Campbellford, ON, CA
Our third time in Campbellford where they have docking on both sides of the river at Old Mill Park. Lots of room right now, as we are still a little early in the season. We’ were the only boat on the east side and one boat on the west, until mid-day on Thursday when a couple more loopers showed up.
We’re planning to stay two nights but with thunderstorms in the forecast for Friday, we may wait and leave after the storms pass. We always enjoy Campbellford - Its such a beautiful little town, with some decent shops and restaurants and a very nice lock wall run by the Chamber of Commerce - whose staff always come down to the dock and welcomes guests personally.
Easy cruise up today from Lock 8, although still hot and humid. With only four locks and about three miles, it took us less then two hours, and that included sitting in two of the four locks shooting the bull with the lock keepers and other boaters who were watching from the shore. We ran across one couple with their live abroad cat who was walking around the lock grounds with them on a leash. Amazing and the furry little fellow looked perfectly content. We are missing our sweet Charlotte and her purrs of contentment, laying in the sunshine on the deck after a long day of cruising. She was so much fun to have aboard last year., and we are sad she is gone.
We know we seem enamored by the wildlife (because we are), and keep writing about the swans and geese and their antics, but today we saw a swan sitting on a nest beside the canal, which was quite a site because the nest was huge, and you just don’t run in to that many swans in Northern Va. It’s all part of the experience that is the Great Loop.
While in Campbellford, we plan to visit some of our favorite shops (ok - Ann’s favorite shops) and enjoy a couple of the local restaurants before we head out for Hastings on Friday or Saturday if we encounter more thunderstorms.
We had a fabulous dinner at Antonia’s. Great service, food was very tasty and the owner/chef made the rounds amongst the diners. Ann had prosciutto-wrapped black cod which was very flavorful and different. After starting with a watermelon gazpacho, Will went with a more traditional rigatoni bolognese which was also very good. Highly recommended and probably the best restaurant in Campbellford.
The photo below of us approaching the lock is of Locks 11/12 in Campbellford. They look imposing because once you’ve been lifted in the first lock, you are now at the water level of the next lock. Those big doors up high open and you move the boat about 100 feet, then tie up and go up again. These two locks were built to go around Ranney Falls which is a pretty waterfall.
You can see our lonely petunia on the east wall with no company although an hour after the photo was taken two boats showed up. Finally, there’s the Giant Toonie in the park on the west side of the water. Read about that here.
