Yep, just decided this past week, I have to go forth and explore, even if I have to do it with me. Can’t wait any longer.
Besides, I need some writing material, lol!
Got the Ontario map out on Thursday night to peruse the possibilities, decided I’d start with something familiar. Gotta love the Muskoka area, particularly Lake of Bays Township. Basically grew up there, fond memories of cottage life, including many camping trips. Honestly, if you have kids, you need to check out this lifestyle for yourself. Great for the kids, and you…family fun, get outside, hike, fish, swim, boat, docking, dancing, bonfires, S,mores for all, and shots, for all us more maturrr folks, tee, hee…get off the electronics and DISCOVER!!! Hey, I understand, I’m a graphic designer, photographer, computer and phone geek…but I’m telling you, nature rocks!
Gorgeous day…left a little later than I thought. Shouldn’t be surprised, I’m not an early riser, in fact I’m kind of a night person. Anyway, heading up north on a Saturday, was not bad at all. I guess all peeps are at their cottages already and they won’t head back to the city until Sunday. We’re good!
Ahhhhh, Hwy 117, I remember it well, a little curvy…yep. Friday nights, me and my Honda Prelude. “Hey Dad, I did the trip in under 2 hours” (from Etobicoke). I notice I’m a little slower now. Arrive alive, is all I can say!
First stop, Baysville. Home to Miss Nelle’s Antiques & Café, for coffee and quaintness, Lake of Bays Brewing Company, lakeofbaysbrewing.ca for beer of course, and the Baysville dam. You can eat your ice cream on a bench overlooking the rushing water…cool!
Dorset, my old stomping grounds, we had a cottage within walking distance to the famous Robinson’s General Store www.robinsonsgeneralstore.ca Voted “Canada’s Best Country Store”, a must see for anyone visiting the area. It’s been owned and operated by the same family since 1921. They have hardware, groceries, clothing, gifts and moccasins, their specialty…and the liquor store is across the parking lot, of course I picked up a bottle of wine for later! Take a little boat cruise of Lake of Bays and Bigwin Island on the SS Bigwin ssbigwin.com/publiccruises or have a lovely lunch, watching the boats go by on the waterfront, at the Trading Bay Dining Company tradingbaydining.com
Off to the Dorset Lookout Tower, originally built in 1922 as a fire lookout at 25 meters high. The current tower built in 1967, now welcomes visitors to climb 142 meters up to the observation deck, where you will enjoy a breathtaking 360 degree view of Lake of Bays. I only managed to clear a couple of sets of stairs…the Blackflies were outrageous, I was afraid that I would loose my glasses, or my balance, from the amount of arm flailing I was doing, lol! One has to concentrate while climbing up those stairs and back down again! I don’t know how many bites I have…all around my neck and ears…they purposefully go for your head eh! My advice, get one of those head net things. I have one, but where the hell is it, at home of course! Note to self: Make a list of stuff you need on day, road trips, include: bug net for head, or the obvious, bug spray. Oh well, never mind, I have been to the top on many previous occasions, so wasn’t too upset…ahhhh, next time.
I really wanted to go to Oxtongue Falls, but after driving on the supposed road to get there, which felt more like a trail, with pot holes and roots and such, I headed out and over to Algonquin Outfitters algonquinoutfitters.com in Dwight, to see if I could get better directions. One of the friendly staff pointed out that I was indeed on the right road, but after some consideration, I opted not to return, as my KIA is not a 4×4, lol. He proposed an alternative route to the Oxtongue Rapids Trail. It turns out, caution was certainly needed, as the trail follows the shore of a fast moving river, with very rocky slopes to the river’s edge. I didn’t get the photo ops I was hoping for, as I couldn’t get as close as I wanted. Maybe I can get an assistant to accompany me in future, lol! Again, the Blackflies were sooo horrendous, I ended up eating my lunch in my car in the parking lot. Hey, at least I had the forethought to bring a ‘cooler’ lunch in the first place.
I was already on Hwy 60 and heading towards Algonquin www.algonquinpark.on.ca hoping to travel through a bit of the park, but decided to turn around, as it was getting later in the afternoon. Algonquin needs way more time to explore, even the ‘Hwy 60 Corridor’ has an abundance of trails and camping to get lost in. Good job too, it started to rain as I headed out of Huntsville.
Home sounded good, as I had wine in the trunk and shrimp defrosting in the fridge, to be added to the Alfredo sauce I was making for dinner. Until next time…
It’s human nature to stretch, to go, to see, to understand. Exploration is not a choice really, it’s an imperative
– Michael Collins