An American treasure, the Erie Canal was opened in 1825 and soon became the nation's first superhighway allowing settlers access to rich and plentiful land resources. This illustrated stretch – from Brockport to Rochester, NY – depicts the Canal and surrounding countryside as it is in the present day. Every crossing has been carefully portrayed, right down to navigational lights underneath the bridges. And if you look really hard there's even apples on the trees!  
Note: this was my first birds-eye-view map. Designed in 2003.