While there you might want to take a mule-drawn canal boat ride, spend time along the Providence Dam, or shop in nearby Grand Rapids, OH.
The Miami and Erie Canal can be seen in this photo we took at This beautiful area is known as the Towpath Trail and is part of the Buckeye Trail. The trail follows the Miami and Erie Canal along the old towpath where mules at one time towed flat-bottom boats on the canal.
The trail connects Providence, Bend View, and Farnsworth Metroparks and is filled with basswood, buckeye, cottonwood, sycamore, and walnut trees. The canal features canal lock 44, the only original functioning lock in the state of Ohio.
My husband is standing in the partially enclosed 2-story stone Providence Dam Shelterhouse ( WPA shelter house constructed in 1941). This picnic shelter overlooks the historic Providence Dam.
If you are in the area, you will want to stop in the village of Grand Rapids, OH, and check out some of their shops.
We enjoy antiquing here and they have beautiful art shops and bookstores too. They also have some excellent places to dine. Here I stopped at
Library House Books and Art.
We stopped at A Drop Of Honey and purchased some Blackberry Honey. In addition to honey, they offer beeswax, candles, handmade clothing, housewares, jewelry, and more.
Exiting the bookshop, I spotted this striking floral arrangement of black petunias and pink geraniums. It rests on this brick pathway/ The path is a favorite of ours as it leads back to the stone path along the canal.
If you follow the stone path to the end it stops at the Providence Dam. The dam was built in 1838, rebuilt in 1908, and renovated in 1996. It is a great spot to watch the American Bald Eagle soar.
