Lock It Thru ...

Here, have a look-see at the Meldahl Lock & Dam at 2443 U.S. Route 52 near Chilo, Ohio. It, like many web sites, is under construction. When I was a child - well, for that matter, in the recent past, one could go to places like Meldahl Dam, climb a metal staircase, and watch American Engineering at work. Crafts from small pleasure boats to large sets of barges would lock in, drop down 50 feet or so (don't quote me on that number), and then cruise on out on their way downstream, headed for Cincinnati and on to the next dam in Indiana. Oops, yep, some boats would lock in and get raised up for the other direction, heading upstream towards Eastern Kentucky, West by-god Virginia, or even Pittsburgh PA! We - people - would occasionally bring picnic baskets and enjoy themselves in a variety of ways on the grounds surrounding the dam and locks. It was sort of an afternoon day-trip thing. Now, it's been 9/11 homeland securitized. When I was there, it was myself, a ho-hum biker with his lady, They were in a shelter having some kind of heart-to-heart. A ranger from Ohio's Department of Natural Resources drove around, checking for hunting, fishing, or trapping never-do-wells. These days, the locks are under construction for maintenance and, considering I can't speak for access on the Kentucky side, this is about all one can see of the whole kit and kaboodle. Except from an airplane, balloon, drone, or balcony of the homes high up on the hillsides. Well, from different angles on the grounds you can see more but ya don't really see the fun and rewarding content. Visitors, take your binoculars and watch out for keep out signs.