Overnight at Lower Brewers

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Today we traveled approximately 20 kilometers from Jones Falls to the Lower Brewers Lockstation.

Today is also a special day because it is my grandson Levi’s 18th birthday! Happy Birthday Levi!

We called him at his parent’s home in Golden, BC & had a good chat. Nowhere nearly as good as being together but we were glad to catch up with him on this special day.

Last summer Levi & his mom & dad travelled with me on Santosha from Ottawa to Montreal. We had a great time. I hope we can have another adventure together next year.

I took the photo below of Levi last year when we stopped at the marina at the Chateau Montebello. The resort & the dinner were both very impressive!

There are 4 locks at Jones Falls. The upper one is separated from the 3 step locks by a pond/turning basin. The view from the top of the 3 step locks is impressive.

While we were passing through the locks one of the Parks Canada staff was telling me that over the next two winters all of the locks at this location will be entirely rebuilt.

Many of the stones in the lock walls are beginning to break down from age & need to be replaced. Rather than replacing individual blocks the entire lock will be rebuilt using all new stone.

This very challenging project will be further complicated by the fact that it has to be rebuilt following strict material standards in order for Parks Canada to maintain the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation.

We arrived at Lower Brewers Lockstation around 1:30 in the afternoon, had a light lunch & then a nap. After our nap Catherine & I walked over to the artisan’s shop on the other side of the canal at took at the things that he & his wife make. She focuses on painting & jewelry & he focuses on metal sculptures. They also have a very nice walking path alongside the canal with lots of interesting exhibits along the way.

Emily made dinner tonight-pasta-her specialty. Very delicious! After dinner Emily & I had a round of Backgammon while Catherine did the dishes & worked on her needlepoint. Life is good!

Tomorrow we will arrive in Kingston in mid afternoon

Cheers

2nd Night at Jones Falls

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This is one of our favorite spots on the Rideau System so we decided to spend another night here.

Boat traffic is really slowing down now. There was no one on the dock with us overnight & nobody at the nearby finger docks either.

Today was pretty laid back so I decided to do a thorough clean up of the BBQ. Now its all ready for the next round of delights. Predominantly meat, of course.

After lunch Catherine & I went for a hike over to the lower side of the locks. This took us past the Jones Falls dam & hydroelectric power station.

I’m not sure how often the power station is operated but the dam itself is very impressive, considering it was built almost 200 years ago. I haven’t come across anything about the history of the power generation plant but obviously it has not been here as long as the dam.

Most of the base of the dam is now overgrown with brush & trees but it is still very impressive especially considering that every stone was cut, transported & placed with very basic tools & equipment compared to what we have today.

We are so fortunate to have & be able to use & enjoy this entire system from Kingston to Ottawa. I hope people will still be traveling on it 200 years from now.

Cheers!

Overnight at Jones Falls

44°32′49″ N 76°14′20″ W

It rained most of last night & into the morning but the forecast said the rain would stop between 10 & 11am. We walked up to the Opinicon Ice Cream Shoppe around 9:00 & had a coffee & cinnamon bun while we waited for the rain to end.

We left Chaffeys around 11 & our trip to Jones Falls was only a little over an hour, including passing through Davis Lock.

By the time we arrived at Jone Falls the rain had pretty much stopped & the sun was starting to find its way through the clouds. It even got warm enough for Catherine & Emily to have a swim off the back of the boat. I stayed on shore & acted as their lifeguard.

After the swim Catherine & I went for a little hike around the lock site while Emily had a nap.

This is one of our favorite spots on the Rideau System so we will probably spend another night here before moving on.

Tonight’s dinner menu is BBQ chicken with BBQ’d red peppers & roasted potatoes & onions.

Cheers!

2nd Overnight at Chaffeys Lock

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Today was a quiet day for us. We had decided to stay another night here because we had a very nice spot & there were more places to explore within easy walking distance.

Today is also a special day because it’s my granddaughter Zoe’s 14th birthday. Happy Birthday Zoe! Here’s hoping you have a great day today & an awesome year ahead!

Catherine & I & Emily all had had a good chat on the phone with Zoe to give her our best wishes.

We started our morning today by heading up to the Opinicon’s Ice Cream Shoppe for a coffee & a cinnamon bun. Very tasty!

After our breakfast treat we spent some time reading the newspaper & tidying up the boat.

This afternoon Catherine & I went in a walking tour of the Chaffeys Lock area by following a small guide pamphlet prepared & printed by the local historical society. The route included a short section of the Cataraqui Trail – a former railway route that goes 104 kilometers from Napanee to Smiths Falls.

The short section of trail we walked on included a railroad bridge that was converted to accommodate hikers & bicycles as well as cross country skiing & snowmobiles in the winter.

At the middle of the bridge there is a bicycle pump for travelers to use & a “guest book” set up by the friendly Troll who lives near the bridge.

We concluded our walking tour by visiting the local historical museum set up & operated by the local historical society. Then back to the boat for a well-deserved rest before dinner.

Tonight we were back at the Ice Cream Shoppe for sandwiches, salad & ice cream!

Catherine & Emily also made use of the entertainment resources available for patrons.

Ice cream time for me – butter pecan tonight 🙂 Sorry Chris, no rum & rasin on the menu. Maybe tomorrow.

Cheers!

Overnight at Chaffeys Lock

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We were up with the sunrise this morning – or at least Catherine & I were – Emily was still taking in the last few minutes of sleep before we cast off.

Our trip to Chaffeys was only an hour but I wanted to get there early because it is a popular spot on the Rideau System & docking spaces can go quickly.

We were lucky & got a really nice spot on the wall on the lower level of the lock. In fact, it was the same spot where I had docked with my friend Glenn Webber a few weeks ago. Sure enough, within an hour of our arrival all of the available docking spaces were taken.

We were docked right beside a small creek that is a bypass channel for the lock.

There is an old mill on the creek that has been converted to an artist’s galley. Lots of very nice paintings inside but too pricey for us! I’ll settle for the 2 images below.

I’ll call this one below “Lady Relaxing in the Shade with Sudoku”

Catherine & I wandered up to the local convenience store & picked up some cookies & a bottle of rum – all the essentials for a comfortable cruise. On our way to the store we passed by a very nicely carved Celtic cross that was erected by the local historical society in honour of the Irish immigrants who worked on building the canals & locks in this area in the early 1800’s.

We went up to the Opinicon Lodge for supper at the bar & then headed over to the their Ice Cream Shoppe to have an ice cream cone for dessert. It’s the deal of the century – a “kiddie” cone for $2.00 with a scoop of ice cream that’s as big as your fist!

The Opinicon is truly a gem of a place. The original lodge & associated buildings have been beautifully restored inside & out with very careful attention to detail & the landscaping around the property is amazing.

We plan to spend another day at Chaffeys so I think we will go back for more ice cream again tomorrow!

Cheers!