Minneto Free Dock
“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.” —James Dean
I’m not sure why we make plans...our relaxed take it easy trip has already been filled with two very long days. We found out diesel was .80 cheaper a gallon in Brewerton than the price on the lake, so we went to Baldwinsville last night. Long day, 70 miles...thinking we’d have a short day today. Go get diesel and then stop in Phoenix at lock one of the Oswego Canal. Nice plan, but there was no room at the inn...sort of speak. The lock had been down all morning and no one was moving. Luckily for us we only had to wait about 30 minutes on the blue line for the lock to begin operating. The only issue now was time. We wanted to get all the way to Oswego and miles wise it wasn't far, but we had six more locks we needed to do. Unfortunately they stop operating the locks at 5:00. We didn’t make Oswego...we got stuck in Minetto. No eating out tonight as planned...hopefully things will go smoother tomorrow.
History Lesson:
The original Oswego Canal opened in 1828, three years after the Erie Canal was completed. It's 23.7 miles long and connects the Erie Canal to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway. The modern canal basically follows the route of the Oswego River, equipped with 7 locks that lower boats 118' to the lake. The Oswego Canal officially begins at the "Three Rivers" confluence of the Oneida, Seneca and Oswego rivers near Phoenix, NY and ends in Oswego, NY on the shore of Lake Ontario. This is the only route from the Atlantic/Hudson River system to Lake Ontario fully within the US. Along the Oswego River a few canal towns occupy the banks. These include Phoenix, Fulton, Minetto and the port city of Oswego, each has its own personality.
“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.” —James Dean
I’m not sure why we make plans...our relaxed take it easy trip has already been filled with two very long days. We found out diesel was .80 cheaper a gallon in Brewerton than the price on the lake, so we went to Baldwinsville last night. Long day, 70 miles...thinking we’d have a short day today. Go get diesel and then stop in Phoenix at lock one of the Oswego Canal. Nice plan, but there was no room at the inn...sort of speak. The lock had been down all morning and no one was moving. Luckily for us we only had to wait about 30 minutes on the blue line for the lock to begin operating. The only issue now was time. We wanted to get all the way to Oswego and miles wise it wasn't far, but we had six more locks we needed to do. Unfortunately they stop operating the locks at 5:00. We didn’t make Oswego...we got stuck in Minetto. No eating out tonight as planned...hopefully things will go smoother tomorrow.
History Lesson:
The original Oswego Canal opened in 1828, three years after the Erie Canal was completed. It's 23.7 miles long and connects the Erie Canal to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway. The modern canal basically follows the route of the Oswego River, equipped with 7 locks that lower boats 118' to the lake. The Oswego Canal officially begins at the "Three Rivers" confluence of the Oneida, Seneca and Oswego rivers near Phoenix, NY and ends in Oswego, NY on the shore of Lake Ontario. This is the only route from the Atlantic/Hudson River system to Lake Ontario fully within the US. Along the Oswego River a few canal towns occupy the banks. These include Phoenix, Fulton, Minetto and the port city of Oswego, each has its own personality.
The original 1825 Erie Canal bypassed Lake Ontario with the aim of securing an economic stranglehold on the western Great Lakes. It was quickly realized that a connection to Lake Ontario would be beneficial for trade with northern New York and Canada. When the canal opened it consisted of 15 locks and was 38 miles long. The Oswego Canal was one of the few canals built that was economically successful, largely because it allowed trade between the Atlantic Coast and and the raw-material-rich Canada.
Two locks along the Oswego Canal are a little unique...Lock O1 has two unique lift bridges, one inside the chamber, which is obsolete and remains open, and one just a few feet downstream of the lock which opens with the lower gate. The second is Lock O2, which has a swing bridge right across the center of the lock that provides access to the hydroelectric dam.
Lock O1 in Pheonix
The original canal can be seen along the river for several miles
Some of the sights we saw today.
Lock O1 in Pheonix
Lock O2 in Fulton
This is the remnants of one of the original Oswego locks
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