June 14-15 West to Tonawanda

Gateway Harbor

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” ― Jawaharlal Nehru

We woke up on Thursday morning to a sunny but VERY windy day...20+ MPH winds. We usually don’t mind the wind especially when we’re in a river or canal, but we have our isinglass and bimini down. Sitting in the wind gets a little old, so we spent most of the day exploring Medina, visiting with a few people and relaxing. By the middle of the afternoon the wind had laid down a little and we moved on to a little park in Gasport...absolutely nothing in town, but it was a nice peaceful little spot. 

On Friday morning the weather was perfect, a beautiful day to be on the water...amazing temperatures and no wind. This was our last day moving west...we’ve now completed the whole Erie Canal, from the Hudson River to the Niagara River. The Erie Canal is mainly used for recreation now and the towns are much smaller than they used to be with a quiet and slow pace. It’s fun to try and imagine how things were in the mid 1800s when the area was more commercial, the streets were full of people and buildings full of shops and businesses. There’s so much history in this area...I wish I was better at remembering all we’ve learned. 

Our last stop going west was Tonawanda. The town is located on the Tonawanda Creek, which flows into the Niagara River and is located midway between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. The name comes from the Seneca tongue which means "Swift Running Water". Tonawanda Creek once had large stretches of rapids until it was tamed with the construction of the Erie Canal. The city also calls itself "The Lumber City," due to its past primary industry and once was the largest port on the Great Lakes during the height of the Erie Canal.  

A few miles east of town the water became much clearer and a pretty shade of turquoise. Tonawanda is a popular spot for boaters in the area to cruise and be seen. A little like Ego Ally in Annapolis. We had a lot of fun watching the parade of boats all evening. 

Most of our travel the last two days has been through farm land...with large fields or orchards

Getting close to Lockport

The double locks at Lockport were our last locks going west. Originally there were two sets of five locks that lifted boats 50'; those locks were replaced in 1918. The northern flight of five are still in place for visitors to see. I'll have more on these locks in another post. The new lock is on the left...the flight of five are on the right.

Here we are entering the first lock. We will be lifted 25' and then move right into the next lock that will lift us another 25'.

 Looking up to the Flight of Five Winery that is located in the old city hall building

Leaving lock 35...no more locks going west.

Leaving Lockport

There are a lot of houseboats...boat houses around Tonawanda. We thought they were very cute.

Getting close to Tonawanda...notice how pretty the water is now.

Gateway Harbor in Tonawanda

This is the end of the Erie...where the Tonawanda Creek and the Niagara River meet. This is looking north to Niagara Falls.

We enjoyed watching the boats come and go all evening.

Sign at Gateway Harbor

Looking across the creek to The Pearl.

A view from the Webster Street Bridge looking east.