Drift Away: Chaffeys (lock 37)

We were greeted by Russell and Brenda at Chaffeys locks. Russ lent us his Mule to tour the newly renovated Opinicon Resort. The new owners have spent millions renovating a very old and tired resort to a classy updated resort while still keeping the original charm. The story goes that they were past visitors and after selling their company for billions decided to invest in restoring the Opinicon to its former glory. Nice to see people paying it back.

The last time I was here we were having water gun fights with Chuck and more. Probably 35 years ago.

We swam for the first time and the water was great. Clear and warm with lots of little fish. The little bastards like nipples and will surprise you. Very refreshing swim. We washed the mustache off of the boat and made her look pretty good. We have a lovely spot tucked under the trees and plugged in too!

We were invited to the Freaky Tiki Resort for dinner and what a dinner it was. Brenda donned her Mermaid suit and swam up and down the canal for a while. They have a collection of boats from speed to classic cruiser and a rowing skiff too. The decor is amazing with signs and trinkets everywhere all providing a chuckle and a great ambiance. Martine and Andre joined us and we reminisced for many hours. Poor Debbie was lost at times but remained a good sport for the evening. Home to the boat and Andre and Martine leave in the morning to return to Hudson.