Second Day on the Erie Canal - Lock 8 to Riverlink Park, Amsterdam

This blog will chronicle our (Pat and Patty Anderson's) 

cruising adventures on the Great Loop!

DAY 76 - June 15 2017

Tug and barge in Lock E-8

When we got up this morning and looked around behind us, there was a tug with a double tow rafted to the barge on the wall right behind us! They asked us to move back as far as we could toward the barge so they could tie up ahead of us. They had to double lock just as the tug and tows we waited for yesterday had done. The tug and one barge barely fit in Lock E-8!

Our goal for the day was Riverlink Park in Amsterdam, N.Y. just past Lock E-10 just 14 miles from Lock E-8. Riverlink Park is a municipal marina with floating docks and a concrete wall. There is 30 amp power but no water nearby. The Active Captain reviews were mixed but all agreed it was a lovely setting (it was), and Dan, the dock master was terrific (he was).

Dan helped us all get situated to maximize the space, and shortly after we arrived, our friends Beth and Rip Tyler arrived on Lab Partners, as did several other boats that had been at Waterford. After we got our power connected, we walked up to register. It turns out that Dan is also the chef and chief bottle washer at the little on-site cafe, and you register in the kitchen of the cafe! Dan showed us the restrooms, shower and laundry and the "secret key" for after hours access. All I can say is the place was spotless, and whoever complained on Active Captain about the restrooms and showers must have been there on a bad day, or more likely, was just a crotchety person who is never satisfied with anything!

We inquired about lunch, and Dan first told us the cafe would not open until 4 p.m. Then he said he thought they could do burgers or wraps for us for lunch. Then he decided he could do the whole darn menu if we wanted! The seating is all outdoors under a roof. Lunch was fantastic! I had the "special," a burger with smoked bacon, gouda cheese, onions, lettuce and tomato, with fries, as did our friends Bob and Peppe. Patty had the smoked chicken with red pepper soup. All delicious! So much for "the cafe doesn't open until 4 p.m.! 

Daydream on the floating dock at Riverlink Park

Again on the dock at Riverlink Park

Lab Partners on the dock at Riverlink Park

After lunch, we decided to explore Amsterdam. Riverlink Park is really a city park with a marina on the Canal, and it is a spacious, well kept park with the usual amenities. To get up to Amsterdam from Riverlink Park, you take an elevator in one of the decorative towers in the Park, which puts you onto the rooftop of the indoor mall across the street. When we descended from the roof, there was a liquor store, a pharmacy and a Rent-a-Center, which were liner shops for the mall.

Welcome to Amsterdam sign

Pat and Bob ham it up at the former
Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame

Unfortunately, the best thing Amsterdam has going for it is the "Welcome to Amsterdam" sign.   While there are a lot of historic buildings on Main Street, only a few had any businesses in them. Storefront after storefront was vacant, except for a couple of dentist and other professional offices. There was an apparent complete absence of any retail businesses in the "downtown" area on Main Street. The former "Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame" was now vacant. There were some bizarre mannequins with colored gowns, tights, hair, packages and bags in some storefronts, although there did not appear to be any store behind the display windows selling anything at all.

When we walked back to Riverfront Park, we went in the front door of the mall, which has two floors. The escalator was turned off, and so were most of the lights. A restaurant with all the chairs on top of the tables and the booths sitting empty stood at the at the top of the escalator. The only business we say inside the mall was a hearing aid store, and its lights were on but we could not tell if was open - there was no receptionist and no customers. The one person we met inside was the security guard, who helped us find the door to the roof so we could get back to Riverside Park

1867 bank building

Another ornate historical building

The historic buildings mainly dated from the mid 19th Century, and were wonderful buildings. One was an `1867 bank building, but there was no bank. I don't know what the other building used to be. The buildings look for the most part to be in good repair, and it was mind-boggling to us that they are just sitting there and not being put to productive use. Amsterdam is truly a city in distress.