The Last Locks on the Erie Canal

We got an early morning start on the canal.  Isn't this a cute stop for the kids.  They can pretend to be pirates or Loopers!

 

 

                                  

          Almost like walking back in time - horse pulling a harness racing buggy.     

 

They use these areas to repair the locks doors and barges.

Lock ahead alert!

 

Approaching Locks E-34 and E-35.  These locks are "Siamese twins, where the upper door of Lock 34 is also the lower door of Lock 35. On the right is a set of 5 old locks from the previous canal, which are now used only as the spillway."  We had guided tours and school tours at the top watching us as one chamber filled and we moved into the next.  A handful of the young school children asked if they could climb over the rail and join us.  Their camp counselors stepped in with resounding "no's".  Glad they were the bearers of bad news and not us.

Heading out of Lock E-35.

View from the top of Lock 35.

 

Leaving Locks 34 and 35 behind us we barely make it under the bridge.  We need 15' to clear and made it by a foot.  Whew!

 

 

                               

Leaving the town of Lockport and heading to Tonawanda.

 

 

 

This is where we are hanging for the night.

 

We chose to tie up to the docks on the south side of the bridge because the restrooms, showers and laundry facility were a short walk away.  But, the restaurants were on the other side of the canal which made this bridge extremely important to us.

 

 

This is the Western Erie Canal gateway for those heading east.  Interesting, we saw little, actually, no traffic heading east.  Could have been the time of year.

 

 

 These looked like fun - bicycles on pontoons.

 

 

The town threw us a party for making it thus far on the Great Loop.

 

 

And even paid for a band!  Great way to end the day.

Interesting sign as we are headed to our last lock on onward to Dunkirk, NY.  The left part of the letter B is the head of a bison!

Ahead is the Black Rock Canal lock located on the Black Rock Channel.  Both were built to provide "safe passage for vessels to travel between Buffalo Harbor and Tonawanda Harbor around the reefs, rapids and fast currents that exist in the upstream portion of the Niagara river."  This is last lock we will have to go through until we hit Chicago and head into the river system.

Left the lock behind and traveling on the safe side in the channel.

 

This is busy area.  Here is a young sculling crew being guided by their coaches in the red boat.

And a young sailor practicing his tacking technique while his instructor looks on from the boat behind him.

 

 

This clip will show you why we decided to go through the Black Rock Channel and not try to go upstream on the Niagara River. 

 

The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie, passes around Grand Island before going over Niagara Falls, narrows in the Niagara Gorge and ultimately flows into Lake Ontario.

 

 

 

We didn't have time to stop to see Niagara Falls nor did we get a chance to see Buffalo.  Can you say, road trip!

 

 

 

Windmills on the outskirts of Buffalo - green energy!

 

We made it through the Erie Canal and 36 locks.  The Eastern Side a little more barren and heavily burdened with floating logs and other wood debris.  The Western Side more developed with the canal being the focal points of the towns and villages along its path.  Long ago are the days where the canal served as epicenter connecting the East coast to the Great Lakes and beyond.  Today, its sole purpose is to serve the recreational boater. For most of our journey on the canal we saw few boats on the water with no surge in activity on the weekends.   The cost to maintain the canals and locks must be outrageous.  One can only wonder when decisions will be made that may affect some if not all of the locks. 

 

 

Next, the Great and Mighty Lakes!