Looking back on the 2015 Great Loop cruise, I admit I wasn’t looking forward to entering the Great Lakes. Surprise, right? Ms. Anxiety arranged her chocolate, swallowed her fears, and away we went on a day that was much better than the one before.
We’d gone through several locks to get to the end of the Oswego Canal and spent a night tied to a wall near a beautiful park with shade trees and lots of geese. We visited with Mike and Jana Kent on Lady J who were also going to Kingston. An entire group was waiting out the wind, hoping for good weather for the crossing into Canada.
The day came and it was actually pretty calm. Distant shorelines and islands were in view and as the day wore on. As we entered the route headed for Kingston, we found ourselves surrounded by sailboats. It was a race and as former sailboat racers we tried to creep along without creating a wake, taking sterns, and being as helpful as possible so as not to get in the way.
Whew! We finally made it past the group and into Kingston where we found a marina. We planned to stay a few days for rest and provisioning, but first had to check in with Canadian authorities. To say it was easy is an understatement. Mark went to a dock phone, gave his name and the name and number of the boat, and our planned route. They asked if Pam was with him. Surprised, he said yes. Apparently they keep visitor files and knew us from a previous trip to British Columbia.
Kingston, Ontario, is a beautiful city with a lot of history at the entrance to the Rideau Canal and St. Lawrence Seaway. We indulged in a trolley tour given in English and French. My favorite building was City Hall, very European with a huge square in front (or back). Most of the buildings in the older part of town are made of limestone and are well-preserved. A military academy and old forts are also part of the ambience of this place. I highly recommend it if you like old buildings and great history.
We stayed four days, stocked up, pigged out at a place called Chez Piggy and wandered about. When we left, it was a calm day and we found an anchorage for the night near our travel route. We were on our way to start a stunning part of the trip, the Trent-Severn Waterway. But that’s for next time.