Side Trip to Canada by car

Side Trip to Canada
Last night at 4:30 pm, we arrived in the charming historic community of Sackets Harbor, NY  located on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. Settled in 1801 by Augustus Sacket, the area became a major staging base for American military operations on the Great Lakes.  There were six forts built around the harbor:  Pike, Stark, Chauncey, Virginia, Kentucky, and Thompkins.  During the War of 1812, it was the most active naval base in US with two important battles fought here.  The US and British were involved in shipbuilding in order to fight for control of Lake Ontario.  In the end the two navies never met in a major battle on this lake.  After the War of 1812, Sackets Harbor became a permanent army post and key to the country’s northern defense.
Dream Chaser's dockage was at Madison Barracks Marina, a 15 minute walk east of town.  After the War of 1812, Madison Barracks was built as a planned $85,000 military post and considered an important post in the nation’s defenses. It was expanded multiple times. It has played an important role in all our nation’s wars from 1812 to WW II.  Sections of the earlier limestone barracks, known as Stone’s Row, still stand, and the area is now privately owned and being renovated.
Beginning in 2012 and continuing through 2015, Sackets Harbor has joined the nation in the commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812. This is the weekend for the annual re-enactment at the Battlefield State Historic Site.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Our morning began sunny and warm.  Even though the humidity had dropped, we left the air conditioning on in Dream Chaser because this afternoon, the coolness will be welcoming.

At 9:45 am, we walked to
Sackets Harbor and joined
the crowd gathering for the
festivities. On our way, we
passed a burial grounds in
honor of the US soldiers
who died serving their country
during 1812-1818. Also, we
pass this beautiful pot of
flowers growing off the
back of a mailbox.
Beautiful!

The building, above, is Sacket's Mansion, built by Augustus Sacket in the early 1800's.  Sacket was founder and developer of the settlement and organized an artillery company which aided the US in the War of 1812.  During the war, the mansion was used as a hospital for injured soldiers and sailors, and it is now the town's visitors center.
Today is the final day of the Annual War of 1812 Living History Weekend.  Re-enactors from the US and Canada have gathered at the battlefield for a tactical weapons display.  Encampment tents were set up in an area overlooking Lake Ontario and participants were in historical dress.

The seamstress had her own tent in the encampment.

About 10 am, the cannons began firing down on the symbolic British sailing ship on Lake Ontario and the ship responded in turn.
About 11 am, we witnessed the re-enactment of a skirmish on the battlefield between British and their foe...the US.

By 1 pm, we had returned to Dream Chaser, finished lunch, and pulled the boat lines for departure to Oswego, NY, our destination for tonight.
Under sunny skies, Dream Chaser motored five hours across Lake Ontario with waves less than a foot high and 5 mph winds.  Perfect conditions for crossing the BIG water. This will be our last crossing of Lake Ontario on this trip, but we will venture into the lake again next summer.  During the first hour, we shared the lake with several sailboats, but soon we were alone with no land in sight.

At 5:30 pm, we exited Lake Ontario, passed through the first lock, and tied up on the canal wall in the town of Oswego.   Oswego was built on the ruins of three 18th century forts and on the site where several battles took place during the French and Indian War and the Battle of 1812.  Although the weather was threatening, we took a walk along the canal and read the plaques which told some of the story of Oswego.
The town of Oswego flourished in the 1800's and many mills were built in this location.  There was a Cotton Mill and also a Shade Cloth Factory which were powered by water from the canal.  During WWII,  the factory produced blackout cloth for windows to reduce detection by enemy bombers in Great Britain.
While we ate our dinner aboard Dream Chaser, we enjoyed the rushing roar of the rapids which parallels the canal.
Tonight the air feels like Fall, cooling down into the 60’s.

Monday, August 4, 2014

By 9:30 am, Dream Chaser was on the move, had entered Lock 7 on the Oswego Canal, and was waiting for the 14.2 lift.  We are retracing our path back to Brewerton, NY.  We have 4 hours of travel today, and it is a gorgeous morning!  Not much traffic on the canal today.
By 2 pm, Dream Chaser had slipped into her dockage and was securely tied. 

Tuesday, August 5, 2014
We hopped in the rental car and headed to Clayton, NY.  We are exploring by car for a few days!

At 11:30 am, lunchtime found us at Bella's in Clayton.  Our table, on the outdoor patio, was next to the St Lawrence River.  Gorgeous spot, Great Food, Perfect Weather!  Highly recommended!

Our main destination was the Antique Boat Museum, a freshwater nautical museum, with over 200 antique boats, inboard and outboard motor collection, over 3,000 artifacts, archival materials, boat rides, boat building, and restoration classes.  We saw some of the world's most noted racing boats. The museum has the largest collection of inland recreational boats in the world and is home to one of the longest running antique boat shows. All the boats are artifacts.  Boats tell stories about the people who used them!  This is a "Do Not Miss" experience!
In the days when wealthy, prominent families sought the fresh air and beauty of this area, grand hotels, cottages, and yacht clubs sprung up to cater to the wealthy.  Skiffs were the main mode of transportation which took the families everywhere from grocery shopping to church.  Tourists could easily rent a skiff and row to a calm island bay for an afternoon of picnicking, swimming, and relaxing.
There were interesting exhibits on people who were challenged by boating experiences.  Such as...
In 1875, Nathaniel Bishop set out to demonstrate that Eastern North America was navigable north to south in a small boat.  In a paper canoe weighing 58 lbs, he paddled and rowed from Quebec City to Cedar Keys, Florida. The picture below is a sketch of him and the alligators in Okefenokee Swamp on the Suwanee river. So glad we motored through the Everglades in our 42 ft. trawler!

The Voyage of the Kon Tiki:  Thor Heyerdahl and a crew of five set out to demonstrate that primitive people from Peru could have reached Polynesia in ancient times by floating an ancient log raft in prevailing winds and currents of the Pacific Ocean.  It took them 101 days to reach the Tuamotu Islands.

(see picture above) In 1975, artist Bas Jan Ader's goal, in "Search of the Miraculous", was to cross the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Cod to Holland, but was never heard from again.  His boat is the size of a dinghy- just over 12 ft.

In May 1982, Don Starkell and his son paddled to Belem, Brazil and the mouth of the Amazon from Winnipeg, Canada.  It took over two years to cover 12,000 miles, 13 countries, and 2 continents in 1 canoe.  His goal was to teach his son the strength of dedication and reward of self confidence.

Other interesting things we learned at the museum:
Shore lunches were popular in the Thousand Islands area.  After a morning of fishing, the fishing party would dine on their catch which had been prepared over an outdoor fire.
Rowing and paddling remained a favorite past-time on the river, even after the invention of the motor boat.
Muskellunge (some over 50 lbs) is the most prized catch and notable fish of the St Lawrence River.
Guy Lombardo, the famous band leader, loved to race fast boats.
Fishing and motor boat racing was not just a man's sport.  Most of the prominent ladies of the day were active in yacht and social clubs, but a few loved sitting behind the steering wheel of a motorboat.  Clover Boldt was a woman of sport and was known for racing speed boats.

La Duchesse, originally built for the Boldt family in 1903, is one of the boats on display and is continually being restored.  In the 1940's and 50's, La Duchess had extensive repairs and upgrades and was used as a summer home by the McNallys.  Her survival makes her special.  Our tour of this 106 ft. houseboat with a 26 ft. beam, was fascinating, and we enjoyed standing on her deck, peeking in the cabins, and learning about summer life during the Gilded Age.

The museum consists of multiple buildings and various exhibits and in-water fleet. 

This weekend is the big Antique Boat Race.
Clayton also has the Hand Weaving Museum and a restored Opera House.

We took a small ferry from Cape Vincent to Wolfe Island, the largest of the islands in Thousand Islands, where we cleared customs.  Marysville is the picturesque, little village on Wolfe Island where the line for the ferry to Kingston is several blocks long.  The Wolfe Island Bakery is a very popular stop for people, like us, who are waiting for the next ferry.  We figured that the wait for the ferry would be awhile as we watched people lock their cars and go eat at the nearby restaurant.

After 30 minutes or so, a large ferry appeared, and we were transported across the St. Lawrence River to Kingston, Ontario.

After checking into the hotel, we explored the Kingston Mills Locks Station which is the first set of locks at the south end of the Rideau Canal.  Planning the Rideau Canal began in response to the War of 1812 between Britain and the US.  We will be passing through these locks next summer when we motor in Dream Chaser through the Canadian portion of our journey.

Another view of the locks looking south.

Steve is demonstrating that the locks are manually operated through the Rideau Canal system.

The station and blockhouse was built in 1832 as a first line of defense, upstream from Ft. Henry, to guard against attack from the new republic to the south (that's us). The flight of locks, built to overcome the steep drop at Cataraqui Falls, and the small fort was built on the site of saw and grist mills for loyalist settlers.
Opened in 1832, the Rideau Canal, containing 47 locks, was financed by the British and built to provide a secure military over the 126 miles of unsettled country between Kingston and Ottawa.  Between 1826 and 1832, thousands of French Canadians and new immigrants from Ireland, Scotland and England built the locks.  They worked 14-16 hours a day, 6 days a week, and when unrest occurred, British soldiers were deployed along the canal.

What a beautiful sunset as we left the locks.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014 
At 8:45 am, we found the most popular breakfast diner for locals on Princess Street.  Peter's Place was just a crack in the wall eating spot, but the food was great and the place was packed!

Kingston, Ontario is located where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario and is one of the major sailing centers in North America.  During the War of 1812, Kingston was the base for the Lake Ontario division of the Great Lakes British naval fleet.  Kingston is one of the most historic cities in Canada many attractions.
One of the most popular spots for visitors in Kingston is Canada's Penitentiary Museum.  The prison museum provided a glimpse into the history of Canada's penitentiaries through pictures, early punishment equipment, and artifacts.  We chatted with a volunteer guide, a former penitentiary employee, who gave us insight into the workings of the institution, politics, and "insider" stories.

For lunch, we chose a popular spot, the PhnomPenh Restaurant on King St. downtown Kingston.  We enjoyed Seafood Noodle Soup and Seafood Curry (shrimp, bamboo shoots, crushed peanuts, basil, and coconut milk).  The locals are right...it was delicious!

After lunch, we were off to see Kingston's most famous attraction, Ft. Henry, which was built during the War of 1812 as a British stronghold and rebuilt in the 1830's.  On our way there, we passed the Royal Military College of Canada which is Canada's only military university.
Fort Henry was restored as a living museum of military life in the 1800's.  The "Guard" is made up of college and university students who wear uniforms similar to those from the 1860's, and they greet visitors and explain what military life was like for a British soldier in 1867.

At 3 pm, the daily parade began with an inspection of the troops and a performance of some of their marching drills.  We spent the afternoon touring the fort.

At 6:30 pm, we were seated in Chez Piggy, a popular eating spot famous in Kingston for 30 years.  After checking out the creative menu, we chose Cha Gio Salad which is Vietnamese Spring Rolls (chicken, pork, shrimp, and glass noodles) with corriander, mint, cucumber, bean sprouts, and peanuts.  Delicious!  We were told that Dan Akroyd frequents this spot, but apparently, he had other plans for tonight.

 We were so eager to taste this creation, the Cha Gio Salad, that the picture above shows only half the serving.

By 8 pm, we had returned to Fort Henry for the interesting 90 minute Sunset Ceremony where the Parade Ground was alive with the beat of marching heels, and the sounds of drums, fifes, bagpipes, rifles, mortars, and 32 pound cannons.  The Guard was clad in uniforms similar to those worn by the British troops in 1867, and they demonstrated marching drills, battle tactics, and military strategies from that period in time. The wall of the Parade Ground was illuminated with scenes from Canadian history.  The ceremony ended with the bang of the 32 pound cannons, taps as the Union Jack is lowered, and a finale of fireworks!

Thursday, August 7, 2014
By 8 am, we were driving through downtown Kingston, and our car was drawn to the PanChancho Bakery (a sister business of Chez Piggy) on Princess St.  It's wonderful!  People had recommend the two eggs over-easy on a croissant with bacon, chives, cheddar cheese, and chili sauce, but we opted for the big muffins!

This morning we drove up the north side of the St. Lawrence River to Upper Canada Village of Parks Canada.  With the formation of the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950's,  the landscape of the river area was altered and because of the flooding that resulted, many buildings were relocated to the village.

When we stepped into the village, we were transported back in time to explore the work and play of people living in a typical river village from the 1860's.  The Loyalists had arrived first to the St. Lawrence River area, and then groups of Irish and British came later.  We spent several hours wandering though the pioneer village enjoying the costumed actors and visiting many of the 55 buildings.  We followed the smell of freshly baked bread and arrived at the village bakery.  Loaves of delicious bread were lined up on the counter and the smell was overwhelming!

At noon, lunch was served at Willard's Hotel- oven roasted chicken and pan fried Basa Filet with vegetables and roasted rosemary potatoes.  Of course, everyone order some freshly baked bread!
We had a lovely afternoon in the village, and had the opportunity to chat with many of the "people".  The bakery, woolen factory, flour mill, saw mill, school, and cheese factory were fascinating, and gave a wonderful picture of life during the 1860's.  We chatted with the Tenant farmers while they ate lunch in their kitchen.  see below

We returned to the United States through the Alexandra Bay Port of Entry at Wellesley Island.
So good to be back on Dream Chaser!

By 6 pm, we were seated in our favorite Korean restaurant, Chorong, in Syracuse, NY.  We enjoyed Bibimbob (shrimp, vegetables, a soft fried egg, and rice in a hot stoneware pot) and Kim Bob (California rolls with wasabi sauce) while we chatted with our favorite waitress, Chorong.

No more docking experiences until June 2015.  Dream Chaser is going into covered storage.