Kingston, Ontario is a lovely city. Many buildings in Kingston are built out of limestone, giving it the nickname ‘Limestone City’. Kingston also has a beautiful waterfront, where Lake Ontario meets with the Rideau Canal and the St. Lawrence River. On Saturdays there is a farmer’s market downtown, and an antique’s market on Sundays. There are plenty of beautiful heritage buildings to see, and a large selection of restaurants. But there are also a number of little towns nearby that are worth exploring.
A good place to get ideas and start planning activities for the day is at the Visitor Information Center located right downtown. They are very knowledgeable and helpful in providing ideas and helping you make your stay enjoyable. It is also a good place to go to get a map of Kingston and the surrounding areas. This is must for a road trip, after all, where would we be without our trusted map? Another handy thing for a day of exploring is bottled water. The Visitor Information Center sells water for $1/bottle. That’s the cheapest bottled water I know of in Kingston, so it is worth a mention. Now on to the road trip!
Road Trip Map
1st stop: Kingston Mills Lockstation
The Rideau Canal runs all the way from Kingston to Ottawa, and along the canal there are a total of 49 lockstations to allow the passage of boats through the different levels of the river. Driving north from Kingston, the first set of lockstations encountered are the three located at the Kingston Mills. On a warm sunny day there will most likely be boats crossing through the locks, which is always an interesting sight. The area is surrounded by greenery and it’s a nice place for a picnic.
2nd stop: Westport
Westport is a village on the Upper Rideau Lake. It’s nice to stroll through the village and explore the banks of the lake. It is also fairly quiet and relaxing sitting by the harbour and looking out at the lake. It seems to be a popular stop for boaters too, because the harbour was packed with boats. Westport was recently named a UNESCO World Heritage site.
3rd stop: Perth
Perth is a picturesque town with beautiful heritage buildings and lots of parks and greenery.
Wandering Graduate 