Travels in the 2nd half

There is something about setting a series of tasks for yourself, especially if there is a time limit to complete them. It sets in your mind. After an initial burst of energy it becomes zen, a focus that blocks out other things. In this case I gave myself 33 tasks and 72 hours. Some were longer than others. Some were more interesting. I set out to photographs every lock on the Erie Canal. This year is the bicentennial of the beginning of construction on the original Erie Canal. Finished in 1825, the Erie Canal opened the west to the direct transport of goods. Prior to that everything had to be taken by cart over land. The canal spurred the settlement of western New York and Pennsylvania by taking a trip of up to 45 days and shortening it to about 9. It provided a faster and cheaper way for farmers to send grain to the cities along the coast and for industries in those cities to send manufactured goods to new settlers. It also allowed industry to develop along the rivers ...

I have always been fascinated by the ways in which people travel both past and present. It may be the engineer in me, it may be the historian. I have always loved learning about the methods of travel that people use. And one of the most interesting is the use of lock technology in canals. I mean where else in the world do we employ a major form of transportation technology that was developed over a thousand years ago? So, when I had the chance to stop and see a lock on the Erie Canal up close I took full advantage of it.   Erie Canal map c.1840 -by NY State The Erie Canal holds a place of nostalgia in the hearts of many people. It represents a different time, before the railroad opened up the country. Before it became easy to move people and goods around the country. Today, in the era of super-highways and airplanes it is considered outmoded. But the Erie Canal still exists, not just as a derelict left over, but a fully functioning navigable passage for boats. ...