A Day Out

On Aidan’s day off last week, we decided to go on a road trip. Just a day trip, but we were going to take the map book and head out and see where we ended up. I wanted to start by popping into the Stedman’s store in Athens. I love that little store. It’s a little department store that has everything from rubber boots to dishcloths, eco-wood toys to greeting cards and bird seed to books. After picking up the few things I needed there, we headed west. We stopped at the Forfar cheese factory, where sadly, they don't make the cheese there anymore, but do sell some. They also have some other really cool items...local art for sale, funky kitchen items, lots of high end condiments etc. We bought some apple wood smoked cheddar, some herb crackers and a couple of raspberry turnovers...yum! The coffee that they serve is Fair Trade Organic and their drinks come in glass bottle...this , in the middle of nowhere! I love it.
After our snack we ended up on HWY 15 and decided to stop at Jones Falls Locks. I remember stopping there once before, but don’t have a clear recollection of the locks and Aidan had never been there. It turned out to be the most incredible day! The weather was perfect- it was already 20 degrees, the sun was shining and the fall colours of the trees and trails were beautiful. The locks are truly amazing! There are 4 locks here and the height from the lowest to the highest was also amazing...and slightly scary...I couldn’t get too close and my knees weakened when Aidan did. There is also a Dam and of course the Falls themselves. So incredible! I always feel so bad for poor old Colonel Bye and the difficult time he had trying to build that canal system. Especially since this incredible accomplishment was never fully recognized while he was alive.
After walking around the locks and the trails, we ended up on Hwy 32 just north of Gananoque and stopped at a random diner (one of Aidan’s favourite things to do) for a club sandwich. We were only gone for a few hours but it really felt like we had been on “holidays”. Such a lovely day...the perfect season, the perfect weather and the best part...the fact that my 18 year old son still likes hanging out with me!

This is Hotel Kenny. It is over 130 years old. I think it would so lovely to stay there overnight sometime!