The Western Erie Canal- Lyons to Tonawanda

The Lyons wall in the rain

A mural on a local pharmacy

Architecture in Lyons

Amish horse and buggy at market

We stopped at the free dock in Lyons, NY, just before Lock #28. This turned out to be one of our most favorite places on the western Erie Canal. Lyons is not as developed as some of the other towns, but it's charm and great hospitality shows great potential.  We tied up at the wall just as a major rainstorm came through. We waited for the rain to pass before we went to the fire department to use their showers and restrooms. The firemen were very accommodating and Jane was in her prime telling everyone about her family's firemen background. We had dinner on the boat, because the rain was kicking up again and we felt a trip to a recommended restaurant would be a wet encounter. After dinner, we wandered around town looking for ice cream which we finally found. The town is really historic and has a number of painted murals depicting historical references. We returned to the boat and learned about a farmer's market in the town square the next morning. The market would be open before we planned to leave, so a trip to the market was a must. We bought a peach pie, a woven basket, and some vegetables from some Amish vendors and the quality of everything was superb. We also visited some other vendors for pastries and fresh vegetables and thought we got a really good deal. We boarded Bavarian Cream after our shopping spree and headed for Fairport, NY some 20-odd miles west.

You never know what's around the bend

Murals along the canal

Lift bridge in Fairport

We arrived at Fairport and tied up to the wall. This was not a free wall and we had to pay all of $9 to spend the night. This included electricity, showers, and use of restrooms. We're thinking that all of those loopers that headed to Canada are not so lucky! At Fairport we met fellow boaters Don & Kathy Olszowka on Last Rambler who winter in St. Louis and spend their summers on the canal and various Canadian and American waters with a homeport in North Tonawanda, NY. They would turn out to be one of our closest friends on this trip. Jane & Kathy took off to spend some stimulus money while Capt. Larry and Don sat on the boat and drank and traded stories. When the ladies returned we all had happy hour on the boat. Fairport really rolls out the red carpet for boaters and was the first towns to develop its waterfront to encourage boaters to stop there. The Fairport lift bridge is unique and in the Guiness Book of World Records. On side of the bridge is higher than the other and no two angles on the bridge are identical. Other towns, such as Lyons, used Fairport as a model in their waterfront development. We had a delightful stop in Fairport.

Happy hour on the Spencerport wall

Dinner on Bavarian Cream

Last Rambler and Mamacita going to Brockport

The next day we headed around 20 miles to Spencerport with Don & Kathy serving as our tour guides. And great tour guides they were. We tied up to the Spencerport free wall and Jane & Kathy took off to do some shopping. At Spencerport we met Jim Button aboard Mamacita from Cayuga/Seneca Lake homeport. Jim was soloing his boat and we all sat on the wall and had happy hour. We decided to host Don, Kathy, and Jim for supper and grilled some chicken breasts for the occasion. It was a delightful evening after all of the stories were told. For anyone doing the western Erie Canal, Spencerport is a must stop in our opinion.

Setting up for dinner on the Brockport wall

Dodo bird on the hard

The next morning all three boats headed the 14 miles to Brockport. We tied up to the Brockport wall and paid our $15 fee for the wall space and electric. Jim offered to host dinner that night and we had grilled steaks and fresh vegetables for a meal on the wall. We sat and chatted and traded stories until close to dark. The next morning as we were getting ready to get underway, we witnessed a houseboat that came through a bridge and was waiting for a second bridge to open. He was having difficulty maneuvering the boat waiting for the bridge to open and finally ended up putting the boat on the rocks on the opposite shore. He was ranting and raving about the bridge not being opened, but in this part of the canal bridge tenders have multiple bridges they have to open and it takes time to go from one bridge to the next,. Besides, he either didn't know how to maneuver the boat, or was having difficulty with the controls. In any event, it's hard to feel sorry for him, because he had chances to position himself and didn't take advantage.

On the Holley wall

Jim and Mamacita left us in Brockport and started to head back so he could be on the job after the holiday. We continued to Holley with Don & Kathy which was a run of all of some 8 miles. We absolutely loved this town-hopping itinerary we were on. We arrived at Holley and tied up on the free wall with electricity, showers, and restrooms. We chuckle every time we come into one of these towns, as most loopers have no idea what the western Erie Canal offers. After Jane & Kathy returned from their shopping spree in town, we had happy hour on the wall, then Don & Kathy hosted dinner for the four of us. Pork chops, corn on the cob, vegetables, and dessert filled us all to the gills. It was a great evening.

Downtown Medina

After dinner in Middleport

The next day we headed for Middleport with a planned stop in Medina so Kathy & Jane could do a brief whirlwind shopping spree. Medina has a great wall and facilities, but with all of the hispanic kids that frequent the wall, it is not a very desirable place to stop for the night. So, when the girls were done shopping, we pushed on to Middleport. We tied up to the free wall and had happy hour on the wall. Around suppertime, we went to a famous local restaurant for dinner. It was a great evening and would be just about our last on the canal.

Staircase lock at Lockport

The next day we finished our Erie Canal adventure with a push to Tonawanda. On this leg we passed through our last locks #34 & 35 at Lockport which is a double staircase lock that raises us up 49'. Basically we enter the first lock and lock up around 25' then immediately enter the second lock for a repeat of the first lock.

Our very good friends, Don & Kathy

We didn't tell Jane about this until we got their and she was beside herself, but all went well and we did OK. We left Don & Kathy at the Tonawanda wall where we tied up for $20 for the evening.

Bavarian Cream on the Tonawanda wall

They went on to their marina, but came back later in the afternoon for drinks and to take us to a nearby supermarket. We so enjoyed our time with them and truly hope that we can re-connect with them at a later date. They were our true canal ambassadors.