In 1825 the Erie Canal was New York State’s super highway. Some even liken it to the Internet of its time.
“You could get a message from New York City to Buffalo in four days,” said Susan Smith, director of the Brockport Welcome Center. Getting a message through by stagecoach would have taken at least 10.
My husband and I have been fascinated with the history in Upper New York State, since travelling to the Finger Lakes a few years ago. Historic movements percolated there, such as abolition of slavery and women’s rights, due to the Erie Canal.
We started our waterway exploration in Brockport, about an hour east of Buffalo. Outside the welcome center a banner proudly proclaimed 2025 the Erie Canal’s bicentennial. Inside, we found maps and guide publications outlining what we could encounter on our way to Rochester.
The Erie Canal is 339 miles long, running from Buffalo to Albany, hitting Rochester, Utica, and Syracuse on the way. It also flows past a myriad of picturesque hamlets and villages that once jostled with canal traffic. That’s what we were most interested in.
You can bike the Canalway Trail just about the whole way, along what was once the tow path. Mules towed canal barges filled with goods from village to village before railroads took over. The canal was a life line and a major artery that connected to the Great Lakes, contributing to the founding of industrial cities like Cleveland.
Our trip was in September, before the canal shut down for the winter.
“We have two seasons on the canal, navigation and maintenance,” Smith explained.
Navigation is May to October and maintenance begins in November and goes until April, which includes a lot of tweaking of the custom-built bridges and locks.
Being there during navigation, we watched small tour boats and pleasure craft ply the calm waters. We also witnessed much ascending and descending in the locks. Locks, we learned, are like elevators for boats that take them to the next level on the canal. Today the Erie Canal has 35. Originally it had 83, but this number was reduced when the canal was widened over the years to allow bigger boats and more traffic.
“Maintenance is when the canal is drained to just a foot or two of water. That’s when rehabilitation is done to the bridges and locks. All the bridges are old and custom built, so they need constant attention,” said Smith.
Where does the water go? Into various creeks and eventually it drains into Lake Ontario.
Next stop was Fairport. The Erie Canal is lined with port villages including Lockport, Middleport, Gasport and Middleport. There are also a fair number of basins, including Adams Basin and Bushnell Basin.
Nancy Ragus, director of Fairport Perinton Partnership met us for a tour of the village.
“In the 1990s both the state and federal government created the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor. That’s when a lot of money was pumped into the canal to preserve it and make it into a tourist destination,” she explains.
We walk past outdoor cafes, gelato shops, pubs and even a platform built for train spotting. Folks sitting there on camp chairs were waving to the trains as they rushed by. A donated 1978 CSX caboose was parked permanently beside the platform.
“We have two live stream cameras so people can tap into the train traffic here, and we have a lot, even though they don’t stop here anymore.”
Iron horse aficionados can check out the action at virtualrailfan.com.
Fairport has capitalized on its location with kayak and bike rentals which you can pick up right in town. The owner of Erie Canal Boat Company, Peter Abele has made it his mission to provide accessible adventures in the area. The dock in front of his rental booth is fitted with a special launch that makes it easy for anybody with mobility issues to slide into a kayak and smoothly enter the water. He also had a variety of bikes including recumbent and three-wheel bikes for easy cycling of the flat canal trail that passes in front of his shop.
“I’ve been here for 15 years and this is the first trail head for adaptive recreation in the United States. It makes me so happy to see people who thought they couldn’t kayak or cycle get out and enjoy themselves,” he said.
Another vessel attracts tourists in the area, as well. The Colonial Belle, captained by Tammee Poinan Grimes can carry 149 passengers. With a rotating crew of 15, she is the only large tourist ship that plies the canal.
“I’m a fifth generation boater. My Dad started the business in 1989,” Grimes said.
After her father passed away in 2016, Grimes jumped from her music and dance studio business and got her captain’s papers.
“I love it. It’s great to open people’s eyes about the history of the canal with our narrated tours,” she explains.
A bit further west, in the village of Pittsford, we hopped on board the Riverie for a cruise. Much smaller than the Colonial Belle, it had room for around 30 passengers. Funnily enough, just as we were heading into Lock Number 32, the Colonial Belle steamed up behind us. Descending together, the crews of each vessel had to carefully mind not bumping into each other by holding ropes tossed down from above.
Another way to explore the Erie Canal is to rent a purpose-built canal boat. Erie Canal Adventures has a fleet of 11. The largest holds six people while the smaller one is good for a couple with two children. You can rent them for a few days or a week and the company provides hands on training.
“It’s a great way to travel the canal. It is a protected waterway and there’s not much current or waves,” noted Brian Keenan who owns the business with his wife Allie.
Our trip wrapped up in Rochester, where we opted for a bit of fun at the Strong Museum of Play on the Sesame Street set, and a tour of the George Eastman Museum were we watched Lumiere Brothers’ reels.
Where to Eat & Drink
Mulconry’s Irish Pub and Restaurant: Stick-to-the-ribs pub fare in Fairport.
Label 7: Canalside casual menu with craft cocktails in Pittsford.
Pittsford Farms Dairy: Ice cream and baked goods to die for in Pittsford.
Abbott’s Frozen Custard: Yummy chain with flavors like black raspberry and cotton candy in Bushnell’s Basin (next to Pittsford).
Richardson’s Canal House: Built in 1818, casual gourmet fare and lovely outdoor patio in Bushnell’s Basin.
Genesee Brew House: Transformed packaging center with great views of the Genesee River and good food in Rochester.
Where to Sleep
Del Monte Lodge Renaissance Rochester Hotel & Spa: Located in Pittsford, right on the canal. Fabulous views from its Erie Grill restaurant.
