That’s Lisa below, the photo taken at work at the Liz & Dave Beebe Camillus Erie Canal Park.

Below, Lisa on Emita II with Captains Dan Wiles, Steve Wunder, Duane Morton, and Ben Horne on the first day of the voyage to take the Erie Canal tour boat to her new home on Lake Michigan, and me at the lock in Palmyra while crewing on the 1953 Emita. Click here for the blog kept by the crew as they made their way across the western section of the Erie Canal and three Great Lakes back in spring 2018. Read through the dozen and half entries in the blog along the voyage.

In response to the questions posed to all the Erie Canal fans in this series series, Lisa offered these thoughts:

“I’ve always loved this era of history but definitely meeting and marrying my husband, Dan Wiles, and working with him on the tour boat the Emita II reignited my interest in Canals. For the past 4 1/2 years I’ve been the Director of the Liz & Dave Beebe Camillus Erie Canal Park in the Syracuse area.

I love the historic as well as current Erie Canal, but my favorite section of the canal system is the Cayuga-Seneca Canal between the Erie Canal and the harbor in Seneca Falls. It’s such a beautiful area!

I wish more people knew the current canal system is alive and well. Sections of the historic Erie Canal are doing a lot to promote education and tourism, including the Port Byron Old Erie Canal Heritage Park, the Erie Canal Museum, Lockport & of course, my park in Camillus. Come visit all of us! You won’t regret it!”

Many thanks to Lisa for sending along her thoughts. I could not agree more.

The last photo here shows Lisa at lock 29 in Palmyra while crewing on Emita II.

Dispatches is always looking for participants in the “Faces and Voices” series, as well as another other correspondents. Also, keep in mind the fall study tour coming up Tuesday and Wednesday, September 29/30. Stay tuned to this blog for registration and additional materials, but reach out to Craig asap to ensure a seat! These study tours sell out.