From Watkins Glen we drove to Johnsville NY and one of my favorite
campgrounds the Johnsville Marina and Campground for a three night
stay. Since it was raining we didn’t walk that day but did the next
two we walked on the Erie Canal trail now known as the Empire State
Trail both North and South.
North we walked to Lock 16
When we got back to the campground sat outside and read till dinner
which we ate outside at our picnic table remaining there for the
town concert that was a short distance away in the bandstand
Walking South the next day we walked two miles past an old brick
farm house and back to the campground.
From St Johnsville we drove 45 miles to Wyatt, NY outside
Scotia which is next to Schenectady to the Arrowhead Campground and
Marina. The campground is on the Eastern bank of the Mohawk
while the Erie Canal path now the Empire State Trail is on the
West bank. A path from the campground lead's to the bridge that goes
over the Mohawk and connects with the trail which goes North and
South. This trip we walked south past an old stone fence that was
left in place and nice views of the Mohawk and eastern bank.
the next day we drove and walked in the Vischer Ferry Nature
Preserve and Historic park. We walked across the historic
Whipple Bridge a type of truss bridge named for Squire Whipple
(1804 -1887) the designer. Many of these bridges were used
over the canal as private farm bridges. The canal packet boats would
barely clear these bridges and passengers were warned to get down.
There is a once popular song "Low Bridge , Everybody Down"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Bridge_(song)
"Chorus:
Low bridge, everybody
down
Low bridge cause we're
coming to a town
And you'll always know your neighbor
And you'll always know your pal
If you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal"
The next day we drove to Amsterdam NY parked in canal parking and
walked across a pedestrian bridge at the end of the street to the
Riverwalk and downtown.
We then walked back over the bridge on to the
Erie Canal path where we finished our walk.
On our return to the Campground we stopped at Locks 9 & 10
On Saturday August 7 we returned to
Sylvan Lake in Hopewell Junction N.Y after
over 40 years.