RIDEAU CANAL CRUISE – DAY THREE

During breakfast, we slipped from Smith Falls and headed through two locks into the Lower Rideau Lake. This was a marshy area until the canal's construction flooded it into a large lake. The original river channel is marked by buoys and the reed beds are encroaching on it. These are home to many waterfowl and birds. I saw sandhill cranes (left) and loons. Along the banks of the lake are lovely vacation homes with boathouses and docks.

The Kawartha Voyageur continued south down a stretch called Rideau Ferry that opens out into Big Rideau Lake, which is huge and is the height of land at an elevation of 408 feet above sea level. After this the stream flows south to the St. Lawrence. This is the deepest section of the canal at 300 feet and is 20 miles long with 300 islands dotted all over the place. Here the wind broke up the clouds and the sun shone. It air temp quickly warmed up.

In the middle a road crosses the lake at The Narrows and we pass through a lock and the swing bridge moves away to allow us passage into the rest of the lake. The captain brought the boat alongside a short dock here to examine the port screw. It was fouled with burlap and he donned a dry suit and goggles. Within half an hour the debris was cleared and he warmed up with fresh-baked cookies— the water temp in early June is very cold.

             

At the far end of the lake we came alongside at Westport for the night. This small town grew out of the commerce of the late 1800s and early 1900s, but now is caters to tourists from boats and cars. It's most attractive, with some good stores, a museum, and a nice inn on the water. But it's best feature is a lovely waterfront.

After dinner the winner of the ETA contest was announced and it was the closest guess to the captain's estimate. I was thirty minutes over!! Never win anything! After dinner Ontario Waterway Cruises brought in a naturalist to talk about the wildlife we have seen and are likely to see. Bond Strand was graphic!!

IMAGES: © Photos by Pharos 2014. All rights reserved.

JONES FALLS IN THE RIDEAU LAKES DISTRICT

Travelers must be alert to serendipity on the road. It happened to me when our lunch plans failed in Gananoque on the St. Lawrence River in the heart of the Thousand Islands. The restaurant we had chosen was closed for a private function and the only alternative was pub food, which we'd eaten too much in previous days on our vacation.

Upper lock and turning basin
from Kenney's Hotel

Nothing for it but drive about 50 kms north to Jones Falls, a place I'd never been to on the Rideau Lakes. Parks Canada operates this long canal/river linking lakes and locks that was designated a "Canadian Heritage River" in 2000 and a UN Heritage site in 2007. (More info here.)

The waterway runs from Ottawa to Kingston and visitors can take a choice of cruises of several days to enjoy the whole waterway. I've been wanting to do this for a while, but this time had to visit by road. I'm now determined to book two or three cruises back to back next year.

Jones Falls's locks, a staircase of four, were built in 1830 during the canal's construction and soon a hotel was built close by. The locks proved to be one of the greatest challenges for the builders who had to deal with a drop of 60 feet in the river. They have the second highest lock gates in the world and are still operated manually. Beside them, sits an old storehouse of local stone (now an interpretive centre open in the summer) and the lockmaster's house and a smithy further up river. It is picturesque and considered one of the most beautiful in the system.


Hotel Kenney followed soon after the locks were completed and it was here we headed for lunch.  It first opened in 1849, burned down, was rebuilt in 1877, and added to in 1888. Today it hasn't changed much since the later date, except for A/C throughout and modern bathrooms. The floors slope a bit and the boards creak as you walk through the public rooms into the restaurant. The smell is one of old wood.

Sitting at a window table watching the pleasure craft and kayaks sailing in and out of the lowest lock, I could easily imagine the older, gentler time. Ladies in long summer dresses, big hats, and carrying parasols would walk the lawns on the river's edge and enjoy afternoon tea at tables under the trees. US presidents have stayed here and Princess Juliana used to visit when she was living in Ottawa during WW2. The bar looks original, all wood, and offers a good choice of ale.

The three-course, prix fixe lunch in Hotel Kenney's restaurant overlooking the locks was all home-cooked and delicious. The menu is not haute cuisine, but reminiscent of earlier country-style dishes. It's hearty, tasty, and very reasonably priced. I had a bowl of turkey stew and my husband, fish and chips with all the trimmings that he devoured. Breakfast and dinner are also available for hotel guests and visitors.

We walked across Long Bridge to the locks to shake down our meal as the sky was darkening and warning us of a stormy late afternoon. So we drove back to Ottawa to continue our visits with family, well satisfied with the exploration and our future plan to cruise the whole system with Ontario Waterway Cruises.

Looking downriver from the locks

ALL IMAGES: © Photos by Pharos 2013. All rights reserved