I WILL BE IN KINGSTON NEXT MONTH--IS THERE ANYTHING CLOSE THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE? I KNOW THAT OTTAWA IS ABOUT A 2-HOUR DRIVE.....

Kingston itself is very lovely, there are a number of 1000 Islands cruises out of that port that are charming. Ottawa is a great town if you are a history/culture buff. You might also be interested in Upper Canda Village, about 1 hour away, a re-created small early Ontario twon along the lines of Shelburne Village in Mass. Have a great visit!

There are several prisons in Kingston (I do not think they give tours) but there's also a Prison Museum that you might find interesting. I've never bveen there, but a friend hosted a party there once, and the guests loved the place. <BR> <BR>Old Fort Henry will give you some insights into Canadian history. <BR> <BR>BAK

Kingston is the home of Queen's University and not a bad place to visit in terms of restaurants, night spots, etc. as a result of that. The people are invariably friendly. We made use of the Holiday Inn, which is right down on the waterfront, near the historic City Hall. You can get a balcony overlooking the water. From the Holiday Inn, you can plan a nice, long walk up and down Prince Street and really get a feel for some of the best of Kingston. If you're an early riser, you will be pleased to find a Tim Horton's right across the parking lot. (You haven't been to Canada if you haven't gone to Tim's!). While Kingston is not a place that you hear a lot about, you may be pleasantly surprised. As for Ottawa, I consider it one of the most undersold destinations in North America. By all means, visit that charming city! Happy Trails!

In addition to the other good advice, you might want to take Hwy. 29 north from Brockville as an alternate to Hwy 416, if you head to Ottawa. Stop in a Smith's Fall, a lovely little Rideau town, and stock up on chocolate at the Hershey Factory. Nothing as elaborate as Hershey PA, but worth a visit. The town itself is delightful too, with some great lunching restaurants. <BR>http://town.smiths-falls.on.ca/tourism/index.html

What is a Tim Horton's?

Let me start by saying I attended Queen's University in Kingston for six years so I know Kingston pretty well. <BR> <BR>Kingston, particularly in the summer, is a very charming place. Visit the campus of the university -- like much of the city, its buildings are built of the limestone that abounds in quarries near the city. <BR> <BR>Fort Henry's nice, but it's a fairly family oriented experience. <BR> <BR>Princess Street is the main drag in town, and most of the attractions are south of it. <BR> <BR>Kingston also has a number of very good, very cheap (by big city standards) restaurants. Chez Piggy is regularly rated one of the best restaurants in Canada. I would also recommend Casa Domenico for more upscale dining too. Don't be fooled though, these restaurants are quite cheap for the quality they offer -- most entrees will run no more than $20CDN. <BR> <BR>For a great Caesar salad and the best chicken salad you've ever tasted, try Luke's (on Princess Street itself). For incredible stone oven pizza and some great apps (the mushroom salad is great) try Woodenheads. The best patio in town is at the Lone Star Cafe (right at the foot of Princess, and also where I supported myself through school). <BR> <BR>For some lovely scenery, take the 20 minute drive east to Gananoque. It's really a hub for 1000 Islands tours, and has a fairly active summer crowd. While there, you might want to try the Cook Not Mad restaurant (which I have not tried but have heard is fabulous). <BR> <BR>For hotels, there are some very nice inns right in the heart of old Kingston (the Sydenham ward, which is right by lake and Queen's campus) -- try the Rosemount (Rosemont?), the Belvedere Hotel, or the Hochelaga Inn. All are quite charming. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip. <BR> <BR>Rob

Jean, <BR> <BR>Tim Horton's is a ubiquitous chain of donut shops across Canada. They are a staple of life for most Canadians, who have become addicted to either the coffee, the donuts, or both. <BR> <BR>The chain was founded by Tim Horton, a legendary defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs (among others) who died in a traffic accident many years ago. <BR> <BR>The chain is currently owned by Wendy's, who are probably trying to discover a way to make Americans as addicted to Tim Horton's' coffee and donuts as Canadians. <BR> <BR>On the whole, it's a Canadian thing... <BR> <BR>Any more questions? <BR> <BR>Rob

Rob, thanks for getting the gender correction in there: PRINCESS Street. Now, what's the name of that great Greek place just off Princess Street where you walk past the steaks on display (lake end)? I agree with you 100% on the relative cost and value of eating out. It's a great deal and always seems to end up in the $20/person U.S. range (often that includes a drink or two).

Okay, our crack research team informs me that that restaurant is Minos and also, that there is a brand-new Four Points Sheraton in Kingston. Happy Trails!

Minos continues to be an excellent choice for dinner in Kingston, but you might want to call ahead to reserve as it's very popular. Save room for their baclava.

Tom-My son and I visited Queens University last fall for a visit and fell in love with this town!(In fact,he is turning down some great offers here in the states to go up to Kingson/Queens to go to college.)Anyway,we stayed at the Four Points Sheraton and thought it was lovely.Some of the other things that we really enjoyed were:the farm hockey team"Kingston Frontenacs"games-probably not playing at this tie of the year?/the quarry driving range for golf(built from a quarry it has floating greens for driving golf balls) along with an unbelievable mini golf course designed of all the major courses in the world-no, this is not putt putt golf.(Even if you aren't a real golfer you can play St.Andrews,Augusta,etc.) <BR>The Minos restaurant was excellent for dining and the waterfront area is great to linger for many hours. Fort Henry will be probably be open and just the view up there of the city is great!The maritime museum is down by the water and although it was closed in the fall-heard it was worth a trip.There are markets(flea and food) periodically down near the old customs house that are supposed to be fun?Anyway, I think that you will have a great time up there as there was alot to see,eat and do just in that area. If "Rob" the Queens graduate reads this-would there be any chance I could correspond with you off of Fodors for some questions answered about Queens?Thanks-Debie

bump up please?