I went to a big National Park today. A National Park belongs to all of us in our country. It belongs to grown ups and kids and even to sock monkeys. The name Cuyahoga is an Indian name that means crooked river. Why did they call it crooked river? Running along side the river was a canal. A canal is like a little river. It was dug by men hundeds of years ago and had a walking path next to it. It was made so flat bottom boats called barges could carry food and coal and supplies up and down the valley to towns and people. Mules would walk along the canals and pull the boats. In each town was a lock. A lock has 2 sets of gates. The lock keeper lived in a house next to the canal. Families lived on the boats and when they got to the lock the boys on the boat would jump onto the path and then would shut big gates in front of the boat and then in the back. This made a dam so the water could not get out. It would fill up like a bathtub and the boat would float up and could go either higher up the river or drop down when the gates were opened. A lock is like an elevator for boats. Big ships still use locks in some places. Inside the gatekeepers house was a model of how the locks worked. A man was dressed like a lock keeper and showed me how it worked. Then I went outside and saw the real lock. I wished I could ride a boat and try that elevator.
After I saw the locks, I went for a hike to Brandywine falls. It was very beautiful but my poor little legs got tired on all the stairs. I had to sit down for awhile. I think I will get in my cozy nest now and go to sleep. Good night Kahunas from Junior
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