By Kathan Roberts  NeXt Correspondent  Remember the Erie Canal?
Remember the song we sang in elementary school? (“Low bridge,
everybody down”). Remember learning how it shaped modern
history? Well, that ancient relic is still around, and its uses
have expanded from its original purpose of shipping and
transportation.  While a significant number of the canal’s
modern uses do not involve its past, there are still many that
do.  In Lockport, for example, a trip along the canal takes you
through the its past, which has been reconstructed through
historical markers, old canal boats and tours. The part of
Lockport along the canal is home to many historical artifacts –
enough to fill a second song about the Erie Canal. And just as
in the song we sang, low bridges span this section of the canal.
Tour boats take passengers through a modern set of locks, built
right next to the old ones. Nonmotorized boats, such as canoes
and kayaks, can pass through the locks at no charge. The
Lockport Caves tour, which goes through