With a car:
Check out the Rideau Canal – now a World Heritage Site. The first lock (Kingston Mills)
http://www.rideau-info.com/canal/locks/46-49-kingstonmills.html
is a great place for a picnic. Watch the boats come through the locks and perhaps visit the blockhouse. You can arrange a great picnic lunch from Pan Chancho -44 Princess Street 613-544-7790.
Watch youngsters, we don’t want them to fall into the locks!
Lemoine Point
Named after one of the early French explorers this is a conservation area with lots of walking trails and wildlife – and planes (It is near the airport) It can be approached from the north and south ends. Early morning dog walkers and runners love it. So do I. Mute swans have made the bays home. I know they are not indigenous. Beautiful anyway.
http://maps.google.ca/maps/place?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=lemoine+point&fb=1&gl=ca&hq=lemoine+point&cid=4609835979728102303
Grass Creek Park – East of Kingston – take in the woodworking museum if that is your thing. Lots of room here for your kids and you to walk, run and swim.
On foot:
The tourism office (209 Ontario St) has many self guided walks available. The tours feature Kingston’s 19th century well preserved architecture and Sir John A Macdonald – separately. An early evening walk through the soon-to-be heritage district of Sydenham Ward (We hope) west of the tourism office is delightful. Further to the west you will enter the Queen’s University District. This is a dense, downtown university and it has rescued Kingston from its conservative past. On your way- as you pass though City Park you can watch hundreds of under-two-year-olds as they enjoy the splash pad. Mothers love this! Particularly popular early in the morning. Kids have been up since 6 am!
Old Fort Henry - is a vigorous walk from the Tourism office. Go east along Ontario Street and up the hill. You will be out of breath, but remember forts were positioned so that people (the enemy) could be shot! Don’t miss it.
Fort Frontenac exists beside the Wolfe Island ferry and Tim Horton’s, east of the tourist bureau. It is still a working military site, home of the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College.
http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/ffom/default_e.asp
This is where Kingston began, but don’t expect to walk into it and take a look around. There are security guards to stop you. Kingstonians are glad to have it here so please don’t complain about lack of access.
Wolfe Island Ferry – mentioned on other places on this site. Best way to see the Kingston battlements for free. Stay on the east (left) side on the way out.
http://www.wolfeisland.com/ferry.php
You might also take a look at the wind turbines if you stay on Wolfe Island between ferries, instead of returning on the same trip.
A word about directions: Like most cities Kingston has conventions about directions. East is most commonly called north and west is often (but not always,) south. Get a map at the tourism office (209 Ontario Street) and defy tradition!
