New York State Canal Corporation News. For More Information Call: (518) 436-3055, (518) 471-5938 (Fax)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 2, 2008

"CYCLING THE ERIE CANAL" BIKE TOUR GEARS UP FOR JULY 6 START
More Than 500 Cyclists Registered for 400-Mile Trip From Buffalo to Albany

The New York State Canal Corporation and Parks & Trails NY today announced the beginning of the Tenth Annual Cycling the Erie Canal, a 400-mile bicycling tour from Buffalo to Albany scheduled for July 6-13, 2008.

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.

More than 500 cyclists from 35 states are participating in this year’s event.

Carmella R. Mantello, Director of the New York State Canal Corporation said, "The Canalway Trail provides a tremendous statewide link as well as numerous recreational, tourism and economic development opportunities throughout 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 Tenth Annual Cycling the Erie Canal bike tour."

Robin Dropkin, Executive Director of Parks & Trails New York, said, "The Tenth Annual Cycling the Erie Canal tour is a very exciting event. I call it a rolling summer camp for all ages. We have riders from 35 states plus several hundred volunteers in communities along the route ready to welcome riders and help them discover what makes the Erie Canal and upstate New York unique."

The New York State Canal Corporation is sponsoring the event for the tenth consecutive year. Roughly two-thirds of the 400-mile bicycle tour takes place on the completed portion of the Canalway Trail. With more than 260 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 2008 Cycling the Erie Canal Tour is as follows (Arrival/departure times are approximate and are subject to change without notice):

Sunday, July 6–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
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 7–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, Pittsford
7:30pm-9:00pm – Music at the campsite by Fred Vine – Folk Music
8:00pm – 9:00pm – Swimming at Nazareth College

Tuesday, July 8–Pittsford to Waterloo

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
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

Museums in Seneca Falls open late.

Wednesday, July 9 – 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
2:00pm – 9:00pm – Shuttle Service to Erie Canal Museum (until 7:00) and Armory Square
6:30pm – 7:30pm – Sam Clemence – Engineering the Erie Canal at the Hockey Rink
5:00pm – 7:00pm – Dinner at Burnett Park Zoo
7:30pm – 9:00pm – Music by Chris Farrar & Mike Doyle at Hockey Rink

Thursday, July 10 – 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 Canastota – free admission to the Canal Town 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, July 11 – 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
5:00pm – 7:00pm – Dinner at Canajoharie H.S.
7:00pm – 9:00pm – Music – George Ward, Erie Canal Music & more

Saturday, July 12 – 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
12:00pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, 4:00pm - 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 – 9:00pm – Music at Freedom Park area at Collins Park

Sunday, July 13 – Schenectady to Albany

6:00am – 8:00am – Breakfast at Collins Park
8:00am – 11:00am – 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.

The Canal Corporation is a proud supporter of the 2009 Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial, a year long celebration designed to commemorate 400 years of progress in the Empire State. For information regarding the Quadricentennial, please visit www.exploreny400.com.

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.

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