TI: Ilion to Canajoharie NY

Friday 8/3/2018
Depart: Ilion Marina 10:15
Arrive: Canajoharie Town Dock 2:55
Distance: 25 nm
Locks: 5 (E-18, E-17, E-16, E-15, E-14)

We packed a lot into one day today. Sometimes it is hard to believe at the end of the day that we did so many different activities.

We started the day with a trip to the Remington Arms museum where we got to learn all about the history of the guns designed and manufactured over the years at the Remington plant in Ilion, NY. The plant is about a 20-minute walk from the marina. We learned from a person we spoke to last night that the tour is self-guided and fairly short. We decided to take the time before leaving town to see what they had to show us.

At the marina ...

Gas Pump at the Ilion Marina

Ilion RV Park (same property as Ilion Marina)

At Remington Arms ...

Visitor's / Museum Entrance

Lots of buildings at the factory

Rifles on display
(Gun models throughout the factory's history are on display.)

For a period they made cash registers, typewriters and sewing
machines to try to stay solvent.

We spent about 40 minutes learning about the history of pistols, derringers, rifles, and shotguns. A gun enthusiast would go wild here. An on-site gift shot provides lots of opportunities to buy Remington brand products.

After our walk through gun history, we went back to the boat and set sail for our next stop - Canajoharie, NY. We had a rainy day on the water and to keep from getting everything on the upper helm wet, Clark moved to the lower helm to pilot from there.

On the boat ...

Rainy view through the pilot house front window

The skies eventually cleared and we had a nice day thereafter.

Lock 15 - start high and drop 8'

Nice-looking Boat Traffic!

We arrived in Canajoharie just before 3:00. Clark spent some disappointing time trying to get us hooked up to the electric there. All three of the pedestals had bad connections, so we ended up bringing the power cord back on board and going without electric for the night.

Canajoharie is a favorite stop of ours ever since we found the place on our first Erie Canal trip in 2005. The Village Restaurant there serves the best homemade pie. We always try to stop in for some when we pass by here.

In Canajoharie ...

Downtown Canajoharie

Historic First Traffic Light

In an obscure shop window, Clark found some bits of history on display.

Antique Washing Machine

Pump

Pump

Having been here more than once before and toured the town, one would think we had seen all the town had to offer. Clark, however, found something new for us to explore. He read about something called the "Boiling Pot" and wanted to go check it out. 

We asked a local at the park where we docked where to find it, and she told us but said, "It's rather boring. You should go to the Museum of American Art instead."  Ignoring that "sage" advice, we set out for the Boiling Pot. Thank goodness I wore hiking shoes and not my regular sneakers!

Downstream of the Boiling Pot

At the Boiling Pot ...

Local Boy Swimming in the Boiling Pot

What timing?! We got a flash flood warning.
(Note Danger Sign Above)

After we left the "boiling pot" area, we found a trail that Clark hoped would take us on a shortcut back to the boat. Wrong! Eventually the trail became rougher and harder to find until it completely petered out, and we had to turn around and retrace our steps.

After exploring the falls and hiking through the woods, we found our way back to the street and made our way back into town. We headed straight for The Village Restaurant for our slices of pie. I tried the blueberry and Clark had their strawberry rhubarb. Both were as delicious as we remembered. We took two more slices to go for another day.

Back at the boat ...

"And the one little duck with the feather in his back,
he led the others with a quack, quack, quack ..."
Line of Canadian Geese on the Erie Canal

The rains keep threatening our travels.  No sunset picture tonight!