I like the donkeys. The canal boats near Rochester have some sort of engine.
There were canals all over New York State. Their remains are identified with historical markers. Many are just ditches (hand-dug, no doubt, and for narrow barges), some don't even have water.
Going through locks is fascinating. So fare I've only traversed the Soo and Panama. Not a bad start, IMO.
We went to a regional metro park which had restored a small part of the canal, along with a mill. They offered rides for a small fee, which we took. You went upstream for about 1/3 mile, then through the lock. After being raised up, we went forward again for 1/4 mile before turning around. We went back through the lock and back to the starting dock. All the while we were given a talk about the history of the time - the mid to late 1800s.