The Campanian Society - The Feast of San Gennaro and Tactile New York City

Champlain Canal Cruise (Albany-Troy to Whitehall)

July 5 to 8, 2002

This three day cruise (July 5-8) on the Champlain Canal (from Albany-Troy to Whitehall). aboard Emita II, is a wonderful way to experience the beauties of up-state New York and the impressive engineering abilities of the canal builders.

The Champlain Canal connects the Hudson River to Lake Champlain, a total distance of 64 statute miles from Albany-Troy on the Hudson River to Whitehall on Lake Champlain. The construction of the old Champlain Canal was begun in 1817. The canal officially opened to boat traffic in 1822 – three years before the opening of the Erie Canal. The bounty of up-state New York – lumber, lime, marble, paper, apples and potatoes – was now shipped with ease to New York City and southern markets from Queensbury, Glen Falls, Hudson Fall, and Kingsbury.

The present day Champlain Canal, which replaced the old Champlain Canal in the early 1900s) has twelve locks: the first, the Troy (or Federal Lock) provides access to both the Champlain and Erie Canals. The Champlain Canal itself, which begins where the Erie Canal leaves the Hudson River, is comprised of eleven locks. From Troy north it follows the Hudson River for 40 miles to Fort Edward with seven locks, dams and dug channels to bypass falls and rapids in the river. At Fort Edward, the Champlain Canal leaves the Hudson River and follows a dug channel(with five locks) for an additional 24 miles to Whitehall at the head of Lake Champlain.

Our passage through the Champlain Canal will take us through areas of considerable historical importance. The banks of the canal have witnessed more than two centuries of military actions, including the French and Indians War, the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and territorial Native American conflicts. On our canal cruise, we will pass by the site of the Battles of Saratoga where British Major-General John Burgoyne (on October 17, 1777) was defeated and forced to surrender after two major battles with the American under General Horatio Gates. This was a campaign that was supposed to end the Revolution but turned out to dramatically change the course of American history. Fort Edwards (where we will stay at the Landmark Motor Inn for two nights) was fortified throughout the French and Indian and Revolutionary Wars and became famous when its local citizen, Jane McCrea, was murdered on her way to see her finance in the British Army.

Whitehall (originally called Skenesborough in honor of British Captain Philip Skene) was settled in 1759 as an early trading center and saw British and French activity during the French and Indian Wars. Its harbor saw the first aggressive action of the American Revolution in New York State when Benedict Arnold's men took possession of a schooner which became the first ship of the U.S. navy, The first I.S. ships were constructed here and sailed with Arnold in 1776 to Lake Champlain where the fleet's action at Valcour Island slowed British advances by a critical year.

Our canal cruise vessel for this trip will be the Emita II, built in 1953 and recently refurbished. The Emita II tips the scales at 65 tons and measures 65 feet long and 22 feet wide. She hosts 40 passengers for cruising New York’s canals. Her main deck houses the dining and lounge area, bar, small library and open front deck as well as handicap-accessible bathroom and efficient galley. The upper deck offers open space as well as a shade canopy, comfortable seats and tables. During the day we will enjoy the canal and each evening (July 6 & 7) we will be on land at the Landmark Motor Inn in Fort Edward. In the morning, we will return to Emita II for breakfast and the next day’s adventures in canal cruising.

This program which has been designed for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Participants may be accompanied by their own sighted friends, colleagues or family members. To meet the special needs of our travelers, our tour programs are carefully crafted to provide a rich educational experience unavailable on regularly scheduled sighted trips. Our programs offer many unique opportunities for tactile experiences, relaxation and socialization. This program will be limited to approximately twelve participants. Sighted guides will accompany the program.

For additional information, Registration Forms, itinerary and cost, please contact:

Campanian Society, Inc.
PO Box 167
Oxford, Ohio 45056
Telephone: (513) 524-4846
Fax: (513) 523-0276