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Adventure Cruising With Kids or Grandkids

Adventure Cruising With Kids or Grandkids — Canada’s Trent Severn Waterway

Jim and I love to share our cruising experiences! Since 2005, when we headed out on our first Great Loop adventure, it was just the two of us. Our three sons who were engaged in their own adventures; college, jobs, and Marines, were too young to have kids themselves, which left us empty-nesters, and able to strike out on our own. When our first grandson, Silas, made his appearance, in 2013 (and subsequently, our granddaughter, Hadley, in 2016 and another grandson, Declan in 2021) our thoughts and energies eventually turned to how we could share our love of boating with…

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Grandkids Cruise–Trent Severn Waterway

Grandkid’s Cruise to Peterborough-Trent Severn Waterway-Part-1

Grandkid's Cruise To Peterborough—First Leg of a 12-day Adventure The idea for the “Grandkid's Cruise” came almost a year before we actually set out on the road trip to Ontario, Canada with the boat in tow. We wanted the cruise to be educational by visiting somewhere, by boat, which had some historical content and some boating features. The Trent Severn Waterway (TSW) immediately came to mind. The kids would learn about how early commerce transportation came to be in Canada and the historical significance of traveling a waterway with a lock system in place. PROVISIONING AND PLANNING Our oldest grandson, Silas,…

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Grandkids Cruise– Buckhorn

Grandkids Cruise-Buckhorn—Trent Severn Waterway-Part-2

Grandkids Cruise-Buckhorn, On the Trent Severn Waterway — After leaving Peterborough, we made our way along the waterway to Buckhorn, stopping at Stoney Lake to anchor for one night. On the first two days of cruising the Trent Severn Waterway, we traversed 12 locks. That’s a lot!!! Safety First! Jim and I discussed how best to manage the kids while locking through. For safety reasons, we decided they had to sit still, inside or on the “Queen Seat,” while Jim and I handled the mechanics of catching lock wall ropes and securing the boat in the lock. While launching the…

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Grandkids Cruise–Bobcaygeon

Grandkids Cruise-Bobcaygeon—Trent Severn Waterway-Part-3

Bobcaygeon Is A Popular Town on the Trent Severn Waterway — Grandkids Cruise-Bobcaygeon. One of our favorite places on the Trent Severn Waterway (TSW) is the charming town of Bobcaygeon. A popular stop for Loopers, Bobcaygeon has many things boaters are looking for while cruising the TSW. We looked forward to visiting this town with the kids. The last time we were in Bobcaygeon was when we cruised from Orillia, Ontario, on the TSW to Montreal, on the Rideau Canal. After we went through the lock wall, we secured a spot on the park side of the lock.       I tried…

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Grandkids Cruise-Fenelon Falls

Grandkids Cruise-Fenelon Falls—Trent Severn Waterway-Part-4

Something for Everyone! Fenelon Falls, Ontario — Grandkids Cruise-Fenelon Falls. We have another fun stop today. Fenelon Falls has it all. The lock is right downtown and there is a magnificent park available within a short walking distance of the lock where we usually try to dock. We remembered from the last time we were here that there is a museum next to the park and they have lots of activities for kids. Grabbing a spot on the lock wall in Fenelon Falls means a chance to have water and electricity access. Sometimes Wi-Fi access is available at the park…

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Grandkids Cruise–Big Chute

Grandkids Cruise-Orillia—Trent Severn Waterway-Part-5

The Stretch from Fenelon Falls to Orillia Was the Last Leg of Our Boat Trip. Grandkids Cruise-Orillia. We will pull the boat out here to drive to the Big Chute to see the boats being carried over land. If we had gone with PLAN A, the Big Chute would have been our first lock, instead of our last. On this day we had fun taking the Kirkfield Lift Lock (below). This lock is similar to the one in Peterborough. Look what we spotted today (above). We immediately stocked up on Butter Tarts, while exploring downtown and the big park by…

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Grandkids Cruise-Big Chute

Grandkids Cruise-Big Chute—Trent Severn Waterway-Part-6

The Big Chute Marine Railway—One of the unique locks on the Trent Severn Waterway — Last leg of the Grandkids Cruise on the Trent Severn Waterway. Shortly after we pulled the boat out of the water and left Orillia, we arrived at the Big Chute Marine Railway, in Coldwater, Ontario. Had we stayed with our initial PLAN A, we would have started our trip in Severn, Ontario. The Big Chute would have been the first lock on our trip with that plan. However, in the summer of 2022, this lock was closed on and off all summer. The day before we would have…

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