What a week! We packed it in over our first week in Canada and covered a lot of ground. Upon arriving in Kingston, Ontario, we dropped the anchor in arguably the clearest water we’ve been in yet. Ripley was ecstatic to get some swimming in and Evan was eager to throw a line in after seeing some fish in the crystal clear waterline. Most loopers spend a few days in Kingston, but we opted to continue moving after one night since we had spent several nights in Oswego, New York. 

Additionally, most loopers will make a big jump from Kingston to Trenton before starting the Trent-Severn Waterway, whereas we divided it up into four days since we had to work each day. Our first jump was Kingston to Prinyers Cove where we grabbed a mooring ball for one night. From there we made an early morning move to Deseronto, which happened to be Canada Day. Watching the small town fireworks from our boat was definitely a highlight on the loop so far. Next was Deseronto to Belleville, which was also a top favorite town we’ve hit that most loopers will skip. We anchored in the town harbor and spent a day working at the local coffee shop. That night we checked out the local brewery and I happened to win a mystery vinyl in honor of their weekly “Vinyl Night.” I was stoked to win an Elton John record!

To round the work week off, we jumped from Belleville to Trenton which is the start of the Trent-Severn Waterway. With 240 miles and 44 locks ahead of us on the Trent, we wanted to make the most of our Independence Day off of work and cover several miles. By Friday evening we had reached Lock 12 in Campbellford, which ended up being another favorite town so far. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Capers Tap House where Evan also tried the famous Canadian Caesar…basically Canada’s version of a bloody mary. To put it simply, he loved it.

The next morning we rose early to get in line at Dooher’s Bakery. Not only is it highly recommended by past loopers, but Dooher’s Bakery is voted “Canada’s Sweetest Bakery.” Famous for their donuts that sell out on Saturday mornings, we made sure to arrive before they even opened to snag a spot in line. I can attest that they may have been the best donuts I’ve ever eaten. After devouring half a dozen donuts, we walked off some of the sugar at the local farmers market and made an effort to buy some local produce (necessary after our sugar rush). Once we were satisfied with our morning outing, we made our way back to the boat to continue onward. 

Saturday was another long day of several locks, putting us in Rice Lake for the night. Once we dropped the anchor, a local cottager drove their pontoon by and invited us to use their backyard for the dogs. We spent several hours hanging out, discussing differences between the U.S. and Canada, and laughing over drinks and snacks. They introduced us to the popular Canadian beer, Molson, and also treated us to ketchup chips — surprisingly delicious!

Sunday was yet again another day of movement from Rice Lake to Peterborough — the largest town along the Trent-Severn. We took advantage of the local Costco to stock up before getting into more seclusion in Georgian Bay. We’re a little exhausted from 19 locks in three days, but eager to continue through the rest of the Trent. Our expectations have been plenty exceeded in just three short days, so we’re eager to continue on over the next week or so. Cheers to continuing the adventure!