Rideau Canal

On Wednesday we said good-bye to Ottawa.  It was time to move on.  The waterway we are traveling is the Rideau Canal, all 125 miles of it.  The Rideau connects Ottawa to Kingston, Ontario.  There are 44 locks, the first 8 being the stair step locks that took us up to Ottawa.  The locks are all hand operated much as they were when the canal was built in 1832.

To open this bridge so we could enter the lock this young man is walking around in circles pushing an iron handle that opens the bridge.  Unbelievable!

Our first stop was Hurst Marina.  I needed to do laundry, we needed water and Ken was hoping to find a service department at the marina that would have the adhesive he needed to fix the dinghy.  One of the pontoons had pulled away and needed to be glued!  SCORE!  The marina had what he needed, pulled the dinghy out of the water for him and he spent the afternoon with glue while I spent the afternoon in the laundry room.  See folks it is not all fun and games on the Loop!  We left the next morning headed for Merrickville.  Our buddy boat, Jackets II had gone ahead when we stopped at the marina.  The weather was perfect and the sights along the way remind us of MN.

Parks Canada that maintains the locks does a wonderful job.  The staff is so helpful and pleasant and the locks clean and beautiful.

More than one house along the canal has a float plane parked at their dock rather or in addition to a boat.  This house had two!

We arrived in Merrickville to find Jackets II docked.  Nice to catch up with them.  We wandered the town and had a wonderful dinner at Elements Bistro.  On our way back to the boat we found these kids jumping off the lock walls into the basin.  If only I had my suit on I might have joined them.  It looked so fun!

We walked around taking more photos before heading back to the boat.  And...of course the sunset!  Enjoy!

Smith Falls was our destination today.  The trip here was beautiful and now we have loons!!  I heard them first and saw mama and her two babies!  We are parked at a wall by the lock.  The weather is hot but there are picnic tables under the trees in the shade where we will have our dinner tonight.  After a walk around the town to check out the sites we pulled out all the charts to see how far we have to go before we are home.  We need to map out our schedule in pencil at least as I have a LOA from work that will expire in August.  Reality is about to hit!  Our goal is to complete the loop and if I have to find Ken a fill in first mate to take the boat back up the Mississippi that will be the plan.  In less than 60 days we have approximately 1300 miles left of the loop and an additional 550 miles or so back up the Mississippi.  We have wonderful places left to see before we end and we are trying to make good use of our time.  We can’t believe that it will soon be July and our journey’s end is approaching. 

We are staying here for the weekend as Sunday is Canada Day!  Everyone says the waterway will be nuts so we will stay tied up safe and sound and watch the fireworks from the boat. 

Still livin’ the dream!  Pat

P.S.   iPhone update - replacement is now in Burnsville!  Will wait until we hit the US to have it sent.  ARGH!