we are happy to be docked in Erie, PA. We filled up our diesel tanks, pumped out our waste tank, and happily hooked up to water and electric. Our goal was to get to Erie Yacht Club, so that we would have somewhere nice for HOMES to stay while we go home for a short visit. Our friend, Vera, turns 100 on Thursday! So, tomorrow, we are picking up a rental car and driving home for a week’s visit.

So, no blog next Sunday. We’ll catch up with you the following Sunday (Sept. 25th) – when our journey continues on to Ohio. We are looking forward to docking at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and getting to Kelleys Island.

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This week, we got halfway through the western section of the Erie Canal. We did short hops from canal town to canal town, enjoying their shops, restaurants and museums. We also encountered our first low bridges. In August, we traveled 25 days going 905 miles! We’ve gone a total of 1,974 miles since pulling out of Delray Beach on June 7th.

Monday, August 29, 2022 – Phoenix, NY (Free Dock) to Baldwinsville, NY (Free Dock)

Phoenix is now on our list of favorite places. Last night we sat outside and talked with the other boaters tied up at the free dock. Two couples were on a narrowboat that they rented for the week. Another couple was from a neighboring town, so they gave us lots of recommendations for towns to visit on the western Erie Canal.

Tim and I both took the paddle board out for a spin. We still haven’t fallen in…knock on wood.

We were in no rush to leave this morning, because we have a short 14.6 mile journey today. So, we walked up to Tumbleweed Brew for coffee. The caramel apple coffee was delicious! Yeah, fall flavors!

We also visited the Bridge House Museum, next to HOMES. The third floor still had the old controls that operated the historic Trunnion Bridge. That bridge was lifted twice for us – once northbound two days ago and southbound yesterday.

In addition to being a museum, the Bridge House is home to the ”Bridge House Brats,” which is a service organization of about 50 volunteers, from ages eight to 17-years-old. 27 years ago, the Bridge House Park, where we tied up, was being taken over by bad kids and wasn’t being maintained. So, a local women and some good kids started what has evolved into the wonderful program that exists today. In the summer, the kids maintain the park, help boaters to tie up, pump out, clean; they give tours of the town and will even deliver breakfast, lunch and dinner from local restaurants. Since the ”brats” are back in school, we were sad not to be able to use their services, but we did leave money in their donation box, as appreciation for creating and maintaining such a welcoming and beautiful waterfront park.

We pulled away from Phoenix around 10:30 a.m. and made our way down the Oswego River. Twenty minutes later, we were back at the Three Rivers split. Last Friday, we came west on the Oneida River and turned north onto the Oswego River, which carried us up the Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario. Today, we came back down the Oswego River and turned back west on the Seneca River and rejoined the Erie Canal. Our journey up and down the Oswego Canal was well worth the time! Besides, we had to take HOMES out into Lake Ontario, since the ”O” in her name stands for Lake Ontario.

Today, as we began the western Erie Canal journey, we encountered our first bridge with a clearance of 15.5 feet – the reason for making HOMES shorter. However, it was a little anti-climactical. We easily cruised under the bridge, which had at least 19-feet of clearance. Tim tried to touch it, but couldn’t. We were expecting (and kind of hoping) to have to duck our heads. However, we have been hearing that the water levels are running low.

Our three-hour journey of 14.6 miles, at 6.1 knots, brought us to Baldwinsville, NY. Just before reaching the free dock, we went easily cleared another low bridge at the entrance of Lock #24 – our only lock of the day. As we lifted 11 feet, I talked to a couple who pulled their car over to watch us go up.

As we exited Lock #24, we went under a guard gate. From there, we could see the wall where we’d be spending the night. For $10.00, we could hook up to electric and water at the free dock. Since the forecast for tomorrow is calling for rain, we put $20.00 in the honesty box and started looking for things to do. After making BBQ chicken and pasta salad for dinner on HOMES, we walked into town. We found WT Brews for a drink along the Seneca River, before walking back to HOMES and turning in for the night.

Tuesday, August 30, 2022 – Baldwinsville, NY (Layover Day)

It’s nice to have a non-moving day every once in awhile. The rain wasn’t forecasted until later in the afternoon, so we did our exploring of Baldwinsville in the morning. We had coffee at Shamballa Cafe and Coffee Roasters. After a coffee and biscotti, we walked to Case Marina to get some more steering fluid. It was a nice 15-minute walk through a tree lined neighborhood of 19th and 20th century homes. We’ll see the backs of these homes when we continue our journey along the Seneca River tomorrow. We could have taken the dinghy to the marina, but it was a nice walk.

Between our walk and the afternoon rain, we spent time talking to the other boaters at the free dock. Two boats were also doing the Loop and one was an adorable little tug boat. Once the rain came, we did chores. Tim worked on the 12-volt lights in the engine room that never really worked right. After some work, he decided he’ll just get a new switch.

With our chores done and my blog caught up, we settled in for a rainy evening filled with watching some shows on YouTube and Amazon Prime.

Wednesday, August 31, 2022 – Baldwinsville, NY (Free Dock) to Clyde, NY (Free Dock)

Today, our journey of 6 hours and 41 minutes took us 38 miles to Clyde, NY. We awoke to a beautiful day – sun shine and 70 degrees. We ran HOMES from inside most of the day, because it was a little chilly and the flybridge was wet from the rain last night.

The Canal continued to take us along the Seneca River and out into Cross Lake. While making the one-mile crossing, we throttled up the engines to blow out some carbon. HOMES is meant to go slow, but her engines need a little revving from time to time.

After exiting Cross Lake, we rejoined the Seneca River, passing the Cayuga and Seneca Canal Inlet. The Cayuga and Seneca Canal Inlet is where we could have gotten into the Finger Lakes. That may be a side trip for another time, but for now, we continued on toward Clyde. While going through the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, we passed the remains of the Richmond Aqueduct, which was the second largest aqueduct on the original Erie Canal. Construction of the 31 stone arches began in 1840 and was opened in 1857. Only seven arches remain today. When the Barge Canal replaced the original Erie Canal, the Aqueduct was torn down to give boats clear run of the river.

We ended our journey alternating between locks and low bridges. Both Lock #25 and Lock #26 lifted us six feet. The low bridge after Lock #25 was being painted. We talked to the painting crew as we went under.

After Lock #26, we went under our lowest bridge yet. Yes, we had to duck under this one!

As we entered Clyde a few minutes later, an Amtrak train honked and waved to us. When we pulled up to the Clyde free dock, HOMES was all alone. However, she was soon joined by two small boats. The two couples were traveling together on a 9-day trip. We chatted on the dock and then ran into them at the Little Barrel Restaurant. Later, we all took drinks up to the shelter house in the park and talked late into the evening. We are traveling in opposite directions, so we could exchange the good towns and places to eat. We stayed out until the mosquitos and tiredness got the better of all of us. Boating is tiring work.

Thursday, September 1, 2020 – Clyde, NY (Free Dock) to Lyons, NY (Free Dock)

We planned another short journey today. Stopping at these canal towns is what we have been looking forward to, so we are in no rush. Since these towns provide free docks, most with free electric and water, we like to give back by patronizing their shops, restaurants and museums.

With that goal in mind, we headed across the bridge in Clyde to the Blockhouse Diner for breakfast. The smell of cinnamon greeted us as we opened the door of this historic building. The cinnamon french toast was divine!

After our hearty breakfast, we untied and headed 8 miles to Lyons, NY, which took us 2 hours and 20 minutes. We had no locks, but a few low bridges – nothing dramatically low. It was perfect fall day!

Since it was 2:00 p.m. when we docked at Lyons, we had plenty of time to make it to the Wayne County Historical Society Museum. The Museum is housed in the former Wayne County Jail and Sheriff’s residence built in 1856 and used until 1960. We took a guided tour, which included: the jail cells, with inmate artwork, and the three floors of exhibit space containing rooms decorated as they were when the family lived there; local pottery and glass; a military room; and, a Women’s Suffrage room. New York played a large roll in getting the 19th Amendment passed, which gave women the right to vote. New York voted to pass the Amendment in 1919. By August 1920, 35 other states joined New York and it became part of the U.S. Constitution. New York is the home of suffragists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, NY in 1848 – 19 miles from where HOMES was sitting.

We sat on the back deck enjoying the evening until it got too chilly. We turned the heat on in HOMES tonight!

Friday, September 2, 2022 – Lyons, NY (Free Dock) to Newark, NY (Free Dock)

It was another leisurely morning because we had an appointment to tour the Peppermint Museum. The H.G. Hotchkiss Essential Oil Company was established in 1839 and grew to make Lyons “The Peppermint Capital of the World,” taking the title away from England. H.G. Hotchkiss owned a general store and would receive peppermint oil from local farmers who used it to barter for goods. After having it tested in Europe, he found out that it was the purest and best tasting peppermint the facility had seen. He opened his business in Lyons in 1841, because of the Erie Canal. He became the Peppermint King by traveling to World’s Fairs and winning awards. The museum has an award signed by Prince Albert of England and one signed by Napoleon Bonaparte of France. Hotchkiss’s great-granddaughter sold the business in 1984 to a company in the state of Washington. the Hotchkiss name is still on the label.

We pulled away from the wall in Lyons for our 5.4 mile journey to Newark, NY. We headed straight into Lock #27 for a 12.5 feet lift to continue our journey. We passed the mural organized by Patty and her husband. They saved the clock face from a church in town that was having its clock works modernized. They said that it’s always 5:00 somewhere.

The afternoon was cool and feeling like fall. We soon came to Lock 28A, which lifted us 19.5 feet. The lock gate was stamped ”1913 Built by Penn Bridge Company Beaver Falls Penna.” Coming out of the lock, we saw a dry dock used by the New York Canal System and a beautiful old tug – “Tug Syracuse” -built in 1933. While many sections of the canal are drained (de-watered) in the winter, the canal is open 24/7, 365 days per year. About half the time it’s open for navigation, the other half it is closed for repairs.

Our day continued under some low bridges and a 12-foot lift in Lock 28(B), before arriving at the free dock in Newark, NY.

Newark had everything that we enjoy… and more. The coffee shop, Grind On, had the best flavored coffee of the trip! I had a Highlander Grogg that didn’t only have the caramel, butterscotch, and hazelnut flavors, but also rum! It tasted like fall and Christmas at the same time. After dinner on HOMES, we also found Parker’s Grille and Tap House, where Tim even got a free Sam Adams glass with his beer. However, the ”more” was still to come.

So, what’s the “more?” – an Elk’s Lodge! Tim had been looking for an Elk’s or Eagle’s lodge since we began our trip. Most are either too far to walk or closed. So, excitedly, we pulled out our Elk’s Lodge cards and were ”buzzed” in. We had a wonderful time talking with the super friendly people…rounds were ordered, stories exchanged and we were even given a New York Elk’s Lodge pin. Tim had the best time.

The lodge closed at 8:30 p.m., and we were ready to call it a day. It’s getting dark much earlier.

Saturday, September 3, 2022 – Newark, NY (Free Dock) to Fairport, NY (Village Dock)

The first thing on the agenda today was to go back to Grind On for coffee – blueberry coffee today. After Tim finished running a marathon! [Since you don’t see anyone chasing Tim in the picture, you probably guessed correctly that he was not running! 😂] HOMES was at the finish line of a charity walk. We pulled away from the dock as the walkers started coming through.

It was another beautiful day to cruise, a little warmer today at 86 degrees. Lock #29 at Palmyra took us up 16 feet. A little further up the canal, we saw the remnants of historic Lock 60 on the original Erie Canal. It was built in 1841, expanded in 1874 and abandoned in 1914 when the canal that we are traveling on went trough. We had a few low bridges and saw an eagle, deer and many ducks. After Lock #30 lifted us 16.4 feet, we continued on 16 miles to Fairport, NY. We saw lots of people walking, running and bicycling along the towpath as we neared Fairport. We were greeted at the Village Dock by the dock master who had a bag full of advertisements and stickers from the local businesses. This dock has a nominal fee of $17.00 a night for our size of boat. We paid for two nights because we want to stay put for the holiday weekend.

After dinner, we walked around the town until we found Faircraft Brauhaus where Tim got a flight of their locally made German-style beer. Later we sat on the back deck of HOMES and planned out our next few days. We ended up doing more talking to people passing by than planning, but we have plenty of time to plan tomorrow.

Sunday, September 4, 2022 – Newark, NY (Layover Day)

A lay-over day is always relaxing. It’s been quite the lazy day. I am enjoying a cup of Chia tea, while I finish the blog. Tim helped a hired narrowboat dock. The cloudy, cool, fall-like day put Tim in comfort-food mode and he made a delicious spicy sausage, Spanish rice dish in his Instant Pot. After that lunch, it feels like nap time, but we’ll go for a walk and explore the Victorian neighborhoods as we make our way to Fairport Brewing Company this afternoon. We’ll probably end our day with an appetizer and drink at Mulconry’s Irish Pub.

Tomorrow, we will have our first lift bridge, with many more to follow this week. Next Sunday, we should either be done or nearly done with the Erie Canal and ready to start our Lake Erie adventure toward Ohio. We will leave you here, until next Sunday!

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This week our Erie Canal journey took us to quaint towns and across the biggest lake in New York. We also took a side trip to Lake Ontario and did some maintenance on HOMES. We also made HOMES 5 feet 4 inches shorter – on purpose! 😂

Monday, August 22, 2022 – ILION, NY (Village of ILION Marina) – Layover Day #1

If you recall from last Sunday, we made plans to stay in ILIONS, NY for Monday because of the rainy forecast. That decision was actually a blessing, because the nine-hour day, which included seven locks, on Sunday had taken a toll on us. We slept until 9:15 this morning. We usually get up at 6:00 a.m. or 7:00 a.m on cruising days.

After a leisurely morning, we started our chores. I did the usual laundry, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning bathrooms and floors, but I also got my project of cleaning the helm station chairs done (one in the lower helm and the two in the flybridge). Tim fixed the steering-fluid leak in the upper helm steering column; fixed the leak in the port engine injector (caused by loosening it when we ran out of fuel in the Atlantic Ocean); ran the update on our Garmin (which always causes issues that need to be resolved); and, cut off the dock pole at the bend that I caused back in South Carolina when the dock pole got stuck on a mooring ball. Now we have a short dock pole.

With Chores done, we cleaned up, put on raincoats and walked into Crossway’s Tavern for dinner. While sitting at the bar, we had a nice talk with the friendly owner/bartender/waiter. He told us his grandma opened the tavern 60 years ago. She ran it for 30 years, then his dad ran it for 30 years, and now it’s his. It’s right across the street from Remington Arms Co. He said that Remington was bought by another company last November and closed the museum and will be moving the headquarters to Georgia, where they are getting huge tax brakes and incentives. For now they still have 300 union jobs. The company is hiring, but only through a temp agency. He said when his grandma opened the tavern there was a bar on every corner and the men would crowd in at lunch and after work, and his grandma would even cash their checks.

We got back to HOMES before the next round of rain showers. On our walk back, I started to notice the “support our UMWA” signs in the yards. The United Mine Workers of America represent the workers of Remington Arms Co.

Tuesday, August 23, 2022 – ILION, NY (Village of ILION Marina) – Layover Day #2

The rainy forecast continued, so we decided to stay put for another day. The rain was holding off until late morning, so we walked into Dunkin’ for coffee. On our walk, we found a cart with fresh sweet corn We put our money in the honesty box, then headed to Aldi’s for a few things. We can’t pass up a grocery store that close to HOMES.

In the afternoon, Tim read some engine manuals and I read a book on my iPad. He ordered the spare impeller from the marina where we’ll be staying on Thursday. He also ordered oil for an oil change on the engines. Each engine takes 8 gallons of oil. The John Deere dealer in Cicero, NY only had 15 gallons, but we have 2 gallons onboard, so we’ll have enough. The manager put our name on the oil and we can pick it up on Thursday.

We also did some route planning. We decided to take a side trip up the Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario and then back down to the Erie Canal. It will take three days, but we don’t know when we’d get back to explore the Oswego Canal, if we don’t do it now.

When the rain let up, we used the pump-out facility at the marina for our waste tank. Pump-out facilities and marinas are rare on the canals. The norm are free docks, along walls, with no amenities. After that less-than-pleasant job with the waste tank, we treated ourselves to ice cream at the marina.

The rain continued through the evening, so we cooked our sweet corn and abandoned our idea of walking back up the Crossway’s Tavern.

We enjoyed our time in ILION, NY. True… it doesn’t have a quaint coffee shop or a unique local brew pub. However, what it does have are friendly, hardworking people who look after their neighbors. At Dunkin’, there wasn’t a tip jar, but there was a box for a local foundation that was collecting money to help local families in need. The box didn’t just have change in it – it was stuffed full of dollar bills. That box, along with the honesty box at the sweet corn stand, says volumes for this little town that is fading away, due to changing times. It is clear that Remington Arms Co. has been the heart and identity of the town since 1816 when Eliphalet Remington forged a rifle in his father’s forge. The glory days of the Erie Canal have passed the town by and now it appears that their Remington identity is being taken away too. It will be interesting to see what the town looks like if we make our way back here in a year or two.

Wednesday, August 24, 2022 – ILION, NY (Village of ILION Marina) to Sylvan Beach, NY (Free Dock)

Soon after leaving the marina this morning, we eased under a railroad bridge and entered our first lock of the day – Lock #19. Today, we’ll see several spillways reminding us that the Mohawk River is beside us, providing water to the canal. The views were stunning with the Adirondack Mountains off in the distance to our right.

We passed several places where massive old pylons showed the skeletal remains of the Erie Canal’s industrial past. A lone old brick smoke stack showed where a thriving plant used to stand.

After Lock #20, we went under two sets of the lift gates. Lock #21 was exciting because it was our first lock going DOWN. Pulling into the lock looked like taking HOMES into an infinity pool – sitting on the edge of water! From the back of HOMES, I watched the cill emerge as we lowered 25 feet. The cill is a protruding stone or concrete ledge. Lock #22 was identical to Lock #21.

An hour after Lock #22, we pulled up to the free dock at Sylvan Beach, NY. After getting tied up, a nice local couple stopped and took pictures of HOMES for their Eire Canal website. They like to post pictures of passing boats. After dinner on HOMES, we walked the short distance into town, where it felt like stepping back in in time.

Sylvan Beach gained popularity in the 1880s. The resort community began with a sanitarium for people with chronic illnesses to rest and relax in nature. Union Chapel was built in 1887. It is a historic interdenominational church that has held worship services every summer since 1887. The town was known for its Gingerbread Architecture, but not much remains due to the harsh climate.

By the 1890s, Sylvan Beach had grown into a resort town, with steam trains bringing people to the area where they could enjoy two amusement parks, wooded, sandy beaches and steam boat rides on Lake Oneida. Prosperity continued with the opening of the Erie Barge Canal in 1916. This canal enlarged the original Erie Canal and started using Oneida Lake as part of its course. That route is how we got to Sylvan Beach today. We could see the old Erie Canal off to our left.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Sylvan Beach was the home of the Big Bands, bringing in Jimmy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington. Completion of Interstate 81 in the 1960s created an easy commute from Syracuse. The amusement park on the village green today looks like it hasn’t changed since the 1960s.

After a drink at Harpoon Eddie’s, we enjoyed an evening on the boat – talking to people as they walked by. One passer-by was so intrigued with our trip that he talked for a long time. He gave us his information to look him up if we ever make it to the Cayman Islands. That may take a few years!

Thursday, August 25, 2022 – Sylvan Beach, NY (Free Dock) to Brewerton, NY (Brewerton Boatyard & Marina)

We started our day with breakfast at the Pancake House. I wanted to see inside this historic building, and I never have to twist Tim’s arm when corned beef hash is on the menu.

Today, we have no locks – just an 18.7 mile cruise across Oneida Lake, taking us 2:44 hours at 6.8 knots. Oneida Lake is the largest lake wholly within the state. It is named for the Oneida Indian Nation, who lived here until being forced to cede their land to the U.S. after the American Revolution. The Oneida Nation, as part of the Iroquois Confederacy, allied with the British. Today, the Oneida Indian Nation runs a restaurant and casino in Sylvan Beach, next to the amusement park.

We had a beautiful day to cross the glass-like Oneida Lake. We rejoined the canal at Brewerton, NY, where we had reservations at Brewerton Boat Yard and Marina.

The rest of the day would be work. After docking, we went to the office and picked up the spare impeller that Tim had ordered and bought a few more odds and ends. While Tim was paying for that, I scheduled an Uber to take us to get the oil that Tim had on hold in Cicero, NY – a 10-mile trip up the road. Luckily, our Uber driver had an SUV, because we had four boxes of oil (19 gallons). We thought the store only had 15 gallons, but they found some more. We took all they had, even though we only needed 16 gallons for the oil change.

Before tackling the oil change, we wanted to get the radar arch down. The second half of the Erie Canal has two bridges that have a clearance of 15 feet. With the arch, we are 21 feet tall. We began by taking down the plastic enclosure.

Next, Tim built a box to lay the arch on. We bought the wood back in Del Ray Beach, Fl, before we started our journey. We knew this day would come, so Tim already had a plan. We laid the arch down first so we knew how tall to make the box.

With that job done, we turned to the job of changing the oil. It took four trips to the oil receptacle. It was a long day, but we felt good about our accomplishments!

Friday, August 26, 2022- Brewerton, NY (Brewerton Boatyard & Marina) to Fulton, NY (Free Dock)

We headed out of Brewerton, NY looking quite a bit different than when we had arrived. We tackled three locks on our 18.2 NM journey, taking 2:48 hours, at 6.5 knots.

To enter Lock #23, we had to go under a guard gate. After lowering 6.9 feet, we exited the lock and continued along the Oneida River until we came to the split.

Since we decided to take a side trip to see Lake Ontario, we turned to the right at the split and headed up the Oswego Canal. Lock #1 of the Oswego Canal took us down 10.2 feet and then we had to go under a lift bridge. Lock #1 is in the Phoenix, NY. We are going to stop here on our back back down to the Erie Canal on Sunday night.

The new ”topless” HOMES creates a few issues that we knew we would encounter. 1) The sun is too hot for the iPad. Today, we used an umbrella for shade, but when the sun got behind us, we just gave up and used just the Garmin. 2) We have to drive inside when it rains. However, we didn’t think we’d encounter those two issues on the same day, but we did. 😂

Of course, the 10 minutes of rain occurred right as we entered Lock #2, so we got drenched! By the time we pulled out of the lock and tied up at the free dock – yards from the lock – the rain had stopped.

After dinner on HOMES, we walked around the town of Fulton, NY -the birthplace of the Nestle Crunch bar. Three generations of families in Fulton, NY worked at Nestle before it closed in 2003. Henri Nestle, a Swiss chemist, was attracted to the area because of the region’s cows, who produced milk rich in milkfat. The first Nestle factory in the U.S. was opened in Fulton in 1900 to make condensed milk and baby food. In 1908, it began making cheese and chocolate. The factory closed in 2003, after Nestle decided that the cost of restoring, and updating the factory was not worth the effort. Nestle wouldn’t even talk to the city officials before pulling out. The streets don’t smell like chocolate anymore, but we walked up to look at Lock #3 and walked along the towpath until we found Tavern On the Lock to have a drink.

Saturday, August 27, 2020 – Fulton, NY (Free Dock) to Oswego, NY (La Parrilla’s Dock)

We were in no rush this morning. We can’t dock on the wall at La Parrilla’s until after 5:00 p.m. because they have a wedding occurring beside the dock. So, we walked over the bridge and got coffee at Dunkin’. We could see HOMES from the bridge and there was a boat in Lock #3 going southbound. We also walked to the hardware store. Tim needed a new aerator for his bathroom faucet, since his faucet sprayed water everywhere but down. On the way, we found a little farmer’s market. It appears the town has survived the last 19 years without Nestle. However, we didn’t see very many young people or young families yesterday or today. I have to wonder if towns without quaint coffee shops and unique craft brew pubs are indicative of a town losing its younger population.

We headed into Lock #3 around noon. Lock #3 is the highest lift on the Oswego Canal – 27 feet. We heard another boat on the radio coming out of Lock #2, so we decided to share Lock #3 with them. It turned out to be a police boat. Surprisingly, with our history, they did not board us. As soon as they exited the lock, they pulled to the wall to check fishermen for their licenses.

The journey started a little rocky. Coming out of the lock, Tim was maneuvering around the police boat and the current from the Oswego River spillway over into the canal was so strong that it pushed us. He throttled back too quickly, killing one of the engines. The engine immediately started back up, but the steering wheel was being slow to respond. I ran down to the engine room to get the extra steering fluid. Once we got into a straightaway, he added more steering fluid. We have been dealing with this steering issue for awhile. It appears someone put the wrong steering fluid in it previously, so “pink” fluid comes out when we add more of the correct fluid. This winter, we’ll flush all of the systems.

The rest of our 17.4 NM journey was uneventful and gorgeous. We went down Locks #5 – #8. There is no Lock #4, if you are wondering.

Once we exited Lock #8, we saw La Parilla’s dock and the chairs set up for the wedding. We continued out the mouth of the Oswego River into Lake Ontario. “Oswego” is the Iroquois Indian word meaning ”the small water pouring into that which is large.” And, Lake Ontario is large and deep! After clearing the Oswego Harbor West Pierhead Lighthouse, we were out on Lake Ontario. The lighthouse is the fourth lighthouse in this location. It was built in 1934 to replace the 1880 lighthouse. It was automated in 1968, but is still an active aid to navigation. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Lake Ontario was glass-like and being enjoyed by many fisherman. We went out a few miles and put HOMES in neutral, then made some nachos for a snack. We tooled around Lake Ontario for about 2 hours, then headed back into the harbor and pulled up at La Parilla’s. The bride and groom were still getting some pictures taken, but the guests were all inside.

After talking with the Loopers in the boat in front of us, we walked up to the Press Box for dinner where Tim enjoyed some local craft brews. The evening was cool, but picturesque. As I was working on my blog, the bride and groom came back outside for sunset pictures. They ignored me. 😂

Sunday, August 28, 2022 – Oswego, NY (La Parilla’s Dock) to Phoenix, NY (Free Dock)

We turned the heat on in our stateroom this morning and shut both doors, so it would be toasty warm when we got out of our showers. We started the day with sweatshirts, but the sun soon warmed things up to 85 degrees. Today we will go back up the whole Oswego Canal – All 7 locks and 23.7 miles – ascending 118.6 feet to the level of the Erie Canal.

The canal originally opened in 1828, connecting the Erie Canal to Lake Ontario. It opened three years after the Erie Canal, when it was quickly realized that a connection to Lake Ontario would be beneficial for trade with Northern New York and Canada. The current canal was opened in 1917. The canal follows the Oswego River on its entire course, either using the river basin itself or artificial channels.

We went through Locks #8 – #5 all alone. When we got to Lock #3, we had to wait about 20 minutes because the lock keeper for Locks #3 and #2 is the same. He already had a boat coming into Lock #2, so we had to wait for that boat to clear Lock #2 and #3. By that time, we had two boats behind us waiting – both Looper boats. So, after the northbound boat exited the lock, HOMES led the parade of three Loopers into the lock. HOMES continued to lead through Lock #2 and #1, then we pulled off at the free dock in Phoenix, NY. Lock #1 only ascends 10.2 feet, the least amount of lift on the Oswego Canal, but it has the historic Trunnion Lift Bridge to go under.

When we passed by Phoenix on Friday, we decided it looked like a fun place to stop. Phoenix and the Oswego River system were the site of critical events in the French and Indian War. It became an industrial town after the completion of the Erie Canal and Oswego Canal. Most of the buildings on the Canal Waterfront District were built between 1917 and 1929, after a fire in 1916 destroyed most of the town.

We are now tied up at the Phoenix free dock after our nearly 6-hour journey. We have water, but no electric – which is fine. We’ll run the generator for about an hour to charge up the batteries. As we were tying up, we realized that a very informal wedding was taking place in the park beside us. When the preacher pronounced them husband and wife, we honked our boat horn. They cheered and came over and talked. After getting settled in, we walked up the street and found Lock 1 Distillery. The newly weds were in there and we toasted to their marriage (they’d know each other for 15 years and did this on the spur of the moment) and our journey.

We just finished dinner. Tim pumped up the paddle board. He tried it out for the first time and didn’t fall off. Now, I’ll take it for a spin.

This is where we will leave you on our Erie Canal journey…until next Sunday.

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The highlights this week were: finding a movie set; starting our 339-mile journey up the Erie Canal; ascending the highest vertical lift lock in the New York Canal System; and, making a lot of looper friends (other people doing the America’s Great Loop).

Monday, August 15, 2022 – Poughkeepsie, NY (Shadows Marina) to Athens, NY (Middle Ground Flats Anchorage)

Last night we had a drink at the marina’s outdoor bar, which was on a hill overlooking the marina. We could watch the lights on the Franklin D. Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge come to life, as the sun set.

There was a plaque at the marina marking the ship building history of Poughkeepsie, which began in 1775 when the Continental Congress authorized the construction of two ships, and later the construction of fire rafts, galleys and gunboats to defend against the British advance up the Hudson River. In the 19th century it was a major center for whale rendering, shipping, millineries, paper mills and several breweries.

We wanted to see the little town of Poughkeepsie before heading off, so we walked about 10 minutes up to “Poughkeepsie Grind” to get coffee. We also walked by its Amtrak depot. We have seen lots of passenger trains going along the east side of the Hudson. The freight trains are going along the west side of the Hudson. Since I have readers that are train buffs, I’ll add pictures. The bridge in the background of the train station is an old train bridge that has been converted to the “World’s Longest Elevated Pedestrian Bridge.” We’ll soon be going under it.

After chatting with the fellow loopers in the boat docked in front of us (who we’ll run across two more times this week), we untied our lines and headed back up the Hudson. It was another calm, cool and sunny day for our 5:33-hour journey of 37.8 NM, going an average speed on 6.8 knots.

We were soon going under the bridge that was so beautifully lit last night. In 1930, the then-Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor attended the opening ceremony of this bridge.

The views of the Catskill Mountains were amazing! The wealthy New Yorkers of the late 19th and early 20th century thought so too. We caught a glimpse of Frederick Vanderbilt’s mansion.

The Vanderbilts made their money in the railroad, so perhaps that is why we see so many trains. We couldn’t see it, but Franklin D. Roosevelt’s estate was neighboring the Vanderbilt’s estate in Hyde Park, NY.

Also in Hyde Park, we cruised past the main campus of The Culinary Institute of America. It offers associate and bachelor’s degrees and certificate programs in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. Some famous graduates include the late Anthony Bourdain and Duff Goldman from Ace of Cakes. The buildings were built by the Jesuits for religious training beginning in 1903 through 1970, when the property was purchased by The Culinary Institute of America.

The Hudson is a working river, so a few freighters coming south did pass us and we followed a yellow and white freighter most of the day. The picture also shows Esopus Meadows Lighthouse. Built in 1837 on the mud flats at the Port of Ewen, it is the only surviving wooden lighthouse on the Hudson River.

Because of rising sea levels on the tidal Hudson River, the flats are now covered with thick beds of water chestnuts, sheltering young striped bass and other fish. We also passed Rondout Lighthouse, lit in 1915 – the last of three brick lighthouses marking the entrance to Rondout Creek.

As we cruised through this area, I saw on the map that Woodstock, NY is off to our left. A Google search informed me that the famous Woodstock Festival, held from August 15 – 18, 1969 (exactly 53 years ago today), was actually held on a farm 40 miles from Woodstock. We cruised past Saugerties, NY, where a series of ”Woodstock Sound-outs” were staged in a field from 1967 to 1970. Saugerties, NY is where the big Woodstock Festival was supposed to have happen, but the town denied the permit. Much to Tim’s disappointment, we didn’t see any tie-dye stands along the waterfront. We did see the Saugerties Light, constructed in 1869. It is still an aid to navigation, but it is also a Bed & Breakfast and museum.

As we neared our anchorage tonight, we passed under the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. Constructed in 1935, it was named after the 1819 short story by Washington Irving. The story mentions Hudson and Catskill, the two towns that the bridge connects. The first anchorage that we tried was just past the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse.

We had high hopes for the anchorage that we had picked out – Hudson, NY on the east side of the river and Athens, NY on the west side. Both towns had breweries that we wanted to try. Much to our disappointment, I soon realized that on Monday…NOTHING in either town was open – ugh! Oh well, it wasn’t meant to be anyway. We tried to anchor five times in the anchorage, but each time the anchor would drag when Tim backed down on it. We eventually moved about a quarter of a mile up the river and tried a different anchorage. This time the anchor set in one try. It was a beautiful anchorage. The rain storms went around us, but we still got the benefit of a rainbow.

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 – Athens, NY (Middle Ground Flats Anchorage) to Troy, NY (Troy Downtown Dock)

We woke up to a 56-degree morning with fog rising off the water. Tim quickly started the generator, so we could get some tea started. I had a surprise pulling up the anchor this morning. Instead of mud, I was greeted by a lovely garden! There was still a little mud, but a quick squirt with the hose and it was all washed off. Now that we aren’t in saltwater, I can hose the mud off the deck.

Our journey today lasted 4:45 hours for a distance of 29.3 NM, with an average speed of 6.2 knots.

The Hudson River Valley began to flatten out today and river showed its true working side.

As we neared the Port of Albany, the tall buildings of Albany, NY rose up behind the freighters. We found the freighter that we followed for most of the day yesterday. We cruised past the New York State Capitol building – called the most beautiful state capitol in the country. Albany was declared the the capital in 1797, but this building was not started until 1867. The building was elaborately carved by hand out of stone over 32 years. When it was completed in 1899, it was the most expensive government building of its time at $25 million ($675 million today).

After Albany, we had a short cruise to the Troy, NY, City Dock. I thought the best thing that we would find in Troy would be the aluminum statue of Uncle Sam. However, we would soon stumble upon a movie set.

We all know the image of Uncle Sam – the personification of the United States Government – but he was actually a real man from Troy, NY. Samuel Wilson was a meatpacker who supplied rations for American soldiers during the War of 1812. He stamped his barrels U.S. for United States; however, as the story goes, the soldiers jokingly said it referred to Uncle Sam, referring to Wilson. The image of Uncle Sam has evolved over time. The image that we think of today was created by James Montgomery Flagg during World War I – nearly two decades after Sam Wilson’s death.

We passed the Uncle Sam statue on the way to Jacob Alejandro Coffee Shop, in historic downtown Troy. As we were enjoying our coffee, we started talking to an 81-year-old, retired school teacher (believe me, she told us more about her life than that! 😂). She told us that she had trouble finding parking today because Season 2 of the HBO series ”The Gilded Age” is being filmed here…and she doesn’t even have HBO. After leaving the coffee shop, we saw people dressed in victorian costumes flooding out of a building. I began snapping pictures because I have an aunt who loves Victorian clothes.

On our walk, we found Bootlegger’s Pub. As we enjoyed a delicious white-sauce-chicken pizza, the bartender filled us in on how the the streets were covered in dirt yesterday and horses and carriages kept circling the block. She said the upside of the inconvenience is that the hoards of people associated with the show spend a lot of money in town. Since Bootlegger’s is the only restaurant and bar open on Mondays, she said there wasn’t an empty table in the place last night and she worked until 2:00 a.m. She said they filmed here in June and will be here all of August. She’s planning a trip with her kids to Disney in September with the extra money.

The historic downtown is so well preserved that it looks like a movie set, even if HBO wasn’t here. Through much of the 19th and into the early 20th century, Troy was one of the most prosperous cities in the entire county. It had a thriving steel industry and was a shipping center because of having the Federal Dam, which is the head of the tides in the Hudson River, and the Erie Canal.

Later in the evening, we walked back up the dock and had a drink at Ryan’s Wake, which had an outside-seating area overlooking HOMES. After sunset, we enjoyed sitting on the top deck of HOMES and hearing the sounds of the city.

Wednesday, August 17, 2022 – Troy, NY (Troy Downtown Dock) to Waterford, NY (Waterford Harbor Visitor Center

Today will be our shortest cruise ever…I think. We went 2.9 NM and were underway 36 minutes, going an average speed of 4.7 knots. However, the highlight is that we went through Lock 1 of the Erie Canal! The purpose of these next few days is to get ready for our journey through the Erie Canal – the pinnacle of the trip for Tim.

This morning, Tim took the radar off of the flybridge arch. The bridge that is right in front of us is supposed to have a clearance of 20 feet. With the radar, we are 21 feet. We will progressively make HOMES shorter as the trip goes along. On the final leg of the canal, we will need to lower the flybridge arch to get under a 15-foot bridge – fun for another day. After topping up our fuel tanks and emptying our waste tank, we headed toward the low bridge AND the Troy Federal Lock – Lock #1 of Erie Canal.

We soon easily cleared the low bridge. Due to low rainfall, the bridge actually had 25-feet of clearance. As we came out from under the bridge and went around the bend, we could see the Troy Federal Lock. Tim called the lock keeper for an opening. Since we had a starboard-side tie up last night, I didn’t have to switch the fenders around. However, I did add two extra fenders and got my line ready.

As we approached the lock, the light turned from red to green. No boats exited, so Tim eased HOMES into the lock. He continued up the the middle of the lock and used the bow and stern thrusters to hold HOMES to the side of the lock as I wrapped my line around the pole. I held on to that line loosely as we ascended 15 feet.

Tim has a remote control for the thrusters, so he was able to leave the helm and talk with the lock keeper. The lock keeper requested our documentation number, name of our boat and how many passengers before he and Tim started chatting about the canal in general. After the water equalized, Tim eased out of the lock. With Lock #1 behind us, we had officially begun our Erie Canal journey!

At the bend, we turned left onto the Mohawk River and proceeded to the wall at the Erie Canal Visitor Center in Waterford, NY. If we had continued straight on the Hudson River, we would have gone onto the Champlain Canal – another canal in the New York Canal System.

At the Visitor Center wall, you can stay for two nights, with the payment of electric and water. We paid $20.00 for two nights and began preparations for our journey.

Thursday, August 17, 2022 – Waterford, NY (Waterford Harbor Visitor Center)

After a rainy night, we awoke to a clear and cool morning (65 degrees). First on our agenda was walking up to the little diner in town – Don & Paul’s. Tim loves little greasy-spoon diners with friendly people, and this lived up to expectations. After a hearty breakfast we walked over the bridge to the local grocery store.

With the cupboards, refrigerator and freezer restocked, we set to planning our next few days. Armed with information from the Visitor Center and our electronic maps, we mapped our next four days. We made a reservation at a marina in Schenectady, NY for tomorrow night. We also took some height measurements, so that we know exactly what we need for bridge clearance.

With plans on paper (well, in the computer) and measurements taken, we decided to walk up to Lock #2 and get the local information from the lock keeper. He was happy to fill us in and Tim was happy to find out that we can keep HOMES’s flybridge arch up for another 100 miles. We continued our walk along the 1823 entrance to the Erie and Champlain Canals and along the old towpaths. The building of these two canal systems was considered impossible at the time, but when it was completed, they changed the face of America – opening the northern and western frontiers.

Our next frontier was a walk around the Village of Waterford, which was incorporated in 1794 – making it the oldest incorporated village in the United States. It has had an important past – being a prime geographical spot for the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, bringing famed visitors like Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton; being a center for transportation and waterpower for the American Industrial Revolution; as well as a key spot of the underground railroad. It takes some imagination to see that past today. Our walk finally led us to McGreivey’s Pub, where two couples immediately joined us in their conversation. It may no longer be a prosperous village, but it is friendly.

Friday, August 19, 2022 – Waterford, NY (Waterford Harbor Visitor Center) to Schenectady, NY (Mohawk Harbor Marina).

Today we begin our journey up the Erie Canal – 339 miles from Waterford, NY to Buffalo, NY. We will go through a total of 35 locks. We went through Lock #1 on Wednesday. Today, we will do six locks. The first five are called the “Waterford Flight,” which will lift us 169 feet from the Hudson River to the Mohawk River. The flight was built from 1905 to 1915 and has the highest elevation gain relative to its length (1.5 miles) for any canal lock system in the United States. We were underway 5:30 hours today, but only underway for 2:46 hours. Some of that discrepancy was sitting in the locks on our 16.3 NM journey.

We were joined in the locks today with another boat, Sweet Louise, and her owners Greg and Louise. We originally met them last Sunday back at the marina in Poughkeepsie, NY.

We wear gloves to handle the lines in the lock. We also have a knife ready in case any of the lines get caught.

After exiting the last lock of the flight (Lock # 6), we had two guard gates to go under. These gates help to isolate the sections of canal in case of an emergency, such as a break in the canal wall, or extreme high water. They are also used when the canal needs to be drained for maintenance or winter freeze protection. The first gate was already up. The second one was a little drippy because it had to be raised.

There was only one lock that we had to wait on for other boaters to come out. Four people in kayaks and another boat came out of Lock #6 before we could enter. After the flight of five locks and the two guard gates, we emerged onto the Mohawk River. We had one more lock – Lock #7, before ending our day.

Feeling good about our successful first day on the Erie Canal, we pulled into Mohawk Harbor Marina in Schenectady, NY. Greg and Louise of Sweet Louise decided to join us at the marina. That evening, we all went up to Druthers Brewing Co. for drinks, appetizers, and sharing of stories.

Saturday, August 20, 2022 – Schenectady, NY (Mohawk Harbor Marina) to Amsterdam, NY (Lock #11 Free Dock)

We had four locks on our journey today. We only went 16 NM, but we want to take the Erie Canal slowly, since this is what Tim has always wanted to do. So, after 4:37 hours, at an average speed of 5.9 knots, we pulled up along side the free wall in Amsterdam, NY.

We left a little earlier this morning than our friends on Sweet Louise, so we were alone in the first lock of the day – Lock #8. You’ll notice that each of the locks has a dam beside it to supply the water. Sweet Louise just missed us in Lock #8, but caught up to us by Lock #9.

The only boat traffic that we saw on the Mohawk River was small fishing boats. At Lock #9, a boat did go in after we and Sweet Louise came out. Locks #9 and #10 were port-side ties – meaning we had to move all of our fenders to the left side of the boat to tie up to the left wall. We soon found out why. The water filled the lock from the right side of the lock, causing a strong current that pushed HOMES to the left.

After Lock #11, we pulled over to the Amsterdam, NY free wall and Sweet Louise continued on her way.

We were soon joined by another boat, Star Path. Tim helped them tie up. They are an English couple who sailed from England 4 years ago, sold that boat 2 years ago in Annapolis, MD and flew home for a visit. While there, COVID hit, but they came back to the U.S. as soon as travel restrictions were lifted; bought this trawler that they now have last April. They are doing the loop so that they can see the ”inside” of the U.S. We had a nice time talking with them at Russo’s, the only restaurant within walking distance.

Sunday, August 21, 2022 – Amsterdam, NY (Lock #11 Free Dock) to Ilion, NY (Village of Ilion Marina).

This morning, HOMES headed out behind Star Path for a 41 NM journey through seven locks (Locks #12-#18), taking us about 9 hours. We traveled along the Mohawk River, veering off a few times to enter the canal, only to rejoin the Mohawk River. The Mohawk River flows through the only low-level gap in the mountains along the Atlantic coast. The original engineers of the Erie Canal routed the canal along the southern bank of the Mohawk River, well above river level to reduce the likelihood of flood damage. We saw some remnants of that original canal.

The Erie Canal can now use the Mohawk, because of technology. You’ll see in all of picture of the locks along the Mohawk that there are structures that look like a bridge off to the side of the lock. These are movable dam structures and are designed to pass high water. The trusses support a system of gates and uprights that are lowered into the river to form navigable waters during the summer and are pulled up in the winter to clear the way for ice and debris-filled floodwaters. There are eight of these dam structures between Schenectady (yesterday) and Fort Plain (Lock #15- today).

Today, our scenery was mostly beautiful hills on either side of us. However, occasionally we were in the slow lane between I-90 on the left and trains on the right. We had originally planned to stop at St. Johnsville, NY today. However, a rain storm is moving in tomorrow, so we decided push on to Ilion, NY, where we’ll spend two nights. If we have to have a layover day, we’d rather do it somewhere that has a few shops and restaurants. So, the push to Ilion, NY, added three more locks to our day – locks #16 – #18.

Lock #17, at 40 feet, is the highest vertical lift lock on the New York Canal System. It was an engineering marvel when it opened in 1916. It was intimidating pulling though the guillotine gate, which drops down to hold the six million gallons of water. It took over 20 minutes for us to ascend the 40 feet.

After Lock #17, our friends in Star Path pulled off for the evening at a free dock. For our last lock of the day (Lock #18), we shared it with a little boat and a sight-seeing boat. Tim was happy to talk to some gongoozlers on the lock landing. Gongoozlers is the term for people who enjoy watching canal activity.

We pulled up to the Village of Ilion Marina at 5:00 p.m., which was a long day for us. We were greeted by our friends on Sweet Louise. After getting settled in, we all walked into town and had a delicious dinner at an Italian restaurant recommended by the marina staff.

This is where we will leave you. See you next Sunday!

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It was a busy and eventful week. Perhaps only my mom will make it to the end of this blog. 😂 the highlights are: First voyage into the Atlantic Ocean; both engines dying in the Atlantic Ocean; Atlantic City; New York City and making it into the Hudson River Valley.

Monday, August 8, 2022 – Middletown, DE (Reedy Island Anchorage) to Cape May, NJ (Canyon Club Resort Marina)

It was a very windy night. You can see how we swung around on our anchor. However, HOMES is so stable that we don’t feel anything but an occasional roll, and hear the lapping water.

We pulled up anchor at 7:00 a.m.; went back out that narrow channel; turned right, and started our day down the Delaware River. We started earlier than normal, because we were timing the tides and currents to help give us a push…and to minimize when we would be pushing against them.

We straddled the state lines of Delaware and New Jersey all day. It was windy and almost chilly at 76 degrees – after all our the 90-degree days. There was not a lot to see, so I took some time to read, popping up occasionally to take a picture. I also called and made our marina reservation for tomorrow night in Atlantic City.

Autopilot took care of our long, straight route, so Tim had some time to relax while crossing the Delaware, unlike poor George Washington.

Around 1:00 p.m., after six hours on the Delaware River, we entered Cape May Canal West. The gulls mistook us for a fishing trawler and swarmed the back of the boat. The picture does not do it justice! We then passed the ferry terminal, which takes people and vehicles over to Lewes, Delaware. The ospreys were using the pylons in the canal for nesting spots.

After getting docked and settled in, we called an Uber to take us to a coffee shop near the closest grocery store. As luck would have it, I picked a place near Washington Street Mall. It is a street shut off to traffic, with places to shop and dine. At the end of the mall is the Congress Hall Hotel – “America’s First Seaside Resort.” It opened in 1816 as a boarding house for vacationers.

We meandered through the Victorian neighborhood and back to the grocery store. We only had 5 things on our list, but ended up with 5 bags. Our Uber driver was quick to pick us up and we only had the job of unloading and making dinner.

As I was doing dishes, I saw this gull outside the galley window. He was a big guy compared to the gulls that we have been seeing. Our journey today was 47.6 NM and we were underway 6:28 hours, at an average speed of 7.4 knots. Tomorrow will be our first dip into the Atlantic Ocean!

Tuesday, August 9, 2022 – Cape May, NJ (Canyon Club Resort Marina) to Atlantic City, N.J. (Golden Nugget Farley State Marina)

After Tim had his tea and bagel on the back deck, we were ready to hit the Atlantic Ocean for the very first time! We continued out of the canal, through the breakwaters and out in the Ocean! Other than a few parasailing boats, and the occasional fishing boat, we were basically alone. For most of the day, the waves were just rolling and HOMES cut right through. However, as we got Atlantic City in our sight (about an hour away) the seas became “following seas” – meaning that instead of cutting through the waves, the waves were coming up behind us and shoving us up and down and around. That was the first time that I felt queazy on this trip. We were both happy to pull into the Absecon Inlet at Atlantic City.

We were docked around 2:30 p.m., so we decided to walk to the boardwalk – 1.5 miles away. We had lunch/diner on the boardwalk at Landshark Surf Shack. We were done with the boardwalk quickly – nothing that interested us. We took an Uber back to HOMES, since we weren’t up for the walk back. We had planned on walking up the dock to the waterside bar, but we both fell asleep on the couch and when we woke up, we decided it was time for showers and bed.

Our first day on the ocean lasted 5:29 hours and we went 38 NM at an average speed on 6.9 knots. We both agreed that Atlantic City was our least favorite location so far – based on price of the marina, dirtiness of the city and (since we’re not gamblers) little to do.

Wednesday, August 10, 2022 – Atlantic City (Golden Nugget Farley State Marina) to Brielle, NJ (Hoffman’s Marina)

We got up at 5:30 a.m. so that we could get to Hoffman’s Marina at slack tide (around 1:00 p.m.), but, alas, those plans got delayed. We left Atlantic City behind and made our way out of the channel into the glass-like ocean. As we were enjoying the ocean and making plans for our next two days in New York City…both engines shut off!!

Tim quickly ran to the engine room. As we bobbed around (luckily the ocean was still pretty glass-like), he determined that we had run out of fuel in that tank. He thought he had switched tanks, but he switched them the wrong way. We continued to bob around for about an hour, while he started the generator to keep the batteries charged; switched the valves to the correct fuel tanks; consulted the engine manual; and, primed both engines. After priming the engines, it still took a few tries before the engines finally came alive.

We chalked it up as a learning experience and were on our way again – after picking up my White Castle coffee cup that was rolling around the flybridge and cleaning up the spilled tea.

With things back in order, we continued to enjoy the beautiful calm ocean. However, we learned that out in the ocean, the temperature is much cooler than on land. I finally put on jeans and a pullover. It was 66 degrees! By the time we got into Brielle, NJ, it was 85 degrees and humid, so after anchoring we quickly changed back into shorts.

Due to our delay, we got to Brielle, N.J and pulled into the Manasquan Channel about an hour after high tide – meaning the current was very strong, but, luckily, on our nose. Tim powered us out of the channel and into the marina, backing into the slip like a pro. There was only one dock hand, who was helping two boats, so getting securely tied up took some time in the fast current.

Our long day, made even longer with our delay, was 8:45 hours, for a total of 55.1 MN, at an average speed of 6.3 knots. After our somewhat harrowing day, we walked up to the Pig and Parrot for a drink in the evening. We had a nice talk with a guy who explained that he is crew on a 70-foot sports fisherman boat. He lives on the boat – free room and board, plus pay – while the owner uses it occasionally. Our new acquaintance said his grandfather first bought a boat on the Manasquan River in 1940. His dad is 80 years old and still has a boat, two slips away from HOMES. There was a beautiful full moon that evening as we planned for the following BIG day.

Thursday, August 11, 2022 – Brielle, NJ (Hoffman’s Marina) to Jersey City, NJ (Liberty Landing Marina)

Today is the BIG DAY! As Tim ascended into the galley this morning, he was greeted by Frank Sanatra (and me) singing: “New York, New York.” Our 7-hour journey of 41 NM will have us passing the Statue of Liberty. We fought the current most of the way, so we averaged 5.8 knots.

The day started off rainy, but soon cleared up – blue skies and a glass-like Atlantic Ocean. We cruised by beaches all day, with an occasional parasailing boat, and more fishing boats than yesterday. We got excited as buildings started appearing in the distance. As we pulled into the Lower New York Bay, the freight traffic increased. They go much faster than us, so we just stayed off to the side of the channel and let them go by. Romer Shoal Light, built in 1838, is at the entrance to New York Harbor.

We soon went under the Verranzo-Narrows Bridge, which was built in 1959 and connects the New York City boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn. As we rounded the bend after the bridge, we caught a glimpse of a very far off Statue of Liberty. It took us another 40 minutes for her and the buildings of Manhattan to grow to their true grandeur.

Tim has always dreamed of driving his own boat around the Statue of Liberty. The middle picture above captures the fulfillment of a dream. As Great Aunt Pat said on Facebook, ”That is one happy man!” My friend from the Attorney General’s Office, Howard, gave us a bottle of champaign to celebrate where ever we saw fit. Tonight, we will be popping the cork.

It was also moving for me to see Ellis Island. My maternal and paternal great-grandparents on my mom’s side of the family came through Ellis Island. John and Rosa Szabo came from Hungry to get rich and return to Hungry. They arrived at Ellis Island on the S.S. Hamburg American Lines on August 13, 1906 – two days away from 116 years ago! They came shortly after their marriage. He was age 22 and she was 21. They lived 2 weeks in the bottom of the ship with the other third-class passengers. They dropped the ”z” and became “Sabo,” so their name look more American. Two days later, they arrived in Newark, Ohio where they had a family member. They never became rich, and never returned to Hungry. Rosa did become an American citizen in 1945 at the age of 61, but never really learned the language. They had a rough life, living out their lives in Bucyrus, Ohio, but due to their courage, I am here today. Thank you, John and Rosa!

After reveling the in the sight of the Statue of Liberty, Tim negotiated the strong current of the harbor, which was busy with boats and ferries. We turned to the right at the Colgate clock, and went up the Morris Canal Basin on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. The marina is in Liberty State Park, so we took a walk to see the historic train station and to get a different view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We found Baozi Brew on our walk back to HOMES, so we had a drink and enjoyed the view.

It was a beautiful evening on HOMES! We popped the cork on Howard’s champaign and soaked in the NYC skyline as it came out in lights, accompanied by a beautiful full moon.

Friday, August 12, 2022 – Jersey City, NJ – EXPLORING NYC

Since we only have one day in NYC, we decided to approach it like we have approached every other city. We’ll start walking and look for coffee, history, craft beer and desserts. So, with that plan, we walked up the dock and caught the 9:30 a.m. ferry to Brookfield Place.

Tim talked to the ferry captain about the current. After the initial shock of someone talking to him, the captain was happy to talk. As soon as we walked out of the ferry terminal, we found coffee for our stroll to Battery Park.

We enjoyed the statues and views of Battery Park, but Tim was most fascinated with the old sewer system and I just wanted to sit on the bench, like Madonna in ”Desperately Seeking Susan.” Things look a little different from 1985. Speaking of Madonna (as my friends know that I do), she was in Central Park last night filming a video! So close, yet so far. 😂

We turned north from Battery Park and decided to just meander up Manhattan to Central Park. We immediately found the cite of a 1641 tavern, when NYC was a Dutch settlement. It is still called the White Horse, but the current building is from the mid-19th century, reflecting the mercantile era. Up the street, we found an 18th-century cistern that would have provided water for people in this block.

We made our way to the Financial District. While I was taking a picture of the outside of Tiffany & Co., Tim was opening the door and going in. Since no one waited on us, we decided not to buy anything. 😂 He couldn’t get into the Stock Exchange to do any trading, so we continued on to Trinity Church.

When we got the St. Paul’s Chapel, we went inside (after producing proof of vaccination and putting on a mask). I lit a candle for my friend, Lynn, since we missed her funeral.

We continued up Broadway past the Woolworth Building, City Hall and The Sun – taking in the sites until we got hungry.

We ate at the Torch & Crown Brewing Co. in Soho. It was the most expensive lunch ever, but it was delicious!

After lunch, we continued up to Washington Square, past the FlatIron Building and to the Empire State Building. Then, we took a left and went to Grand Central Station, seeing the Chrystler Building in the distance.

I knew Tim would love Grand Central Station. We bought the Metro Cards for our subway trip back to the ferry. We walked through the Apple Store on the second floor and walked out onto the tracks, just for a look.

We continued on to Rockefeller Center and past St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

We finally passed the Plaza Hotel and reached Central Park, where we sat down for a well-deserved ice cream!

We took a short walk around Central Park to the carousel. We came out of Central Park and started our meander south. We went past Radio City Music Hall and through Times Square.

From Times Square, we took the subway back to the ferry terminal at Brookfield Place.

We caught the 5:45 p.m. ferry back to the Marina. It was a long, but wonderful walk! We were very happy to get back to HOMES after nearly 10 hours. We may be in the City that never sleeps, but we sure slept well!

Saturday, August 13, Jersey City, NJ (Liberty Landing Marina) to Croton-on-Hudson, NY (Anchorage)

This morning, Tim changed the oil in the generator. We will be using it tonight at the anchorage and we have a few more anchorages picked out for next week. When at anchor, we run the generator about 2 hours to keep the batteries charged. We take that time to make ice, do laundry, take showers and watch TV.

We pulled out of the Morris Canal Basin and out onto the Hudson River around 10:00 a.m. We enjoyed the view along Manhattan. We crossed under the George Washington Bridge; saw the entrance to the Harlem River, which runs along the other side of Manhattan; and, we saw New York City fading.

This is where I thought the peaceful ride up the Hudson River would begin. The scenery did change drastically, but the river was not peaceful. The current was strong and the waves were some of the biggest that we’ve seen. We skirted the state lines of New Jersey and New York, until we finally crossed into New York shortly before the Tappan Zee Bridge in Terry Town. This bridge, officially named the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, opened in 2018 and replaced an earlier bridge to the south. It costs $5.75 to take a car across. Free to go under. 😂

We continued past Sing Sing Prison. Interesting fact: the name ”Sing Sing” was derived from the Sintsink Native American tribe from whom the land was purchased in 1685, and was formerly the name of the village. We ended at our day at a beautiful anchorage, after cruising 31.8 NM over 4:32 hours at an average speed of 7 knots. There were many day boaters in the anchorage, enjoying the water and beach. By evening, there were only 5 of us left. The water calmed down after we got to our anchorage and we had a peaceful night on the hook.

Sunday, August 14, 2022 – Croton-on-Hudson (anchorage) to Poughkeepsie, NY (Shadows Marina)

We pulled up anchor (not too muddy) and headed out onto a very calm Hudson River. Today’s journey is what I had imagined it would be – a calm, wide river through a beautiful valley.

I couldn’t help but reminisce about my favorite TV show in the 80s when we passed by Peekskill, NY. Perhaps some of you were fans of Mrs. Garrett, Jo, Blair, Natalie and Tootie on “The Facts of Life.” Tim was pleased with the number of trains -both freight trains and Amtrak trains- running along both sides of the river.

We passed under Bear Mountain Bridge. When it was completed in 1924, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world for 19 months until the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, connecting Philadelphia and Camden, NJ, was completed. Next we passed West Point Academy, established in 1802. It was a looming fortress.

We cruised past little Pollepel Island and the remains of Bannerman Castle. Francis Bannerman emigrated to the U.S. from Ireland in 1858 and began a military surplus business in Brooklyn. He used this island for his overflow of stock and built a castle for his residence. Two years after his death, 200 pounds of shells and powder exploded destroying most of the complex. The island was bought by the state of New York in 1967 and some relics were given to the Smithsonian. We watched a show on this years ago, so it was interesting to see it.

Almost to our marina, we crossed under the Hamilton Fish Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, which carries I-84 over the Hudson River. We pulled into Shadows Marina at about 2:00 p.m., after an enjoyable 34 NM ride up the Hudson River Valley at an average speed of 7.5 knots, with sunshine and temperatures in the low 80s. We will walk up to the dock and patronize their restaurant, Shadows, because they only charged us $74 for dockage. That’s the second cheapest dockage that we’ve had so far.

With that, we’ll leave you until next Sunday. A boat flying the America’s Great Loop Association burgee, just docked in front of us. Tim is excited to go meet them.

See you next Sunday!

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This week’s highlights are bridges, quaint towns, lighthouses, beautiful anchorages and paddle boarding. We also made it from Virginia, through Maryland and into Delaware.

Monday, August 1, 2022 – Norfolk, VA (Waterside Marina)

If you remember from last week’s blog, we decided to stay at Waterside Marina in Norfolk for another day. We were having so much fun with Robb and Tracy that we didn’t do any route planning for the coming week. We said goodbye to Robb and Tracy, after breakfast in Selden Market.

Over Robb’s shoulder is the USS New York. My sister-in-law, Brenda, put some information about this ship on Facebook. According to the post, the ship was built from 24 tons of steel from the fallen towers of 9/11 and is one of the most state-of-the-art amphibious warships in the Navy’s fleet. Her motto is ”Strength Forged Through Sacrifice – Never Forget.” She was HOMES’s neighbor while docked at Norfok.

Tim spent the morning washing the swamp off HOMES. 😂 Going through the two canal locks was a real highlight of our journey so far. The locks are operated 7 days a week beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 3:30 p.m. We were only the second boat to go through last Saturday. According to the Army Corps. of Engineers, who maintains the locks, only about 2,000 recreational boaters go through the locks each year. The canal is only used by recreational boaters.

Last Saturday, as we approached the first lock – South Mills lock – we radioed to the lock keeper for the 11:00 a.m. opening. When the light turned green, Tim pulled into the lock and we were met by the friendly lock keeper. She grabbed our bow and stern lines and wrapped them around ballards and handed the lines back to us, so that we could loosely hold on to them as we raised about 8 feet in the lock. After the lock filled, the lock keeper opened the gates. As we proceeded out of the lock, she drove her truck up to the the bridge and lifted it for us.

After proceeding under the lifted bridge, we had 5 miles to go before docking at the Visitor’s Center. It was there that we decided the duckweed made it a bad idea to dock in the canal overnight. We pulled away from the Visitor’s Center dock around 1:00 p.m and had until 3:30 p.m to get to Deep Creek Lock (the only way out). There were times when the canal got narrower and shallower and we thought that we wouldn’t make it. However, in the end, we made it – with 7 minutes to spare.

The lock keeper lifted the Deep Creek Lift Bridge for us and then he hurried up the road to operate the lock. Once the water level stabilized (about 8 feet today), the lock keeper opened the gates and Tim pulled us out of the lock and we were on our way to the Elizabeth River.

I also enjoyed the historical aspect on the canal. In 1763, George Washington visited the swamp, along with prominent Virginians and North Carolinians. They formed two syndicates – the “Dismal Swamp Land Co.” and the “Adventurers for Draining the Great Dismal Swamp.” The companies soon became more interested in logging. By 1796, Washington was disappointed with the progress of the canal and contracted to sell his 1/12 share to the father of Robert E. Lee, who was never able to come up with the money. The share passed to Washington’s heirs upon his death in 1799.

Opening in 1805, this is the oldest continually operating man-made canal in the U.S. Digging the 22-mile long canal began in 1793. The 12 years of backbreaking work digging the canal through the swamp was done mostly by enslaved people, who also pulled the boats along the towpath after the completion of the canal. If you want to find out more about this time period, research Moses Grandy, and the Dismal Swamp Civil War trail. After the Civil War, the dominance of the steam railroads and other shipping options led to the decline of the canal’s workload. While the swamp used to be more than one million acres. Today it is 113,000 acres.

Tuesday, August 2, 2022 – Norfolk, VA (Waterside Marina) to Yorktown, VA (Riverwalk Landing)

We pulled out of Waterside Marina around 8:45 a.m. Our scenery on the Elizabeth River was like the scenery coming in – lots of Navy ships and commercial ships. Norfolk is the oldest shipyard in the U.S. It was founded in 1767 and has survived fires set within both the American Revolution and the Civil War.

After turning off the Elizabeth River onto the James River, we soon crossed over top Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (I-64). The bridge-tunnel expansion is going on, so there were lots of cranes. The expansion is the largest highway construction project in Viginia’s history. When complete in 2025, there will be new twin tunnels across the harbor.

As we emerged into the Chesapeake Bay, we noticed a boat causing a lot of water spray. Tim guessed it was a hovercraft, so I Googled it. And yes, the Navy got two new hovercrafts last February. Hovercrafts skim just above the water and beach to land Marines and their equipment on hostile shores. It goes 35 knots (40 MPH), so it was gone in no time – compared to our 7 MPH.

Our journey to Yorktown, VA today was 35 nautical miles (40 road miles) and it took us 5:30 hours, traveling an average speed of 6.4 kn. (7.3 MPH) By car, we could have made it there in 51 minutes! 😂

The Chesapeake Bay is big, open water. We never really got close to any other boats, and most were big boats off in the distance. We did see a group of 4 dolphins, and the pelicans are back. It’s funny how the pelicans start diving for fish around our boat at 11:30 a.m. It’s a reminder for us to make our own lunch.

We had to travel about 11 miles out of the Chesapeake Bay and up the York River to get to Yorktown, VA. It was founded in 1691 as a port for English colonists to export tobacco to Europe. However, it is most known for being the site where the British surrendered to General George Washington in 1781. The war continued for another year, but effectively, this battled ended the American Revolution. Yorktown was also a major port to supply both northern and southern towns during the Civil War, depending on who held Yorktown at the time.

The dockmaster at Riverwalk Landing gave us a map of the town. The free trolley was right outside the dock office, so we hopped on. It’s 90 degrees again today, so an air conditioned trolley was nice. We took the trolley to the battlefield. We saw a deer relaxing along the trail as we walked to Victory Monument, which commemorates the defeat of the British. George Washington led 5,500 American troops and 7,000 French troops to defeat General Cornwallis’s 9,000 British troops. It took Washington’s aide-de-camp five days to reach the Continental Congress in Philadelphia to report the victory. Today, it would have taken him about five hours in a car. Congress immediately directed the building of the monument. However, it was not acted upon until 1881, a century later, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the battle. Our failure to pay war loans back to France, as well as our road map on how to successfully revolt against a monarch, both contributed to the French Revolution starting in 1789 – Eight years after the American Revolution ended.

After making dinner on HOMES, we walked to the Yorktown Pub. As we were sitting at the bar, the TV showed that a Cleveland Browns player was being suspended. I groaned and the lady next to me said, ”Are you a Browns fan?” She is a Browns fan because she grew up in Cuyahoga Falls – where her parents and grandparents still live. It’s funny how so many people we meet have an Ohio connection.

Wednesday, August 3, 2022 – Yorktown, VA (Riverwalk Landing) to Sandy Point Anchorage

This morning, we walked up the dock and Tim asked for directions to a coffeehouse. 😁 Actually, I found the coffeehouse yesterday, but it was closed. On our way to “Mobjack Bay Coffee Roasters and Petite Cafe,” we did a little more exploring. The coffeehouse was worth the wait! It is located in the Cole Digges House, circa 1726. Besides splurging on a chai tea latte, I got a biscotti. The first biscotti that I’ve seen since Delray Beach, FL.

Fueled up on caffeine and sugar, we set off back up the York River and took a left to continue up the Chesapeake Bay. Today, we went 49.2 NM (56.6 miles) and were underway just over 7 hours, going an average speed of 6.8 knots (7.8 MPH)

It was another day of big water. We went past Wolf Trap Light, south of where the Rappahannock River enters the Chesapeake Bay. Its light, first lit in 1894, sits 52 feet above mean high water. In 1971 it was automated and all personnel removed. It remains an active aid to navigation. Today was so calm and straight that Tim used the autopilot most of the day. I worked on my blog.

The anchorage that we picked was a beautiful spot, just a few miles up Ingram Bay and then into the Great Wicamico River. Tim went over our route for tomorrow and I got out my paddle board. After the sun went down, we had a beautiful evening on the deck.

Thursday, August 4, 2022 – Sandy Point Anchorage to Solomons Island, MD (Solomons Island Yacht Club)

The anchorage was as pretty in the morning as it was last night. We pulled up anchor a little after 7:00 a.m. Ingram Bay was already a buzz with activity – dolphins playing, ducks and gulls flying around and commercial fishermen tending their fishing nets – marked by sticks.

Our journey today was 41 NM (47 miles) and we were underway 6:26 hours, with an average speed of 6.4 knots (7.4 MPH). Soon after the start of our day, we entered into Maryland!

We had planned on anchoring again, but we got a message through Nebo from the AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association) harbor hosts in Solomons Island saying that we could dock at the Solomons Island Yacht Club, since we are AGLCA members. We took them up on the offer because it was the HOTEST day yet and we were ready for some air conditioning.

It was 93 degrees with high humidity and no wind. We actually resorted to putting a fan in the flybridge.

We passed by two more lighthouses – each marking the entrance to the Potomac River. The first was Smith Point Light, which we saw shortly after starting back up the Chesapeake. It sits in at the mouth of the Potomac River in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The first lighthouse was destroyed by confederate forces in the Civil War. This lighthouse was built in 1897, using the same plans as the Wolf Trap Lighthouse that we saw yesterday. This lighthouse is 52-feet tall. It was manned until 1971. It is privately owned, but remains as an active aid to navigation.

The second lighthouse was Point No Point Light. It sits at the mouth of the Potomac River in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay – about 30 miles north of the Smith Point Light. It was towed to the cite in 1903, but there were several weather mishaps and the light was not lit until 1905. It was automated in 1938, but was staffed until 1962.

Going up the Potomac River to Washington D.C. is on our to-do-list, but for now we cruised by and eventually turned up the Patuxent River, toward Solomons Island. The Naval Air Station on the point was very active, with fighter jets and helicopters loudly passing overhead.

At the Solomons Island Yacht Club dock, we were greeted by Mike, a member of the yacht club, who helped us with our lines. After hooking up to shore power, It was a relief to turn on the air conditioning! We made dinner on the boat and then explored Solomons Island. We ended our day at the yacht club for a drink, where we enjoyed talking with several members and the bartender, who was home on summer break from Penn State.

Friday, August 5, 2022 – Solomons Island, MD (SIYC) to Beverly Beach, MD (Rhode River-1 Anchorage)

This morning, as we were about to head off the get coffee, Mike (who helped us with lines yesterday) stopped by to see if we needed anything. We also met the looper who was docked behind us last night. We eventually made it to Lotus Kitchen – just next door to the yacht club, for coffee.

As we exited the Patuxent River into the Chesapeake, we passed Calvert Cliffs and Cove Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1828 and not automated until 1986. In addition to being an active lighthouse, the keeper’s house can be rented as a vacation home. We might put that on our to-do list!

Our journey today lasted six hours and we went 39 NM (44.9 miles) at an average speed of 6.5 knots (7.48 MPH) The Chesapeake was like glass today, even though we had a nice breeze.

Interesting tidbit that I just learned…there is no such thing as a seagull – the correct term is “gull” because gulls don’t live exclusively near the sea.

As we turned up the West River, toward our anchorage, we had to dodge some fish trap markers. They appeared to be like crab pot markers, but taller with flags.

We turned to the right and found our anchorage a short distance into the Rhode River. There was a sailboat already there. It took us two tries to set the anchor. There was lots of mud that I had to spray off the anchor when I brought it up after our first attempt. After I washed the mud off my face, hands and legs, Tim did some route planning and I went for a paddle board ride. The storm finally came around 8:00 p.m., much later than forecasted, and well after we had our showers and settled down for the night. As with most of these storms, it came and went quickly. The storm cooled things off for a nice night’s sleep at anchor.

Saturday, August 6, 2022 – Beverly Beach,MD (Rhode River-1 Anchorage) to Betterton, MD (Lloyd Creek-Outside Anchorage)

Pulling up the anchor this morning was slightly less messy than our resetting of the anchor yesterday. We retraced our path, again amongst the fishermen tending their traps.

We entered the Chesapeake Bay and turned left, passing the Thomas Point Shoal Light – the most recognized lighthouse in Maryland. It was first lit in 1875. It was the last manned light in the Chesapeake Bay when it was automated in 1986. We saw a tour boat taking people onto the lighthouse.

We then turned our attention ahead to see the huge Chesapeake Bay Bridge! With Annapolis on our left and the Eastern Shore on our right, we cruised under the massive dual-span bridge. The original structure opened in 1952 and was the world’s longest continuous over-water steel structure at 4.3 miles. The parallel span was added in 1973.

The bridge is part of U.S. Routes 50 and 301. Because of the similar names, this bridge is often confused with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel that is in Virginia.

Our journey lasted 6 hours today for a total of 43.4 NM (50 miles), with an average speed of 7.1 knots (8 MPH). We had the current with us for most of the day, so we moved a little faster than usual. After this exciting start to the day, we settled in and enjoyed the scenery. We saw Baltimore off in the distance. The higher we go in the Chesapeake the more it becomes fresh water and the more the landscape changes – becoming more hilly, with leafy green trees.

Around 2:00 p.m, we pulled out the Chesapeake and headed up the Sassafras River to our anchorage at Lloyds Creek. We set the anchor on our first try. We joined two other boats in the anchorage. There were multiple little boats on the beach in front of us until evening. We were surrounded by parks and wildlife areas, so the night sounds were spectacular! I have never heard such a chorus of ducks!

Sunday, August 7, 2022 – Betterton, MD (Lloyd Creek-Outside Anchorage) to Middletown, DE (Reedy Island Anchorage)

Around 8:30 a.m., we pulled up anchor (without too much mud) and headed back up the Sassafras River. As we turned right, back onto the Chesapeake Bay, an eagle soared overhead and Turkey Point Lighthouse came into view. The lighthouse, built in 1833, sits on the bluffs at Turkey Point. It is there to help mark the transitioning from Chesapeake Bay to the Elk River en route to the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal – which Is what we are going through today!

The C&D Canal is a 14-mile-long ship canal that connects the Chesapeake with the Delaware River. The idea of the canal was conceived in 1764, but did not materialize until 1829.

Soon after entering the canal, we went under the Chesapeake City Bridge and not too much further we crossed the state line into Delaware! It was a nice cruise through the canal. Bicyclists on the towpath passed us – they can bike faster than we can cruise. Tim did put HOMES into high gear so that some guys on jet skis could play in our wake…or at least as much wake as HOMES can make. 😂

The canal dumped us out into the Delaware River. We could have turned left and gone to Philadelphia, PA, which is on my to-do-list. Instead, we turned right and headed down the Delaware River toward Cape May, NJ and the Atlantic Ocean.

A few miles up the very windy Delaware River, we pulled through a narrow channel into our anchorage for tonight – Reedy Island Anchorage. The Delaware River is split between Delaware and New Jersey. On our west is a little beach (Augustine Beach) in Middletown, DE. On our east is the Salem Nuclear Power Plant in Salem County New Jersey -which provides power for New Jersey and New York.

Our journey today was 4:38 hours, traveling 32.8 NM (38 miles) at an average speed of 7.1 knots (8.17 MPH).

Tomorrow, we will be getting up at 5:30 a.m. to get an early start on our long day to Cape May, NJ. We’ll be staying at a marina tomorrow night, which will be nice after three nights at anchor.

See you next Sunday!

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