LaSalle Canal Boat

My husband is an I&M Canal buff so I agreed to make the trip to check out the canal boat ride. After the trip I became a fan too! The ride itself is so relaxing as you are cruising down the canal looking at nature and listening to the narration of the history of the canal. The staff are so knowledgeable and friendly.
We made our second trip this past weekend participating in a «caravan» to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor, which was so well done.
Don’t forget to stop into the Visitors Center for a lovely meal. Worth the trip off the beaten path!

Well, this was different! How often can you say that you’ve been on a boat that was being pulled by a mule up/​down the river… er… canal? It’s a short ride, but includes some interesting historical stories and some beautiful scenery. It was also interesting to see what these guys have to do when the boat gets stuck. (We went on a windy day and this will occasionally happen.) I believe we had Moe the Mule on the day we went as it was Larry’s day off. Thanks, Moe!

Drum roll … my 500^th review. We took a road trip to check out the canal boat and of course, the mules. I happen to love mules with a purple passion, so this trip was extra special for me.
We have Abe Lincoln to thank for the I&M canal and lock system. He managed to convince the Federal Legislature it was essential to opening up trade between Chicago and the West. I guess he did this while managing to hunt and kill vampires as well.
The trip lasts about 90 minutes and is a leisurely float in a boat pulled by a mule. The mule (Larry) is very well cared for and his work is actually an easy stroll for him. The guides are quite good. It is lead in part by Mary Todd Lincoln. Lots of information is provided in a very palatable format. The guides are in period costumes, but they are not obsessive about staying in character like many reenactors are. The atmosphere is quite festive and yet one picks up a great deal of information. For example, I found out that Wild Bill Hickok started out on this very canal as a mule tender. We are big Hickok fans and even visited his grave up in Deadwood. It was so cool to imagine him as a young man, strolling the same path we took. It makes history come alive.
The scenery is wonderful. We saw scads of Great Blue Herons. It was just a perfect day. Ok, so it isn’t a Caribbean cruise, but it is just fine in it’s own «Small Town America» way. We will absolutely be back.
By the way, they do allow «canine passengers», so if you have a well behaved pooch, they are welcome to ride the old canal as well.

I love the dinner/​lectures at the Lock 16 Visitor Center and every so often, it includes a trip on the canal in one of the boats.
You can also do a trip from one of these boats without attending the dinner lecture. I think that might be the way to do. You amble slowly down the canal and then back, hearing the history and seeing the mules.
But as part of the dinner/​lecture series you also are trying to balance dinner in your lap and get back and forth from the buffet line. Neither of these activities match as well with a slow moving boat as you might think. The area is a little too small. Plus these dinner lectures start at dusk which is when Illinois’ state bird, aka mosquitoes make their appearance. So now you are holding food, walking between between and swatting these unwelcome buzzing dinner companions.
The lectures that they give are great and the people helping with the boat are very much into the spirit of the times. I have heard interesting stories on the boat but sometimes as the sun falls, it gets chilly on the boats!
Visit the boats during the day and if you want to eat, do it before or after.
I love the boat and I love the dinner/​lecture series, I just don’t love them together.

If someone would have told me that one day I would be in a boat pulled down the I&M Canal by a mule, I would have not believed it. But this is exactly what I did recently.
The LaSalle Canal Boat is a re-​creation of the mule-​pulled boats that originally coasted down the Illinois & Michigan Canal in the late 1800’s. The staff is dressed in period costumes, and they regale you with stories to make you believe you have been transported back in time.
You start your journey by picking up your ticket at the Lock 16 Visitior Center. This establishment is part restaurant, part gift shop, and part museum, and a great place to stop at the restrooms before getting to the boat. The building is a restored historically-​significant building, and they did an amazing job with the restoration.
Next, you drive over the bridge and take a right into a parking lot. There, you will be able to see the mule (Larry) that will be pulling the canal boat, as well as the retired mule (Mo) that used to switch off with Larry. They are lifetime mates, so after pulling the boat, they are reunited in their pen. There is a third penmate, Curly the goat, who hangs out with the two mules.
After that, there is a little «Mule Tending 101» class before boarding the boat. You will learn everything you ever wanted to know about mules, and there is a chance to ask questions.
After boarding, the boat starts off with the motor until the bridge is passed, then the Larry takes over to pull the boat. It is at this time that you are free to walk around the boat and go upstairs for a better view. Please note that is completely humane to the mule. The load is equivalent to a man pulling 100 pounds. If for some reason the mule would not want to pull, the staff can easily pull the boat along.
At the turn-​around point, Larry takes a break before we go back to the dock. The whole journey takes a little over an hour.
A great experience for young and old… a nice way to learn a bit about how life was long ago.
As of this review, there are 3 rides each Tuesday — Saturday at 10:30 am, 1 pm, and 2:30 pm. According to the website, the boat will run this season through Nov 8, 2010. The next few weeks will be a good time to go and catch some fall color. Ticket prices are $ 13 for adults, $ 11 for seniors, and $ 7 for ages 3 – 16. Kids under 3 are free.
FYI: I AM AN ANIMAL LOVER! The mules appear to be well-​loved and seem to enjoy all of the human attention that they are getting.