27 July 2023 – Thursday

Following the Rideau canal south from Ottawa.

0920 58,149  Ottawa, Ontario

Leave Byrons’s Urban Oasis in the rain

0937  58,145  66°F  Maple Leaf Laundromart

Some things need to get done no matter where we are. The Maple Leaf Laundromart was very bright and clean.

1152  58,155  69°F  Ingenium 

Just around the corner we found the Canada Science and Technology Museum. It would be a great place to take kids while clothes get cleaned. We elected to skip it today and headed south along the Rideau River.

1318  58,174  75°F  Manotick, Ontario

We found a working part of history at Watson’s Mill & Dickinson House.

The grist mill used the latest technology when it was constructed in 1860. Five turbines were installed to pull energy from the falling water and are still in use today.

One of the power turbines in the lower level of the mill.

Milling equipment was well marked so visitors could understand how the mill functions. Though it wasn’t running during our visit, the mill is still used to grind wheat.

Beth models with large gate timbers on the dam. Chiseled into each piece of wood is the year it was hewn.

Timbers are inserted or removed to control the amount of water flowing through the dam.

Next door is the multipurpose Dickinson House. Not only used as housing by the owners of the mill, it also served as a general store and post office.

It currently provides a glimpse into the history of travel on the canal. 

Here’s a model of the Rideau Queen, one of the largest vessels to ply the waters between Ottawa and Kingston in the late 1800’s.

The Bytown is an example of a paddle wheeler. While paddle wheels were superseded by more efficient screw propellers, side wheelers stayed in service longer here because they were more maneuverable in the tight waters of the canal and locks.

Other exhibits in the house showed the finery with which travelers were treated along the route.

We were impressed with the lace on display.

Rooms were available for travelers on the upper floor of the Dickinson house.

1514  58,177  79°F   Just a few miles north of the mill we found working locks and a swing bridge.  

Gates are still manually opened.

We enjoyed a conversation with a wooden boat owner passing through the locks.

I forgot to ask the year she was built, but Ragtime surely is a pretty vessel.

Traveling the Rideau Canal between Lake Ontario and Canada’s Capital could be a fun adventure.

Before leaving the canal, we watched this water rescue team practicing nearby. They are a good reminder that even in a narrow inland waterway, we should always practice safe boating.

The restaurant here was okay, but the water tasted of sulphur. This was one of the least scenic Harvest Host locations we’ve stayed at, but we did enjoy a quiet overnight rest.

Today’s Short Route

Ottawa to (almost) the Saint Lawrence River