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ERIE CANAL SIGHTSEEING CRUISES

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ERIE CANAL SIGHTSEEING CRUISE

Our sight seeing cruises depart daily! Enjoy the scenery of the Mohawk Valley as you cruise the calm waters of the Erie Canal, learning about the history of the area and locks.

Award-winning narration along with spectacular scenery and a ride in a Lock, also known as a “liquid elevator” await you on our daily Erie Canal sightseeing cruises. We cruise through Lock 18 on the Erie Canal, lifting and lowering vessels over 20 feet! Browse our cruise schedule and reserve your tickets online.

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I Explored Upstate New York on a Canal Boat — and It Was the Perfect Way to Slow Down

On a narrow-boat journey down New York’s Erie Canal, one writer finds a waterway steeped in history — one that offers a welcome escape from modern-day worries.

Paul Brady is the news director at Travel + Leisure and the brand's expert on cruise travel. He has been covering the travel industry for more than 15 years for outlets including Condé Nast Traveler , Skift , and The Huffington Post .

"The Erie Canal used to be all about speed, but today it's about slowing down," said Marye Lobb, a singer-songwriter I met one evening in Spencerport, New York. Lobb had been playing in the village's canal-side gazebo while my wife, Jetty-Jane, and I watched from the top deck of our boat, a bottle of Finger Lakes Riesling between us.

"There's just something calming about being by the water," Lobb said. In the 19th century, she explained, this storied waterway was an artery of commerce, but these days it's a place for wildlife spotting and unplugging from whatever worries you left onshore — just what Jetty-Jane and I were looking for in the summer of 2020.

Our vessel was the Seneca, a 42-foot liveaboard that we chartered — with the help of quirky travel website Atlas Obscura — from Erie Canal Adventures , a family-run outfitter with a fleet of canal boats purpose-built for touring the waterways between Syracuse and Buffalo. The plan was to take one of those vessels and spend a few days exploring the canal. Niche? Absolutely. The perfect escape from the strangest year of our lives? Definitely.

Soon enough, we were in a marina-side classroom in Macedon, getting a tutorial on propane heaters, diesel engines, and marine toilets — all the parts that make a liveaboard tick. After a few educational videos, we were aboard the Seneca with Erie Canal Adventures owner Brian Keenan, who had come to give us some hands-on training. He watched as we took our boat — sporting the company's signature red and green color scheme — through the gates of Lock 30, practiced our knots, fiddled with our radio, and spun around with a whoosh of our bow thrusters.

An hour later, Keenan stepped back onto the dock and wished us a good trip. With just my wife and me on board — and the $100,000 insurance policy stashed belowdecks — I had a moment of panic. We'd been socially distancing for months, but suddenly felt very alone.

Before Zoom calls, before jets, even before Model Ts and railroads, travel was all about boats. They were the fastest, easiest, and most comfortable way to get anywhere, which is why the founding fathers spent considerable time — not to mention money — trying to gin up canal systems in America to rival those transforming Europe. As Peter L. Bernstein writes in Wedding of the Waters, a history of the Erie Canal, the waterway would "knit the sinews of the Industrial Revolution, propel globalization…and revolutionize the production and supply of food for the entire world."

Today, the canal is almost exclusively used for recreation, but it's no exaggeration to say that the 363-mile-long link between the Atlantic and the Great Lakes cemented the country's economic primacy and crowned New York City its financial capital. (That many of these gains were extracted, directly or indirectly, from land stolen or swindled from Indigenous peoples, particularly those of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, often goes unmentioned.)

Yet for all its economic benefit, the canal provided something far more valuable: it gave rise to a network for ideas. Among the freethinkers living and working along the canal was Joseph Smith, who published the Book of Mormon in 1830 in Palmyra. In 1848, Frederick Douglass moved to Rochester, where he founded his abolitionist newspaper. That same year, Elizabeth Cady Stanton helped organize the Women's Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, now home to the Women's Rights National Historical Park.

All of which is to say that a trip on the canal takes you through not only western New York but also hundreds of years of American history. Not that you're thinking about any of that when you're waking up in Pittsford in the middle of a chilly thunderstorm. Canal trivia takes a back seat when everything's wet, a cold wind is blowing, and the only person around to untie the lines is you. Whose idea was this anyway?

We chugged west toward Rochester, where we tied up at Corn Hill Landing, in the heart of the city. Despite the heavy rain, we made the short walk to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, which lives up to the hype with pit-smoked wings and decadent mac and cheese. We walked through Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park, painted with messages of protest against police violence in Rochester and across the United States. By late afternoon, the sun had returned, and we celebrated with pilsners and onion rings at Roc Brewing Co. before heading back to the boat and pressing on toward Spencerport to catch Lobb's gazebo concert, one of several such experiences Atlas Obscura had arranged along our route.

After a couple of days aboard, we were getting the hang of the Seneca . The hardest part was passing through the locks, which involved gingerly maneuvering our 30,000-pound boat into a narrow space and grabbing onto fixed cables or ropes covered in gunk. We started to feel a tiny bit like boat people. Could we live on the Seneca ? I wondered aloud one morning. Not likely, my wife deadpanned.

On our third morning, we turned back east to Fairport, a quintessential canal town we'd skipped on our way out. We grabbed a sunny spot on the patio of Lulu Taqueria & Bar for a Pacifico and a margarita as kayakers paddled past. We rummaged through gift shops like Main Street Mercantile and marveled at the imported pastas, olives, meats, and cheeses at Lombardi's Gourmet Imports & Specialties. After months of not doing much at all, we relished the simple pleasure of walking down some new streets and seeing some new things.

That evening, we approached another red-and-green boat docked at a bend in the channel called Bushnell's Basin. We were tying our lines when a stranger bounded over and, through her mask, started telling us about the great hard cider selection in the dockside store.

Diane Baker and her husband, Mark, had, like us, been on the canal for a few days, she said. They, too, figured the trip would be the perfect antidote to months cooped up at home in New York City. For them, it was less about boating than about exploring a stretch of the state they'd never considered vacation-worthy.

A few days later, back on land, we bumped into Diane and Mark at the Cascadilla Gorge trailhead in Ithaca. Though we'd met only briefly, it felt like a reunion with old friends. Amazing what can happen when you take a moment and just slow down.

How to Plan a Canal Trip

Erie Canal Adventures (trips from $1,950) offers three-, four-, and seven-day charters out of Macedon. Boats come fully fueled and equipped with linens, kitchen gear, and water. There's a learning curve for piloting the vessels, but even landlubbers can quickly get the hang of it.

Book through Atlas Obscura for more perks, plus a concierge who can make restaurant reservations and provide hyper-specific sightseeing tips. Charters start around noon and end early on the final day, so it's best to bookend a cruise with hotel stays.

About 30 minutes from Macedon, the new Lake House on Canandaigua (doubles from $265) is a resort-style property with soothing, nautically inspired interiors by Studio Tack. An hour away, the Inns of Aurora (doubles from $440) is a collection of historic buildings, all beautifully restored and filled with quirky yet tasteful décor. A new 15,000-square-foot spa opened in June.

A version of this story first appeared in the June 2021 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline At Your Own Pace . Atlas Obscura and Erie Canal Adventures provided support for the reporting of this story.

Erie Canal Tour Boat

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NEW! Photo Gallery The Colonial Belle has been providing Erie Canal tour boat cruises from mid-May through October since 1989. Come aboard in Fairport, NY, just 20 minutes from Rochester, NY.

What's New?

Our 2024 season will begin in mid-May and will continue until October 27th. We are currently booking private charters, school field trip cruises, themed/event cruises & groups of 25+.

To purchase a Gift Certificate: please call us at (585) 223-9470 or buy online with paypal here.

NOTE: Purchasing a Gift Certificate IS NOT a reservation... Your gift certificate will be mailed via US mail. Please have the recipient of the Gift Certificate contact us at  (585) 223-9470  to make a reservation for one of our cruises. We look forward to serving you!

From a happy cruiser...

Great cruise! We did the 3-hour lock tour starting at 2:30 and ending punctually at 5:30pm. We sat on the upper deck near the front of the boat. The captain was a young woman who was informative on the history of the Erie Canal, the towns that we passed through and the fascinating history of the Colonial Belle herself! She was also quite entertaining and funny! The bathroom facilities were clean and accessible. The lower deck had a full bar and the staff was very accommodating with a frozen Pina Colada for me and an Oreo ice cream shake for my son. Snacks there too. Overall, it was a very comfortable, pleasant and informative cruise. We had a gorgeous day of it. I would definitely do again and I highly recommend! I'm thinking of trying the murder/mystery or dinner cruise next time :)

5-star Yelp review by Ginny M. Pittsford, NY

Office Hours May - October 10:00am–2:00pm daily (excluding holidays) November - April Phone calls are answered as frequently as possible. Please leave us a voicemail message if we cannot answer. We have limited staff during our non-operating season. Our business email is checked multiple times a day year round as well.

Why choose the Colonial Belle? • 2 to 3 hour Erie Canal cruises (14–16 mile tour) • Historic Narration by our Captain • Great food & fun entertainment • Many Themed Cruises • Coast Guard certified Captain and Crew

Cruises with availability can be booked online. Online booking may be unavailable less than 24 hours prior to cruise departure. Cruises can also be booked by calling our office at (585) 223-9470 for the best up to date information.

Sailing 88 miles on the Erie Canal Barge Trip

• June 11, 2019
• 17 Comments
• This article may contain compensated links. Please read our disclosure for more info.

‘Canaling,' a term used by adventurers who sail artificial waterways

I just completed canaling 88 miles on an Erie Canal barge trip as part of a three-woman crew.

I can’t say that I know from where my fascination with the Erie Canal originated.

I’m sure that it was ignited in grade school when I learned the song “Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal.” As part of the social studies curriculum, the song taught about canaling and the Erie Canal’s crucial role in the development of our nation.

In the late 1700s, people (dare I say ‘politicians’) debated over the feasibility of hand-digging a 363-mile canal through a ridge in the Adirondack Mountains to connect the newly-formed nation to uncharted lands to the West.

If those lands weren’t unified with the Atlantic States, there were French and British, and further West, Russians who would gladly occupy the fertile soil.

Erie Canal barge trip

That was a long time ago – the roads were awful, and much of the virgin forests of New York had never been penetrated.

Steam shovels hadn’t been invented yet, and surveyors would have to be the engineers on the project as there were no US civil engineers before 1819.

It was hard to envision canaling through thick forests so green that it dazes your eyes.

No wonder there was so much controversy about what would later be mocked as “Clinton’s Ditch.” The first shovel of dirt wasn’t turned until 1817, and that was all pomp and circumstance, with New York Governor DeWitt Clinton most probably attending.

Only 182 years later, I married Dan Wittig, a native of western Pennsylvania. During our many visits to his Grandma’s house, aunts would talk about riding canal boats on the Erie Canal.

Ah, I remembered the song and the mule named Sal. I wanted to skipper an Erie Canal barge trip boat on that canal.

Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor

Ever a fan of the National Park system, I did research and learned that the Erie Canalway was a “National Heritage Corridor.” I could get a stamp on my National Park Passport book if I could get Dan to drive from Pennsylvania to the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

I couldn’t. He didn’t want any part of the Erie Canal and was as stubborn as that old mule, Sal, about the Erie Canal Barge Trip thing.

I want more of the Erie Canal

Fast forward almost 15 years, and I’m attending TBEX, a travel bloggers conference in western New York. One of the sponsors offers a tour to familiarize travel writers with Rochester, New York. Included in the three-day visit is a ride on Sam Patch Erie Canal Tours. I apply to be chosen for the trip and hold my breath. The rest is history; I am elected, I get a taste of gliding past pastoral green countryside and visiting charming villages on a two-hour canal boat tour. My whistle is whetted; I want more. My fascination with the Erie Canal turns into a full-blown obsession, and when I get home, I start dreaming about a six-day Erie Canal boat rental.

In the eight months that followed, I was surprised to hear so many of my Arizona friends say that they hoped to make an Erie Canal boat voyage someday, or already had. It seems that Erie Canal song had been taught in schools across the country and had romanced a whole generation – or two – with its lyrics describing sweet Americana.

I continued researching about the Erie Canal

I continued researching and learned that Thomas Jefferson and others did not support federal funding of the canal. And so New York State funded the whole thing – with no help from neighboring states, even though the canal soon connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and created a trade route that would eventually link the breadbasket of America to New York City, New Orleans and the world.

Now I'm an official ‘Canaller,’ and I think you should be, too!

As I said earlier, I was dreaming about a six-day Erie Canal houseboat excursion – a bucket list journey of sorts. So I’m happy to report that just last week I returned from my self-skippered canal boat sojourn on the Skaneateles II. I am an official ‘Canaller,’ and I think you should be, too!

5 Reasons the Erie Canal Should be at the Top of Your Bucket List

1.) Named 'Top 10 Canal Trip' by National Geographic

First of all, National Geographic named the Erie Canal as one of the “Top 10 Canal Trips” along with the Shropshire Union Canal in England and the self-drive barges and canal system in France. Why fly to Europe when you can rent a barge, or what is called a ‘packet boat’ here on this side of the pond? You can sail through picturesque villages that offer local wines, cheeses and beers – just like those in France or England.

2.) Local Food: Erie Canal Farm to Table

Speaking of local provisions, the local foods that you find in restaurants and markets along the way are another reason to set sail on the Erie Canal. Taste renowned wines from the neighboring Finger Lakes, a world-class wine producing region. Indeed, Western NY dairy is known for fabulous ice cream, custard and cheeses. (A NY Brie, was one of the best I’ve ever had.) The area just south of Lake Ontario is also recognized for apples, cherries and other fruits. We passed by those farmlands and then stopped in the rural villages to taste the local products – for a surprising blend of hipster restaurants and laid-back Americana.

3.) Easy and affordable canal boat rental

Above all, the ultra-clean Mid-Lakes Navigation boat, similar to the original packet boats that carried goods and people on the Erie Canal, has everything you need for a relaxing, yet adventurous vacation. The easy-to-operate vessel is outfitted with bikes, bedding, fully equipped galley (kitchen with gas stove, oven and refrigerator,) potable water, wine glasses, and Erie Canal maps and charts. All you need to bring is food, beer and wine. We provisioned at Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. which has an almost cult following in Rochester, the home of the accolated grocer. I, BTW, am fast becoming a Wegmans cult member.

Erie Canal Barge Trip Packing List

Don’t forget to pack swimsuits, sunscreen, sunnies and hats, and something warm for the evenings. If you’d like my packing list for this affordable canal boat rental, please add your request in the comments below.

4.) Unbeatable Erie Canal History and Attractions

After flying into Rochester, NY, we visited the George Eastman Museum, Living Roots Wine & Co. and Veneto Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta. George Eastman, the founder of Kodak, left behind his mansion, art collection, and inventory of film, cameras and photos. I would be a member of this outstanding museum, if I lived in Rochester, for sure. It’s a must-see attraction along with the Strong Museum of Play and National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House. Veneto’s food was fabulous (Becky said that her dish was one of the best she’s ever had – and she’s eaten all over the world.) Living Roots Wine & Co. has a backstory so strong that I will be pitching it to Wine Spectator.

Along the Erie Canal are New England-style villages

Most noteworthy, along the Erie Canal there are many New England-style villages (for that is where the Quakers and others came from once the canal afforded a means to pioneer westward) where you can stop, shop, stay or learn at fascinating small-town museums. We especially enjoyed:

• Historic Palmyra (Five museums one destination) where I recommend you spend the morning before you pick up you Mid-Lakes Navigation packet boat. Inside one of the five, the Erie Canal Depot, located in a 1830s tenant house you can imagine yourself a passenger on the Erie Canal in those early days.
• Spencerport Depot & Canal Museum
• Medina Railroad Museum

5.) Just enough adventure

We sailed this 41-foot “packet boat” like true adventurers through locks, under lift bridges, through picturesque countryside and across urban industrial centers. I would be remiss if I didn’t admit that this all-girls crew wasn’t a bit intimidated at the get-go. However, we had excellent training from Mid-Lakes navigation – Gill took us through our first lock and practiced the fine art of Erie Canal radio etiquette with us, before setting us adrift on our own.

As I tried to capture our first “lock in” on video, Becky, our captain quipped, “Did you tell him we are virgins?” ‘Lock in’ is Canaller speak for entering a lock, which is something like a “boat elevator” that uses water and gravity to raise and low our boat as the elevation of the surrounding landscape raised (westbound towards Lake Erie) or lowered (eastbound towards the Atlantic Ocean.) We were blessed to have little boat traffic (only 10% of Erie Canal usage is commercial, the rest is recreational.) If we three land-lubbing women can manage this 41-footer, so can you!

PIN THIS on PINTEREST:

All-Girls Crew on Erie Canal Self-Skippered Rental Boat

Our all-girls crew self-skippered this 41-foot ‘packet boat’ for 88 miles on the Erie Canal. My college roommate, Becky who piloted a canal boat in the UK was at the helm for most of our Erie Canal adventure. Tammy, who admitted that she steered a sailboat in the San Francisco Bay, but never ‘landed the plane,’ took over as communications expert and was in charge of contacting the lock masters and lift masters before we made our entry. I was the navigator, letting the crew (Becky and Tammy) know about our upcoming canal structures (and attempting to get photos of them.)

Be sure to subscribe to this blog below. You’ll be notified of upcoming stories about Arizona travel writer UNSTOPPABLE Stacey’s adventures on the Erie Canal.

To learn more about canal boating on the Erie Canal go to Erie Canal Adventures .

Read about another National Heritage Area: The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area

Disclosure: UNSTOPPABLE Stacey was hosted by Visit Rochester and the New York State Canal Corporation as is typical in the travel industry. As always, her opinions stated here are her own.

17 thoughts on “Sailing 88 miles on the Erie Canal Barge Trip”

What an inspirational trip, and I love that it was an all female crew. Way to go!

You suggested we ask a question of you, so here goes – I was wondering what your thoughts are on travel insurance? My husband and I have never purchased it; even with all the traveling we have done, but I feel like we have perhaps tempted fate enough and it is time to look into it. That’s it. Thanks!

The all-female crew was quite fun and I hope that I inspire other women to try the “girls trip” Erie Canal boat rental thing, Debi. As for travel insurance, I typically buy AIG Travel Guard . One reason is that I can buy it the same day as I travel (because sometimes I forget and put it off until the final hours.) Here’s a link so you can check them out: https://www.travelguard.com/

Stacey, loved the article and pics. I’ve been to Lockport, but have not sailed on the canal. I’m from Eastern PA and we vacationed on Lake Ontario often.

Keep the fun adventures coming.

Where are you from in Eastern PA, Sue? Dan is from Warren, PA, just south of Jamestown, NY and east of Erie, PA. Any tips for visiting Lockport?

I read your article on the Erie Canal trip and it was amazing. It makes me want to go take that trip! My sister lives in Antioch, Illinois and I sent it on to her, suggesting she and her husband should try it, as it is not to far from them. Thanks for the great article!

Thanks for you comment, Bob! The Mid-Lakes Navagation boat is perfect for 2 couples – so maybe you should think about sailing with your sis and her hubby… the trip would be amazing in the fall, BTW

Unstoppable Stacey-don’t miss the Caves beside the canal in Lockport!!! My students were fascinated (so was I!!). Entry is right above the licks on the north side.

Thanks so much Barbara! Will def check out the caves at Lockport on the Erie Canal.

We’ve done a week on the canal from Macedon to Tonawanda and back with a Midlakes boat. Unstoppable Stacey, don’t miss the caves beside the locks in Lockport; the office is just north of the locks. I’ve taken students there; they (and I!!) were fascinated! I grew up in Medina-great restaurants there just steps from the canal.

Hey Barb, We ate at Zambistro in Medina on our Erie Canal barge trip. LOVED it! Thanks for the cave recommendation. Who knew?

Great article, Stacey! I might just have to put this on my ‘list’….

Thanks for your kind words, Julie. Let me know if I can lend any tips for your Erie Canal trip.

Great article! I had a great trip canaling as well! Here’s my article: https://www.gonomad.com/119489-erie-canal-a-slow-journey-by-barge

Thanks so much, Sharon. Can’t wait to read your canal story!

This just in: “Due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, the Canal Corporation has suspended all non-essential construction and maintenance activities, therefore the New York State Canal System will not open for through navigation of the locks on May 15 [emphasis added] as previously announced. However, to support the Canal’s continued use as a prime recreational waterway, the Canal Corporation is currently evaluating operational options to ensure New Yorkers will have access to the Canal system, if even potentially on a regional basis, this season. We recognize that this is an extraordinarily difficult time and are sensitive to potential hardships Canal stakeholders, as well as many other New Yorkers, may experience. The situation with COVID-19 is ever-evolving and we are trying to adapt our plans accordingly. Future updates will be posted through our Notice to Mariners program. We appreciate your patience.”

Hello! We go on our trip in a few weeks – I’d love your packing list if you’d still like to share it!

I’m so excited for your upcoming trip on the Erie Canal. Here’s a link to my packing list: https://unstoppablestaceytravel.com/list-for-packing-for-a-trip-erie-canal/ Let us know how your trip goes! Bon voyage

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Rates and Schedule

Rental rates.

All fees include fuel, tolls, orientation/training, cleaning services, linen services & full equipment.  The base rental rate below does not include NY State Sales Tax (which will be applied at time of booking/reservation).

We are currently taking reservations for our 2024 season!  Click the BOOK NOW buttons below to reserve your trip!

If you don't see the date you want available, join our waitlist below to be notified of any cancellations.

Lockmaster 34 Foot:

• 7 Night Charter   $4,125
• 4 Night Charter   $2,940
• 3 Night Charter   $2,625

Lockmaster 41 or 42 Foot:

• 7 Night Charter    $5,190
• 4 Night Charter    $3,450
• 3 Night Charter    $3,050

"The Harriet":

The Harriet is a specially appointed vessel that has larger living quarters with a queen sized bed, a larger bathroom, a sitting parlor, and an enhanced pilothouse.  It is typically available for weekly rentals only, but we do have a select few dates for 3 and 4 Nights.

• 7 Night Charter   $4,985
• 4 Night Charter   $3,330
• 3 Night Charter   $2,940

Charter Schedule

We ask that you arrive by 12:30pm on the date of your departure.  This allows our orientation to start on time & get you on the water!

The orientation begins at approximately 12:30PM.  In order for our team to have time to return the vessel to rental standards, you must be back to port by 9AM to our Marina (where you departed).

7 Night Charter Options

• Monday to Monday   (Note: Harriet Offers Monday - Monday Weekly Only)
• Tuesday to Tuesday
• Thursday to Thursday
• Friday to Friday

4 Night Charter Options

• Thursday to Monday
• Friday to Tuesday

3 Night Charter Options

• Monday to Thursday
• Tuesday to Friday

** Please arrive at our Marina by 12:30pm.  Orientation starts at 12:30pm and includes both class room & on the water training.  Please return to to port by 9 AM. **

Charter Details

Charter :  A reservation is made with a deposit of 50% using check, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, or Discover. Balance is due 60 days prior to hire.

Cancellation Fee :  These charges apply to cancellations within the period shown:

• Fewer than 45 days prior to charter-100% of fare
• 46-90 days prior to charter-50% of fare
• Over 90 days prior to charter - 100% refundable

Trip cancellation insurance information is available & we recommend purchasing trip insurance.

Damage Deposit : a $500 damage deposit, check or credit card will be held by Erie Canal Adventures in the event of damage upon return of the boat.  We do not charge this in advance to your trip ... and only if damage.

Insurance : Liability coverage is required. Your homeowner's policy may cover you or choose ours for $110 per boat operator per charter.

Restrictions : Erie Canal Adventures, reserves the right to restrict cruising on Cayuga, Seneca, Oneida Lakes and Lake Ontario.

Boat Cleaning :  Our professional staff cleans each Lockmaster after every charter.

Pets : We do have 3 dog-friendly boats available for your small dog (Lockmaster 34, 41 & 42). A $300 fee will apply. Please call to discuss.

Next Steps...

Review open dates and plan your erie canal adventure today                call us 315-986-3011.

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Inspiration and links to plan your trip.

Erie Canal: A Slow Journey by Barge

86 miles on the Erie Canal in New York State

By Sharon A Roth

Some basics about the Erie

And then I learned quite a bit more up close and personal on the water while maneuvering a twelve ton, thirty-four-foot barge!

But this little experience of mine really is the proverbial drop in the bucket, ah, canal, as they say.

The Canal is 363 miles long, 40 feet deep at best, and connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson River.

With the exception of Binghamton and Elmira, every major city in New York falls along the trade route established by the Erie Canal, from New York City to Albany, through Schenectady, Utica, and Syracuse , to Rochester and Buffalo . Nearly 80% of upstate New York’s population lives within 25 miles of the Erie Canal.

Historians say the Erie changed the face of America, clearly the stories in and on the canal, and heck, next to, are many and varied.

We rented the 34 foot Oneida boat from MidLakes Navigation at their Marina in Macedon NY for seven nights. You board on Friday at 2 and return it to them by 9 am the next Friday.

The company, in business for almost 50 years themselves, provides an excellent orientation that includes going through Lock 30 twice before you become the captain.

My husband sailed as a youngster on Long Island Sound, I’ve rowed a boat. These experiences helped us out, but Mid-Lakes Navigation has designed a barge almost anyone can operate.

We started in Macedon, made it to Holley, stopping at Spencerport, Brockport, and Fairport and then returned to Macedon. There were variations on the practical things at each town’s dock: shower, restrooms, laundry, markets, restaurants, benches, green grass and people to meet.

A Dock Master eventually finds you after you dock to check in with you. You sometimes pay a fee, although most of the towns were free docking which included water and electric hookups. You were given a code so that you could use the facilities.

The rental boats come with everything you need, but we found an occasional shower in a larger space was nice. And, as this week was one part of a three week trip, we really appreciated the towns with access to a washing machine.

You can stock food if you wish as there is a fully stocked galley with pots and dishes and more, or you can dock and eat your meals in restaurants. We did a little of both.

In seven days, we met through bikers (Albany/Buffalo), local and family walkers and bikers, hikers, fishermen and women and children, Dockmasters, Lock Masters, people doing the Great Loop, people who spend five months of the year on their boat moving between three to five towns, and locals who love and hated the Canal.

(Especially if you had to deal with a lift bridge in your daily commute in a car.)

It was, for me, a real taste of the sweet side of today’s America. I’ll wax a bit romantic and yet I think it’s truer than not.

Those on vacation being served by those working to help them enjoy their vacations, and provide them with a job in a restaurant, snack bar or other support services to recreational boating is a rewarding thought.

Over and over complete strangers exchanged in conversations; perhaps not about politics, but that’s okay, life is more than what’s on the news stations and in the papers. (And few on the canal listened to the news anyway!)

Through bikers can check in with the Dock Master, and use the facilities, and pitch their pup tents right alongside the canal.

One evening we spent great after-dinner hours with three bikers going from Buffalo to Albany; three men taking a trip without their families and their work in the Navy shipbuilding yards and companies.

In one town, at a locally famous diary, we watched eight young high school/college-aged serve upwards of 50 – 75 people ice cream.

We were in that line and we had our ice cream in under 15 minutes. Smiles and “how are you”s and “how can we help you” from local shopkeepers, police, and others abound.

It could be that when you live your day slowly you smile more, you stop and talk more and as one fisherman said who got out a fishing tool to help us repair a bike pedal, “I’m just watching the day go by.”

Life at seven miles an hour

On our week on the Erie, we did indeed watch the day go by, and it never went more than seven miles an hour.

We were initially wishing we didn’t have to retrace our tracks in order to return the boat, but very quickly the first day out, we changed our minds. When you get a chance to feel and see something wonderful a second time, it is indeed twice as wonderful.

We quickly learned that the social expectations and etiquette were if you were on the dock, you were fair game for conversation.

Even if we were on the boat, folks bent down, said hello and engaged us. Sometimes the weather, the boat, where we were from or just hello was what we talked about.

In between these ports of call was the scenery, the birds, waving to everyone along the path, and I mean everyone. Strangers who might be nearby when you needed to dock were happy to catch your lines and help out.

Cruising most of the time at 4 – 7 miles an hour (go ahead and try that in your car!) gave us time and space to think about those who built the Erie, those who worked in or next to it, and even those who likely died or gave birth on a journey on it. Its history is a huge and largely forgotten, part of American history.

I began to call our trip the “Vacation at the Speed of History”. It doesn’t quite work, yet this speed (or lack thereof) gave me a real feeling for how far you can travel in a day once upon a time. There’s a reason for the lyrics to this song about the Erie.

I’ve got a mule and her name is Sal Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal She’s a good old worker and a good old pal Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal

We haul’d some barges in our day Filled with lumber, coal and hay We know every inch of the way From Albany to Buffalo

Low bridge, ev’rybody down Low bridge, we’re coming to a town You’ll always know your neighbor And you’ll always know your pal

All about the journey

It was, to use another cliché, all about the journey and not at all about the destination. In fact, we had studied navigation maps, decided our itinerary, and promptly changed it after two hours on the water. After only one afternoon cruising, we chose to go slower and cover less mileage. We decided walking about a town sitting on the dock or in the boat reading, or just staring at the scenery was a fine way to watch the day pass by.

We could make it to the western end of the Erie at Lockport and back in six days, but we wanted to enjoy the passage, the Erie Canal and its natural beauty, wonder about the folks then and now. More importantly, we began to truly appreciate the opportunity to almost travel back in time and experience a little piece of American history, and the Erie as it once was in its heyday.

Along with the Erie, we were celebrating an anniversary as well – 45 years of marriage. What better place to go slower, to think about the past, wonder about the future, and just enjoy life?

By the way, in six days we covered approximately 86 miles.

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For a packing list for an Erie Canal barge trip, see https://unstoppablestaceytravel.com/list-for-packing-for-a-trip-erie-canal/

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Boats on the Erie Canal (page 3) Erie Barge Canal Boats

Examples of some of the new boats, built for the Erie Barge Canal:

The day peckinpaugh and her sister ships.

The Day Peckinpaugh was the first freighter of its kind designed to navigate both the New York State Barge Canal System and the open waters of the Great Lakes. Put into service in 1921 by the Interwaterways Line Incorporated as ILI-101, it transported bulk cargoes between the midwest and the Port of New York. Renamed the Richard J. Barnes in 1936, and again to the Day Peckinpaugh in 1958, it ended its commercial life exclusively carrying dry cement from Picton, Ontario through the Oswego Canal and the Erie Canal to Rome. It was the last regularly scheduled commercial hauler on the canal, and was retired from service in 1994. Saved from being scrapped in 2005, it was purchased by a partnership between the New York State Museum and The Canal Society of New York State to serve as a floating museum and educational exhibit.

The Day Peckinpaugh and four identical ships were built between May 21 and July 21, 1921 at the McDougall-Duluth Shipyard in Duluth, Minnesota, the first motorships designed specifically for the dimensions of the Barge Canal. The Day Peckinpaugh is 259 feet long and 36 feet wide, has 14 feet depth of hold, and has a capacity of 1650 tons. After its 1921 maiden voyage, it was followed by over a hundred similar motorships on the Barge Canal, but remains today as the last surviving example of a canal motorship. Below are several photographs of the Day Peckinpaugh (color photographs courtesy of Amelia O'Shea) and her sister ships:

For more pictures and information on the Day Peckinpaugh, check out the following sources: The Travels of Tug 44, Freighter Day Peckinpaugh ; and Bottoming Out / The Canal Society of New York State ; No.73, 2021 -- Day Peckinpaugh Special Issue.

http://www.eriecanal.org/boats-3.html

Erie Canal Road Trips

The New York State Canal System is within a day’s drive (400) miles of 14 states, two Canadian providences as well as Toronto, Canada’s biggest city, New York City, the nation’s largest city and Washington D.C.  The nation’s capital.  Most visitors arrive by car, others come by Amtrak, whose routes north and west follows the Erie and the Champlain Canals.  Airports in Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca, Syracuse and Albany link the region to the rest of the world.  The Greyhound / Trailways system offers bus service through all the major cities.  Car rentals are available throughout the region, making it easy to drive to smaller destinations after arriving by air, train, boat or bus. “Erie Canal” by Deborah Williams

At over 500 miles long, the best way to visit the Canal might be by vehicle.  Whether it’s the scenery of the Champlain Canal, the history of the Erie or the ability to visit the more than 40 wineries that line the shores of Cayuga and Seneca Lakes.

You can stay at any of the many hotels, or bed & breakfasts within the Canal Corridor, or if you’re a camper stay at one of the more than 75 campgrounds within the corridor. If roughing it is a bit more your style stay on the shores of the Erie at any of the 55 locks along the system for free.

Check out some of the sample road trips within the site, or connect with one of the tour operators listed on the site.  These tour operators can plan, day, multi-day or week long trips that can provide you with a variety of experiences, such as biking, kayaking, renting a boat or taking a cruise on the Canal.

Geo-Tourism is defined as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place, it’s environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents. There may be no better place to experience this type of tourism than by planning a visit to the Erie Canal.

Road Trip News & Articles

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Explore the canals.

Cayuga/Seneca Canals Champlain Canal Eastern Erie Canal Western Erie Canal Oswego Canal

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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2-Day Private Sightseeing City Tour of Moscow with Subway Excursion, Tsaritsyno and Novodevichy Monastery and 4-course Traditional Russian Lunch with Vodka Plus Russian Classic Ballet Evening provided by U Visit Russia