Waterford
31 July 2020 | Waterford Harbor Floating Dock, Waterford, NY
Mike
July 31, 2020 Friday
I took a row in the morning up the Mohawk River along Peebles Island Park on one side and a couple of factories on the other side. The water was clear and I saw a 3’ snapping turtle swim by. I also saw an eagle and a blue heron. I went until I could see the dams and the current picked up against me. The morning was cool and clear but that was set to change as the weather headed for the nineties again this afternoon.
When I returned, we decided on a treat, breakfast out, so we walked to a small local diner named Don & Paul’s. The meal was good and a welcome change from the usual oatmeal, Sharon had eggs and toast and I did the same but with home fries and sausage links added for good measure.
I was working to reconnect our VHF radio to a spare antenna on the back railing when I found it was no longer working. We had to take an expensive Lyft ride to West Marine in Lanthum to get a new antenna and while we were there, we picked up a chart pack for the Hudson River and the NY Canals. It was not the detailed set just for the Erie Canal but it was the only thing we could find so we will make do.
By mid-afternoon when we returned to the boat, the temperature outside was well into the nineties and we decided to hide out in the air conditioning until five when we rode our bikes across the Hudson River to a Hannaford grocery store. On our return we got engaged with a couple walking the waterfront and we learned about the local area and their suggestions for stops along the canal including hiking the gorges where the local rivers drop down into the Mohawk River, Watkins Glen being one of the most famous. We exchanged contact information and made plans to catch up again on our return in September.