Come visit Kingston & Wolfe Island

After our visit to 'The County', it was time to show off our little slice of heaven, Kingston, to Christine and David.  There is so much history here, we tried to see as much as we could.

First stop, The Penitentiary Museum.

Although Kingston Prison does offer tours, (worth taking), 

we opted for a photo instead.
(Check out my previous blog on it)
 http://bitesoflifeandfood.blogspot.ca/2013/12/crime-does-not-pay.html

We enjoyed the Pen Museum, but given the nature of certain exhibits, I decided not to take any photos.  It is a big part of our history, 

so I highly recommend a visit.

We did make a stop at Bellevue House which was the home of our first Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald, for a year.

Take advantage of Canada's 150th birthday to get a pass from Parks Canada, so you can visit this stately home for free!

Our next junket was a ferry ride across to Wolfe Island.

 Anyone living in this area knows that we have been inundated with an overabundance of rain this year, 

resulting in severe flooding everywhere.

Our friend's front lawn under water!

This tree does not normally sit in the water!

The last stop was a visit to Bedford Mills which was a tiny Mill Town.

We are friends with the current owners of the Mill, 

who have renovated it into a lovely home.

The run off that used to power the mill still rages.

They even have taken a couple families of geese
under 'their wing' and feed them daily.

More Kingston and surroundings coming up next!

Crime does not pay

Even if you don't live in Kingston, Ontario, most people know that Canada's most notorious maximum penitentiary, housing the baddest of the bad, is here in our otherwise beautiful town.  Due to its age (completed in 1834), it was recently closed.  Although its fate is not known at this time, Corrections Canada did allow 2 charities to run tours to raise funds.  They sold out in a matter of minutes, causing the ticketing website to crash a number of times.

We were lucky enough to take one of the tours and the following pictures will give you a glimpse into the life of a maximum security inmate.

Inside the grounds

Where visitors can spend time with the inmates

Halfway house on the grounds where families can live together before inmate is released

Door leading into prisoner wings

Just like in the movies

Cells on the block

A segregation cell - bare minimum!

Where the guards monitor prisoner activities

Rotunda where the 1971 riot took place.  2 prisoners were killed by the inmates.

NO WAY OUT!

Crime does not pay!