Kingston

44.2312° N, 76.4860° W

Kingston is on Lake Ontario, at the mouth of the Cataraqui and St. Lawrence rivers. It’s known as the “Limestone City” for its grand 19th-century buildings, including the lakeside Kingston City Hall . This one time capital of Upper Canada passed a bylaw forbidding the use of wood in the 1840s following a fire that destroyed the city. Thereafter building were either built of brick or a common local material – limestone.

There is lots to see and do in Kingston. Old Fort Henry, the Kingston Penitentiary (book well in advance) and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre to name a few. One of the municipal marinas, Confederation Basin is right downtown and provides easy access to groceries, spirits and a great selection of restaurants. Portsmouth Olympic Harbour is several miles west and has the best fuel prices in the area.

The entrance to the Rideau Canal is just north of Confederation Basin through the Bascule Bridge.

The Bascule Bridge lifts from May to September on the hours between 6:00 a.m. and 10 p.m, except for 8 a.m., noon, 4 p.m and 5 p.m. during the week. On the weekend it is every hour on the hour. You must be within 300 feet of the bridge 10 minutes before the hour so the keeper knows you want a lift.