GL: Hudson loops

[chuck]

The fabled Pacific Northwest is bragged on as the best cruising in North
America - mostly by cruisers who have never been east of the Rockies - The
Hudson / Erie / St. Lawrence / Maritimes and back presents incredibly more
diversity from gentle pasturelands to 400' cliffs plunging into 400' of
water. Cows grazing or whales breeching, open water or sheltered gunkholes,
bustling cities or quiet villages - take your pick on that route. We did
that loop in 2004 in about 2 months. Next time we'd take 2 years.

Chuck and Andrea Wistar
www.celebratecruising.com
Selene 53 Celebrate

-----Original Message-----
From: LRZeitlin@aol.com [mailto:LRZeitlin@aol.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 11:03 AM
To: great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Subject: Re: GL: Hudson loops

Like the fabled blind men and the elephant, everyone has a different view of
loops involving the Hudson and the Erie Canal. If you traverse the Hudson
and Erie in a hurry to get somewhere, you can do the whole thing in a couple
of weeks. If you want to explore and cherish every sight and experience, a
dozen years wouldn't be enough. The Hudson, the Erie Canal, Lake Champlain,
the Finger Lakes, The St. Lawrence, the Ottawa River, Georgian Bay contain
an extraordinary density of attractions, interim destinations, historic
sites, and scenic wonders. 

There are several vacation time advantages to a Hudson loop trip. Distances
between desirable destinations are comparatively short. With the exception
of a trip across Lake Ontario, you are never out of sight of land. The
weather in the summer is usually benign and harbors for anchoring out are
plentiful. 
There is a fairly extensive marine infrastructure along much of the trip for
repairs, refueling, resupply and just shoreside R&R.

There is much truth in what everyone has written. Dennis is certainly
correct in that for best enjoyment, you should plan to make no more than 10
to 15 miles per day, certainly less than 20. Also, don't be so fixated on a
destination that you neglect to make the side trips. One of the most
enjoyable parts of a cruise on the Erie Canal is to explore the Finger Lakes
reachable by a short journey on the Seneca/Cayuga spur. Many loopers visit
Ithaca, intending to dock their boats at the wonderful state run Treman
Marina for just a few days, but end up staying the entire summer.
Opportunities for wine tasting and fine dining alone make this part of the
trip most worthwhile.

And don't neglect Lake Champlain. This unspoiled fresh water paradise is the
destination of choice for boaters from all over the eastern portion of the
US and Canada. While not quite as primitive and rugged as Georgian Bay, it
is far more centrally located.

I have been exploring the Hudson, the Erie Canal, Lake Champlain and their
associated waterways for the last 40 years and I still can't say that I have
exhausted the possibilities of the region. Too bad the season is so short.

Larry Z