Farran and Upper Canada Village

Farran Park On the St Lawrence River by Upper Canada Village

I think I’ve found where I need to be to recover my MoJo and my health.  Yesterday I was tired, sore and out of breath riding my bike.  I put it down to feeling badly but this morning I woke with a cold and sore chest although my spirit felt better.  I decided to go to Upper Canada Village and the Townships on the roads less travelled.  I thought I had taken a wrong turn and ended up in Iowa there were so many cornfields.  In Winchester I couldn’t believe how big the St. Lawrence had become and went for a walk along the shoreline, read the historic markers and began to realize how important the locks had been to the development of this part of the country and to the economic development of the communities along the route. 

From there I hugged the shore along Hwy 2 and found a marina that also had camping.  The guy told me that they had no services just a good view and I would probably be the only one in the camping area. He was very nice to me, said they charged the same as the real campgrounds and recommended Farran as a better deal, very beautiful if I could get a site on the water and he was right.  He also gave me a free ticket to the Upper Canada Village.

Not only was he right about my site being beautiful but the park ranger is also a beautiful soul. He gave me a good site on the river and when I stopped back to ask about the bird sanctuary trail he was on the phone passionately advocating for a 15 year old runaway girl who he feared was headed for the 401.  I left to explore and when I got back he told me a long heartbreaking story about finding her sleeping in the campground and how he had tried to help her.  I was so impressed he told me other stories, successful and otherwise, all from the heart

The Type Caster

The Weaver

I am staying here for two days and maybe three, as there is a fall festival on this weekend at the Village where I spent a lovely afternoon is celebrating.  The village is set around 1840.  The people working there are so skilled at drawing us in and telling stories it was all very realistic and classy.  I learned how to make cheese, prepare wool for the loom, and had a great lunch on the porch of the hotel.  I only made it through half the town and as I have free tickets will go back tomorrow afternoon to finish it off.