Lyons

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Lyons

We made our way out of lovely Baldwinsville and headed west on the canal before 8:00. Thunderstorms were forecasted for later in the day. Getting through locks #25 and #26 slowed us a bit. Each lock takes about a half hour to complete, from entering the chamber to exiting.

Mystic and Osimo leaving Baldwinsville

Keeping a watchful eye on the canal

LegaSea passing Osimo

The original aqueduct at Schoharie Crossing, near Fultonville is now beautiful ruins. It's path across today's canal system is easily identified. The arches make for dramatic views and give a sense of how much work went into the creation of the Erie Canal system at a time when things were done by hand.

As we arrived at Lyons we saw LegaSea already tied off. Jim and Paige were with us at Baldwinsville and had passed us on Cross Lake earlier in the day. Jim grabbed our lines, then he and Paige moved their boat forward so Osimo would fit behind us. The wall is high, looming about five feet above us. It was challenging to get from Mystic to the top of it. We had to stand on our stantion to step up and to lower ourselves back to the boat.

Signs told us that we needed to register at the fire department next to the wall. We chatted with the officer on duty. He welcomed us and gave us information on showering and using the restrooms at the fire station. This is a friendly town.

The Looper boat greeter, John Hewes, stopped by to welcome us to Lyons. He asked us where we are from and took our photo, which he emailed to us later in the evening. He told us about the town and suggested we visit the the Peppermint Museum. Lyons was once a major producer of peppermint. The H.G. Hotchkiss Essential Oil Company exported their peppermint throughout the world. They grew the peppermint plants on farms nearby. We missed the tour because the museum didn't open until 10:00 the next day. We were long on our way by then.

Bob and Sue being interviewed by
The Lyons Boat Greeter

Photos by John Hewes

Beth and Dave on Mystic

Bob and Sue on Osimo

For more info on the Peppermint Museum in Lyons, NY click the link below:

https://www.lifeinthefingerlakes.com/minty-history-lyons/

We took a walk into town with Bob and Sue. A city worker spotted us and came to chat. We asked him what there was to do or see in Lyons. He told us we could walk up the hill to tour the historic prison. We thanked him politely but laughed and agreed we wouldn't be walking up hill just to see a prison. We were tired and hungry!

Wayne County Courthouse

Dobbins Drug Mural

We ran into Paige and Jim at William Street Tavern. The six of us had a light dinner while sharing a lively discussion on our Looping experiences. After dinner, we walked back to Osimo and had ice cream with Bob and Sue; making a delightful end to our day!

Beth, Bob, Jim (Left)
Dave, Sue, Paige (Right)

Back at the canal wall we met Craig on the river boat Scandia. He is a local heading home to Arrowhead Golf Course and Marina near Spencerport, NY. He asked if he could join our group when we left in the morning. LegaSea planned to stay in Lyons. Mystic, Osimo and Scandia would head west bright and early in the morning.