Erie Canal Cruise

Friday Aug. 25th 2017
Herkimer, NY- Erie Canal Cruise


..
Friday
evening was awesome..all this talk about taking a cruise...and of course all of us couldn't go on a REAL cruise. So why not a local cruise. One that cost just $15-? I did some research and found the Erie Canal Cruise located in Herkimer NY just off the NY state thruway.
Added bonus it was a Friday night Party themed Cruise. The theme was Halloween.......
Originally there were six of us planning on going. But only five of us went.
Renee, Amiee, Stephanie, Barb and myself.

Amiee, Renee and I had a few (just one) glass of wine in prep for the evening. Renee was given a sippy cup for the road and we were off.

We had plans for dinner at the Canal visitors center, and to meet up with Stephanie and Barb but shortly after getting on the Thruway we ran into two accidents....I can never understand how a car off the road and a cop can cause a 20 minute delay...One we got around one accident we ran right into another. Renee kept us entertained with music from Guardians of the Galaxy and snap chats to her sister who is currently in the Hurricane in Texas. We all pray for her safety.
We arrived to late for precruise dinner, so a quick stop at BK fuled our bellies. We also finally met up with Stephanie and Barb. HERE WE ALL ARE!!

(I located costumes on Amazon and they arrived Friday just on time. We were SUPERHERO's!!!!)
We did a quick check in and obtained our boarding passes.  A little information along the way.



Of course we had to got our pictures in the cut outs before boarding.

We were a silly bunch.



Once we checked in we entered the lower deck. Ordered a few drinks. Diet coke in a souvenir cup. (free refills all evening.)
The lower deck tables were filled with signs and silly cardboard cutouts, along with a plate of brains...

We all had some fun making faces and being silly...

Amiee looks thrilled....

Barb looks surprised...

and Stephanie has made a Halloween face of her own. (She would possibly kill me if she saw this.)

We quickly realized that the lower deck is not the best place for the "party" or the views. 

Notice you cannot see out the windows very well. And there were TWO very large SPIDERS that hung over one of the windows...NO they were not part of the decorations.

We were soon off.....

I am sure there are 1001 facts about the Erie Canal. I am also sure these facts are pretty interesting...BUT this PARTY cruise was not about history of the Erie Canal, there was no tourist guide offering information over a cracking speaker, and I am also sure even if there was, none of us would be paying any attention.

Instead, there were flowing cocktails, disco lights and a DJ. Add of course....THIS (below) troop of GOOFBALLS....NOPE NO HISTORY PAPERS would or could be written here.....

Of course there was this......

The beautiful canal...

It is pretty....and look how the website frames the view...

We had made our way up to the top deck and took over one of the side viewing areas. Renee and I also found some more party favors....

Dracula FANGS.....

A few more silly moments....the boat was moving and the music was pumping. We were HAVING good old fun.

I escaped from these silly women to spend some solitude just getting a few shots along the way...

Isn't the valley and hills beautiful. I have no idea if we were going west or east or what part along the canal we were. I wasn't even sure if we were really on the original canal. I just knew it was a beautiful evening, full of amazing friends and views of lush greens, skies of blue and a river that glistened of silver off the evening skies...

Well...that was over soon enough and I was back with these silly gals....Another picture, this time with a new friend..or two.

The party continued as we sailed along the sun setting behind us...(If I use my noggin, I may be able to tell which way we were going based upon that little tid-bit of information.) Sun sets in the West??? So we must be going East?

Soon we were coming into a LOCK....

Lock 18 actually.

I took my pictures through the captains quarters. He was navigating on the side.

This is the only part of the cruise that I wish I had that annoying crackled information speaking telling me just what was happening...

From what I could see....we we being LOCKED into this area of the canal. Locked simply referring to the doors.(Above) and Although I did not see this as I was in the front of the boat...the doors behind. (Also closing.) Once we were locked in this contained area. Water was slowly being let out behind us and the boat was being lowered. (Check out the ladder here where the water is.) At this point we were pretty level with the walkway. People fishing waved at us.

Before long this was what we were eye level with....

Now our boat was at the appropriate level of water to sail into the next section of the canal. Doors began to open to allow passage forward.

Barb and Step wave goodbye to the people now above us..

And once again we are off....

Behind us....this is what we see.

Goodbye lock 18...we will see you again soon. Next time we will enter at the low water level and slowly go up.

And the cruise continues..

The sun is setting behind us.

Back up front Renee is getting some education (well maybe not) about being a canal boat captain. Perhaps it was the cocktail and not her interest in sailing a vessel. She was truly hilarious.

She did convince Jerry the captain to let her steer the boat and ring the bell. She also scored herself and her friends a FREE return cruise for next season. Awe the benefits of flirting and a Superhero mask.

It wasn't long before we were turned around and heading back to lock 18. Here we go...

As the darkness of the evening came upon us, so did the PARTY. People were pumped. Music was rocking and we were all just having FUN!

We did some dancing, some singing and lots and lots of laughs. 

Captain Renee......

And just like that....the party cruise docked. We were invited to keep the party going as the music continued well after we were tied up. (see the party going on...) but we had a long day and a long ride home..

We had such a great time...Cannot wait for next year to go again. TTFN