This would be a short day on the water because we were only going as far as Chaffey's Lock. We were settled in at the upper side of the lock by 2 o'clock. The setting is beautiful! And the scenery we passed today was gorgeous. Lots of evergreens, lakes, rocky shorelines, little islands with cottages...and some really narrow passages!
Wayne (of Iceman) told us to get ready for a photo op as we rounded a corner. This ferry is self-operated and runs about 50 ft. across the gap to the other shore. Drive up on it and pull it across on a chain.
Pierre and Pierrette had told us about having dinner at the Opinicon Resort Hotel, which is within easy walking distance of the Chaffey's Lock. The Resort has been owned and operated by the same family since 1921 and all the food is prepared on the premises. (http://www.theopiniconresorthotel.com/index.html) Reservations can be made at the Opinicon General Store for the five course, fixed price evening meal. We scheduled a dinner for four at 6 and then walked around the area.
We walked to the Cedars Art Studio and talked with the artist, Eleanor Pinsonneault. She, her husband, and her dog live in the house that she was born in and she paints in a studio area attached to the back. It's a lovely little studio. Eleanor works in acrylic, oils, and pastels...and her work varies in style (www.eleanorpinsonneault.com). She had both originals and prints for sale, in addition to note cards. I was tempted to buy a print...but as is often the case, I decided, instead, to try and duplicate the style in a watercolor.
The water at Chaffey's was so clear you could see clearly the rocks, weeds, and fish. A family of three came and swam for a while that afternoon by the boat. The water temperature is 78 degrees, by our measure. Still a little chilly for me!
Dinner at the Opinicon that evening was a real treat. Soup (tomato, mushroom, barley), salad (various options at a salad cart), appetizer (fried pickerel), entree, dessert (many choices on both) and a variety of non-alcoholic beverages. Our table had entrees of prime rib, Cornish game hen, and omelet...and everyone praised the meal. The total per couple, without tip, was around $35. We waited outside on the porch before the meal...
Friday, July 8 - We left Chaffey's at 9 AM not really knowing where we'd end up that evening. To go all the way to Kingston would mean doing 35 miles and 13 locks.
We got to Jones Falls and had half an hour to wait before the lock could take us. That was fine because we got a chance to see the blacksmith shop. We picked out a bottle opener to purchase and Iceman's Wayne wanted one, too, so the blacksmith made him one while we watched. That was neat!
When we got to go into the locks they really packed us in. Four larger boats and one smaller one in the middle!
The landscapes today were beautiful, just like yesterday...
And lest you think we don't have road signs up here for the twists and turns in the channel...
Karen and Wayne on Iceman were going to Upper Brewers for the night, so we went that far with them and said our goodbyes.
We got down to Kingston Mills Lock at around 4 PM and saw four boats waiting to lock through. As it turned out, we were going to have a 2 hour wait, most likely, to get into the lock...and then the time it would take to go through 4 locks... 45 min. to an hour.
We decided to shut it down for the night and stay at the upper side of the lock. The weather was calm and (except for the occasional nearby train) it was a quiet site. We'll lock through in the morning.
Saturday, July 12 - Well...we locked through the 4 locks at Kingston Mills, waited 45 minutes for the bridge at Kingston to open, and traveled a total of 65 miles to get to Belleville. We entered the locks at 9 AM and got to our slip at 5:30 PM.
It was a pretty drowsy day on the water, actually. We weren't close enough to shore to look at houses...the weather was gorgeous so we weren't spending time worrying or wringing our hands...We've been known to turn on XM Radio up on the bridge and listening to rock as we go, but we didn't go that far today. We talked about our plans for the Trent-Severn and Georgian Bay. Read up on some places to see. Finally got Lucy up on the bridge to keep us entertained. (Lucy usually heads for our bedroom when we start the engines in the morning and she sleeps there until we settle in for the day.) Today she slept on my lap!
We're staying the week in Belleville, hopefully to have some canvas work done. On coming into our marina we were helped by Bill and Catherine on Seaero. They live in Belleville and Seaero is docked next to our boat while they have some engine work done. They came over for a visit after we got settled and we took several pages of notes on places they've enjoyed on the Trent-Severn. Monday we'll pick up a rental car for the week and set about getting our "house" in order!
1 comment:
Westport was one of my favorite stops last year when we did the Rideau. I loved the fresh quiche pastries from the bakery. Wish I had some now. Safe cruising and you will love the Georgian bay. Clayton is a must if you haven't already stopped there or passes it on the New York side. Pier 225 marina is the best. Mike is a real sweet host and makes you feel at home. Best wi-fi I have seen yet.
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