Hello from Georgian Bay!

Gemini took a short ride! We crossed over the Great Chute on Thursday. The car rides into the water, you drive your boat into the middle, the attendants lift some straps to stabilize the boat, and the car takes you and your boat over land and down a hill back into the water again. Sounds simple? Actually it was. It takes one minute for them to stabilize your boat and three minutes to make the trip down to the next lake. It was very interesting! 

Once on the other side, there are a few small lakes and some narrow canals. We had to be aware that the bottom and sides are rock - not sand. In some places we could see the rocks underneath. The water is very clear here. There are pretty communities all along the waterway and houses on the small islands in the lakes. The landscape gets more beautiful all the time.

After the Great Chute, we did our last lock on the Trent-Severn (cue The Hallelujah Chorus!) and headed out into Georgian Bay. We are now in the town of Midland, ON, where we have WiFi (of sorts). I spent 3 hours loading up photos - no I didn't take that many. It should have taken about 15 minutes or so. Steve spent yesterday morning changing the oil in the engines. We have to take good care of those!

We rode into Midland on the bikes yesterday afternoon and had a great dinner in an old library. There are murals on the walls of many buildings that I want to photograph. We will go back today to do that and to visit a Huron museum and village.

Tomorrow we go to Penetanguishene where we will attend a mini-rendezvous with other Loopers. More later, hopefully with better WiFi.

Leaving Orillia

A beautiful wooden boat

A Chinese fellow in a hat

This was a summer camp. These little girls waved and shouted hello as we went by. They all said "thank you" when I took their picture. So cute!

A little bear near the flag pole.

A painted moose - pretty big

A big bear - looked like it was carved out of stone.

We watched this boat go through the Big Chute

It is heading in. You can see the car on the right.

They have him now, and are coming out of the water.

The car goes up a small hill and then down a larger one.

You can see a smaller boat up front.

We walked over to check it out.

It moves by cables and brakes. The mechanism goes under the ground to a nearby building with the motors and spools.

The railway down to the lake on the other side.

Standing in the middle of the railway.

OK - here we go!

You can see the slings on the sides. The operator directs you in.

When you come in far enough, they lift the slings to stabilize you

They've got us! Ryder thinks it looks OK.

Starting up out of the water.

Here we go!

We are now high and dry and headed to the lower lake.

A view looking back at the higher lake.

A view off the side of the boat. Note the park bench.

Steve is talking to the operator. We are getting close.

Looking back up the hill.

And here we are, going back into the water.

Floating again.

Ryder is always supervising.

And here we have our last lock on the Trent-Severn. Cue the Hallelujah Chorus!

The lock opened on to a very narrow channel.

You can see how close together the red and green buoys are.

Back out in open water - but very shallow. This guy was fishing. We never did see his boat...

Looks kind of like marshy sandbars back home, except that it's rock under that grass.

Out into Georgian Bay, and headed for Midland.

Midland, Ontario.

Docked and enjoying a gorgeous sunset.