Today we drove back to downtown in search of two more Parks Canada National Historic Sites. We eventually found the Fur Trade at Lachine NHS. It was formerly a trade warehouse and now a NHS. We explored different pelts and learned about the business of trade that took place here. We learned that the first people had to portage canoes and supplies that weighed 90lbs a bushel.
It was neat to learn about the term “As Mad as a hatter”.
We practices rowing the canoe. We were no where near as fast as the 60 strokes per minute that the natives maintained for 16 hours a day!
Next we drove down the river to the Lachine Canal lock #3. We had seen lock #5 next to the Fur Trade Site. A boat takes 3-5 hours to pass through the locks. We were off to complete of Xplorer books.
We stopped for some free Parks Canada air brush tattoos.
Exploring lock #3. IÂ found a dime and named it Mr. Dimey! We watched a seagull catch a fish and then drop it. He found it eventually and had his snack. We learned how to tie some knots and about how the canal was used in the past and it’s uses today. They have installed bridges and footpaths over the canal during the time when it wasn’t in use. So now the height clearance is much lower not to mention that the swing bridges don’t operate either.
We headed back towards a shopping area about 20 minutes from the campsite. We had ice cream at Chocolate Favoris again and then stopped in at a unique pet shop. It was called Safari and each location has a different theme. This one was pirates. They had cats, dogs, fish, birds and SO much more.
This is part of the sales floor!
And a photo from the second story of the store. They also had a huge pirate ship that was used for birthday parties, in a pet store!
We came back and went swimming. We wonder what the beachballs did wrong?
Thunder boomed and the pool closed early. We got showered and I made it back to the motorhome before the rain. Mom and B got stuck at the bathhouse until the rain died down.