Life on Zingara

As the weather was not going to improve, we spent the day at Coeyman's, paid bills, etc. On the 10th, we woke up to sunshine, so we took off down the Hudson River, continuing on, ever closer to NYC.

After a very strange night, (just too weird – we want to forget it) we woke up to sunshine, and blue skies. We only had two more locks to go, and we couldn’t wait. Our Last Lock!  And into the Hudson River! I had to take this picture -- back in June,as we were traveling north on the Hudson, we had made the left turn, to the Erie Canal.  Now we were traveling south, and had completed the Champlain Canal -- Our "quarter loop"! As the weather predicted rain that night, we returned to Coeyman's Landing (south of Albany) to say Hi to Hedy, and to have some calamari at Yanny's Restaurant. 

We started out with a cloudy morning. But still the scenery was often breathtaking!  We had a very monumental happening today.  We completed our 100th lock since starting our trip back in May.  We just had to stop and take this dock master’s picture at our centennial lock. How do you like the “dueling beards?    Besides waterfalls, trees and rocks, we also saw cows,  A-little-fixer-upper, and SEVERAL Bald eagles.  This was the only one who’d let me take his picture We tied up along the wall in Mechanicville, where we walked over to the local pub/pizza place.  They were kind enough to have the game on their main TV, while we (and the other 5 people in the joint) watched the game.  GO GREEN!

We left Burlington Good Bye, Burlington! (sadly, but it was time to move on) and traveled into more of wondrous Lake Champlain.  Now we had the opportunity to enjoy it! Extra special news---Hip, Hip, Hurray!  Rick and I are supper excited!  Both our sons accepted full-time career-based jobs!  Both on the same day!   We are so proud, happy, excited, and thrilled for both of them!    CHEERS! We anchored out in Button Bay – I just LOVE the name! And enjoyed a breathtaking sunset!  GOOD NIGHT!

Dear Cammy & Garret -- we really wish we could have made it here this past weekend to meet with you (but we had to buy a house).  We would have had a fabulous time enjoying this place together! We woke up to another gorgeous (though very windy) day, so we got out the bikes and went for a ride. After cleaning up on Zingara, we headed out for some shopping and touring,      and stopped in at the Vermont Pub & Brewery for a beer ( and a lame sound-system).  We walked back to Zingara for dinner.  Can you believe this view!?! After dinner, we ubered to Magic Hat Brewery, per Cammy's recommendation.  However, once we got there, it was closed, so our uber driver, Carol, turned around, back towards the marina, and dropped us off at Switchback Brewing Co., where we meet a very nice young engineer named Kurt.  As he lived nearby, we "forced" him to walk with us to another nearby brewery, Zero Gravi...

No rest for the wicked! Yesterday, Monday, went very well.  The home inspection was completed, and after meeting with our son, Alex, we jumped back into the car and drove to Zingara.  We arrived around 1:30 am. So, we slept in till 8:30, had coffee, breakfast, and then did grocery shopping before returning the rental car.   It was very windy – we were going to stay here in Plattsburg but Rick determined that tomorrow, and the next day, were going to be worse. So, where do you want to be stuck for two days? Plattsburg or Burlington?  Around 2:00 pm, we started off across Lake Champlain.  Our bow was into the waves, so with our wipers on to push away the spray, we endured the 2 hours "riding" on a fidgety horse, mostly on a moderate trot, with a few bucking broncos slipped in for fun. By 4:30, we were in wonderful Burlington, VT. Zingara at her dock A sailboat race going on in the harbor A fabulous micro-brew (of course) within walking...

5:30ish AM, on the road again!   We determined that we could make the trip in less time if we drove north, crossed into Canada at Kingston, Ontario, then came across Ontario, west, to Port Huron.   As we were driving through upstate New York, from Plattsburg, we drove too close to Trout River – the tiny town along the Canadian boarder where Rick’s great-great-great grandfather was buried, after his service in the Civil War -- so we had to stop.   About 10 years ago, Rick & I and the boys, had visited the church,  and after quite a long search, we found the headstone -- only it had fallen over and had been damaged.   So, once we returned from our holiday, Rick contacted  the authorities and had the headstone up-righted and repaired.   At around 7:00 THIS morning, we stopped at the graveyard, and found the headstone again.  The repaired-stone looked nice and strong, and even had a small American flag stuck int...

Let’s go --- it’s a mad rush to the US boarder --- yes, this is all there is -- a buoy out in the water ... after which we had to tie up Zingara along the river, and stop into the US Customs "Trailer.  And, then, into Plattsburg! Man, it seemed to take FOREVER!   With only 45 minutes to spare- Enterprise picked us up at the marina and took us back to their shop, where we rented a Buick SUV for our quick trip back to Michigan.