Horse-drawn canal boat taking passengers on ride through time
Leave the hectic pace of the modern world for a while and take a trip to the Monticello III horse-drawn canal boat and Historic Roscoe Village in Coshocton, Ohio. The canal boat rides officially open for the summer season on Memorial Day weekend.
Visitors to Coshocton will see why Midwest Living magazine has once again named Coshocton ‘One of the 100 top towns to visit.’ Families will enjoy an affordable getaway to the restored 1800s canal era town and appreciate the relaxed atmosphere, safety and friendliness of a small town.
The kids (young and old) will love meeting Rock and Fred and Jasper and Bill, the huge Percheron draft horse teams that pull the canal boat along an original section of the Ohio and Erie Canal. Deb Desmarais is the hoggee who drives the horses as they pull the canal boat filled with travelers. She explained that the Percheron horses are known to walk a little faster and be a little more animated than other draft horses. “We are very careful with the horses,” she said. “We try to rotate the teams so that they have no more than five canal boat runs each day. We make sure they get plenty of water and rest between runs.”
Desmarais said the horses really don’t have to work that hard to pull the canal boat through the water. “The only time they have to pull very hard is when we first start out and when we turn around at the basin,” she explained, “or if there is a strong wind.” She said that guests like to visit with the horses after the canal boat ride. “They also enjoy seeing all the wildlife along the water’s edge,” she said, “such as deer, muskrats, turtles, eagles, great blue herons and even snakes. The ducks will wait until the boat gets close to them and then fly off.”
Travelers on the 45-minute canal boat ride will also be entertained by the canal boat captain, as he explains 1800s life on the canal. Visitors will hear tall tales and a lot of history told in first person so they will feel like they’ve actually glided right into the 1830s, and might even get to assist the helmsman in steering the canal boat.
No visit to Coshocton and the canal boat is complete without a visit to Historic Roscoe Village. Restoration efforts of this 1800s village began 40 years ago, and it is now home to delightful shops, restaurants and tours of the historic buildings. On the canal town journey tour, visitors interact with traditional artisans, meet an 1800s doctor and participate in an old-fashioned one-room school lesson.
The Monticello III canal boat is located at 23253 state Route 83 north, Coshocton, Ohio. Hours are daily (except Mondays) Memorial Day weekend through August 24, Tuesday through Thursday, from 1-3 p.m., and Friday through Sunday, from 1-5 p.m. The boat departs on the hour, with weekend runs in September and October. Costs are $4 for youth, ages 5-12, and $7 for adults. For more information on the Monticello III canal boat, go to www.coshoctonlakepark.com or call 740-622-7528.
The Historic Roscoe Village Visitor Center is located at 600 N. Whitewoman St. For more information and tour hours and costs, call 800-877-1830 or visit www.roscoevillage.com. The shops and restaurants in Roscoe Village are open seven days a week. For shopping and dining information in Historic Roscoe Village, visit www.historicroscoevillage.com.
For additional information about Coshocton’s lodging, dining and other attractions, including four wineries, Unusual Junction, Pearl Valley Cheese, hunting, golf courses and nearby Amish Country and Longaberger Baskets, call 800-338-4274. Visit Coshocton on the Web at www.visitcoshocton.com, then visit in person.
