Syracuse: We're not entirely sure how we ended up here

We somehow ended up spending the second night outside of Syracuse. Apparently, the Finger Lakes region is a popular destination and hotels were booked months in advance. We managed to find a place outside of Syracuse, so we figured we might as well check out the town and learn a little bit about the Erie Canal.

The Erie Canal is a man-made waterway that runs about 360 miles from the Hudson River (near Albany) to Lake Erie (Buffalo), creating a completely navigable water route from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes. It officially opened in 1825. They say that because of the Erie Canal, and the wealth and commerce it brought, New York became the Empire State. A new canal was built in 1918, but now the canals are really only used for recreation.

Syracuse old weigh lock station.

On the way home, we stopped by the orchard to pick up some of our favorite cider donuts. We ate them hot out of the bag. It was a perfect way to end the trip.