August 22, St. Johnsville to Fultonville 22.3 miles

The length of this day’s trip was to be either 12 miles, taking out at the clearly labeled state boat ramp shown in our canal guidebook, or going another 17 miles to the next ramp shown. By the time I reached the Beech Nut Baby food factory in Canajoharie I was ready to take out at the alleged boat ramp.  It turned out to be a city park with no ramp and large barges and tugs parked around it. I climbed out onto a dock and went up to be sure I hadn’t missed anything.  I had not. Getting back in the boat we set out looking at 17 more miles. This would beat our record! We decided to drink our two bottles of high energy boost and started on roaring with the energy which hit us almost immediately! So much for sleeping that night!

In spite of the energy boost after mile 19 I was feeling tired and not looking forward to trying to go the next seven + miles expected. It would be getting totally dark and we did not have our boat lights with us. Then I heard Heather say: “There is a ramp!” On the starboard side I spied a brand new ramp right next to us. I stopped and we backed up into it and pulled out. It turned out to be a facility of an Econolodge which must have just been added. I walked up to its office and reserved a room only a few hundred feet from the boat. We were very lucky. I called Bill Almy to tell him where I was and he came right away to pick me up.

By the time I got back with the car it was after 10:00 p.m. but here was a truck stop not far away and we went to eat supper.   What an experience!  The restaurant was upstairs and full of the most diverse group of drivers imaginable. One woman driver I think had come from Diagon Alley right off the set of a Harry Potter movie. Surely she had been munching butter beans all the way from California in her big rig! We both ordered French dip sandwiches.  Both came with a half inch slice of tough pot roast between two halves of a bun.  I was hungry enough so that I would have eaten sole leather but Heather had noticed the sinews of whatever critter the meat came from in hers and couldn’t do it. We returned to our room and, needless to say, fell asleep immediately.