Page 23 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – March/April 2021

DISCOVER THE
Erie Canal
TRAVELER’S GUIDE
Most New Yorkers know the Erie Canal from the familiar folksong, “15 Miles on the Erie Canal.” What many don’t realize is that although Sal the mule retired long ago, America’s most famous canal continues to offer a unique way to travel across the state.
In the Capital Region, you can head to the water to discover the beginnings of the Erie Canal and learn how
it shaped the region and opened a nation. You can visit the second largest waterfall in New York and marvel at the simple engineering genius that unlocked waterway travel west from Albany. Choose from boating, cycling and hiking options to add active adventure to your journey.
Did you know?
Canal construction in the 1800s was both training and proving ground for America’s first generation of engineers. Faced with the challenge of getting boats around the 75-foot Cohoes Falls, engineers adapted European canal technology with innovation and ingenuity to meet American conditions. Engineers established training programs at nearby Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy and Union College in Schenectady, the nation’s oldest engineering schools.
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