Day 12: Lockport and Rochester

After landing in Buffalo, I made my way east to Lockport to see locks 34/35 on the Erie Canal. From the bridge, at Pine and Canal St., you can watch boats rise and fall through two locks in about 15 minutes. It is quite fascinating how the locks operate. You can also walk down to the museum and watch the boats from a few feet away.

Nearby is the upside down railroad bridge. It looks a little funny once you see that it is upside down.

In Rochester, at the Maplewood Rose Garden, there are two attractions. First, the rose garden offers a chance to stroll through some beautiful roses.

But don’t leave the parking lot. On the opposite side is the Middle Falls Crossing at RG&E station 5 dam. Walk down the steps and follow the trail. A view of the Driving Park Bridge and the waterfall are great to watch.

Continue a little further to the dam. You can walk over the dam and see a powerful rush of water.

The Pattonwood bridge is amazing to see in the upright position for boats to pass through. On Saturday, the bridge was stuck and caused a headache for a number of the locals for over seven hours.

If you go

The Lockport locks are amazing to see. Check out the upside down railroad bridge nearby. In Rochester, the dam and waterfall are a nice walk from the parking lot.