This morning the kids helped our friend’s kids to fix their bikes. They did most of the work themselves, but they did need to call in reinforcements:
We had a great time visiting!
After reluctantly saying goodbye, we drove a short distance to the Canal Exploration Center at Cuyahoga Valley National Park:
The park preserves the Ohio and Erie Canal, which allowed goods to travel freely from the farms and ports of Ohio to other parts of the country. Completed in the 1820s, it transformed Ohio from the poorest state in the Union to one of the wealthiest. The canal’s role in commerce diminished after the 1860s, as newly built railroad networks could transport goods more quickly than canal boats.
To deal with elevation changes along the canal, dozens of locks were built to allow ships to descend or ascend the canal:
The visitor center was very well done:
The kids completed their Junior Ranger workbooks and received their badges and patches:
From the park, we drove east to overnight at Albert Airport near Phillipsburg, PA. Since we seem to be doing Airport camping somewhat frequently, I’ve added it as a camping type to the Camping Type Chart.
See the trip map for today’s drive and our current location.
I really enjoy visiting the states with you. I wish I would have enjoyed American history more when I was in school. Was never one of my favorite subjects. Over the years I have found out what I missed out on.
There’s lots to see, we can’t wait to see what’s next!