Aug. 17-20 Cayuga Lake Vacation

By on August 22, 2023 in The Pearl
“The Lake….where families go to make memories.” -Author Unknown

We spent this year’s last family lake vacation at a nice house just south of Seneca Falls on Cayuga Lake. The weather was beautiful, but a bit too windy to spend time on the boat riding on the raft…no problem we found other things to do. We spent our first full day taking the boat through part of the Cayuga–Seneca Canal. This part of the New York canal system connects the Erie Canal to Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake. It was built in 1818. Since we were already in Cayuga Lake we took everyone through C2 and C3 that leads to the town of Seneca Falls. These locks are a set of locks called a staircase or flight. We were lifted up a total of 49′ from the Seneca River to Van Cleef Lake. Check out this old blog post to see how a lock works. We wandered around town a little and then had lunch before we headed back to the house.
The house

This house had a great movie and game room above the garage. The perfect place for a family movie night.

The kids get to the marina around lunch each time we rent a house. So we have a little time to fill before we can check in. This time we had lunch on the boat then rode bikes along the trails by the marina and played in the park.

After playing we stopped at the Sheldrake Point Winery to enjoy a little wine and a beautiful day.

We spent a lot of time at the house just hanging out together, relaxing, playing games, eating and celebrating Hattie’s 4th birthday.

The view from the front porch was nice in the evening and in the morning.

On our way to Seneca Falls.

These boards are at each lock to inform boaters of their elevation and how far it is to the next lock.

Heading into lock C2. It lifted us up 24.5′.

Once inside we put a line around a cable so we could stay close to the side of the lock.

Once inside and ready the Lock Master closes the door and the water begins to fill the lock.

Going up!

Once we were through the two locks we were in Van Cleef Lake and right in the heart of Seneca Falls.

Everyone had a great time on the way home.

Graham was the captain most of the way back.

Our second full day was beautiful…but very windy. Kyle and Graham explored in the kayaks before we tried to have fun on the runabout. It was just too rough, so we played at home.

The waterfront was pretty and we had plenty of room to play, but it wasn’t very nice for swimming. Luckily the weather was cool and we really didn’t want to swim. 

Our traditional last night fire and s’mores. It’s our way of saying goodbye to summer.

Aug. 17-20 Cayuga Lake Vacation

By on August 22, 2023 in The Pearl
“The Lake….where families go to make memories.” -Author Unknown

We spent this year’s last family lake vacation at a nice house just south of Seneca Falls on Cayuga Lake. The weather was beautiful, but a bit too windy to spend time on the boat riding on the raft…no problem we found other things to do. We spent our first full day taking the boat through part of the Cayuga–Seneca Canal. This part of the New York canal system connects the Erie Canal to Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake. It was built in 1818. Since we were already in Cayuga Lake we took everyone through C2 and C3 that leads to the town of Seneca Falls. These locks are a set of locks called a staircase or flight. We were lifted up a total of 49′ from the Seneca River to Van Cleef Lake. Check out this old blog post to see how a lock works. We wandered around town a little and then had lunch before we headed back to the house.

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Anan Bear Preserve

By on August 21, 2023 in Idyll Time

Anan Bear Preserve is located 30 miles south of Wrangell on Earnest Sound.  You must apply for a permit with the U.S. Forrest Service to access this area.  We could come here by our own boat but the anchorage in front of the preserve is not recommended by most of the cruising guides due to its depth […]

Mukilteo

By on August 19, 2023 in M/V Dirona

Mukilteo, a small Snohomish County city about a 45-minute drive north of Seattle, was a native-American settlement for centuries before the arrival of Europeans. Captain George Vancouver was among the first to visit, when he landed there in 1792. In the mid-1800s, the land was ceded to the Washington Territorial government and European settlement began….

Barceloneta

By on August 16, 2023 in M/V Dirona

On our final day in Barcelona, we returned to the Barceloneta waterfront district to tour the area in more detail and visit Barcelona’s L’Aquarium. We started the day with a wonderful tapas lunch at Xup Xup beachside along Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta, the busy pedestrian walkway that edges the beach. We saw some unusual…

Girona Day Trip from Barcelona

By on August 14, 2023 in M/V Dirona

The city of Girona is famous for its medieval wall and many centuries-old buildings and artifacts, including the 14th-century Girona Cathedral. The city’s Jewish Quarter also is one of the most well-preserved in Europe, with a maze of narrow, cobblestone streets, steps and arches dating from the 12th century. These features made it the location…

Inside Passage South: Petersburg to Prince Rupert

By on August 13, 2023 in Idyll Time

All of our dock mates are still fast asleep as we ease away from our stall in Petersburg to begin our journey South on the Inside Passage.  We have a slow slog down Wrangell Narrows with a 4 knot current against us for the first hour.  We timed our passage this way so as to catch the […]

Barcelona Montjuic

By on August 13, 2023 in M/V Dirona

The Montjuic hilltop was the birthplace of Barcelona, in the 3rd century BC or earlier, and the site of many of the city’s significant events. With a commanding view to the Mediterranean and the surrounding area, several fortifications were built on hill, the latest being the still-standing 17th-century Montjuic Castle. More recently, the hilltop hosted…

Montserrat Day Trip from Barcelona

By on August 7, 2023 in M/V Dirona

The Montserrat mountains rise almost vertically from the surrounding landscape to 2,055 ft (1,236 m) above sea level. Montserrat means “jagged peaks” in Catalan, and their unusual shape is prominent for miles around. The mountains are a popular day trip from Barcelona, reachable in just over an hour by train or a 45-minute drive. The…

July 4th in Petersburg

By on August 7, 2023 in Idyll Time

    With our freezer full of halibut and king salmon, we head back to Petersburg on the slack tide. Currents in Wrangell Narrows are fierce and we always try to time docking with slack current at our slip.  Once our fish is processed, we take it to Community Cold Storage.  We will have it shipped to TN this […]