APEX OF THE ERIE CANAL

Trip Day:	104	Latitude:	43°12.52 ' N	Locks Today:	3
Miles Today:	43	Longitude:	075°36.90' W	Locks Total:	28
Total Miles:	2,076	Location:	New London, NY

A mile walk into town this morning allowed us to stock up on veggies at the Farmers Market .  This rather unique building was built in 1915 as a Masonic Lodge and is now rented out for weddings and events.  

Realizing Little Falls was an interesting town with a well preserved historic downtown, we continued to explore then had breakfast at a little diner on Main Street before returning to the boat. 

Expecting heavier weekend boat traffic, we were disappointed to find ourselves alone on the canal and locked through solo again.  To enhance our travel we listened to an audio book which was a gift from Ron and Dee, which was an interesting way to enjoy our surroundings and listen to a plot unfold. 

The rain brought about some unusual changes in our day.  A light mist developed into a heavy rain which turned solid in the form of hail.  Ron was so excited!  Jean was so excited to handle lines in the lock in the rain. Our view in the rain is less than optimum since windshield wipers is not  standard equipment on the Gemini.

When the rain stopped, the clouds gave way to sunshine which literally danced on top of the water.  What a difference an hour made!

We have reached the apex of the Erie Canal, having raised 47 feet in elevation in three locks today bringing us to 420 ft above sea level.  Tomorrow we begin our decent. 

Late in the day we got a glimpse of history as we passed this lock which was part of the original canal.   It now lays abandoned, but still a testament to the engineering marvel of its time over 180 years ago. 

We tied up to the approach wall of Lock 21 for the night along with a tug and canal barge.  It is very quiet and peaceful so we have high hopes for a pleasant evening.