RV Anytimers old: A Reunion With Friends

Well we made it our good friends in Brantford, Ontario Thursday night. We left Windmill Park after a good nights sleep and a short breakfast and headed west along Hwy 3 towards Port Colborne.

We decided to see the locks at the end of the Welland Canal system and then drive north along the canal stopping at several of the locks along the way. The canal system was built to facilitate moving ships inland through the Great Lakes. Prior to the canal system with it's numerous locks shipping was limited to Lake Ontario due to the change in elevation between Lake Ontario, at 246' and Lake Erie, at 572'. The locks allow ships to travel 1300 miles inland to the edge of the 'Great Prairies'. The series of eight locks lift ships an average of 46.5' each over the 7 miles between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. There a similar series of locks between the St. Lawrence River at 20 ' elevation and Lake Ontario at 246' elevation.

A shot of the lower side of the lock gates

This was Lock #3 just after this freighter entered.

The 'Wagenborg' as it prepared to sail out of Lock #3. the lifting process took all of 10 minutes to raise this ship 50'.

We left the canal behind and headed west to Brantford to visit Wayne & Colleen. We got turned around and headed in the wrong direction a few times, thanks to the wonderful highway signage here in Canada, but eventually we made it here. We are now parked in the drive which overlooks the Grand River, with lots of green lawn and trees, just a gorgeous park-like setting. I hope to get down to the river and wet a line soon, but it's kind of muddy due to all the rains that have plagued this area this summer, I don't know what fishing will be like.

Here we sit. Hard to wake up to this out your window.

Wayne's got a beautiful place here.

Later today we're going to Port Dover for a dinner of Lake Erie Perch. The last time we were here we did the same and we were goin' back no matter what. The perch are small and "Absolutely Delicious"!