Biking to Lakefield & Kayaking on the Trent Canal

Once back on the lower level I continued paddling to Lock 20 which is a regular manually operated lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway. We had to wait until the water level had equalized and then paddled out into Little Lake. My tennis injury was really bothering me by now, making every shoulder rotation rather painful, so I asked if there was any option for me to stop my paddling a bit earlier. We only had about 20 minutes of paddling left, and I would have loved to continue but I figured it was better to stop before I really wrecked something.

Nice view of paddlers on Little Lake

My expert guides Lloyd and Clare were very accommodating and took me right around the corner to Rogers Cove, a picturesque park, where I rested until Lloyd came to pick me and the kayak up in his truck less than half an hour later. I was really disappointed that I could not finish my paddling adventure, but I figured it was a bit safer to give my shoulder a rest, especially since we had tennis playoffs coming up.

A pleasant view of Millenium Park

But despite me wimping out, my bicycling and kayaking experience had been awesome. I had seen some beautiful neighbourhoods and parks in Peterborough, got introduced to the picturesque village of Lakefield and enjoyed the serene surroundings of the Trent Canal. I thanked Lloyd for all his expert input and his patience with this rookie paddler. Then I picked up my car again and drove back to the Beacon by the Bay Bed and Breakfast where I rested for a couple of hours.

My nice restful bedroom at the Beacon by the Bay B&B

In the evening I headed out for dinner and dropped into Kubo Lounge, a cool recently opened restaurant right downtown on George Street. Owner Neil Quiano gave me a tour of his chic and modern eatery and indicated it is housed in a historic building and even features an original mosaic from the 1800s in the entranceway. Neil has more than 15 years of hospitality experience now, which started when he opened Cosmic Charlie’s Café, a popular Thai restaurant..

Owner Neil Quiano in his chic eatery, Kubo Lounge

The cuisine at Kubo Lounge includes a mix of unique mostly Asian dishes. I enjoyed my Artichoke, Feta and Olives Tapenade, followed by Shanghai Spring Rolls with Lean Pork and Vegetables, looking out onto the comings and goings of Peterborough’s main street from my nice window seat at the front of Kubo Lounge.

My eclectic Asian-inspired dinner

Finally, my last evening in Peterborough included a Ghost Walk in the historic Ashburnham district of Peterborough. Our guide from the Trent Valley Archives shared many ghost stories with us, about the fatal 1916 explosion in the Quaker Oats Plant and about many other haunted sites among the stately mansions of Ashburnham. We even visited the Peterborough Lift Lock around 11 pm, said to be one of Peterborough’s most haunted places.

Our knowledgeable guide from the Trent Valley Archives takes us on the Ghost Walk

It was close to midnight when we finished and I had learned so much about Peterborough’s early history and the trials and tribulations of many of its prominent families. I fell into my comfy bed at the Beacon by the Bay B&B, looking forward to meeting the owners tomorrow before heading back to Toronto.

The Peterborough Lift Lock, one of the city’s most haunted places

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