Drew Stierhoff, Canajoharie, NY
As we left Amsterdam we were seen off by a group of waving spectators on the foot bridge. We headed for Canajoharie on a dreary day with on and off rain. On the way we lifted the masts off of the Lois McClure using a crane, as we will not be needed them during our tour down the Erie Canal. The Lois looks like a whole new boat without them! We had a short but eventful stop in Canajoharie. We stopped for the night on our way to Little Falls and had an evening event, where we got to meet many of the cyclists participating in the Cycling the Erie Canal tour. It was great to be able to exchange canal history and conversation with another group of people touring the canal. The cyclists showed how valuable the canal is beyond an economic trade route. The Erie Canal cyclists, old and young, had been deeply impacted by the canal, and it was enlightening to hear their canal stories. The Arkell Museum in Canajoharie was also nice enough to let the Lois McClure crew walk around their museum for free! The crew was able to check out the museums fascinating art exhibit on the Erie Canal during our off time. Thank you to the Arkell Museum for sharing their historical art with us!