Great Loop: Welcome to Canada! Kingston, Ontario

Days 178-179: July 14-15, 2023

This post brings us across the border into Canada!

First glimpses coming into Kingston

To get into the marina we had to wait for a bridge that only opened on the hour. It gave us a bit of time to float around and enjoy the scenery.

Fully up and running

After 14 days of troubleshooting, the port engine is fixed and ready to go. We had a fuel pump delivered the day before in Clayton and I was able to swap it out. I also found that the cutoff solenoid was not getting proper voltage to open completely. Between the two, the engine was not getting the proper fuel flow. Phew! There was still a minor leak that I introduced at the fuel pump while messing with the hoses. Nothing a new bolt and washer couldn’t resolve.

BeaverTails

First, we hit up BeaverTails, what may be a Canadian tradition? It’s a popular Canadian pastry that is shaped like a beaver’s tail. Imagine that. However, we opted for the Beaver Bites so we could try out multiple flavors.

Kingston Penitentiary

What’s the next thing you do in Canada? Go to prison of course. Ok. It’s a tour. I’ve toured Alcatraz so why not one of the oldest prisons in continuous use in the world at the time of its closure in 2013. The Kingston Penitentiary was in use between 1835 and 2013. The prison is famous for its riots. One lasted for 4 days because the inmates thought they were going to be moved to a newer prison with worse conditions. And, ultimately, they were moved there because of their actions and damage they did.

Murney Tower

After the museum we took a stroll down the waterfront to the Murney Tower Museum. The tower is a Martello tower. It was built as a defense of Kingston Harbour during the Oregon Crises, a dispute over the border of British North America and the United States in 1840.

Bellevue House

Another stop on the walking tour was the Bellevue House, the home of Canada’s first Prime Minister Sir John Alexander Macdonald. While it wasn’t open for tours due to renovations, we were able to check out the museum and walk around the grounds.