Overnight at Chaffeys Lock

44°34′46″ N 76°18′57″ W

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!