Day 30 - Low Bridge Everybody Down!!!!!

We begin this blog by correcting an error in yesterday's blog.  When we went back and reviewed our pictures from yesterday, we realized that we had missed recording another lighthouse that we saw while at the Buffalo Coast Guard Station.  This lighthouse from a distance looked like a shrimp boat, but on further inspection, determined it was the Horseshoe Reef Lighthouse.  So to date, we have seen 20 lighthouses on Part II of the Journey, not 19!  The mileage remains the same :)

 

Horseshoe Reef Lighthouse

 

(Located 1/2 mile from Buffalo Main Lighthouse)



 

 

 

Our plan today was to relax this morning and head into town (Lockport, N.Y.) and take the cruise on the Erie Canal.  We arrived at the dock on Market Street at noon, and the boat departed at 12:30 PM.  I must say that I thought nothing could top seeing Niagara Falls yesterday, but I have to say that the Erie Canal is an absolute marvel! 

 

The Erie Canal connects the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean at sea level with the Niagara River and the Great Lakes. Here are a few Erie Canal Facts:

 

1. The canal is 363 miles long and rasies water vessels 570 above sea level.
2. The canal was dug by hand and took eight years to complete (1817-1825)
3. The canal originally had 83 locks, and now has 35
4. Locks 34 and 35 (which we traveled today) raises or lowers water vessels 49 feet
5. Lock doors weigh 50 tons and are opened and closed by a 7 HP motor!
6. The side walls are 12 feet thick.
7. The seals on the doors are made of white oak.
8. The Erie Canal is maintained by the New York State Thruway Department.

 



Lockport is the location of the famous "Flight of Five" double locks allowing boats to travel up in

one set while boats traveled down in the other.

 

The cruise was narrated by the boat Captain, and he shared a lot of history about the area and the lives of those who lived and worked on the canal.

 

We passed under the Upside-down Railroad Bridge, as well as two lift bridges that raise straight up to allow for the water vessels to pass under them.  The 20 foot high stone walls of the 1800's "Rock Cut" and stone towpath - were blasted out of solid stone with powder left over from the war of 1812.

 

Passing through the locks is called "Locking Through", and we did exactly that in locks 34 and 35.  These are the last two locks on the canal going west - before reaching Lake Erie. 

For more information on the Erie Canal, go to: www.eriecanal.org

 

Add this adventure to your Bucket List - it is a must!  Again, the pictures simply do not give  you that goosebump feeling that one gets when you experience something of this magnitude.....it is again, simply amazing!

 

Tomorrow we head out of New York towards Ohio.  There are a few more lighthouses to see as well as the places where Jim's parents were raised.

 

Enjoy the pictures! 

 

 

Saw this cute RV outside while waiting for our cruise

It's almost as cute as the Turtle!

 

 

 

 

This boat was used as the water taxi in the movie

Mystic Pizza with Julia Roberts. It is one of the canal cruisers.

It is also said to be a replica of the "African Queen"

 



 

 

 

New York State Thruway Department Tug Boat used for

canal maintenance. The oldest tugboat used on the canal system.
It is named after the New York governor who started the canal project- Dewitt Clinton. 



Fall colors on the canal

 

 House built from "Free Stone" 

 Leftover blasted rock from digging the canal.

Tow Path used by mules and oxen to pull the boats through the canal
It has been paved and is now used as a bike path.



 

Main Street Businesses that back up to the canal

 

Maker of cardboard used to make jigsaw puzzles

 

Scenes along the canal

 First Presybyterian Church - it never did have a steeple

Stained glass windows were made by Tiffany Glass Company



Raised Bridge

 

 Dry Dock on canal



Train on the Upside Down Bridge

Bumper Boat - Used for lighting kerosene lanterns on the canal

 

Stardrill Markings in stone along canal

 

 Scene from the "top" of Lock 35 looking down into the canal

 

Entering Lock 34 - White building is the Erie Canal Museum

 

 Waiting for pleasure boats to pass before we enter Lock 34

Erie Canal Museum

 

Lock doors - they are massive!

 

Opening the doors

The locks filling up!

 

Lock 35

Another look from the top of the lock looking down into the canal