Belhurst Castle on the shores of Seneca Lake is, according to Linda, "the most romantic place in New York." Our great Erie Canal adventure concluded at a castle on Seneca Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. At the end of the Ice Age, glaciers moved down from the Arctic taking great chunks of land with them. When the ice melted, lakes dammed by glacial moraine remained.

Between Lake Ontario and the upper edge of the Appalachian Mountains seven long, skinny lakes resembling fingers were created: Otisco, Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, and Canandaigua. They all drain north into Lake Ontario.

Cayuga and Seneca are the longest and deepest of the Finger Lakes. Both are about 40 miles long, 3.5 miles wide. Cayuga is 435 feet deep and Seneca is 618 feet deep. They are surrounded by high bluffs with waterfalls and empty into a virtual swamp in the north.

The first inhabitants of the area were the Iroquois tribes. They were strong enough to stall the European advance for 200 years, but after the American Revolution, they were "granted" reservations and the land was opened to settlement. Pioneers moved in from Pennsylvania and established farms and vineyards between the lakes.

This great blue heron scratched for his breakfast outside our porthole. Towns developed at the ends of the lakes: Seneca Falls and Ithaca on Lake Cayuga, Geneva and Glen Falls on Lake Seneca.

Captain John steered us across Lake Seneca to Geneva, a town of 14,000 named after the city in Switzerland. The major industries of Geneva are winemaking and tourism. There are 36 wineries along the lake producing world class Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir. We were tourists hoping to sample some fine wine.

We docked at the Ramada Inn pier and enjoyed a fine dinner with a glass or two of Goose Watch Cabernet Sauvignon. The gentle rocking of the boat and the effects of the wine produced a good night's sleep.

At dawn we were awakened by the honking of a flock of Canada geese paddling by our portholes and a great blue heron scratching along the dock. For the next several hours, we packed up our gear and attempted to erase any evidence of our six days on the Fantessy.

Canada geese served as alarm clocks on Seneca Lake.

Our last stop was the Belhurst Castle for brunch, a luxury we had saved for last. The original structure was built in 1824 as a residence for owners of a glass factory. Following the Civil War it was known as Otis' Grove and was the site of annual encampments by Civil War veterans. The present building was constructed in 1880 as a home. In 1933 it became a restaurant and inn.

Belhurst Castle is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is touted as "The most romantic place in New York State." Linda had to check out this reputation. After a satisfying brunch, my wife exclaimed, "Belhurst Castle definitely combines the romance of the past with the comforts of the present in an elegant, yet relaxed atmosphere." She left with two bottles of Pompous Ass Highfalutin Red. So ended our Erie Canal adventure of 2008.

These boys waved us through our final lock.