Sylvan Beach leaving Erie Canal and entering Oswego Canal to Oswego, New York

 We got an early start leaving Sylvan Beach as the wind was going to pick up going across Oneida Lake. We had a smooth ride across the lake zooming for part of the distance and then when we reentered Erie Canal is was a no wake zone with warning that locals would call police on speeding boats. It was a pleasant day going through the locks on on own and then after lock 23 on the Erie Canal we turned up the Oswego River and went through three locks on on own waiting for the group of three ahead of us. Those three boats then slowed down and joined them for locks 5, 6 and 7 which was difficult with the wind and the way the cables were situated to make it impossible to loop a line around. We made it to Oswego and found a great spot on the wall down from the skate park with covered picnic tables. The wind was still howling so we ate our leftover chili and enjoyed a pleasant evening down below.

Entering Oneida Lake

Bridge art

Erie Canal to the left and we turned right on to Oswego Canal

Watching the boats go by

Historical old locks

Phoenix looked like a good stopping place

Lock behind us with drawbridge going back down

We had our choices of two diners open for breakfast and chose Wade's Diner with homemade raisin which we bought a loaf of to go. We stopped by Wayne's Pharmacy to pick up continuation of antibiotics for 10-day regimen for my tick bite. The redness has almost faded but still the size of a silver dollar. We continued our walk to Ace Hardware and found two boat hooks, two fifty foot dock lines and propane tank fixture we had been hunting. If they had bigger boat fenders we would have gotten everything on our shopping list. We enjoyed the walk through town and instead of going back across the bridge we tried the walkway along the canal but it was blocked for construction. We spotted a grocery store near the the old railway pedestrian bridge that we came back across on. We had a chat with Shellerina the lead boat and a golden looper which means they have done the loop before. We headed back our along the dock to the Fort Ontario State Historic Site. We went back across the bridge and walked along the canal passing the H. Lee Whit Marine Museum to the Oswego Wet Pierhead Lighthouse and by Wright's Landing Marina to Breitbeck Park. We stopped by the grocery store on the way back to the boat.

Looking across the canal after lock 7 on Oswego Canal

Nice skate park and picnic tables with grills down from us

The town of Oswego

Tasty Greek omelet, home fries and homemade cinnamon toast

Cute candy store

Historic buildings along downtown

Successful shopping trip

The calm canal running alongside fast flowing water

Along the bike path in honor of firemen

The fort

Holocaust memorial to those sheltering in the fort

The post cemetary

Memorial to women and children

Honoring the unknown soldiers

Now an art center

Historic building now condos

Site of old fort

Wright's Landing Marina

Overlook from the park

Gibby's Irish Pub

Whitesboro to past Lock 22 at Sylvan Beach, New York

 We woke up to a gentle rain and got underway by 6:30 am to get to the next two locks before Sylvan Beach. It rained for a bit and didn't rain as we went through the two locks by ourselves. We had to wait for Halcyon to get through Lock 21 as he must have been there when it opened at  a 8 am. This was the first lock where we entered and then went gently down instead of up. We got to the bridge at Sylvan Beach and tied up to the wall before the bridge and a dog walker stopped to help us tie up and then it poured rain for the rest of the day. When the weather finally cleared after Glenn had gone out in the rain to get Resonance tied up in front of us and we then walked the lakefront. It is a typical beach tourist town with a casino and amusement park and a variety of tourist shops and restaurants.  It was surprisingly warm and muggy but we went back to the boat and made a pot of chili, Tomorrow we head across Oneida Lake the biggest on the Erie Canal.

The first lock where we go down

First bald eagle spotted on the canal

Osprey nest at top of railroad bridge

The lakefront casino

The beach at Oneida Lake

Fountain in the park along the lakefront

Typical beach town tourist trap

Along the lake front 

Small amusement park all rained out today

St, Josephsville to past Lock 20 at Whitesboro, New York

 We had a quiet evening and went ashore in the morning to walk the canal path with our coffee cups until we found a sunny bench. We saw rabbits and a huge deer on our 2 mile hike. We decided to stop for breakfast at the free dock in Little Falls so got underway. We ended up following Halcyon through Lock 17 where the gate is overhead and you get wet and instead of changing his bumpers for a required port side tie he backed in.  We then had a fast motor yacht Aurora race to join us. We continued on to Little Falls Canal Harbour where Halcyon tied up ahead of us and helped us with our lines. They then pulled away and we walked to Anne Street restaurant for a wonderful breakfast on Canal Place with other shops. We walked through the train tracks tunnel to Main Street and went grocery shopping. We walked the canal path back towards Lock 17 to Moss Island but the trail was closed. We met some bicyclists headed to NYC. We continued on through 3 more locks headed to a free dock at a park that turned out to be unusable so we pulled onto the wall behind Vector. Another boat coming the other direction was too late to get through the lock before 6 pm is docked between us, We took a walk down the canal path spotting two muskrats and several rabbits along with some fisherman. Our neighbors took an Uber into Utica five miles back for dinner and we cooked some outstanding fajitas along with fresh steamed corn on the cob. We will get an early start to Sylvan Beach tomorrow.

Going under security gate

Canada geese on flotsom 

Historic Herkimer Home

Lock 17 with Halcyon backing in

Canal Place

Our breakfast spot

View from bridge of Little Falls

Beautiful restored brick building

The historic canal path

Tunnel under the railroad line

Erie Canal

Adirondack chairs with view of boat traffic

Looking back at Lock 20

Wall in front of us filled with tugs and barges for dredging

Muskrat

Historictugs 

Great blue heron

Canal bike path bridge

Beautiful  wild roses