Friends from Texas

Next, we are off to the Toronto Airport to pick up Tim and Francie, friends from Austin.  They joined us last year at Sault Ste. Marie for a week and returned this year for more time in Canada.  So, they were with us as we went back down the Trent-Severn.

Slight detour - where are we?  We came by car, not our boat.
It's Niagara Falls, Canadian side on The Hornblower cruise boat.  I always wanted to go to Niagara Falls and it did not disappoint.  One of those wet heads is me.  I don't know how King managed to take pictures.

 Looking up toward the town of Niagara Falls.

Tim, King and Sharon - do we look soaked?

Tim and Francie made reservations for a wonderful hotel with a million dollar view from the 17th floor.  See the two buses below - they show the enormity of the falls.

Niagara Falls is an interesting place - natural beauty on one side and man-made entertainment on the other.  We were there on a Canadian holiday weekend.  Talk about crowded.  We took a tour trolley and had an overview of the town.

And how could it be complete without dinosaurs and a flaming volcano miniature golf course?

We had a fun filled time in Niagara Falls and then drove our rental car back to Port of Orillia.  We had an uneventful crossing back across Lake Orillia and started up a very long narrow canal section of the Trent-Severn.

Tim and Francie liked to ride on the bow of the boat.

And dance in a lock.

We must stop at Lovesick Lock again and go fishing.  This is King's favorite new spot. Nice small mouth bass there.

 At the Peterborough Lock - Sharon, Tim and Francie and who is in that canoe in the background?

It is Pierre, Jennifer and Jasmine.  We first met them almost a year ago on the Illinois River.  We've both enjoyed our Great Loop adventure.  They are on their way back to Quebec City and we are on our way back to Texas.  Time for a break.

Tim and Francie left us at Peterborough, ON and flew back to Texas.  We had several more days to go before arriving at our destination of Brewerton, New York.

Lake Ontario was forecast to be small waves, less than 1' and very little wind, gusting to 9mph.  The first hour was great, then we had 3' waves and 25mph wind, for the remaining 5 hours.  I was very happy to see Oswego, NY and Lake Ontario in the background.

Customs video phone is located at the side of the small office in Oswego, N.Y.  Pleasure boaters call in to clear customs.  In the background, a very large salt mound is being prepared for the winter snows.

Oswego Canal has 10 locks leading down to the Erie Canal and Brewerton, N.Y.

Blue Moon is now in storage at Winter Harbor Marina until next May.  We are in Texas with our RV. We have a fall trip planned to Kentucky and Indiana.  We plan to be in Texas from Halloween to New Years.  After that, we don't know.  The blog will not be updated until we get back on the boat, however I will continue to post pictures to Facebook.  My account is under Sharon Francis Cole.  I'll be happy to respond to any friend requests.