http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y7Tf...eature=channel

 

Very nice area. I love the canal. The Eire Canal passes just across the river from me. There is not much left of it today. It is really sad. I drove past what use to be the main plant for GE today (ZIP code 12345 btw). I looked on the property and could see some remains of the canal. It was overgrown with trees. In downtown Schenectady, NY where the canal passed is now Eire Blvd.

People use to skate in the canal years ago in the winter. Now they sit in their cars blowing their horns on what use to be the canal.
The canal operated for 50 years. It was mostly hand dug. I guess that without commerce due to the modern canal system and rails, it was left for Mother Nature to reclaim.

There is something romantic about a canal. They are so peaceful.

MAP

 

Tim,
What? This is England! You've confused the hell out of this thread from the off.
Jules, I wouldn't say this is why I'll never leave. I have for brief periods but it's certainly why I'd always want to come back. Nice vid, lovely quality, a good ambassador for this beautiful piece of real estate we call Blighty. I too enjoyed the snow and in a setting like our fantastic countryside, who the hell could argue your point.
Thanks for a reminder of winter 09/10!

 

That is soooo pretty, I could get used to that, if it weren't for the snow and cold weather. The canal looks so relaxing, and the music is spot on....It's nice to have seasons, and I'm sure we'll miss them but the wife and I are lookin to move out of the northeast US to some warmer climates.

 

Sorry for the confusion. I guess my post was a little bit to abstract.

My point was confirming that the cannel is pleasant. I was pointing out how sad it is for an old time cannel that was hand dug that ran from NY City to Chicago and Canada, now has the General Electric plant, shopping malls, cities and housing developments sitting on it. Jules is very lucky to have such a nice feature in here area. To fire up the bulldozers and start filling it in to put Wal-Marts on it would be sad, don’t you think?

 

Very beautiful jules. A wonderful place to live.

I live about 15mins from the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O). I've biked and hiked it many many times (well, not the whole thing... it's like 185miles long with 74 locks).
I've also done some cave exploring along it, as there are many. Just amazing. Somewhat reminds me of a few of your pics, actually.

Here's a lock in winter...

 

Sorry if you got me wrong. Looks like I got you a bit wrong.
I'm a canal nutter. I love everything about them. I've searched through the history of so many canals in Britain and coming from London, I know how many have been dug by hard sweat by the navvies for tuppence a day only to be filled in again when the commissioning companies went bust or sold out to the railways. We have a vibrant network of amazing canal navigations here, just waiting to be put to work again, and their time may well come again if the oil goes the way we think it will some time soon.
Building on canals in this day and age is extremely short sighted.

Dylan, your picture is great. 186 miles and 78 locks. That's worth a few weeks off to say you've really done it. If only life could be like that.

I'm starting to think of a nice laid back holiday on a longboat.
Good on yer Jules for starting this thread. My wheels are going to be pointed at some water very soon. Just hope my brakes still work.

Here's a link that may prove important in a couple of years. The river Lea, leading to the place where the 2112 Olympics will be held. I've done this canal from end to end and will never tire of it.
http://www.riverthames.co.uk/thamescanals/4731.htm

 

Hmmm. I may have posted the London Olympics 100 years behind its time there, sorry peeps.

 

Nice Pic Dylan.......good video Jules ...........Steve what can I say .........LOL don't sook