FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 20, 2007
CANAL CORPORATION, PARKS & TRAILS NY ANNOUNCE OPEN REGISTRATION FOR NINTH ANNUAL “CYCLING THE ERIE CANAL”
400-mile Bicycle Tour from Buffalo to Albany Scheduled for July 8-15, 2007
The New York State Canal Corporation and Parks & Trails NY today announced that registration is now open for the ninth annual Cycling the Erie Canal, a 400-mile bicycling tour from Buffalo to Albany scheduled for July 8-15, 2007.
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. Riders of all abilities and ages are encouraged to sign up for this exciting and scenic tour.
Over 500 cyclists, representing 39 states, participated in last year’s event. Roughly one-third of the participants were from New York State.
Carmella R. Mantello, Director of the Canal Corporation said, “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 ninth annual Cycling the Erie Canal bike tour.”
Robin Dropkin, Executive Director of Parks & Trails New York,
said, “We’re expecting our ninth Cycling the Erie Canal tour to be as much fun,
if not more, than our eighth. We have several hundred volunteers in place in
communities along the route ready to welcome riders and show them what makes the
Erie Canal and upstate New York so special.”
The registration fee is $520 and includes: camping accommodations every evening
with showers and toilet facilities; eight breakfasts and six dinners; two
refreshment stops daily stocked with fruit, snacks and beverages; entertainment
and historical presentations each evening; guided tours of the Canal, historic
sites, museums, and other attractions; T-shirt and water bottle; sag wagon and
mobile mechanical support; baggage transport; daily maps and cue sheets; and
marked routes. A shuttle will be available at the beginning of the ride to
transport riders and their bicycles to Buffalo.
Two weekend ride options also are available, from Buffalo to Pittsford on July
7-9, 2007, and from Canajoharie to Albany on July 13-15, 2007.
The New York State Canalway Trail System is comprised of a network of more than
260 miles of existing multi-use, recreational trails across upstate New York.
When complete, the Erie Canalway Trail will be 348 miles in length connecting
the Hudson River to Lake Erie.
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.
For more information on Cycling the Erie Canal, email eriecanaltour@ptny.org or visit www.ptny.org/canaltour, or call Parks & Trails NY at 518-434-1583.
For more information regarding events, recreation and vacation opportunities along the Canal System, please visit www.nyscanals.gov or call 1-800-4CANAL4.