Ottawa again!

We never expected to be in Ontario for this long! Here we are over a month later and still in Ontario for La Machines performance in Ottawa! We took our time getting here spending a day in Algonquin Park and checking out the Logging Museum on our way out. The museum was set up along an outdoor trail and was very well done and included buildings, boats, machinery and even a train engine. I enjoyed almost all of it and was only disappointed when towards the end a display pointed out the current logging situation in Algonquin. It seems that making money comes first whether it be through logging or making tourists happy but that environmental protection is last on their list. Don't get me wrong, we have been in many provincial parks this year and have enjoyed them all but one of the things that I have kept mentioning to Michael is how outdated and unfriendly to the environment most of the facilities have been within the parks. I've also noticed how few educational displays are about sustainability and/or leave no trace policies. There are so many environmentally friendly options out there now for toilets! Why aren't our Provincial parks using them? Why aren't they educating the public about these options and encouraging a more sustainable way of life? Don't tell me it's about money because I just read a display that claims logging is a $60 million industry in Algonquin Park and that's on top of the tourist dollars. There is enough money to switch out bad sanitation practices for good environmentally friendly ones that could be teaching the general public about better options. Anyway, end of rant! We spent a night in Renfrew before heading to the Quebec side of the river to head toward Ottawa. It's much more peaceful and serene on the Quebec side and there is Gatineau Park! Since we are in Quebec we stopped to visit Chris first and ended up skipping the La Machine performance the first day. There's always tomorrow! Good night World!

Collingwood

Collingwood harbourfront was our destination this morning. It was overcast and the weatherman said rain was coming. It was the perfect time to enjoy the harbourfront in peace. We ended up spending most of the day there. Michael talked to a few locals helping one video his crossfire workout and listening to another one talk about all of the changes that have happened in the area in his lifetime. I went for a walk and noticed the cool plaques they had put into the sidewalks with the names and dates of ships that had been made here. The downtown area had some really nice, well kept old buildings with quaint little shops in them but even though I didn't have the dogs with me I wasn't really in the mood for shopping. When I got back to the bus it was time to pack up and move in. We drove through Stayner and Phelpston and parked in the Vasey ball park to make coffee and then realized we needed to buy more coffee. We weren't planning on staying in a town tonight but here we are back in Midland on a weekend that is ridiculously busy because the giant duck is in the harbour and there is a feast fest going on. We did a drive by but it looked like way too much craziness for me. I was looking forward to a quiet night in a remote spot. Things don't always turn out the way we think though and now we are sitting along the waterfront just out of earshot of the festivities. Good night World!

Two Provincial Parks and a Beach!

I woke up so early this morning and was wide awake. All of the other occupants of the bus were sound asleep and it was hard to not move around and wake everyone up. I just couldn't do it and ended up waking everyone up when I moved the bus up closer to the washrooms. After the morning ritual of coffee and dog walks we drove out of Shelburne and headed to Pretty River Valley Provincial Park. Just to make sure we would find somewhere to park I asked on the Bruce Trail forum and got lots of ideas for parking. We ended up in a small lot near a side trail that leads to the Bruce Trail. We hung out in the parking lot (that doesn't sound appealing but we were in a field that was surrounded by a small mountain the view was spectacular) for a long while before we ventured out to the trail. It was a hot climb up but that turned out to be the safest section. As soon as we reached the woods at the top we were attacked by hundreds of mosquitoes! They swarmed us and it was hard to enjoy the beautiful trail. I guess there are some advantages to hiking the Bruce Trail in the off seasons. Years ago my friend and I had been hiking it late into the fall but had decided to call it quits when winter arrived. There were no mosquitoes then! Today was a different story! We cut our hike fairly short turning around when we just couldn't handle the bites anymore. Back in the safe zone on the side trail where the mosquitoes dared not follow I instantly regretted heading back but we were already on our way down and Michael was too far ahead of me for me to change my mind. Back at the bus we realized were really close to Collingwood and decided to head to Craigleith Provincial Park to go for a swim and cool off. The shoreline is full of shale and the beach floor consisted of giant slabs of flat rock that was a little slippery to walk on. I ended up wearing my keen scandals in and the water felt so good! This was just what I needed. We sat by the beach for a bit playing with the rocks before moving up to the grass. Well I moved up to the trees setting the hammock up and relaxing while Michael brought his laptop out and sat under the gazebo getting some work done. Later I noticed that one of the nearby fire pits was still smoking even though the group using it had left long ago. I took over and had a nice fire going within minutes. We sat and enjoyed the fire before heading over to the campground side for showers and to top up our water. I couldn't believe how busy the campground was! Or how many VW westies I saw! If we didn't have dogs we could easily travel around in one of those things! Chores were done just as it the sun was setting, we left the campground and headed just up the road to Craigleith Beach. I was hoping to stay there tonight but it has been built up since I was here last with paved parking lots and washrooms and big signs that say no overnight parking. It's too bad, I kind of liked how it was before with barely a dirt parking lot, no facilities and no signs. I've camped out under the stars here as a teenager and brought my kids here as the perfect stopover on the way to camp when they were young. It would have been nice to stay here now but I guess this is where Walmart again comes in handy. We did stay long enough to enjoy a coffee and walk around the sandy beach. Then we turned the bus toward the Walmart that was just down the road. This Walmart is nice with a parking lot out front and a side parking lot that is more discreet. Most of the big rigs are out front so we ended up sharing the side lot with a camper van with California plates. Okay not the same as a waterfront view but it's dark anyway and we have had an amazing day! Good night World!

A little rain never hurt anyone!

After a coffee I decided to hit the trail again before we left this fabulous place. It was so peaceful walking through the woods and along the lake so early in the morning. The clouds were low and shaped like waves or mountain ranges in the sky but I wasn't worried about rain. Maybe I should have been though, just as I reached the same point that I had gotten to last night the sky opened up and down poured. I was drenched within minutes with water actually pouring off of my arms and face. I was still happy though and had a great view of the lightning storm that was making its way across the sky. It reminded me of hiking on the Appalachian trail where it rained more days than it didn't. There was nothing I could do about it and I was already soaked so I might as well enjoy my hike back. The great thing about rain is the bugs all disappear so I got to enjoy the whole way back without a single bite! Mosquitoes love me so that is a big deal! Back at the bus I left my puddles in the doorway changed into dry clothes and looked at the map. Where to next? We had so many options! We could head over to the Mono Cliffs or Boyne Valley Provincial Park or to Earl Rowe Provincial Park. We decided on Earl Rowe and made our way there. It looked beautiful as we drove in and went straight to the day use area. On first sight it looked like a lake with islands and a nice beach surrounded by a manicured lawn littered with picnic tables and trees. Perfect! We sat and relaxed for a bit before taking the dogs on a tour of the park trails. The beautiful park we were in was just a man made lake that collected nearby town and agricultural runoff and was so contaminated that they had added a huge wading pool for everyone to swim in as the lake wasn't safe. I guess looks really can be deceiving! As we walked along the lake we realized we could actually smell the waste in the water. Ewww! Disgusting! I would have loved to let Melkie off the leash but I was worried he would head straight for the cesspool. As we hiked farther from the water Michael momentarily forgot about the polluted mess and let Cooper off leash only to yell at him moments later as I heard a splash in the swampy water. I have to admit I laughed at his foolishness and when Cooper returned he brought a cloud of bugs with him. Even though Michael rinsed him off our bus has had flies in it ever since. Gross! It was a nice area to hang out in and get a few chores done including having a shower and topping up our water (from a safe water source). We decided to back track a little bit and check out Boyne Valley Provincial Park. This turned out to be another wild goose chase just like yesterday at Forks of Credit but it was a beautiful drive heading toward the escarpment and the horizon was dotted with wind turbines. We joked about pulling up under a turbine for the night and saying it was so hot we needed the giant fan over us to cool off but in the end we decided to check out the town of Shelburne. We drove around looking for the best spot to park for the night and then headed to a local ice cream shop for a treat. Michael didn't bother reading the signs and just started asking questions which led the guy behind the counter to start up a conversation about literacy and the importance of reading. I laughed and suggested the guy make a video that is sure to go viral but I think the last laugh might have been on him. I'm pretty sure I handed him a ten dollar bill but he gave me the change as if I had handed him a twenty. I was about to correct him but realized that maybe I had mistakenly given him a twenty. As we walked out with our ice cream cones in hand I explained what I thought may have just happened to Michael and he just laughed and said " I guess math is important too!" We may or may not have just walked out with free ice cream cones. Anyway we headed over to the spot we had chosen and while setting up for the night a friend sent me a message and it turns out she is staying at a nearby campground. We were going to head over for a visit but I thought that the dogs might not be able to handle a full campground and bark their heads off. We decided to stay put and have a peaceful evening. It was a hard decision though not only were we turning town a campfire with friends but she said she was with someone who had hiked the Appalachian trail last year! Oh well, another time! Good night World!

The World of Butterflies!

Waking up in a Walmart parking lot has its perks. There is always a washroom within walking distance and it's the perfect opportunity to pick up a few necessities. We actually took our time, I managed to make a big breakfast and do dishes before we pulled away. After a quick stop for gas in Arva we headed to Cambridge to the Butterfly Conservatory. It was amazing! When we first walked in and all I saw was dead butterflies, beetles, bees, praying mantises and moths I was disappointed. I realize that it is a good way of educating people about the different species but I didn't come to see a bunch of carcasses pinned behind glass. In the solarium it was totally different! There were butterflies, birds and moths flying around everywhere! I think everyone in there was smiling, it was a lot of fun to be in with all of these flying creatures. I tried to take an many pictures as I could with Michael's phone and at one point while I was taking a video of a butterfly who had just come out of its chrysalis and was about to fly for the first time another butterfly landed on me. At almost the same time the new butterfly flew and landed right on Michael's phone! The place was awesome we easily spent a few hours in there and would have stayed longer but it was fairly hot out and we didn't want the fan to die and the dogs to get hot! Anyway if you are ever in the Cambridge area, I highly recommend it and thank you Leslie for suggesting it to me! Next we wanted to take the dogs for a hike and a swim and thought we would try Forks of Credit Provincial Park. I used my maps app to direct us there and we ended up on a private dirt road with the direction to park along the side of the road (right at a hairpin turn) and hike in. I don't think so! We drove around the roads skirting the park but couldn't find the way in. Next! We didn't want to waste anymore time looking and we were fairly close to Island Park Conservation Area where we had spent a day sometime in the early spring. We parked on the quiet side of the lake and hiked maybe a third of the way around the lake before letting the dogs play in the water and then turning around. After dinner I decided to go back out for another walk this time walking almost to the halfway point before turning back. Looking at a map later it would have been just as easy for me to keep going all the way around the lake. After a round of coffees I made up the bed, Michael worked on sorting out pictures on his laptop and I'm about to fall asleep. Good night World!

Kicked out!

We woke up in Springbank Park and took the dogs for a walk before it got too hot. Three hours later we returned to the bus after hiking every inch of the place. It is so beautiful here! Michael discovered an amazing looking golf course across the river and we walked over a bridge within the park that went right to the golf course! And it was decided then and there that we would return with clubs later in the day. We had a few chores to do in the afternoon. I have run out of storage space on my iPhone and want to buy a device that will store all of our pictures together. We found just what I was looking for on sale at Staples and while there noticed the Canadian Tire nearby. Michael bought a cordless dremmel so he could carve the bone he found while on the east coast. It was a hot afternoon so we just relaxed playing with our newly bought toys. After all of my pictures were transferred to storage and Michael's dremmel was charged we headed over to the golf course. It was far too hot to leave the dogs unsupervised in the bus so Michael left to play on his own while I stayed back with the dogs. It's a good thing I stayed behind because the fan battery died while Michael was golfing and it would have been crazy hot in here if I hadn't been here to switch it out right away. This is the first time he has ever golfed alone but it turns out that he actually only played two holes alone before two other guys joined him. He said the golf course was awesome! After the golf game we parked at the parking lot near Storybook Gardens within the park. I had a bad feeling about staying in the park two nights in a row but just dismissed it as paranoia. Always trust your instincts! Just after dark a police officer knocked on the door and said we couldn't stay as someone had complained. He and his partner were super friendly asking about the bus and suggesting places to stay. Needless to say we moved. I would have driven right out of town but I don't like driving at night so now we are at a Walmart parking lot, it is late and I am wide awake. Good night World!

Another Perfect Day!

Good morning Lake Erie! We woke up so early this morning and after our coffees we headed a few km up the road to Wheatley Provincial Park. This was the park that we had driven by without even noticing on our way south. On the map it looks to be a tiny, little park and for some reason I didn't have high expectations. Boy, was I wrong! This park was beautiful and the staff were awesome! When we first pulled up and the staff realized we had dogs they both came out to greet and pet the dogs and then told us how to get to the best spot in the park. We ended up parking in the day use area which was essentially a huge park with mature trees that overlooked an endless sandy beach. We walked along a trail that led to a bridge that crossed a marshy area and over to the campground area. We quickly realized that where we were original was much nicer and turned around this time taking a narrow dirt path that led into the woods. I loved it, Michael not so much. He kept walking into spider webs and was happy when we arrived at the beach. We walked the beach back letting the dogs swim. The water was cold and felt nice on my sore joints. Back at the bus we spent about the same amount of time relaxing as we did doing chores.i After cleaning up the kitchen I gave Michael a haircut and then we took turns walking over to the campground for showers. On our way out we stopped to top up our water before leaving the campground. Next stop Springbank Park in London. It was a long drive and I did make one extra stop for pies before we pulled into the park. It's probably been twenty years since I was here last (my grandparents lived in London so we used to come here a lot) and although I remembered what was here I had a hard time navigating the one way roads within the park. We ended up parking at the far end in a smaller more remote parking lot and took the dogs for a walk along the river right away. Everything looked smaller in Storybook Gardens than I had remembered it! After walking about half the park and arriving back at the bus just as it was getting dark we had one last coffee and set up the bed. Good night World!