Construction of the Erie Canal began in 1817, and by 1825, the almost 400 mile long canal was open for business. Without looking at a map, it's hard to visualize what this very famous canal did, in terms of opening up what was then, the frontier west. The fact that most all of the canal was built with hand tools, makes the completion in about 8 years, almost unbelievable. The original canal was 40 feet wide and 4 feet deep. Over the years, it has been enlarged, and improved several times. Today, it's mostly used by pleasure boaters, as it's commercial use has diminished considerable. Yesterday, we took a 2 hour ride on part of the original pathway of the Erie Canal. We traversed 2 locks in Lockport, N.Y., raising about 60 feet going west bound, and lowering back down on the return trip. It was a nice boat ride, with a narrative of the canal and surrounding area. Prior to the cruise, we toured the Erie Canal Visitors Center & museum, and learned quite a bit, especially from a period dressed, living history actor, who portrayed the engineer, that designed and built the original "flight of five" locks in Lockport. We must have been living right, because just as we were pulling back into the dock, it started to sprinkle, and by the time we got back to the motor home, it really let loose. Today, we're going back to the falls, and look for some different vantage points.
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