Category: Erie Canal

Full: Satisfied and Complete {Intuition Diaries}

Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
(Isaiah 55:2 NKJV)


One of the pleasures of vacationing for me is being creative with our food. As we travel from town to town, I am on the lookout for local fare and farmers’ markets. I love the challenge of cooking while we’re out on the boat; I am limited by space, two burners and the grill for our meals. I am always looking for inspiration for our menu.
Before this trip, I devoured the book, Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist. She served up appetizing essays surrounding her adventures cooking with her friends and enjoying life to the fullest around the table. Intermingled with her stories are recipes that are just as fun to read as the rest of the book. I copied a few down for our trip.
This morning, I made her Quinoa Breakfast, which is quinoa with apple chicken sausage and fried eggs on top. Les tried it and we both agreed the quinoa makes a very healthy and tasty alternative to hash browns.
At our first grocery stop I bought red plums, which were a bit bland even though they were from a local orchard. I wanted some fruit to go with our breakfast, so I cut the plums in half to sauté them in some oil with the fresh rosemary, some nutmeg and brown sugar. I kept the brown sugar to a minimum. Surprisingly, cooking the plums made them tart. I told Les I’d add more sugar for dinner to serve as dessert over pound cake (if we could find some in town today.)


On the advice of the folks from Gasport, we stopped in Medina to check out a local bakery. We each were going to get a pastry, when we smelled the bread. We already had bread on the boat, but the scent of freshly baked bread won us over. The loaf of cheese boule  was added to our ticket. I’d never had boule before, so I asked the baker about it. She said it was crusty bread with a soft inside. This loaf had cheddar cheese mixed into the dough.
We took our baked goods to the boat and headed over to Albion to find a place for lunch. We had hoped to find a diner or café right on Main Street, but nothing. So we regrouped and decided on sandwiches from our cooler.
With all this good eating and traveling, we made a commitment to be active this trip. We have our bikes along, so asked Les if I could ride my bike to the next stop while he drove the boat. The canal has a speed limit of 10mph, and most times you have to go slower because of the no wake zones. At that pace, we could see each other as I pedaled on the canal trail and he cruised the canal.
Tonight we ate grilled chicken and zucchini. We grilled slices of the boule and topped them with the sauteed plums, which I sweetened up with more brown sugar.

We were satisfied. 

Here’s some photos from the day on the canal, not food related. 

The Big Apple in Medina, NY

Les cruising the canal, while I rode my bike.
See Les, he’s right over there behind me.
Where are they headed now?
Posted on by kelrohlf 2

Enter: To Make a Beginning {Intuition Diaries}


Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
and His courts with praise!
Give thanks to Him; praise His name! 
(Psalm 100:4 ESV)

Guard gate along the Erie Canal

During the time the trailer was in for repairs, we drove over to visit my aunt. We had a nice dinner and shared photos, but as always our time together was too short. We spent the evening in a town near the repair shop. When we got up that morning we had no idea what to expect. But to our surprise the trailer was ready to be picked up by noon that very day. And our keys had arrived. 


We picked up the boat and keys, and trucked our way over to Buffalo. We got to the marina just as the sun was setting. 

Thursday morning, we entered the boating phase of our trip. We cruised from the Buffalo harbor over to the Black Rock Canal, which bypasses the Niagara River in order to get over to the Tonawanda area, where the Erie Canal begins.

Buffalo Marina





We will be crossing the entire canal, which is 338 miles long. Part of our adventure includes going through 35 locks. We started with the Black Rock Lock. After stopping in North Tonawanda, where we visited the Carousel Museum, we went through the first lock system in Lockport, which is a double lock. 

Entering the Lockport double lock system
Leaving the second lock at Lockport


Looking back into the double lock



Going through a lock is like driving your boat into a huge bathtub, then securing your boat to the side while the water drains. Or if you are locking up the canal, the water fills while your boat bobs on the side. To get into the locks, you enter huge gates. As we enter and exit the locks, I marvel at the ingenuity of the engineering and the majesty of nature combined.

On the Erie Canal system also has Lift Bridges and Guard Gates. The bridges lift to let boats pass under. In the winter the gates are lowered to allow the canal to drain, and they also manage water levels during times of flooding.

Lift Bridges



Taking a journey offers many moments of wonder and surprise. And so the journey of faith. We never know what might be around the next bend. But God always provides, always care and always delights in us.


Plants growing in wall of Black Rock Lock

Lockport used to be a Five Flight lock, meaning five locks in succession. 

Good-bye Lockport!



A couple of surprises so far on this trip have been the trailer incident and last night we experienced the bounty of community. 

We stopped in a little town east of Lockport, where the city provides docking along the canal wall with free electricity. Next to each spot, someone planted a barrel of tomatoes, cabbages and herbs. This morning I clipped a bit of fresh rosemary and cilantro for future meals. 

Sunset at Gasport



For dinner we walked over to the Canalside Inn, a local establishment where we ordered Beef on Weck, a western New York delicacy. The table next to us ordered theirs, but were told they were out. That sparked a friendly banter about us taking their meal. We mentioned we were from out of town, and they forgave us. We asked about a place to get ice, and the offered to go get us a bag. They delivered it to us and admired the boat, swapping stories since they were fellow boaters. One of the couples own a marina on the other side of the lift bridge, and the other had traveled the canal several times, so they gave us some tips for the stops ahead. Companionship along the way is always welcomed.


Lift bridge closed for the night at Gasport





Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in!
(Psalm 24:7 ESV)



Posted on by kelrohlf 4