Emita II - Seneca Falls to Syracuse

To paraphrase Willie - On the Canal Again.

Before boarding the Emita II we drove into a lot adjacent to the old Seneca Knitting Mill on the south side of the Cayuga-Seneca canal. There we meet a young woman who was nervously shaking a Mid-Lakes confirmation letter. I introduced myself. Her name was Nicole. Told her to calm down and follow us, for we were headed to the where she and her son, Scotty, was going.

Driving into the docking parking lot on the North side of the Cayuga-Seneca Canal in downtown Seneca Falls at 8:35 AM, Captain Dan directed us where to park.

The crew, Maura, Paige, Lisa, and Kenny, greeted us at the gangplank of the Emita II. After putting our bags on the upper deck we visited the continental breakfast table on the lower deck. We helped ourselves to a delicious cup of coffee and a creamy Danish. We took our food top-side.

Seneca Knitting Mills

The National Women's Hall of Fame has begun work on the rehabilitation of the Seneca Knitting Mill, a 170-year-old limestone structure.

George Bailey’s (It’s a Wonderful Life) Bridge

Seneca Falls likes to see itself as the Real Bedford Falls.

We pulled away from the dock and headed toward the Seneca Falls Village bridge (Ovid Street) which is 16.8 feet high. This was reason the canopy was down when we first went to the upper deck.

As we enter Van Cleef Lake, Trinity Episcopal Church was on our left. Trinity Episcopal Church is one of the most photographed tourist scenes in Upstate New York.

In the rear of the church is the “Angel” window or the Rose window that was installed in 1886. The center figure is an angel bearing the symbolic palm and wreath of victory. This is a copy of the angel in Raphael’s “Martyrdom of St. Felicitas.” This window was given in memory of Elizabeth Ives Guion and Elizabeth Wheaton Guion, wife and daughter of the Rev. John Marshall Guion.

To the right of us on Van Cleef Lake is Anthony-Stanton-Bloomer Statue. The sculpture depicts Amelia Bloomer, by her own rights a feisty and productive change agent, introducing local resident Elizabeth Cady Stanton to her friend Susan B. Anthony who was in Seneca Falls for a visit.

Also off to our left was the Hubbell House Bed & Breakfast on Van Cleef Lake. This B&B is closed for all of 2014 as they are doing renovations. Joan and I look forward to staying there in 2015.

Also off to our right was Elizabeth Cady Stanton House, the home of suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Stanton and her family lived here in Seneca Falls, New York from 1847 to 1862. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

At the east side of Van Cleef Lake we approached our first lock, Lock #3.

 Lock #3 will drop us 25 feet into Lock #2. The Locktender observed our passage.

Dan pointed out the zebra mussels on the walls of Lock#3.

Lock #2 dropped us another 25 feet into the Cayuga-Seneca Canal.

Traveling under the railroad bridge we saw the reason that the canopy was down.

We went under the Route 89 Bridge its clearance  is 18 feet.

Coming out of the channel Mudlock/River Rd. Lock #1 was on our right.

Adjacent to Lock #1 was a tower where an Osprey was preening itself.

Lock #1 dropped us 8 feet.

As we went pass the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge we saw a pair of young Osprey in a nest with an adult. We flushed another Osprey from a nearby dead tree.

Made our way by the Richmond Aqueduct in Montezuma.

Next up was the Rt. 31Montezuma bridge.

A little further ahead was CSW railroad bridge.

River traffic near Rt. 38 Mosquito Point bridge.

Rt. 34 bridge under repair near Devaney's in Weedsport.

Seaplane near Baldwinsville.

Pay phone on Paper Mill Island Baldwinsville NY

A eleven feet drop in Lock #24.

Lock #24 Locktender

During the course of the trek we enjoyed visiting with Dave, Dana, and Josie from Seneca Falls. As well as Jack and Kathy Best. Joan made an acquaintance with Linda Sitting, who has a book coming out in November 2014. Linda also has a blog.

The highlight of the journey was when Jack and Kathy Best and their son, Joe, lit a chocolate/Peppermint Patty cake to celebrate their 48th wedding anniversary, Captain Dan's recent birthday, and the upcoming October wedding to Captain Dan of Jack and Kathy's daughter, Lisa. Lisa is a member of the Emita II crew.

The birds seen during our canal voyage were:
Osprey
Green Heron
Mute Swan
American Crow
Mourning Dove
Great Blue Heron
Kingfisher
Ring-billed Gull
Red-winged Blackbird
Bald Eagle
Black Tern
Canada Geese
Caspian Tern
Tree Swallows
Mallard
Grackle
Barn Swallow

After a quick bus ride back to Seneca Falls via the Thruway we shopped at Sauders. There we ran into John and Kathy Scollan. We safely made our way home and ordered Parker's taake-out.

 A long day but worthwhile.

See you Sunday on the Colonial Belle.