Fun in Canada

"Don't be in such a hurry to reach the view that you miss the beauty along the way." -Unknown

The grands had never been to Canada so one day we drove over to do a little exploring. We drove through Rockport (just so everyone could say they’d been to another Rockport) and then stopped at a little rocky beach. The kids got a little wet so our next adventure was finding some dry clothes. We drove over to Brockville to a larger, very nice Walmart. Nothing like going to another country just to spend time at Walmart. 

After the shopping detour we walked through Brockville Railway Tunnel. The tunnel runs under the downtown core of Brockville. It was built between 1854 and 1860 to allow the fledgling Brockville and Ottawa Railway to connect the Brockville industrial waterfront area to the outlying areas lying between the St Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. It was Canada's first railroad tunnel. Today it is part of the Brock Trail recreational pathway. Complete with LED light show and music. The 1/3 mile walk gives history of the tunnel and a chance to see the mineral formations.

From Brockville we headed west to the Arbru Solar Brew Pub for lunch. It was such a beautiful day so we sat outside and had a great time. After lunch we headed to Gananoque to do a little more exploring and shopping. We came ashore here in 2018 when we spent a few weeks in the 1000 Islands on The Pearl. 

Brockville Railway Tunnel

The tunnel was designed to leak. Allowing water to permeate the stone walls prevents the buildup of hydrostatic pressure that could cause the walls to collapse. This continuous flow of water has caused the beautiful mineral deposits that are seen throughout the tunnel. 

The south end of the tunnel comes out in a park along the St. Lawrence River.

Lunch at the Arbru Brewery.

Gananoque Courthouse 

The Gananoque River runs through part of the town.

Dessert at the MJ Baker's Dozen.

Fun in town.

Our second trip into Canada was on the boat…we didn’t stop anywhere so we didn’t need to check into customs. It wasn’t the nicest day but we wanted to take the kids around some of the beautiful islands and through the International Rift. It’s a narrow deep cut that separates the Canadian Hill Island from the US Wellesley Island. The International Rift Bridge crosses at this point. The water is coke bottle green and so clear you can see the bottom even in the deepest spots.

The small International Rift Bridge. It is one of three bridges that make up the Thousand Islands International Bridge System.

Going under the bridge.

The United States on the left and Canada on the right.

Looking back at the rift.

The kids have one leg in Canada and one in the USA.

Riding through some of the pretty islands.

Just one of the many tankers we show during our stay. The kids loved seeing them.