Rome to Little Falls, NY May 25 - 28, 2016

May 25 - 28, 2016

Two-plus hours and one lock after departing Rome, NY, SaSea Sally arrived in Utica, NY, where Clay was eager to show me the Utica Train Station which he’d visited with Bob Mustell months earlier.  We docked at Aqua Vino Marina which also housed a restaurant overlooking the river/waterway (I don’t know whether to call the waterway a ‘river,’  a ‘canal,’ or another more appropriate term; so ‘waterway’ works at present.) We donned tennis shoes and socks and traversed the incline to the main road. It always amazes me that, from the water, our surroundings seem rather remote and isolated; but only a short distance away we often find major roadways, thoroughfares and overpasses; multitudes of retail establishments; and wheeled vehicles galore! McDonald’s, CVS and Walgreens, Ace Hardware and numerous gas stations often dot the scenery as well.

Turning left out of the Aqua Vino parking lot, we hoofed it (we’re really logging steps today!) a distance to the exquisite, vintage, and still-functioning terminal building. The massive marble columns, tall ceilings and polished wooden-slatted benches made quite a statement! We stopped at the barber shop housed in the terminal building, chatted with Leo, the barber owner and operator, and marveled at this unique shop in its original condition; it reminded me so very much of my Grandpa Ridgway’s (Slatts was his nickname) Rex Barber Shop in downtown Columbia, MO. While I snapped a few more pictures for a Facebook post, Clay struck up a brief conversation with the train ticketing agent, inquiring as to various routes of travel into and out of Utica.

Following our return to the boat and a brief afternoon nap (I was pooped), we chose to eat at the Aqua Vino restaurant. Not only was it very nearby with an appealing outdoor dining patio, but we’d heard reports of its very fine reputation and delicious food. Our entrees certainly lived up to the reputation; and we had the most delightful young lady as our waitress who gave us the full scoop on the town and on Saranac (beer) Thursdays sponsored by the local Saranac Brewery where a portion of the proceeds (cumulatively totaling some $400,000+) go to the United Way. Further, we learned that the marina/restaurant owner was also the owner of the local hockey team, the Comets. John’s comment when I relayed this experience, “Nice! Sounds like a very hospitable little place.”

Thursday’s travels took us through Lock #19 with a guide notation (21’) (R&P). Clay suggested I try the P-for-pipe routine, further indicating that I should select from our lines a grungy white line to use in the process. Bob Mustell, it took no effort to identify and select the one you used in August, 2015! We had an easy ride down the 21’ of vertical drop and exited the lock chamber to cruise on to the Village of Ilion, NY, which Clay intended as only a brief stop to take on fuel, to pump out, to tour the Remington Arms Museum, and to make the short trek to Aldi’s for re-provisioning. But his concern over the performance of the two recently-installed diesel engine batteries necessitated an overnight stay. We accomplished the aforementioned and enjoyed the overnight tied to terra firma! And, dinner was a breeze with leftovers enough from Aqua Vino; I like dinners of this sort…makes it SO easy for me after a day of travel which often leave me exhausted. I think the ‘pooped’ feeling comes from the new routine (extremely active…and to think I feared I’d be sitting most of the time on this Loop adventure), the fresh air, and the stress (Clay commented recently he’s living a stress-free lifestyle; I guess that means I’m absorbing all of the stress for the both of us).

Too, shoulder pain is keeping me awake many of the nighttime hours. And there’s always apprehension as we approach each lock; Clay is regaining his driving skills which gives me a greater comfort level; but locking for crew (me) is dirty and sweaty, but someone’s gotta do it. It is quite obvious which boat cleat we use for locking; the residue has accumulated and really needs to be washed away (Where is my Man Friday? Oops, I guess I AM Man Friday…or rather Woman Friday!). I was thrilled with new ropes extended down to us each of the first two locks, but those ropes have gotten dirtier, slimier, and more disgusting with each passing lock.

What a pretty and picturesque spot for a forced stay this Ilion Village was! The harbor area was city-run with an attendant who was most attentive to our needs. Although he lacked the ambassador-for-the-city attitude we might have welcomed along with maybe a bit more enthusiasm, he was responsive to our needs. We enjoyed affordable docking as did the RV’ers in the adjacent parking lot; their pedestals were a lot like our pedestals (it reinforced one aspect as to why Loopers often trade their boat in on RV’s; Clay, don’t go there!). The grassy areas were well-manicured, and the landscaped areas were colorful and quite attractive. Not only was there a marina office with an adjacent, independent building housing laundry and shower facilities, but there was a small playground area as well as a snack bar which displayed its popularity with the locals as the evening wore on. Clay was disappointed in finding it closed after 8 p.m. when he went for an after-dinner ice cream cone. Canopied picnic tables dotted the yard adjacent to the dock wall, providing shelter and convenience for picnickers.

Remembering one item I’d forgotten at Aldi’s, I had time for a quick dash before departing Ilion Village Friday morning; again I’m logging steps. Clay took the opportunity to wash down the boat deck which was littered with dead bugs. In fact, he’s used the expandable hose almost all of the days we’ve traveled for that very reason. We stowed lines and fenders upon departure about 11 a.m. and set sights on Little Falls Canal Harbor. I’m starting to view each day in terms of the number of locks to be tackled and the number of miles to be traveled. Today’s stats are one lock and 9.1 miles. Along these stretches of canal waters there are speed limits; again, I’m grateful to Kim (Ess-Kay) for the Boaters Resource Guide. The Guide also sets an expectation for travel time, another help. I’m also grateful to Kim for throwing in an extra pair of well-fitting work gloves which I imagine I’m gonna need…thanks, Kim.

With no dock master on duty when we arrived at Little Falls Canal Harbor, we were nonetheless able to connect to water and power and acquire a town tourist pamphlet push-pinned to the office bulletin board. Kudos to the folks here for thinking of our needs in their absence! With temps in the 90’s (where is the perpetually-cool weather I was expecting on this leg of the Loop?), we welcomed the power to air condition the salon as I whipped up a quick lunch aboard. Our lunches are casual and nutritious, often finger food especially for Captain Clay.

It was nice having the Little Falls town pamphlet to set my upcoming walking tour expectations. But Clay had thoroughly explored the town last fall, so he was quite adept at playing tour guide.  “Little Falls, NY combines the charms of a small town with the conveniences of a much larger city. Of course you’d expect to find welcoming people, beautiful scenery, family-friendly activities, and plenty to do outdoors. But you might be surprised to find that Little Falls also has an espresso bar, gem shop, arts center, French restaurant, antique center, local hospital, and extensive civic services and amenities…nestled in a dramatic natural setting among steep hills that descend to the Mohawk River ad Erie Canal.” On our hour-long trek, we first visited Canal Place, a waterfront area which sported restaurants, an ice cream shop, a multi-vendor complex marketing antiques and various retail items, and a small park. We stuck our heads in the town museum and were greeted by two very enthusiastic volunteers anxious and proud to welcome us to their town. We climbed the hill past more restaurants, shops, and pocket parks and found a CVS and Price Chopper calling our names for an air-conditioned stop. Man, but it’s hot out…unseasonably so for this time of year in New York.

Back to the boat, we were hailed by the dock master who readily solicited our overnight fee and gave a brief history of the harbor front. This 1918 Barge canal terminal building was renovated to include his dock master’s office, meeting room, showers, restrooms and laundry He also informed us of charcoal grills available on the lawn and of a 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning Dixieland Band practice to occur in the harbor building meeting room.

Clay quickly snatched up the idea of the charcoal grill because the refrigerated brats were pushing the expiration date, and the thought of cleaning up the charcoal grill post-brat-grilling was far more palatable than cleaning up the onboard Magma Grill! Add a couple of lamb burgers and some marinated asparagus for our dining pleasure (a repeat menu if you’ve read the previous emails), and we were both happy with the results. Once the galley was cleaned up, I plopped into bed shortly after 9 p.m. and emphatically reminded Clay that 9 p.m. was Loopers’ midnight!!!

Despite early-to-bed, I slept awful this Friday night. Gotta figure out how to handle the lines, fenders, shoulder exercises, and shoulder pain soon…I do NOT want to be at the helm!

Saturday morning brought another hot one! Clay and I retraced much of our walk from the afternoon before as we put in some cardio time this morn. Our destination, should we be required to cite one, was the farmers market which was few in vendors but plentiful in plants, home-baked goods, and a few craft items. En route we encountered a group of pink-clad female joggers, all sporting shades of pink in either shirts or shorts. In my turquoise and black attire, I opted not to join them; it was obvious I did not get the dress code email/text today. I split off from Clay as we neared the harbor and chose to follow the ‘Canalway Trail Erie’ as it was called. The complex of roads in this area simply forced the trail to circle around on itself, but it also branched off in an eastward direction where I chose not to go.

At the marina office, I found Clay chatting with volunteer Chris who generously offered each of us a cold bottled water. Clay pointed out the recycling bins where I later stowed my cans and bottles, figuring the deposit money would help repay them for the water. Chris followed me back to the boat as Clay finished swabbing the deck (actually again rinsing the collection of bug carcasses which had accumulated) and helped us shove off towards Canajoharie, NY, our next stop. Stats: 4 locks and 18.2 miles.

On that note, I will once again sign, seal and send this email on its way. I’m hoping Clay will post these past few email writings to the blog and add a few accompanying pictures, but in the meantime you can see many of our photos on Facebook. Blog address is: www.saseasally.blogspot.com