In which the clock is ticking …
Before leaving for Fairport, I insisted that we visit the Hoffman Clock Museum. It's free and unusual, and will give me endless 'hours' of fun with time puns!
The museum is housed in the small local library - and a local library is one of the first things I like to see in any new town. This one was lovely, well staffed and well organized. + Free Books left over from their recent sale! The librarian pointed us to the museum and said “be sure you say until at least 11 am so you can hear the chimes”. We were really blown away by the displays - and the sheer number of clocks, watches, grandfather clocks, etc. It was a wonderful collection created years before by a local collector and included everything from egg timers, to a Japanese clock (the parts have to move as the number of hours in the days changed prior to the westernization of time) to an early wooden clock to cuckoo clocks. The only thing I didn't see was that black cat clock where the eyes move. Our visit was 'timely' and sure enough at 11 am (ish) the clocks started their various hourly noises!
We highly suggest that if you’re ever in the area of Newark, NY, take some time and stop into this wonderful museum.
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| I don't think we would want to do to a dentist who is a 'dingus'. |
The route to Fairport took us under a number of short bridges (of course it did) including, what the chart said, would be the shortest bridge on the entire route - 15.6’. The BIG ONE. The KAHUNA. The one Rick had been WAITING FOR. He even had a plan B ready, in case we couldn’t make it under the low bridge - we would turn around (apparently after SLAMMING IT IN REVERSE) and go back to Palmyra which is just 6 miles back east on the canal.
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| Rick is so bridge-skittish now that he felt he needed to tell me to go through the left/higher side here, rather then the (clearly too short) right/lower side. (EYE ROLL) |
As we came through Lock 30 Rick asked about the upcoming DANGEROUS BRIDGE. The lockmaster: “That bridge was replaced a couple years ago. You should have no problem getting under”. I thought Rick would faint from relief. I had a couple uncharitable thoughts about our CLEARLY OLD CHART and the past week of DRAMA.
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| Rick may see a dangerous obstacle, but I see a photo opportunity! |
Fairport is the furthest west that we will travel on the Erie Canal. Our friends, Mike and Dana, had arrived earlier in the day and were preparing a spot for us on the town wall! We love traveling with our own personal lead boat that establishes a beachhead for us wherever we go. In fact they got the harbormaster to move a boat forward, so that there would be a good spot for us.
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| Imagine our surprise when we arrived to find a familiar boat - right in front of us! It belongs to our friends Scott and Suzanne! |
We put on our walking shoes and headed out to see some of this renowned town.
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| Someone who gets my kind of humor! |
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| Cute! |
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| Even cuter! |
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| A train right in the middle of town. Hmmmm.... this doesn't bode well for peaceful sleep ... |
We had not seen this many boats since Burlington VT. Fairport has very successfully made itself a destination, and the waterfront area has been reclaimed in a way that honors the history yet makes it a great stop for boaters and other visitors. Once a town like this gets a good reputation, things snowball - with success bringing in money which brings in more success. Since this is considered THE place to visit on an Erie trip, they have def figured out the magic.
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| Yup - I can already say this is the most train noise of any place we have ever stopped. |
Wonderful that you have "people" now!!!
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