Sunday, July 28th - Today we completed the Erie Canal when we docked in Tonawanda. The picture is of the last lock - lock 35. What began on June 13th as a long wait in Waterford is finally finished! We left Waterford on July 16th and took until July 28th to complete the trip. We could have done it faster but we found the canal very enjoyable. The many small towns along the way are extremely boater friendly. Docks are either free or close to free and they mostly provide power, water, wifi, and washrooms with showers and some even had bicycles to borrow. We spent 13 nights on the canal and we paid for 4 docks...the highest cost was just $12...our total cost was just $36. Tonawanda was quite a shock after the small quaint towns we have become used to! There are so many boats, docked and cruising through. There is lots of noise and music from many sources. We spent the afternoon sitting on the dock watching all the goings on!

Next stop is Buffalo where we will have the mast stepped. On Tuesday we will cross to Port Colborne before continuing through Lakes Erie and Huron. Colleen will meet us there so we can take care of some business. We are still several hundred miles from home port, but will cross our wake at Detour, Michigan just before we arrive in the Soo.