As Best We Can Count: A Quick Taking Stock

We decided to take an extra day in Orillia (Ontario)--a busy, upscale town with a beach, grocery store, toy store, liquor store, other shops and restaurants all in biking/walking distance.

A relaxed morning got me thinking about how far we've come. So, for you numbers people:

Since we started on September 25, 2024, we have journeyed 5,851.25 statute miles

through 18 states and 2 provinces. We've negotiated through locks 173 times--4 more to go to get into Georgian Bay.

Since June 6 this year when we started up the Hudson River after our May break, we have traveled 978.39 miles through 2 states, 2 provinces and 117 locks--the same 4 more to go to get to Georgian Bay. On this part of the trip by my calculation, we've traveled through an average of 3 locks per calendar day and 4 locks per cruising day. Two different days we negotiated 16 locks each. Several points;

o We've had an adventure!

o We've seen a lot of territory

o That's a lot of locks

o That's a lot of time in locks

o Locks dramatically reduce the number of mile you can cruise in a day

o Some locks are a lot more dramatic than others. Some move you up or down 60 feet or more; others just a few feet

o We've gotten pretty good at it

o The Parks Canada lock staff are fantastic--kind, fun, helpful, informative and

mostly young

o Three locks from now, we encounter the famous chute lock where they pick you up in a sling and transport you on railroad tracks over a hump of land and into the next body of water. Is the most interesting yet to come?

o We're looking forward to getting onto Georgian Bay and forgetting about locks!