Cycling the Erie Canal Bike Tour Gears Up for July 8 Start

ALBANY, NY (07/05/2007)(readMedia)-- The New York State Canal Corporation and Parks & Trails NY today announced the beginning of the Ninth Annual Cycling the Erie Canal, a 400-mile bicycling tour from Buffalo to Albany scheduled for July 8-15, 2007.

The eight-day recreational bicycling tour will help highlight the beauty, history, culture and recreational appeal of the Canal System and the Canalway Trail, a prime tourism destination in New York State.

Nearly 500 cyclists, ranging in age from two-years-old to 79-years-old, from over 30 states, are participating in this year’s event.

Carmella R. Mantello, Director of the Canal Corporation said, “The Canalway Trail provides numerous recreational opportunities and is a tremendous resource in New York State. Each year, the Cycling the Erie Canal continues to grow as cyclists from all over the country participate to experience firsthand the unparalleled history and beauty of the New York State Canal System and Canalway Trail. The Canal Corporation is pleased to once again partner with Parks & Trails NY to sponsor the Ninth Annual Cycling the Erie Canal bike tour.”

Robin Dropkin, Executive Director of Parks & Trails New York, said, “Cyclists rave about the Canalway Trail. It's an incredible resource for locals and tourists alike. Exploring the Erie Canal corridor from the seat of a bicycle is one of the best ways to get to know this extraordinary region. Cyclists from all over the country and the world are amazed at the scenic beauty and wealth of history available here.”

The New York State Canal Corporation is sponsoring the event for the ninth consecutive year. Roughly two-thirds of the 400-mile bicycle tour is on the completed portion of the Canalway Trail. With more than 250 miles of trail along the Erie Canal already completed and plans underway to complete Trail sections on the other three branches of the New York State Canal System, the Canalway Trail will one day provide an uninterrupted 524-mile recreational trail that will be the longest multi-use trail in the United States.

When complete, the Erie Canalway Trail will be 348 miles in length connecting the Hudson River to Lake Erie.

During the bike trek, Cycling the Erie Canal participants will have the opportunity to participate in guided tours of the Canal, historic sites, and museums, such as the Erie Canal Village, Fort Stanwix National Monument, and Old Erie Canal State Park.

The complete schedule for the 2007 Cycling the Erie Canal Tour is as follows (Arrival/departure times are approximate and are subject to change without notice):

Sunday, July 8–Buffalo to Medina Overnight: Medina Middle School, Gwinn St., Medina

5:30am – 7:30am – Breakfast at Nichols School 6:30am – 7:30am – Registration at Nichols School 7:45am – Brief kickoff ceremony 8:00 am – Start of ride 8:30am – 12:00pm – Morning Rest Stop, Amherst Erie Canal Museum 10:30am and 12:30pm – Lockport Boat Tours 12:00pm – 5:00pm – Afternoon Rest Stop – Middleport, Municipal Park 1:00pm – 6:00pm – Swimming in Medina Middle School Pool 4:00pm – 7:00pm – Computer Lab available 5:00pm – 7:00pm – Dinner at Medina Middle School 7:00pm – 8:00pm – Talk on canal history – Tom Grasso, President, NYS Canal Society 7:00pm – 9:00pm – Music at campsite

Monday, July 9–Medina to Pittsford Overnight: Nazareth College – 4245 East Ave., Pittsford

6:00am – 8:00am – Breakfast at Medina Middle School 8:00am – 12:00pm – Morning Rest Stop, Holly – Canal Park 12:00pm – 5:00pm – Afternoon Rest Stop, Rochester – Genesee Valley Park – swimming available 1:00pm – 2:00pm/2:00pm – 3:00 pm – Escorted bike rides to High Falls in downtown Rochester 2:00pm – 9:00pm – Shuttle service to dorms and Schoen Place, Pittsford 5:00pm – 7:00pm – Dinner at Nazareth College in Pittsford 7:00pm – 7:30pm – Talk by Judy Ertel from the Susan B. Anthony House Museum at Nazareth College (tentative) 7:30pm-9:00pm – Music at the campsite Fred Vine – Folk Music 8:00pm – 9:00pm – Swimming at Nazareth College (tentative)

Tuesday, July 10–Pittsford to Seneca Falls Overnight: Mynderse Academy, Seneca Falls

6:00am – 8:00am – Breakfast at Nazareth College with representative from the Mormon Church and Palmyra Mayor Vicky Daley 8:00am – 12:00pm – Morning Rest Stop – Palmyra Village Park 12:00pm – 5:00pm – Afternoon Rest stop – Clyde Village Park - Town of Galan Historic Society open 3:00pm – 9:30pm – Shuttle bus taking cyclists to Seneca Falls museums and dinner in Seneca Falls. Museums in Seneca Falls open late. 4:30pm – 6:30pm - Wine & cheese reception at Peoples Park, Seneca Falls 5:00pm – 7:30pm – Bike repair by Geneva Bicycle Center at campsite 7:00pm – 8:00pm Community Band Concert and Ice Cream Social – Peoples Park, Seneca Falls

Wednesday, July 11 – Seneca Falls - Syracuse Overnight: Burnet Park, Syracuse

6:00am – 8:00am – Breakfast at Mynderse Academy 8:00am – 12:00pm – Morning Rest Stop, Port Byron Middle School 12:00pm – 5:00pm - Afternoon Rest Stop, Camillus, Sims Erie Canal Store/Museum 3:00-3:45pm – Reception – Burnet Park Hockey Rink, Syracuse, refreshments courtesy of Panera Bread – drawing for Terry Cycling saddles and repair kit – must be present to win 1:30pm – 9:00pm – Shuttle Service to Erie Canal Museum (until 7:00) and Armory Square 5:00pm – 7:00pm – Dinner at Burnet Park Hockey Rink. 7:30pm – 9:00pm – Music by Chris Farrar & Mike Doyle at Hockey Rink

Thursday, July 12 – Syracuse to Rome Overnight: Fort Stanwix National Monument - James St, Rome

6:00am – 8:00am – Breakfast at Burnet Park 8:00am – 12:00pm – Morning Rest Stop, Chittenango, Chittenango Landing Boat Museum 12:00pm – 5:00pm - Afternoon Rest Stop, Verona Town Hall Throughout the afternoon – Rome Erie Canal Village available, YMCA available for swimming, Ft. Stanwix tours until 8:00pm 7:00pm – 9:00pm – Entertainment at Fort Stanwix 5:00pm – 9:00pm – Dinner Shuttle to Area Restaurants

Friday, July13 – Rome to Canajoharie Overnight: Canajoharie High School, 136 Scholastic Way, Canajoharie

6:00am – 8:00am – Breakfast at Rome YMCA 8:00am – 12:00pm – Morning Rest Stop, Town of Schuyler Town Hall Throughout the Day - Tours of Genesee Brewery available 12:00pm – 5:00pm – Afternoon Rest Stop, Little Falls, Benton School 3:00pm – 9:00pm – Shuttle bus to downtown Canajoharie 4:00pm – 6:00pm – Swimming at the Canajoharie Middle School (tentative) 5:00pm – 7:00pm – Dinner at Canajoharie H.S. 7:00pm – 9:00pm – Music – George Ward, Erie Canal Music & more

Saturday, July 14 – Canajoharie to Scotia Overnight: Collins Park, Mohawk Ave./Schonowee Ave., Scotia,

6:00am – 8:00am – Breakfast, Canajoharie High School 8:00am – 12:00pm – Morning Rest Stop, Fultonville Town Hall 12:00pm – 5:00pm - Afternoon Rest Stop, Mabee Farm Historic Site Until 8:00pm – Swimming available at the park 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 - Walking Tours of historic Stockade Area 4:30pm – 5:30pm – Reception at Collins Park 5:00pm – 7:00pm – Dinner at Collins Park 7:00 pm – 8:00pm – Program & Celebration 8:00pm – 9:00 – Music at Freedom Park area at Collins Park

Sunday, July 15 – Schenectady to Albany

6:00am – 8:00am – Breakfast at Collins Park 8:00am – 11:00noon – Morning Rest Stop – Peebles Island State Park 10:30am – afternoon – Riders finishing at Corning Preserve, Albany

The New York State Canal System is comprised of four historic waterways, the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Spanning 524 miles across New York State, the waterway links the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the Niagara River with communities rich in history and culture.

Some Cycling the Erie Canal events are open to the public. For more information on Cycling the Erie Canal, contact Parks & Trails NY at 518-434-1583 or visit www.ptny.org For more information regarding events, recreation and vacation opportunities along the New York State Canal System, please visit www.nyscanals.gov or call 1-800-4CANAL4.

The New York State Thruway Authority/Canal Corporation offers a free email service called TRANSalert to its customers via email or text messaging to inform them of major incidents and emergencies that may affect travel on the Thruway or navigation on the Canal System. To sign up for the Canal TRANSalert service, customers can visit the Corporation's website at www.nyscanals.gov/tas/. To sign-up for Thruway TRANSalerts please visit the Authority's website at www.nysthruway.gov/tas/.

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Posted Thursday July 05, 2007 at 11:11 am by New York State Canal Corporation