Kingston Ontario (page 2)
Above: Kingston Ontario's ferry to Wolfe Island Play in the water One of my favourite memories of Kingston is the 1000 Islands Cruise I took from here. By the time I got off this boat I was so mellow from the lake breezes that my legs could barely hold me up. I was in serious need of a nap! You can choose between the 90 minute or the 3 hour cruise during the day, and there are dinner/evening cruises as well. Serious boaters will want to tour the Rideau Canal and perhaps travel all the way to Ottawa that way. For more information about the Rideau Canal, check this interesting site: http://www.rideau-info.com/rideau-info.html. You can also take a scheduled boat tour from Kingston to Quebec City with St. Lawrence Cruises (http://www.stlawrencecruiselines.com)... something I’ve always wanted to do! Expensive but I bet it’s worthwhile. An inexpensive way to get out on the water is to take the ferry over to Wolfe Island. Get off and enjoy the art galleries and have a picnic, or just ride it there and back for the view. Entertainment in Kingston Ontario If you’re looking for live theatre or concerts or orchestra, check the recently restored Grand Theatre or the K-Rock Centre in downtown. A smaller venue is the Wellington Street Theatre. Festivals include the Limestone City Blues Festival, the Jazz Festival, Wolfe Island Music Festival, Kingston Buskers Rendezvous, Fanfayr Arts & Craft Show, and the Kingston Canadian Film Festival. Ghost-hunters will want to check out Kingston Haunted Walks. If any city’s haunted, this one should be, what with its long history, the fort, the penitentiary, and so on. Lots of violent history, in other words! Where to eat and shop A big student population (including that of the Royal Military College) coupled with a British background means that Kingston has a lot of pubs, perhaps more than most cities its size, it seems. During the summer, the patios are quite full. If you prefer a quieter setting though you can also find cafes, family restaurants and fine dining places including many ethnic choices. I’m not really a big shopper but when I go to Kingston I do like to visit Cooke's Fine Foods and Coffee on Princess Street and buy some gourmet treats. This shop opened in 1865 which makes it 2 years older than Canada, and it still retains that old-fashioned look with its tin ceilings and original hardwood floors. It’s sort of like visiting a museum! I wonder if my grandparents shopped here when my grandfather was working at the Penitentiary in the early part of the last century. Kingston Ontario Hotels & Other Accommodation You’ll find your favourite chain hotels and motels in Kingston (Best Western, Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Sheraton, etc). You’ll also find dozens of Bed and Breakfasts, many of which are housed in quaint heritage homes. One unusual one is on a boat called the Alexander Henry. It’s open seasonally only, of course. Very cool idea! The budget-minded traveller will want to check out Queen’s University which rents rooms to tourists during summer. There’s also a private hostel called Skweek’s House (Hostel) which seems to get good reviews; their phone number is (613) 507-7595.
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