Ruthven A Mansion in a Ghost Town

Ruthven Park is located at the site of a town which used to be called Indiana, which no longer exists. Throughout most of the 19th century, Indiana was a town that grew up around mills on the Grand River, with a canal and  locks nearby.
By the 1870's, railways arrived, and the wooden gates rotted and the locks filled with debris. In 1900, because of this, Indiana became a ghost town with fewer than two dozen inhabitants remaining. The only thing remaining of Indiana is the Ruthven mansion and the cemetery of the town.
The mansion was built of Indiana limestone, between 1845 and 1847. Four columns are situated at the front of the building, overlooking the Grand River. When we visited the site, we got to tour the building. It is need of repair, with quite a bit of work needed to restore it to its original condition. It is an ongoing work in progress.
In 1994, the building was declared a national historic site. It is an interesting place to visit and is located on Highway 54 between Cayuga and Caledonia.

Whistling Gardens

Today, we visited Whistling Gardens, located in Wilsonville, Ontario. Wilsonville is in Norfolk County just a few minutes south of Brantford and 20 minutes south of Highway 403.
There are theme gardens located on 20 acres featuring 4 kilometres of walking trails, ponds, musical water fountain shows and more. Canada's only all stone outdoor amphitheatre boasts over 120 fountains choreographed to music. Over 4,000 different plants are showcased and it is home to the largest conifer collection in the world with over 2400 species, hybrids and cultivars.
Whisting Gardens is Canada's newest botanical gardens which has only been open for a couple of years. The atmosphere is very relaxing and it is definitely worth a visit. Below are a few photos of different  scenes at Whistling Gardens, and if you like, feel free to check out the link below the photos to view more from the garden.

http://www.pinterest.com/canuck120950/whistling-gardens

Normandale

Recently, on a trip to Port Dover, we visited the small village of Normandale, situated on the shore of Lake Erie. Large peat bogs were located near here, and when burned in a furnace, bog ore produces iron. The first iron foundry in Upper Canada was located here.
Timber and bog ore became depleted, and Normandale became a ghost town. It didn't remain this way as cottagers and a few others moved into the area. It is worth a visit, two reasons being the original Union Hotel, built in the 1840's, and the Post Office/general store, built around the same time, are still both standing.
The area is quite picturesque, and a short walk takes you to a small beach. When visiting Port Dover, continue on until you come to this small village. You won't be disappointed.