May 16, 2009 - Baldwinsvillle, New York

We remembered during our last time through the Erie Canal, we had noted that the town of Baldwinsville looked inviting. So today we planned a short day so we could stop and enjoy the town.



The canal is well marked with direction signs along the shore, pointing which way to go.











Along the canal, the Syracuse Women’s Crew team was practicing this Saturday morning.













We saw scores of fishermen camping along the canal, fishing and catching fish.












That afternoon, after arriving in Baldwinsville, we learned that we were in the middle of the third annual Northeast Regionals Carp Fishing Tournament. This event draws carp aficionados from around the world, who fish for 50 consecutive hours, drawing lots for camp and fishing sites along the canal. The two-man team with the best total weight as of yesterday afternoon had caught 1,585 pounds of carp, which was 102 fish.



We did a walkabout town, and returned to the boat before an afternoon deluge let loose, with lots of thunder and lightening, and 1 ¼ inch of rain in an hour. We wonder what the rain did to the pool heights of the canal, as we are close to the maximum height, which can pass under the low bridges. Just a few inches can make the difference between making the clearance or having to wait for the water to subside. We thought about that over dinner at the Lock 24 Restaurant, just a quick walk from the boat.