Godkids visit day 3
It was a damp Monday so we set off for museums. (Just like we do on non-damp days…)
I work only 1 town shout of where we were going, so we basically too my commute in.
The Lowell national parks are one of the very few urban national parks. They are about the mills that used to be there and the textile industry that used them 200 to 100 years ago.
https://www.nps.gov/lowe/index.htm
Everyone was very into it.
We even drove a trolley.
OK, only the front of one…
Because it is a museum of buildings around a city, it is spread out. We needed to walk a lot to get to different buildings.
The first one, we walked too fast and got there before the rangers to open it.
So, we looked around.
When opened, this museum was about the boarding houses for the young women who would come work at the mills. For many, it was their first time away from home and the first time they earned any money that they could control.
No benches. Chairs.
Everyone was impressed with the history.
The good thing about walking around the city was there were a lot of Pokemon.
And, we got them… until some phones died.
The steam engine no longer works. But, the trolley ride makes the whistle noise.
The tours start in the rain. OK, that’s not how they describe them, but it is now it happened.
Then, you get on the trolley to where you are going.
The first was a river tour of the canals.
It wasn’t a huge boat.
Everyone was impressed.
It good the boat isn’t big as the bridges are low.
At least the canals are fairly calm.
During the voyage I needed to take a conference call for work. Everyone understood.
Even with my ear plugs in, I could read the material they passed around.
Eventually we came to the locks that would raise us up to river level.
They tied the boat to one wall so we wouldn’t bounce around too much.
Then, they let the water in. It rose up pretty fast. From the wet rock visible to at the top was less than 5 minutes.
The locks use an old fashion power source.
So, they only opened one gate for us to go out.
It is a good thing these were ducks as the wake of our boat put them all in the water.
Then, under the lowest bridge and out onto the Merimack river.
Everyone was impressed. Especially those who have grandmothers who live along this same river.
I remembered my father’s story of almost drifting over a dam, and now have a better understanding of his feelings on the subject.
We were soon back to the canal. It was about this time my conference call ended and I could start to hear the tour information.
This time we got out at the locks.
They keep a record of flood levels.
The captain stayed with the boat.
We got to see the top of the lock gates.
And, the flood control gate.
Back in the 70’s someone tried to burn it. That was before the National Park Service took it over.
Good thing the 100+ year old fire proofing did a good job.
Of course now they use steel.
We did ponder the gate levers.
There was a discussion of what it would take for us to move them.
But, our boat was waiting.
And, soon we were headed back down the canal.
It was nice not to be on the phone.
There is still stuff leaking from the walls 100 years after they stopped dumping stuff, so they put up barriers to keep it from getting into the main stream.
This photo was taken when I was about 10 years old, and I do remember the river looking that bad.
Back under the trains and to the "Swamp gate" where the boat docked.
And, the trolley back to the visitor center.
Then, we went for lunch at a very upscale Subway.
After lunch we met inside for the next tour.
But, Olf led us back into the rain.
Then, another trolley ride.
Old explain the buildings we passed.
There was an argument about which of the two trolleys got to use the one track.
We took a left turn.
The bushes wanted to ride in the trolley too.
Not all the canals are totally full.
But, many are. They still use hydro power there. Now it just goes to electricity.
We toured some of the bigger equipment.
Some of it is very big.
The 8 ton flywheel is very big.
My first job out of school I worked in a shop that still used overhead leather belts to run their machines. So, this wasn’t so much history for me as memories of a bad job.
Olf explained that even back then automation cost people their job.
Everyone was impressed with the automatic power control machine.
But, they are big gears. Wooden teeth too.
The water that flows into that river comes from a big area. It starts on the back of the hill where we live and goes well up into New Hampshire.
Olf actually turned on the machine and made some cloth for us.
Then, back to catching Pokemon.
They live on the trolley.
Maybe that’s why the plants want to get on board.
Then, one more museum.
This one you needed ear protection.
And, it was loud in there.
They only had about 10% of the machines going and it still shook the floor.
They were actually weaving cloth.
And, finally, benches!
Even upstairs you could feel the floor shake.
Gabriele seemed to like this part a lot. (I noticed she didn’t pay much attention to the prices on the different fashion options…)
We had planned to do miniature golf, but it was decided just to go for sushi instead.
Then, to walk across the bridge of may Pokestops.
I did try to get a panoramic photo of it, but there were folks who wanted to play with how that looks.
We did get a good look at the lighting system.
There are about 6 Pokestops on the bridge.
And, we did a raid at the gym there.
It was a busy day. Maybe it is for the best we didn’t golf too…