Our trip on Irish Mist to Florida 2014: 2014 Winter Cruise

The Cruising Sailor's Squadron has had a Winter Cruise since 2007. It was invented and promoted by Trish and I after we visited Cobourg Ontario during March Break in 2006. This year we went to Kingston Ontario.

Kingston is about 3 hours by car from Toronto. The problem is highway 401 runs just north of Lake Ontario and id prone to whiteouts and bad roads. I tried to organize a bus, but could not get enough interest. We were going to drive until there was a bad crash three weeks ago. My sister Mary decided we would go by train.

Our train at Union Station

Joan and Margaret settling in

Trish looking very comfortable

On the way we were mostly beside the lake and able to see were our boats will be sailing this summer on the way to "The Islands". It was a good day to be off the water with a strong on shore breeze.

Leaving Toronto

Lake Ontario

More of Lake Ontario

Port Hope

Once in Kingston we had a wonderful time visiting the Great Lakes Museum filled by dinner at the Kingston Yacht Club. It felt like home having been to Kingston so many summers.

I have to include a picture of the Wolfe Island Ferry, which we must cross each year both coming from and going to the islands.

The Ferry in front of RMC Canada's West Point.

The next three pictures are of some of the models on display at the museum.

We walked over to KYC and had an excellent dinner with a number of their members who had come over to keep us company.

Generally this would be the end of the cruise with the cruisers finding their way home after breakfast Sunday Morning, but we had a hockey game to watch. At 7:00 AM Sunday Canada would play Sweden for the Olympic Gold Metal.

Charlie and Patricia Scrivener had the foresight to order a suite and invited the group who had not gone home already to join them for the game. As you are all aware Canada beat the Swedes 3 - 0 and we got both the women's and men's gold in hockey and I should mention curling.