Waters of the Potomac and the Chesapeake

Lee and I had planned to visit Mt. Vernon just south of Washington DC, but the day before we planned to go I stepped on the edge of a small pothole (the size and shape of a foot) in a crosswalk near the World War II Memorial, and twisted my left foot and pulled a muscle in my right thigh.  Since I limped around for the next couple of days, I decided it would be difficult to do all the walking required at Mt. Vernon and chose to do activities where I could sit instead.

So the first day we went to the National Historical Park of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal at Great Falls on the Potomac.  We took a boat trip on the canal through one lock that still works, Lock 20.  The boat is a reproduction of the boats that were used to haul coal a hundred fifty years ago.  The coal barge would not have had the structure and canopy on top,which was added for 21st century passengers.

Lee discovered that two of his ancestors were involved in one way or another with the C&O Canal, because the canal runs through the Antietam area.  Jacob Miller, who lived in Sharpsburg, actually owned a boat and hauled coal.  Lee's more direct ancestor (third or fourth generation grandpa) sold some of his property so the canal could be built through it.

The boat trip on the canal was very short.  The boat passes through the lock going upstream, goes about 1/4 mile (pulled by mules), then turns around and comes back downstream through the lock.  It lasts about an hour, and is interesting but is mostly relaxing.

 

In the lock, the water rises about eight feet in just a few minutes.  There were 74 locks at one time, but only Lock 20 is still operational.  The canal drops 605 feet in 184.5 miles.  The canal actually passes through a mountain at one point, through a tunnel!  If one boat was going upstream and another downstream and they met in the tunnel, one had to back out.  Apparently there were many rough and tumble fights over who would back up, back in the day.

The mules wait patiently while the boat rises in the water.

Heading upstream!

The tow path today is used by hikers, joggers, and bicyclists all along the Potomac.  It was very busy the day we were there with lots of traffic.  The canal itself is peaceful.  The boats traveled about 4 miles an hour, a much different pace of life than we live today.

 

Here is a little history.  Work on the canal began in 1828, with the goal of reaching the Ohio River.   The C&O canal never reached the Ohio for a couple of reasons.  For one thing, within a few years the project was way over budget and way over schedule.  Work was much slower than anticipated.  The second reason was because of the railroad, which also began construction in 1828.  The railroad got to Ohio much sooner than the canal .  The canal became obsolete almost immediately.  The good news was that coal was discovered in the Maryland hills, and the canal was given a purpose, hauling coal to DC.  The last boat completed its last journey in 1924, and today there are many sections that are impassable.

The canal also had recreational purposes.  Well-dressed ladies with parasols, men in suits, and their children would take a day's trip just for the experience.  In fact, at Lock 20, the lock master was given permission to build a hotel to handle the tourists from DC.  Today, the hotel serves as the Visitor Center for the park.

Here are a couple of more views of Lock 20:

 

By the way, do you know who invented the first locks?  Leonardo de Vinci!  The locks of the C&O Canal were based on his plans, with very minor modifications.  Here is a simple model of how they work:

The panels at the bottom are opened manually.  The gentleman in period dress is opening one of the four panels with a wrench.  He opened each in turn, one at a time.

Here is one more tidbit.  During the Civil War, the Union Army used the canal to move men, equipment, and ammunition.  But when the Confederates forded the Potomac to come north, the Yankees broke down levees to drain the canal so the Confederates could not use it.  It took several years to repair the canal after the war.  Floods took their toll too, with the disastrous flood of 1889 (the one that destroyed Johnstown in Pennsylvania), and another in 1924 which brought commerce on the canal to an end.

The C&O Canal runs from Cumberland, Maryland to Georgetown in Washington DC, were it enters the Potomac.  Rides through Locks 3 & 4 in Georgetown were once offered, but were ended a few years ago because of damage to one of the locks.

The Potomac River, which supplies the water for the canal, is a stone's throw from the canal.  Lock 20 is near the Great Falls of the Potomac.  In the foreground is a dam.  Eight dams were built at the same time the canal was built, to help control water levels in the canal.

  

We had planned to visit friends the next day, which was good because I was still limping.  The planned activity: kayaking on the eastern shore of Maryland, across from Annapolis on the east side of Kent Island.  I loved the kayaking.  It was the perfect activity for me that day, since it required arms but not legs.  The weather could not have been more beautiful.  It was not too hot, not too cold, not too windy but with a nice breeze. The location was beautiful too.  What a day!  I felt blessed.

Lee, by the way, chose to take the motorboat and took pictures.

Here are a few more of the photos Lee took that afternoon while we were on  the Chesapeake Bay:

Lee was able to capture an osprey nest, with chick inside, on the end of a dock:

This was a wonderful end to our two weeks in Washington DC!  What a fantastic day!  Thank you, Robin and Phil!