Making Oswego

One last note about our stop at Sylvan Beach - we met other Loop folks who joined us on the wall on Friday, serendipitously inviting us to a supper engagement that evening. We landed at Harpoon Eddie's, a local bar and restaurant. As we were finishing our meal, we noted a band setting up to play for the Friday night crowd. One of the couples we were dining with recognized the band as one they had listened to many times in their home territory - Cayuga Lake (one of the finger lakes in northern NY) and proceeded to regale us as to how wonderful they were as musicians and entertainers. They were not wrong - some short videos of the Ripcords performing. Greg had a great time, enjoying every minute of their show. A great end to a lovely stay in Sylvan Beach.

A Gord Downie lookalike.

Apparently a very talented guitarist, by all accounts!

We left Sylvan Beach bright and early on Saturday morning. The lake crossing was uneventful and we arrived in Brewerton, NY with little fanfare.

We docked at Winter Haven Marina - what a lovely marina. I have never seen a cleaner venue than this one!! The dockhands helped us to get situated and presented us with a welcome bag. Amongst the many amenities available, the showers were the best we have seen on this whole trip!! Since we had only had boat showers since Little Falls (just not the same as home), we took advantage of this luxury. Even their grass was fabulous - not a weed to be seen! I soon found out why....

Upstate New York is inundated with Canada geese. Although I like them - we have a large flock of them at the farm - they are messy. To keep them away, this marina has coyote models placed around the property and apparently it works to keep the geese off the grass - go figure!

Saturday we celebrated Greg's birthday at the Wild Horse Bar & Grill - there was live music but not quite the same as the night before. Sunday brought another Dock Tales invite from some of the senior Loopers at the marina. We gathered in the pavilion and had drinks, munchies, looper beers (a shooter concoction) and much conversation. We have met so many people from all over the United States - none of them mentioning the 51st state. What a great way to end our stay in Brewerton!

Can you see our boat - looks lost behind the 88 foot yacht, Final Final that docked in front of us on Sunday.

Monday saw us depart Brewerton to begin the journey to Oswego. We passed through the final lock on the Erie Canal (#23) and diverted to the Oswego river. If you blinked, you could miss the signpost! We did not.

Some photos of the locks we passed through and us hanging on the ropes, trying to keep the boat in place as we moved down to the next level. Wildlife along the riverside - here's a crane - were plentiful.

At the second Oswego Canal lock in Phoenix, NY, local kids of all ages greet boaters, offer drinks and tie-up help (if required when waiting for permission to enter the lock), and just provide good cheer to travellers.

Seven locks later - all downhill and no major hiccups - we arrived at Oswego Marina. We did get to ride and explore the town of Oswego, again a city that has seen more prosperous times. However, gentrification of its downtown core has created some interesting venues for tourists - some really nice restaurants, a very busy bike shop, and a bookstore. There is only one main sreet - we hit the highlights! We did bike out to the university campus (SUNY Oswego) and then back along the waterfront of Lake Ontario to Cahill Pier and the Maritime Museum. Cahill Pier is set up as an entry point to Oswego - the first thing you can see from the water. It has some interesting sculptures and gathering areas for those watching the boats arrive. The museum recounted the shipping history of Oswego - successes and tragedies. Some photos below.

We visited Fort Ontario while we were here; although there was not a lot to see, apparently it was a site significant to battles fought during the War of 1812.

Of course, we did find a local pub to finish our day - Gibby's Irish Pub - with a wee pint! There was a tie-in to the fire department of NYC, as you can see!

One last photo - our last evening in Oswego.

The marina lit up by the night sky - beautiful.

This was the end of canals for us for now. Tomorrow - Lake Ontario!