The Canal Experience

Saturday couldn't have been a more perfect day! We started with lunch at our favorite restaurant in Waterville and a short walk to the Carruth Studios to get a couple more 'laughing produce'. Then we were on our way to Providence Metropark for the Canal Experience (after a stop for batteries for the camera - duh). Grace took a short nap in the car - perfect!

The Canal Experience is a ride on The Volunteer, a 60-foot replica of a canal boat. It is a 45 minute journey along the restored stretch of the Miami and Erie Canal. A two-mule team pulls the boat from the towpath and the crew handles the ropes and opens and closes the massive gates of the restored lock.

The Boat Dock - Kimble's Landing





Paying for 'Passage to Cincinnati' (the traditional dress actually takes you back to 1876) I'm sure it wasn't quite as expensive 'back then'. It was a beautiful, sunny day, but about to get very warm!









Here they come! Two mules (they take offense to being called horses!) and their crew.









Grace was all over that boat, but soon found a 'perch' standing on the bench looking out the window







Headed into the lock. It was so fascinating. There wasn't more than a couple of inches around the boat. The water filled up very quickly.








Once the gates opened up, the crew had to pull the boat through with the ropes to meet back up with the mules!




We turned around and went back through. This shows the lock filled up waiting for us to be 'lowered' for the rest of the journey.








*Gasp* Daddy's getting pretty good at using that camera!













A picture of the Isaac Ludwig working mill from the bridge









Hmmm . . . they had a freezer with ice cream in it at the 'general store'! - in 1876? -

That may have been the best part!