Tag Archives: Kingston

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Travel Endpoints!

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

You either like travel planning, or you don’t. Very few people are neutral about this. Fortunately, I really enjoy structuring a trip. It may sound strange, but one of the best parts for me is figuring out my “endpoints”. For an overseas trip, this means the airports for my arrival and eventual departure.

I’m about to start that process now. I have an overseas trip planned for a couple of weeks in the spring, and I already know how I will be spending most of my time. But there is still some unaccounted time at the beginning and end of the trip. This makes the endpoints really important.

When I was in Europe earlier this year, my endpoints were Lyon (new to me) and Zürich  (not at all new to me). I was happy to explore Lyon, and I decided to end my trip in Winterthur (very close to the Zürich airport) as an alternative to Zürich.

Selecting those key endpoints for my spring trip is a complex challenge. As always, I am striving to keep my travel costs at a minimum. But it is a mistake to focus only on airfares. Taking direct flights, rather than dodgy itineraries with multiple connections, reduces the risk of lost luggage and/or missed flights. Ground transportation can also be very expensive, depending on the country.

I also have to consider the timing of my trip. For example, I love visiting Zweisimmen (Switzerland), but it is best in the summer or winter. At other times of the year, the weather can be dreary and many things are closed. So, I need to consider whether my proposed early- and late-trip locations are open or shut at that time of year.

But it is also possible for a location to be “too perfect” at a certain time of year. I need to check whether there is something special happening that could makes prices and crowds oppressive. I’m not planning on visiting the French Riviera in February, but it might not be a great idea in any event…that’s when the Fête du Citron (Lemon Festival) is held in Menton.

Despite all these caveats, the flip side is this: whatever I decide, I should have the opportunity to experience something truly different. Hopefully, I will get to some places I’ve never been before. And it’s really fun to dig up special experiences, even if I’ve been to one of my endpoints before. I had been to Chicago in the summer of 2013, so initially I wasn’t thrilled to be marooned there in the winter of 2014. But I managed to have a great winter stay there, despite the frigid temperatures.

I expect that the endpoints of my upcoming trip will be finalized by the time of my next blog post. I’m really looking forward to the thrill of the chase, especially as my home town is damp, cold, and dark right now.

The pictures from today’s blog are all from a December 2 walk at Lemoine’s Point in Kingston. And, other than the cover photo at the very top, they are all in chronological order!

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My local haunts in downtown Kingston

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

In response to popular demand (and Keith), I’m finally including some pictures from my historic hometown of Kingston. This post focuses on some of my “haunts” in the downtown core.

Amadeus Cafe Restaurant in Kingston, Ontario

Amadeus Cafe has been serving Austrian and German food on Princess Street for at least 30 years now. Whenever I need a fix of schnitzel or smoked farmer sausage, this is a no-brainer. Even the side dishes are excellent, and they have a great selection of beverages on tap. I recommend it without hesitation. But ensure you make a reservation: it can get busy!

Mango Restaurant in Kingston, Ontario

The official name is “Mango Thai & Pan-Asian Cuisine.” I’m usually skeptical of places that “specialize” in more than one type of cuisine, but Mango is actually a good choice for diners who don’t all share the same tastes. It’s conveniently located right across the street from Amadeus, if one of them is fully booked.

Something Else Records (left) in Kingston, Ontario

The team at Something Else Records knows me by name, so I guess I’m at this Wellington Street store quite a bit. It’s more comfortable than your typical record shop, and they’ve made a lot of special orders for me over the years. And there’s a pub, a Caribbean roti place, and a tea room on the same side of the street!

Pan Chancho Bakery in Kingston, Ontario

Pan Chancho Bakery is a Kingston institution. It grew out of the even older Chez Piggy restaurant, about a block away on Princess Street, and even serves food of its own now, too. My favourite treat here is a batch of balsamic mushrooms from the deli counter.

Mio Gelato (centre) and Woodenhead’s Pizza (right) in Kingston, Ontario

After a good meal, or even before, there’s nothing wrong with having some gelato. It’s the right thing to do. And while it’s located on touristy Ontario Street, Mio Gelato has been serving up high quality gelato for a long time now. I’m partial to the intense fruit gelatos, but dark chocolate gelato is really good too (dark chocolate and raspberry is my favourite combination).

The Prince George Hotel, City Hall, and (at back) the old Firehall on Ontario Street in Kingston, Ontario. And the black car clearly just ran a red light.

While I haven’t been there much lately, I also used to really enjoy the oven-fired pizza at Woodenhead’s. Arbre Amore was my favourite kind. Woodenhead’s is right beside Mio Gelato and just a block from City Hall (see above photo, as well as the photo at the very top of this post). This place can be noisy, so be prepared!

While Kingston has a beautiful downtown, I have lots of favourite places outside the downtown core too. I’ll cover some of those in an upcoming post!

Posts from Base Camp

Travelling Through Food

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

As you can imagine, it is not easy for a travel blogger to…not travel. How have I managed through the pandemic so far? One key coping technique is travelling through food.

February 20, 2021 – Lemoine’s Point (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I’ve tried all kinds of wonderful food while travelling: check out Part 1 and Part 2 of my 2014 food highlights. Trying new food, even in lockdown, brings back some of that adventurous feeling. Today’s post is about faraway food and drink that I’ve discovered within the City of Kingston since the pandemic began.

February 20, 2021 – Lemoine’s Point (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I love cheese. All those stereotypes about Dutch and Swiss people eating immense amounts of cheese? 100% true, in my case. And I found a great new one just this month. It’s a goat cheese called “Midnight Moon”. While it is sold by an American company called Cypress Grove, it is actually made in the Netherlands. It’s a firm cheese that looks like Gouda…but is aged just enough to take on the sharper characteristics of Swiss “Alpkäse”. It is currently my favourite cheese. And I found it at the local “Farm Boy” store!

February 20, 2021 – Lemoine’s Point (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Farm Boy was also where I found a decadent new dessert. I was familiar with the vanilla-esque goodness of Portuguese Custard tarts, but they recently introduced a variation with chocolate hazelnut filling. The infusion of Italy makes these already delicious pastries even better.

February 20, 2021 – Lemoine’s Point (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Still in the sweet spectrum, I found some Sweet Chili Plantain Chips at the local FreshCo grocery store. These are made in Colombia from green plantains and have a nice balance between sweet and spicy…and, most importantly, no garlic. And apparently they have “40% less fat than regular potato chips”.

February 20, 2021 – Lemoine’s Point (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Speaking of spicy, I recently tried some Gochujang Chicken in a “prepare-it-yourself” meal kit from Loblaws. Gochujang is a fermented red chili paste from Korea. The sauce was mostly tangy, rather than sweet, and had just the right amount of heat for both of us. I’d never heard of it before, but I’ve already started looking for it in local Asian grocery stores.

February 20, 2021 – Lemoine’s Point (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

But what to drink with all of this interesting food? I’m not much of a beer drinker, but I’ve discovered two good new ones in the past year. For spicy food like Gochujang Chicken, I like a Jamaican beer called Dragon Stout. It’s made by the same people who make Red Stripe, but Dragon Stout is very different: it’s a high-alcohol (7.5%), nearly black beer with hints of licorice and chocolate. It can stand up to even the spiciest food.

February 20, 2021 – Lemoine’s Point (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I’ve also enjoyed Leffe Blonde, a Belgian beer that also exhibits sweet and spicy flavours. Like Dragon Stout, it’s also higher in alcohol content (6.6%), so it’s good that they are only availably locally in small bottles!

February 20, 2021 – Lemoine’s Point (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Today’s photos are all from a recent walk at Lemoine’s Point. Lots of wild turkeys…but no owls or deer on this particular day. That’s okay: we still see them on about half of our walks. Coming soon: some “lost” photos rediscovered!

Posts from Base Camp

Kingston, Ontario. And a turkey

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)


I’m very fortunate to live in Kingston, a historic city at the junction of Lake Ontario, the Rideau Canal, and the St. Lawrence River. The cover photo above was taken in front of City Hall and shows the Confederation Basin (including a Martello Tower).

Johnson Street, Kingston, Ontario

Kingston was the first capital of Canada. Even though it only lasted as capital for one year (the risk of invasion from the nearby United States was too high), Kingston has managed to retain a lot of beautiful old buildings from those early years of growth and prosperity. Our City Hall was intended to be Canada’s Parliament building. I took all of these pictures on a recent errand-running trip downtown.

Brock Street, Kingston, Ontario

We’re still trying to support local businesses, especially locally-run ones, as much as possible. We’ve also used local contractors to do extensive exterior renovations to our home, and have tried to support the same restaurants that we used to love visiting before the pandemic hit.

Kingston City Hall (Ontario Street)

It was reasonably busy on Princess Street (the main commercial street)…busy enough that I didn’t want to stop in the middle of the sidewalk and take pictures of it. So yes, on a sunny summer Saturday. the downtown is still very much alive.

Headquarters of The Empire Life Insurance Company (King Street, Kingston, Ontario)

While we are used to our beautiful downtown, we aren’t used to some of the wildlife that has moved into suburban Kingston. For the past two weeks, our daily walks have brought us into contact with a wild turkey who now lives on nearby Kenshaw Street.

Tom the Turkey visits one of his favourite houses on Kenshaw Street, Kingston, Ontario

We’re used to seeing wild turkeys at Lemoine Point, but we don’t really understand why “Tom” has decided to make his home in the middle of suburbia. He’s quite large, I think, and doesn’t seem to be a pet. In fact, he has displayed some aggression towards…jeeps.

Tom checks out a garage

For reasons unknown, Tom was very upset by the jeep you see below. He was walking alongside the front tire, pecking at it and posturing aggressively. The driver tried to drive away slowly so that Tom wasn’t injured, but Tom kept jabbing at the tire. I’m pleased to report that Tom wasn’t hurt, and he eventually gave up after hectoring the jeep for more than a block.

Tom the Turkey attacks a jeep on Lawton Place, Kingston, Ontario

Despite his anti-jeep activity, we haven’t seen Tom act aggressively towards any humans. The many rabbits that live around here don’t seem to be bothered by him either!

Posts from Base Camp

Close to home, but on the move

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

As you can imagine, the ongoing pandemic has made me quite restless. So far, we’ve dealt with it by walking briskly for more than an hour every day. While we often follow the same route (as we know it’s about 6 km long), we sometimes wander off to avoid the sun. We’ve really gotten to know our neighbourhood, and soon began recognizing people who were also walking on a regular basis.

Random scene from suburbia: Pimlico Place, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada

The other thing we’ve noticed is how it is home to much more wildlife than it used to be. There are definitely more chipmunks, and at least as many squirrels, but most notable is the explosion in the rabbit population. Bauder Crescent might be the official name, but we now call that street Chemin des Lapins.

Rabbit at Lemoine Point (Kingston, Ontario)

We also walk at Lemoine Point (a nearby conservation area) from time to time. Most of today’s pictures are from Lemoine Point. The wildlife population there is exploding too…or, more likely, they have been overfed and have lost their fear of humans. The squirrels and chipmunks are incredibly brazen: you just have to pause for a second and you are swarmed by rodents looking for food.

No fear – squirrel at Lemoine Point

Lemoine Point is home to deer and wild turkeys too (I took some deer photos in this post from a few years ago), although we didn’t see any today. Hopefully, they have not become dependent on humans like the squirrels and chipmunks have.

What do you have for me? Squirrel at Lemoine Point (Kingston, Ontario)

As stores are slowly reopening (albeit under significant restrictions), we are trying to spend more time downtown so that we can support our local businesses. Kingston has a beautiful and historic downtown; I hope to include some pictures of it in my next post.

Collins Bay, as seen from Lemoine Point (Kingston, Ontario)

As for travel…by this time of year, I would normally have decided where I’m going for my winter holiday. While I don’t think I’m ready to completely rule out an early 2021 ski trip, and I want to support those who work in the travel industry, I have to be realistic. Any trip will have to be a last-minute decision.

Trail at Lemoine Point (Kingston, Ontario)

A significant barrier is going to be the quarantine situation (both at home and at the destination), and it is simply not possible to predict what that might be in 8 months’ time. Even within Canada, quarantine periods are required for travel between some provinces. A 14-day quarantine at the start of a vacation, followed by 14 days at the end, effectively rules out any kind of long-distance leisure travel for the time being.

Stay tuned for more on Kingston!

Posts from Base Camp

Local “Travel”

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

The past couple of months have certainly made me think a lot about the future of a travel blog.

The County Court House in Napanee, Ontario

Since returning from Europe in early March of this year, everything has changed. Typically, I wouldn’t even be back from a trip before I had given some serious thought to the next destination. This time was different. Entirely unrelated to the gradually unfolding pandemic, I had very unpleasant experiences with the airline on each leg of my trip. These experiences fully fit into the category of a “first world problem”, but it still made me think about taking a break from very long distance travel.

The County Registry Office in Napanee, Ontario

Although I didn’t quite connect the dots at the time, I now view the unpleasant air experiences as blessings in disguise. It made me think a lot about what kinds of experiences I wanted to have in the future. I had always preferred “experiential travel” to “passive tourism”. Perhaps it was time to focus even more on the experience, regardless of where it took place geographically.

The old post office in Napanee, Ontario

In essence, the most rewarding thing about travel is going outside your comfort zone to experience new things. With a little effort, and within the limits posed by the pandemic, it’s time to make that happen on a more local scale.

The intersection of Centre and Dundas Streets: the core of downtown Napanee, Ontario

All of the pictures here are from a small road trip we took last fall to Napanee and Deseronto, two small towns just west of Kingston. Like just about anywhere, there are all kinds of experiences waiting to be discovered in my area. Have you ever tasted black lemon gouda cheese, imported from Holland by a local deli? Ordered a rare record from a local independent shop? Lawn bowled on a peaceful green overlooking the Trent Canal?

The New York Restaurant in downtown Napanee, Ontario

Last fall, we invented our own adventure. For years, we have driven to Napanee (and beyond) and passed the sign saying “Switzerville Road”, but it was never convenient to check it out. Being Swiss-Canadian, I vowed to someday investigate this mythical place. Perhaps it would be a little slice of Switzerland in a forgotten corner of Eastern Ontario?

Very old fire engine (from Batawa, Ontario, but actually in Deseronto, Ontario)

Well, we finally made it to Switzerville. You can see the “village” in the photo at the very top of this post. It consisted of two (or maybe three?) houses, and a very old cemetery. So…not really a slice of the Alps. But it was fun to check it out, imagining what it might be like and what it once must have been.

Christ Church, Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal of the Mohawk (Deseronto, Ontario)

Stay tuned – I’ll continue to report on local adventures and experiences, with the occasional “flashback”!

Posts from Base Camp

Showtime in Kingston!

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

While the sound wasn’t so great at the Los Lobos concert in Toronto, we have had a lot of great concert experiences this year in Kingston at the Grand Theatre.

Last fall, we saw Darlene Love…you know her voice, even if you think you don’t know the name. She sang on a bunch of the early 1960s records produced by Phil Spector but she was very rarely credited personally.  She also was a back-up singer for some artists you may recognize:  Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Tom Jones, The Beach Boys and Dionne Warwick, to name just a few.

With Darlene Love at the Grand Theatre in Kingston
With Darlene Love at the Grand Theatre in Kingston

Recognition came later: being admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, being named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 100 greatest vocalists, being invited onto Late Night with David Letterman every year to sing her signature song “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and then more recently starring in the feature film “20 Feet from Stardom” (which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2013). She was in Kingston as part of her tour to promote her new album cleverly titled “Introducing Darlene Love”. But she also sang the songs that first made her voice famous…it really sends a chill down your spine to hear “Christmas” live!

One of the great things about shows at the Grand Theatre is that the performers generally come out afterwards to sign autographs and pose for pictures. Darlene was no exception and it was great to meet her. She has been singing for more than 50 years but still sounds great and loves what she’s doing.

With Holly Cole at the Grand Theatre in Kingston
With Holly Cole at the Grand Theatre in Kingston

We also saw Holly Cole, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Johnny Clegg this year at the Grand Theatre.  Each of them were inspiring in their own way…and we also had the privilege of meeting each of them and getting pictures and autographs from them.

Buffy Sainte-Marie on stage at the Grand Theatre in Kingston
Buffy Sainte-Marie on stage at the Grand Theatre in Kingston

It was especially cool to see Johnny Clegg (see photo at the top of this post) in Kingston.   I first wrote about Johnny Clegg in this post from late 2014.  We previously traveled to Ottawa and Niagara-on-the-Lake to see this South African legend perform but never thought that we would be able to see him in our hometown.

We were a little concerned that seeing him for the 3rd time in 5 years might not be as special. Happily, we were wrong.  His set list was quite different and he seemed even more energetic than before.  You get the whole experience at a Johnny Clegg concert – the incredibly joyous South African music that makes the crowd go wild…followed by reverent silence as the audience hangs on every word when he tells his fascinating stories.   And the stories were all new too!

Buffy Sainte-Marie and one of her fans
Buffy Sainte-Marie and one of her fans

We’re really fortunate to have this facility in Kingston…I’m sure we will be attending some great shows in the 2016-2017 season as well.

Stay tuned for some travel flashbacks…and the countdown to our mysterious summer adventure in the Southern Hemisphere!

 

Posts from Base Camp

Looking Ahead

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Things have been quite busy since returning from our road trip to Southwestern Ontario.  We managed to get out for a day trip to Perth but otherwise have been staying close to home.

The end of the summer travel season is a time to pause and consider what adventures lie ahead.  Music certainly seems to be at the forefront, with 5 major concerts between now and April. This October, I’ll be traveling out of town to attend one of those “bucket list” concerts that I honestly thought I’d never get to see. Stay tuned for my report on that!

Very cute Shepherd puppy from Belgium
Very cute Shepherd puppy from Belgium

I have already set aside some time in early 2016 for skiing. The dates have been chosen but the destination is still very much a work in progress. One thing is certain: given the “candidates” that are in the running, it will be a spectacular setting.

As for the shorter term, the plans are for more local travel…and hopefully to burn through some more of the frequent flyer points and other rewards that I accumulated during my big year of travel. Some of those points will expire soon and I will need to do something with them.  I’ve often entertained the notion of going on a low-cost last-minute trip and, if my schedule allows it,  I might be able to do that this fall.

Exotic bird at the Sheep Dog Trials
Exotic bird at the Sheep Dog Trials

Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more difficult to take advantage of most frequent flyer programs.  With blackout periods, “service” fees, and nasty itineraries involving 18-hour layovers between one-hour flights, some of these “rewards” seem illusory.   I prefer to use my points on travel but may well be forced to cash them in for gift cards if I can’t make the logistics work for me.

Zebras are apparently black with white stripes...not white with black stripes
Zebras are apparently black with white stripes…not white with black stripes

Regardless of whether I can squeeze in some last-minute trips, I will still be posting on this blog.  However, the posts will likely not be as frequent for the next few months.

The pictures from today’s blog are from the Kingston Sheep Dog Trials.  This annual event was held earlier this month just east of the city at Grass Creek Park.  I had never attended before and will admit to some skepticism about the event.  However, it was actually fascinating to see the border collies herding the reluctant sheep.  It is amazing what these dogs can do.

Kingston Police Canine Unit demonstration at the Sheep Dog Trials
Kingston Police Canine Unit demonstration at the Sheep Dog Trials

As our family once had a majestic (and bilingual) German Shepherd, I was also very interested in seeing the police dog demonstration put on by the Kingston Police at the Sheep Dog Trials.  The police dogs are actually German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois crosses but the characteristic intelligence and determination of the German Shepherd was very much in evidence.

Kingston police dog attacks the "bad guy" during a demonstration at the Sheep Dog Trials
Kingston police dog attacks the “bad guy” during a demonstration at the Sheep Dog Trials

Other dog events included an agility competition and “dock diving”.   There were many dog lovers at this event and it was also fun just to look at the other dogs in attendance.  We were briefly tempted to import a Shepherd from Belgium after seeing the puppy pictured above!

I’ll be back soon with more travel writing and photos!

Posts from the road

Return to the K&P Trail

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Last year, one of my posts was about hiking on the K&P Trail north of Kingston. This old railway line has been converted to a recreational trail and we are continuing our attempt to hike its entire length.

We’ve managed to cover two more segments of the trial since my previous post.  We have now walked all the way from Kingston to the northern edge of the village of Verona (and back).

View of the K&P Trail from Boyce's Road in Hartington
View of the K&P Trail from Boyce’s Road in Hartington

We had low expectations for the portion leading north from Hartington.  However, after a not-very-tranquil segment near Highway 38, the trail plunged into wilderness.   Following a dramatic rock cut, we began to see all kinds of interesting wildlife.  First up was an active beaver population:  I didn’t act quickly enough to get a photo of a diving beaver, but I then spotted the unmistakable evidence of  very recent beaver activity (see photo at the top of this post).   From then on, our eyes were furiously scanning for signs of wildlife.

Many turtles on a log, as seen from the K&P Trail south of Verona
Many turtles on a log, as seen from the K&P Trail south of Verona

While we didn’t see any other beavers, we did see lots of gnawed trees….and a lot of turtles.  We saw massive lines of turtles sunning themselves on fallen trees.  Once, we even saw an unusual turtle-snake interaction…eventually,  the snake gave up and left the turtle alone.   Although they never got too close, birds of prey were also circling above us with rather unnerving frequency.

Mysterious Christmas tree, north of Hartington
Mysterious Christmas tree, north of Hartington

There was the occasional sign of human  interaction here:  for reasons unknown, somebody decided to put Christmas ornaments on a tree beside the trial.  We almost walked right past the tree without noticing.  Since then, however, we have been speculating about why this happened.  If anybody knows the story (the tree was no more than 30 minutes’ walk north of Hartington), let me know.

Close-up of a pair of turtles
Close-up of a pair of turtles

Our second segment took us from just south of Bellrock Road to just north of the village of Verona.  It was quite hot and we didn’t feel like pushing ourselves too much.  As part of the trail is actually on one of the streets of Verona, it also didn’t have quite the same ruggedness as the previous segment.

Rock cut north of Hartington
Rock cut north of Hartington

However, one of the advantages of traveling through a village is that you can take refuge from the hot weather.  After finishing our walk, we stopped in at a local trail-side restaurant called “Martha’s Place” (which we used to know as the “Bravo Restaurant”).  Pulled pork appeared in several different forms on the menu, so I figured that it must be a specialty.  I enjoyed the pulled pork sandwich very much, even though it was one of the messiest things I have ever eaten.  There was sauce everywhere:  I nearly got some in my eyes.

View of Hardwood Creek from the K&P Trail, just south of Verona
View of Hardwood Creek from the K&P Trail, just south of Verona

While Verona is nowhere near the size of the “real” Verona (which is coming up soon in one of my Travel Flashbacks!) in Italy, it is also the last major settlement on the currently developed portion of the K&P Trail.  Everything from this point forward will be much more remote.

Stay tuned for more Travel Flashbacks, local travel stories, and our exciting international trip in July!  We’re really going off the beaten path for this one…I’ll have some hints for you as the trip gets closer.

Posts from Base Camp

Walking through history on the K&P Trail (and another “Big Reveal”)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

The K&P Trail follows the railbed of the old Kingston & Pembroke Railway.  Informally known as the “Kick & Push” Railway, this rail route from Kingston to Renfrew (it never reached Pembroke) played an important role in opening up the hinterland north of Kingston in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  It then declined until the tracks were removed in the 1980s, with passenger service ending some time before that.

IMG_4627
Part of a bridge (from 1927) on the K&P Trail, just north of Kingston

Extensive local efforts have now resulted in the redevelopment of parts of the railbed for recreational purposes: walking and biking in the warmer months, skiing and snowmobiling in the winter months.  While I never had the chance to ride the actual railway, I have always been interested in this relic from a bygone age.  One reason is that we often rented a cottage on Eagle Lake in the 1970s and the drive to the cottage closely mirrored the K&P route.  However, I’m generally intrigued by small local railways:  I’ve always enjoyed riding the tiny but still-in-service rail line from Spiez to Zweisimmen in the valley of my Swiss ancestors.

View from the K&P Trail
View from the K&P Trail

With the K&P Trail now open for walking from Kingston to just north of Verona, it is possible to get a feel for what riding the actual K&P might have been like.  My wife and I are gradually walking the line:  we have already walked from Kingston to Hartington (and back).  It can get a little warm during the summer months but it’s much more enjoyable now that the weather has cooled off a little bit.  As a bonus, the trail is never very challenging because railway lines were built as level as possible.

A rare lengthy incline on the K&P Trail
A rare lengthy incline on the K&P Trail

For our most recent hike on the K&P Trail, we revisited a (relatively) steeper section just north of the urban portion of Kingston.   All of the photos in today’s post are from the portion just east of the intersection of Bur Brook Road and Cordukes Road.

When we start walking north from Hartington to Verona, we will see the transition from a primarily farming environment to the rocks and lakes of the Canadian Shield.  It must have been extraordinarily difficult to build the railway through the rocky sections using the technology of the 1800s; in fact, many workers died in the process.

View of a nearby farm from the K&P Trail
View of a nearby farm from the K&P Trail

Once we’ve finished the K&P Trail, we will probably try to see some of the Cataraqui Trail too.  It also follows a former rail line:  it is currently developed for walking between Strathcona (near Napanee) and Smiths Falls.  Because most of the Cataraqui Trail is relatively far from our home in Kingston, we might travel it by bike or (in winter) on cross-country skis.

Another view from the K&P Trail
Another view from the K&P Trail

And the “Big Reveal”?  Although I wrote this blog entry in Kingston, I will probably have already arrived in Costa Rica (via Panama) by the time you read this.  Upon arrival in San Jose, I will be joining a group tour focusing on the natural highlights of Costa Rica.  As always with group tours, it is unclear whether I will have the opportunity to blog in “real time”.  If I don’t have that opportunity, I will definitely report on the Costa Rican adventure once I’m back in Canada!