Back on April 11th I went for a ride along the Erie Canal out to Schoharie NY.
It was a chilly day which was understandable since it was still pretty early in the year. I cut across Waterford and Clifton Park to Galway and stopped at the old Methodist Church there to take a picture.
I took Rt 67 to start following the Clinton's Ditch from Amsterdam.
"The Mohawk River, a tributary of the Hudson, runs in a glacial meltwater channel across the Appalachians in New York state, separating them into the Catskills and Adirondacks. The Mohawk Valley was the only cut across the Appalachians north of Alabama, and led almost directly from the Hudson River on the east to Lake Ontario and Lake Erie on the west. From there, much of the interior and many settlements would be accessible on the lakes.
The problem was that the land rises about 600 feet (180 m) from the Hudson to Lake Erie. Locks at the time could handle up to 12 feet (3.7 m), so at least 50 locks would be required along the 360 miles (580 km) canal. Such a canal would cost a fortune even today; in 1800 the expense was barely imaginable. President Jefferson called it "a little short of madness" and rejected it. Nevertheless, Hawley managed to interest New York Governor DeWitt Clinton. There was much opposition, and the project was scorned as "Clinton's Folly," or "Clinton's Ditch." But in 1817 Clinton got the legislature to appropriate $7 million for construction."
This is a movable dam near Amsterdam. They were made to be movable to prevent ice from the Schoharie Creek from damaging the dams and locks. So the dam can be raised and lowered if need be. There are nine such dams along the Erie Canal.
I continued along the canal, crossed the Mohawk River and into Schoharie. I decided to stop there for lunch. I came across the Village Restaurant.
Everything in there was very reasonably priced. I decided on one of the specials which was Chicken and Dumplings. The plate was huge! I only ate about half of it.
After my lunch I decided to walk around the "downtown" area.
They had this neat old stone building.
Apparently this place is smoker friendly...
They also have an apathocery
There was a nice woman running a hot dog cart
The woman running the hot dog cart told me about this old school which someone started rehabbing but never finished. Now it just sits there on the hill.
I've never seen a light in the middle of the street that looks like a mini lighthouse.
Last but certainly not least in Schoharie, they even have a real general store.
Note the furniture for sale along with seafood and London Broil.
They also have now milk apparently.
On my return route I took Rt 443 through Berne and Knox into Delmar. Rt 443 once in Berne becomes the Helderberg Trail.
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