Cruising the beautiful 1000 Islands

Over the weekend when the sun made a brief appearance, we jumped at the chance to do one of our favourite activities in the 1000 Islands - take a cruise!

Last year (and many before) we have boarded at Blockhouse Island in Brockville, On. to take one of the many cruises offered. This year we wanted to try something different, so we headed to Gananoque and took the 1 Hour cruise.

This is a shot of one of the world famous 1000 Islands.

 

The girls and I posing for some pictures, as I'm usually the one behind the camera.

 

 

 

The hour cruise proved to be just the right amount of time with our small children. The ship is large enough to comfortably move around and enjoy a relaxing time on the St.Lawrence River.

 

Such a peaceful cruise!

 

 

One of the many sights - beautiful sail boats.

 

If you put one thing on your list this summer, check out the many cruises offered for the St. Lawrence River. There are cruises leaving daily from Brockville, Rockport, Gananoque and Kingston.

 

 

 

April showers bring birthdays, concerts and wineries

April has been a busy month this far. We had two birthdays' ; a big milestone for Remy, as she celebrated her first birthday and I continue to celebrate my twenty-eighth birthday, again and likely again next year too. My mom headed off to Italy for a week in support of her new wine importing business (Amano Inc.) and our calendar continued to be full of diverse community events.

If you are a fan of maple syrup (and who isn't?), pancake breakfasts and family activities, you have likely heard of Gibbon's Family Farm, just north of Brockville. We ventured out one Saturday morning for their family day and took in music, pony rides and a petting zoo. There were many local families in attendance and no shortage of happy children. Our girls spotted the petting zoo, and headed over to see the baby lamb, goat and of course,  to hold the bunnies. We then ventured into the barn to listen to some folk music and hear some stories. After that quick break, it was back to the animals for a pony ride. Both girls enjoyed the ride - so much so, that I believe they are in cohoots to try and get daddy to buy them a horse!

That same Saturday evening was the annual North Augusta Volunteer Firefighters Pancake Dinner. If you are familiar with my blog, you know this is something we also supported last year and will hopefully continue to do so in years to come. It was nice to see the familiar faces of long-time friends who now volunteer and bring their own families to the dinner. The proceeds raised from this event go to assist in supporting our volunteer firefighters with their ongoing training, equipment and education to the general public. I can't think of a better way to show respect and support to the men and women who courageously give their time and lives to helping others. Thank you!

Last, but certainly not least, Nick, the girls and I spent last weekend away in Kingston. I had bought Nick concert tickets to see Great Big Sea for his birthday awhile back and we had been anticipating this concert for nearly 4 months! With Mother Nature throwing one last hooray of an ice storm, I was worried we wouldn't make it. Thankfully the weather let up and it was safe to travel. Although Kingston is a stone's throw away, it isn't a place we would have gone to if the ice had stayed. We checked into our hotel after dinner, my long-time friend and her hubby came to stay with the girls so we could head out to the concert. I like Great Big Sea, but could have taken or left them before this concert. I have to tell you - after seeing them perform live, that this is an amazing band who has gained a new fan. Their cadence was incredible and the range was like nothing I had ever heard. It was a great date night and a fun memory Nick and I will have for years to come.

As always- this area never disappoints. En route back from our Kingston adventure, the kids fell asleep in the car. Nick and I both enjoy country drives and so we went where the roads took us. We discovered Eagle Point Winery, just north of Rockport and I fell in love. As I don't often drink, I couldn't tell you the first thing about wine (shhh...don't tell my mom- she is a sommelier) but I will tell you that this winery is breathtaking. When I ventured in, looking lost I am sure, the associate could not have been kinder and more welcoming. She answered my questions and showed a genuine excitement that I was visiting for the first time. I sampled their 2007 Merlot and was blown away. I was also excited when I was introduced to Debra Marshall, the Operations Manager for the winery. Debra was very warm and welcoming too. She didn't seem to mind my lack of knowledge and was more then happy to take my card and entertain the idea of a return visit and tour. I brought home a bottle of that Merlot and can't wait to return soon.

I would love to know what everyone does with their weekends in the area? Does your family have a favourite local hang-out or activity? If you have experiences to share or ideas of places to visit - please email me at littlecitycharmevents@gmail.com

Get out and enjoy local!

Sayonara summer, Hello fall fun!

Over the past month we have been so busy, I feel as though I've barely had a minute to sit, write and catch up. There have been so many wonderful places to visit, festivals to attend and of course, the hustle and bustle of every day life. Here's what we've been up too.....

Labour Day weekend was a lot of fun for us. We packed up and headed to Kingston on Saturday. I am usually pretty organized and plan out our weekends well in advance. This tends to irritate Nick sometimes, as he is more of a 'go with the flow' type of guy We threw caution to the wind, made no plans and just drove west. Nick had heard about a cafateria-style resturaunt called The Golden Rooster, on Princess Street. We parked,walked a few blocks and settled in. I had the medium-rare roast beef sandwich, Nick had the chicken pot pie and my oldest had a fruit salad and some fries. Ah, the life and diet of a three year old. The food was great and the ambience reminded me of Schwartz's in Montreal. If you are in Kingston, check it out.

With a great lunch behind us, we headed out for some exploring downtown. Kingston is a stones throw from Brockville and reminds me so much of our beautiful city. I follow a frozen yogurt shop called Menchies on Twitter (@MenchiesKtown) so I had to check it out in person while in town . We found it easily and were excited for a treat after a fabulous lunch, walk and shopping. I loved the lime green backsplash, colourful letters and overall decor. What a fun and welcoming place! Oh, and the froyo was also delish!

Sunday was my turn to "plan" and I had read about North Augusta's Labour Day festivities. We got there in time to grab a bite to eat at a local restaurant called "Woody's"; most of you likely know it at one time as 'Frank's', which has since switched owners. The food is homestyle and you wont go hungry. We took in the car show, the bouncy castles, some of the softball games and a quick play at the park. North Augusta is small town but they know how to throw a great Labour Day festival!

The following week flew by, although that may have been because Spencerville Fair was just around the corner. I have been attending this fair since I was a little girl and my family horse Irish used to lead the parade back in the 80s. The parade and all things associated with the fair make up some of my favourite childhood memories It was only natural that, for the past few years, I have been taking my children. This year, due to the rainy weather we only made it to the parade. As always, it didn't disappoint. Our girls had a ton of laughs, got too much candy and even snuck in a visit with their favorite Auntie Chelle! No rain could dampen our Spencerville Fair spirit!

How did you wrap up summer and what local fall evens do you look forward to each year? Love to hear from you!