Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Day 88...Kingston, Ontario

MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2012
     We decided to stay here one more day since the weather was rainy yesterday and we did not have a chance to see anything of Kingston.  Kingston is a city with a population of  approximately 159,500.  Everyone we have dealt with has been very friendly and helpful.  We really like this city.  We waited around until 8:00 a.m. and then went walking around looking for breakfast.  Gary says I will have to cook while we are going through the Canadian canals so he’s going to feed me while we’re here.  We found a bakery called Pan Chancho Bakery on Princess Street.  We bought a huge (The quarter and the loonie are by the bun so you can see how enormous it is.) lemon drizzled cinnamon bun and some cut-up fruit.  Everything looked and smelled wonderful. 
     After we ate breakfast, we walked around town.  We took pictures of the Kingston Town Hall that was built between 1841 and 1845.  In the park between the Town Hall and the water is the Confederation Arch and Fountain that was built in 1967 to symbolize Canada as one nation from sea to sea.  
     Confederation Park stands on former railroad yards, where the K & P Railroad Station was built in 1888 and now houses the Visitor Information Center.  In front of the center is a 3D chalk drawing of Toronto that a well-known chalk artist named Chalkmaster Dave drew on June23rd.  Gary is supposed to stand there and look down over the side of the building (according to the man from the visitor center).  

     The Spirit of Sir John A., a restored steam engine from 1912, is located nearby.  It was all fenced off because they are restoring it again.  Gary found another one nearby. 
      By that time the bank was open.  We changed some US money into Canadian money and made 25 cents on the deal.  The teller was very friendly.  Mama would have enjoyed working with her.  We got loonies ($1.00 coins on the left) to wash clothes and toonies ($2.00 coins on the right) to bring home for the grandkids plus some bills.
     We walked the tree-lined streets enjoying looking all the neat stores' windows.  We also took pictures of Saint George's Cathedral.  It was built in 1826 and enlarged in 1891.





  














 
          Here are a few pictures of Confederation Marina.  The only problem is having to watch your step on the dock and dodge the duck poopie.

     Gary took a picture of Fort Henry over the bulkhead.  It is a living museum of military life in the 1800's.  There is also a Shoal Tower at the marina.  It is one of four towers for cannons that were built between 1843 and 1845 to protect the harbor and entrance to the Rideau Canal system against any hostile vessels.  Gary said the walls of the tower are 12 feet thick.
     More clouds and rain again today, but look at what we saw later.  The rainbow was so huge we couldn't take one picture of the entire rainbow.  We saw the complete arch and even the reflection in the water.  It made almost an entire circle.  These pictures do not do it justice at all.


  
          We went to town and ate at a Mom and Pop restaurant on a little side street.  We had one of the better meals we've had since we left home.  The restaurant was called Right Spot Restaurant.  Penelope and her husband Gus run the place.  She said she's been cooking for 53 years and that she came over from Greece when she was 17 years old.  She and Gus have been married 48 years, they have two sons and one 5 1/2 year old grandson.  She reminded me of Gary's grandma.  She sure could cook.
     We went back a little after dark and took some pictures of some of the places we had taken pictures of during the day.  They must have put the lights in the dock because they knew I need all the help I can get.  The green and red lights on either side of the bathroom door were a cute way to show boaters where to go.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Day 87...Oswego, NY to Kingston, Ontario, Canada

SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012
      Yesterday we started researching the weather.  It looks like the weather will be getting worse Monday and not getting better for about a week so we better go today.  We found ourselves waiting at the Oswego, New York Lock 8 wall last night with two boats we had met before, BETTY L. and JOY RIDE.  It was nice talking to them about boat stuff.  This picture is of JOY RIDE and TRAVELLER at the wall before the others arrived.
     We started out headed to Lock 8(10 feet, rope and cable) with four other boats at 7:00 a.m.  This was the most boats we had ever locked through with.  There were five boats in all.  Three were over 40 feet, one about 38 feet and us at 30 feet.  We were in the lock from 7:05 a.m. until 7:25 a.m.  The lock operator Perry was very nice.  On the way out the channel, we passed a nice lighthouse.  It was a great ending to the USA for a while.
        We really rolled out in Lake Ontario.  We were going to travel north about 50 miles in this deep lake for about the same time as we did when we went to the Bahamas.  I was going to catch up on the blog on the way.  Hah!!  I ended up holding on again like I did when we went around New Jersey.  No time for anything else.  Gary had the bright idea to take a picture out of the front windows so you can see how tilted the boat was during one of those really rolling waves.  The foot is bracing so I don't fall in the floor.
     It was easier later when the wind clocked around from northwest to west to southwest to make the waves come more from the stern.  The first Canadian land we saw was Duck Island (on the left) and Yorkshire Island (on the right).  Gary set a course across the lake to come out at a green marker called K9.  Here it is.  Gary was right on course.
     We traveled up the Saint Lawrence River on the way to our marina at the mouth of the Cataraqui River.  We tied up in H47 at the Flora MacDonald Confederation Basin Marina in Kingston, Ontario at 3:45 p.m.  Look who was there to greet us.  We traveled 58 miles in 8 hours and 45 minutes.  We have traveled a total of 1724 miles so far.
     The captain of the boat has to go in alone and clear Customs.  It only took him about 5 minutes.  He was disappointed that they didn't even ask him for our passport numbers.  After he checked us into the marina, it started to rain on and off the rest of the day and night.  We will take more pictures of the marina and Kingston tomorrow.  Here is a picture out of our stern door.
      I guess you can tell we have Internet.  I will do what I can while we're here because I don't know when I'll be able to publish again.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Canada

Hi everyone!  It's Allison.  Mama called to let us know that they are now in Canada, safe and sound.
Keep an eye out for more posts once they get back to the states.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Days 84-86...Rome, NY to Oswego. New York


PLANS HAVE CHANGED.  OUR  WEATHER WINDOW HAS NARROWED DRAMATICALLY.  WE EITHER HAVE TO GO TO CANADA TOMORROW OR STAY HERE IN OSWEGO,    N. Y.  FOR AT LEAST A WEEK BECAUSE OF CONDITIONS ON LAKE ONTARIO
THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012
     OK, we finished our tour of Fort Stanwix and went to go to Sylvan Beach, our destination for the night.  We saw a car show.




FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2012
    Crossed Lake Oneida.  Got to Phoenix, New York.  They had their Strawberry Festival.  It was fun.  There were fireworks.




SATURDAY,  JUNE 23, 2012
     Checked the weather once again.  It's go now or stay at least a week here.  We decided to go for it.  


WE WILL BE OUT OF TOUCH FOR AT LEAST 3 WEEKS.  IF I CAN FIND A LIBRARY WITH SERVICE, I WILL WRITE A QUICK NOTE, BUT I WILL CONTINUE TO WRITE THE BLOG WHILE WE'RE GONE AND POST WHEN WE GET BACK.  DO NOT EXPECT TO HEAR FROM US FOR AT LEAST 3 WEEKS.