June 6, 2024 – Lockport, NY

It started raining very early Thursday morning and rained most of the morning, so we decided to drive to Lockport, about 20 miles northeast of our campground, and take a cruise on the Erie Canal.  We arrived in Lockport about an hour before our cruise, so we walked along the locks and watched a couple of boats going through the locks.  The Erie Canal was opened in 1825 and connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes by water.  Lockport is home to the largest intact section of the Erie Canal Remaining.  Known as the ‘Flight of Five’, Locks 67 through 71 were constructed to allow boats to sail uphill over the Niagara Escarpment.



Our cruise boat, The Lockview V, is the same boat we saw in the locks earlier.  They had taken a group of school children on a field trip.  How much fun that must have been for those lucky kids.





When the newer locks were built the five locks were replaced with two locks.  The original five locks are to the right of these locks and are being restored for the 200th anniversary of the canal next year.  We are heading toward the doors of the first lock.




    Waiting for the doors to open so we can enter the second lock.





We are entering the second lock. We had to go up 100 feet to reach the level of the Niagara River, so each lock went up 50 feet.








Getting ready to exit the second lock.  We are now on the level as the Niagara River.






We cruised on the section of the canal that was cut out of solid rock.  In places you can still see the drill marks from the drilling and blasting.







We turned around and went back through the locks and approached this raising bridge.  The entire bridge raises to let boats pass under.  There are walking and biking trails and parks along the canal.




The bridge is almost up so we can go under.  We continued along the canal for a short distance and then turned around at a marina and sailed back to the dock.  The captain told us that a good place to eat was at Marvins across from the marina.  After our cruise we went to Marvins for lunch and the captain was right the food was very good, especially the ice cream.  We took our ice cream to the marina and ate next to the canal.   We enjoyed our cruise on the Erie Canal and learning about its history.



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