Plenty to see, do along Ontario’s waterways
The museum features everything indigenous and Emily Carr’s The Welcome Man, snuffboxes with silver, agate and gold and enormous totem poles that never fail to dazzle.
We found Bobby’s Table on Montreal Road, where the Trudeau family enjoys breakfast. This unassuming spot serves up typical fare like omelettes and pancakes, but is known for its smoked meat sandwiches. Bobby’s Table offers large portions and reasonable prices, a neighbourhood favourite and a great place to take the whole family. I asked Bobby to sit for a photo after he took our order. Highly recommended.
We loved the Cartier Place Suite Hotel, just a block from all the major sites and shopping. Giant stores with atriums and escalators are so inviting after all the box stores at home. The Cartier Place is pet friendly, and 2017 celebrations abound around our sesquicentennial year.
The train to Kingston and drive to Peterborough were pleasant and we met the Kawartha Voyageur at Big Chute and an overnight in cabin No. 6.
I found Ontario Waterway Cruises advertising in a senior magazine (Zoomers or perhaps the CARP publication) and phoned immediately to book a mid-June getaway. I have always wanted to learn more about the historic waterways that began with the canoe route of Champlain in 1615. Now I know where Smith Falls is and all about the 43 locks, one marine railway and 33 miles of manmade canal in its 240 mile length along the 1,000 miles of shoreline on the Trent-Severn Waterway.
We stopped at Bobcaygeon, where Bigley Shoes and Clothing has been a feature for more than 90 years, with 25,000 pairs of shoes in stock at any time. Great place for Kawartha Dairy ice cream (rum raisin) and historic homes and buildings. The nature trails and parks are so inviting, and all the birds sing their hearts out from the beautiful trees and flowers. I loved seeing a group of four loons swimming by.
The Ackert family rented a houseboat in 1981 and from that experience developed Ontario Waterway Cruises (info@ontariowaterwaycruises.com) and success has followed due largely to the personal interest and enthusiasm of a family operated business. There are six trips to choose from in spring, summer and fall.
Today, brothers Marc and John alternate as captain aboard ship. Wives (Robin and Joy) manage hospitality and reservations. The Kawartha Voyageur is custom designed to glide through the peaceful panorama of lakes and rivers with the connecting man-made channels and locks.
The ship’s features are three decks, 23 sleeping cabins and a maximum of 45 passengers, served by 13 staff members.
We were on board for five nights with stops along the way and evening activities that included a fun night with skits by the crew.
One evening, a couple from the Speaking of Wildlife organization came aboard to present animals that included a groundhog (they do not come out of hibernation on Groundhog Day) and a small owl that flapped its wings when it heard applause.
The 20-year-old Snapping Turtle was a hit. We learned to pick them up by their tails and put one hand under the belly. They have very long necks and protect themselves by biting.
The fourth visitor was a fiveweek-old timber wolf found as a one-pound orphan (he already weighs 15 pounds).
The last creature was a de-scented skunk. If you need a remedy for the spray, try hydrogen peroxide and a lemon scented dish soap plus baking soda. Because skunks can aim their spray quite accurately, nothing works very well.
The meals are based on Ackert family recipes and served dining room-style. Best described as “down home, the food we enjoyed when we were young and food that brings back memories of yesteryear.” Real oatmeal porridge, for example.
Of course, I bought the Galley Recipes Cookbook from the Kawartha Voyageur.
Had to see what is in the Cracker Jack Cookies, (turns out it’s Rice Krispies and a cup of coconut).
Frankly, I was disappointed in Ontario wines. All seemed to have a quality one can only recall as weak. Raven Conspiracy’s label read “Wicked White 2015,” but its description of “provocative, smart and mischievous” failed to deliver.
I was happy to get home to my Inniskillin Okanagan Estate Pinot Grigio, which always has a predictable full body.
The highlight of the experience for me was a visit to the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough.
I had never seen Haida canoes decorated in the iconic black and red design, or knew that Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau presented Prince Charles and Princess Diana with a canoe as a wedding gift.
I loved the reference to ancient races and touching the dugouts, seeing the angled ends, the dog rib and all the old heavy canoes with sails. The museum features a genuine birch bark tepee with a smoke detector at the top and interactive exhibits like bead-jewelry making, wood-burning and puppet shows designed for visitors of all ages. Truly the heart of Canada: the art, the culture, the heritage of our country in one exceptional collection.
Home now and preparing for a quiet birthday, with a lone candle on a muffin. The recipe is from the Kawartha Voyageur, of course, a carrot pineapple treat that is easier and even better than my former Morning Glory muffins.
I am happy to be writing to describe my cruise memories as they are already starting to fade. At this age, the only thing I still retain is water.
Jeanette Dunagan is an Okanagan artist who has lived in Kelowna for more than 40 years. Her column appears every second week in the Okanagan Weekend. Contact her by email at jd2399@telus.net.