Monday October 3rd 2016 159511
On the road right now, with a destination of Balsam Lake Provincial Park. We wanted to get there before they close for the season.
It was a damp, cool start to the day, with a fair bit of rain. However, we left the rain behind us after about on hour on the road. Although it did remain quite cloudy.
With Fall well under way the leaves are now beginning to turn to the brilliant yellow. golds, orange and reds.
We do not have many colours at home at this point, but they are looking quite good here. It has been stated that the fall colours are approximately two weeks behind schedule this year, due to the fantastic southern like summer we have been experiencing. We have been lucky enough to make the most of it, and we intend to keep going until Mother Nature lets us know otherwise.
It was an extremely interesting and enjoyable drive to Balsam Lake. We do enjoy travelling through the Kawarthas.
We arrived about 12 p.m. and even managed to get our favorite site #191. At this time there was no one at all camped in this area, so extremely quiet. Except for the Blue Jays and Crows who welcomed us with open wings.
Setting up was a little different this time as we have purchased a dining tent, which we have managed to "winterize". In theory it will be far more cozy than our homemade "add-a-room" we have used on previous fall trips. The dining tent (which now has covering over the mesh for the fall) is actually attached to the ground all the way around. Unlike our room last year which had 20 feet completely unable to be closed to the elements of the cool, or cold evenings and mornings. This is the pilot test for our new "room".
Once set up, partially under the awning, it warmed up very quickly. So far so good.
Next was lunch. Most clouds had gone by now so we enjoyed just relaxing outside with our lunch.
That over, it was time to explore, so we headed along the trails towards the beach.
We saw some guys out on the lake, hoping to return with supper.
After a while the clouds began to form over the lake, and it cooled off a little. Hopefully the clouds will move away for this area.
The trail leading down to the beach was really quite picturesque.
The beach, itself, was completely deserted except for a "colony" of seagulls and a "gaggle of Canada Geese.
From the dock area near the beach the scenery changed quite a bit and became far more rugged. Once again very interesting to look at.
From the beach and dock areas we just wandered the trail, which was mainly around the Lake . Then took a leisurely walk back to our site.
We really enjoyed this walk, and it was so good to recall all the great views there are in this part of the park.
It was a little cooler by the time we returned to #191, so we relaxed in the dining tent- now very cozy warm - until it was time to light the campfire.
Cooking supper was a little experimental in the tent. Although the door side of the dining tent were completely pulled back and open there was still a fair bit of smoke. Something we will have to work on. Regardless my Chef did a great job again.
And so, back to the fire.
Little did we know we were going to be entertained this evening. There were a couple of musicians a way over from our camp site, who were either relaxing playing their music, or rehearsing their music. Either way, if I still had my "little Pub" I would have hunted them down and signed them up for a Friday Night - they were so good.
And so our first day at Balsam came to a close - what a fun day it had been. Everything worked out really well.
Tuesday October 4th 2016.
Today we woke to sunshine, although a little cool to start. Breakfast worked out very well in the cozy dining tent - this is going to be fun!
It appears it is going to be another good "fall" day. So we got the usual chores out of the way quickly and planned the exciting stuff.
Decision made, so we were on our way to the Look Out Trail. The actual Look Out Trail is a loop of 1.7 km. Then we have approximately 2 km from our site to the trail. So this hike we be some where around 5.7 km. when all completed. I really should get another pedometer one of these days. Luckily the weather seems to be perfect for a walk like this.
The trail that leads to The Look Out Trail was really good and an easy walk.
Once on the Look Out Trail there were a series of information boards.
One indicated that many of the "Woodpecker" bird families enjoy the vegetation in this area. We could see where many woodpeckers had enjoyed the trees.
Although, not a common bird to this area, the Piliated Woodpecker does reside around these trees.
Not too far along that part of the trail we did see a Piliated Woodpecker. By far the biggest woodpecker we have seen to date. This one was easily as large as a crow. Had a very slim neck and a brilliant red head. It was similar to the Red Headed, but very much larger. Too bad it was in such a hurry - no pictures!
The actual Look Out was fantastic. The Fall colours in full array.
The Look Out Point is on a 15km high Kame. The Kame being a steep sided mound of sand and gravel that accumulated on a retreating ice glacier. They tend to slope down valley with gradients similar to the glacier they were formed on.
There are many Kames in the area, but this one is the largest.
On the decent from the Point we entered an area where The Staghorn Sunac grows in abundance, giving the whole section a firey deep red glow.
Some parts of the decent were quite steep, which we had not encounted on the gentle climb to the peak - very clever planning. It certainly made for an easy walk.
It was really a great morning and we enjoyed the whole walk.
Now time to make our way back to #191 and enjoy a late lunch.
After lunch we sat around the site relaxing in the sushine for a while. Then it was time to go off walking again.
With some of the clouds out of the way today it was good to wander the beach. Balsam Lake is a good sized lake, and the home of some magnificent "cottages".
Also a good place for Sea Gulls to relax, and geese to enjoy a leisurely swim.
It was still a nice warm "summer" day, great for a goos walk on the beach.
Then back to our site. Time to get the campfire ready, prepare dinner and set up the radio to listen to Toronto Blue Jays play Baltimore in the AL East Wild Card game.
Do or die night again.
The fire was perfect, dinner magnifient, and as it turned out, in the 11th innings The Blue Jays were just what we needed t hear. Another big W.
What a super way to end a wonderful day.
Tomorrow we are on our travels, going towards Bancroft, and staying at Silent Lake.
Wednesday September 14th 2016 159042
Today we awoke to the pitter patter of raindrops. Our wish is that it stops fairly soon as we are leaving Rock Point and making our way to Port Burwell Provincial Park.
Luckily our wish came true and by 8.30 a.m. the rain had stopped. It was still quite warm, so all was good.
We took our time over breakfast and our packing - not that there was much to pack, as we only used what we needed for last night after our trip to Ridgeway. Ready to leave the park about 12 noon.
It was another interesting drive to get to Port Burwell. Like yesterday, it was mostly done along the shoreline roads. Scenery and properties were great.
We arrived at the park for check in about 1.30 p.m. As there were a lot of sites available to us we just took our time checking them out.
Finally decided on #230. It was a good sized site, with lots of sun and shade, so we were prepared for all kinds of weather.
Still very warm at this time.
There is only one trail at Port Burwell, although you can branch off, which makes it seem like two or three trails. So we checked out all the information and decided that was a keeper for tomorrow's walk.
So the rest of the day was, once again, a very lazy day for us. Just hanging out around the site and the campfire.
Thursday September 15th 2016
It was a cooler start to the day, but still bright sunshine.
After breakfast we made our plans to walk the trail. There was no rush to get started as this is the only trail here. It turns out it is a loop trail and does include the beach. So it will be a good walk.
Mid morning the sun got things warmed up nicely, but the breeze did a good job to keep it really comfortable.
Left for our walk about 11.30 a.m.. We stopped by at site #179, to visit a great couple who stopped by to chat with us last night. Sharon had some very good "camping ideas".
Along the road a ways we stopped to chat with Wayne and Carol. Wayne was a retired Fire Fighter and he had purchased one the squads antique Fire Rescue Trucks and had it all restored with the purpose of pulling their trailer. It looked really good.
And so to The Ravine Trail, about 12.30 p.m.
The trail was well laid out and had several sections with wooden steps.
Some areas of the trail revealed how deep the ravine was.
However, the creek was almost dry.
The scene at the Look Out Point, was really good. However, you could not see the Lake due to the huge bushes and trees this year.
When we reached the Beach Trail, which was an extension of the Ravine Creek Trail, we had to descend a very long hill. No problem this way. However, we will have to ascend this hill to get back!
Oh well, we do like beaches.
It turned out the beach was fabulous - miles and miles (or kilometres ) of almost white sand.
You could see the white cliffs in the distance.
As you can see the sea gulls were really enjoying the lake and the beach.
Apart from the sea gulls and ourselves, the beach was completely deserted. Not a soul to be seen anywhere.
We wandered the beach for a while then started our climb back to the trail.
As is turned out the climb up the hill was much easier than going down the hill. How silly is that?
And so back on the trail.
It had turned out to be a really interesting walk, and we made it back to our site about 2.45 p.m. In time for a late lunch.
After lunch we had a nice relaxing afternoon planning our trip back home for tomorrow.
Our GPS Lady seemed to agree with the route we had picked. However, we will see about that once on the road tomorrow.
Had a good campfire through the evening and even managed to burn all the wood. Once again, another good day.
Friday September 16th 2016. 159183
Warm sunny morning, shame to leave really, but chores to get done at the homestead. Far too nice to rush, so took our time packing . Guess we left the park about 12.15 p.m.
Stayed away from all major highways, and just meandered through the countryside, Tilsonburg, Shakespeare, then onto Guelph. A very pleasant drive, especially in such great weather.
Why Guelph, you may be wondering.
The Shakespeare Arms is a perfect spot for us to stop for a late lunch, or early dinner. Always one of our favorites, when possible.
As usual it was perfect!
Now time to continue our journey home.
Arrived safe and sound about 6.00 p.m.
It had been a good camping break, met a lot of very interesting people, and the ride home was great, with lots of sightseeing along the way.
Sunday September 11th 2016
Today we are heading to Rock Point, on the 15th Anniversary of 9/11.
We haven't been to Rock Point in a couple of years.
The weather was great for travelling and the roads were all good.
Left home about 9 a.m.
It was a clear day heading into Hamilton area.
Mother Nature was certainly being kind to us today, perfect travelling weather.
The roads were not even too busy. so it didn't take too long to reach our destination.
We took site #118 and all set up having lunch about 1 p.m.
We hung around our site, in the sunshine, listening to the Blue Jays Game. A very exciting game - if it was at all possible, it was one of those games where both teams needed to win. Well, the final outcome of the game was not in our favour. Hopefully that will change tomorrow.
And so after an afternoon of relaxing, it was time to go walking and exploring before dinner.
We made our way directly to the Lake, Lake Erie, and a very active Lake it was this afternoon. It looked as if you could almost surf the waves. As it was still a nice warm late afternoon there were still quite a few people enjoying the lake, and the waves.
I managed to find another interesting piece of driftwood.
One of our favorite spots in the park is the Fossil Beach, so that was our next place to explore.
So many different things to visualize when looking at fossils.
That made for a very busy camera time.
I could spend hours wandering through the fossil beach, with the camera, and may just have to do so tomorrow, but after a late start to our walk, and a good couple of hours past it was time to head back to our site and contemplate dinner.
It really is a beautiful park, so many great scenes to enjoy.
When we got back to our site Jeff and Janis, who were camping opposite us, stopped by for a visit. Really nice couple.
My Chef did a great job with dinner.
It was a perfect night to sit around the campfire, not too breezy, and quite clear so we could see a good many stars. It was very quiet and peaceful.
A great way to end a great day.
Monday September 12th 2016.
A wonderful bright sunny morning, warm, but not too hot. Breakfast was good, then time to plan our walks for the day.
We decided we do really enjoy this park, so our first walk was to the office to book for another night.
From there we walked the "Blue Trail". Not too far along we saw some movement just a head of us, in the bush.
Low and Behold 8 -10 very huge Wild Turkeys walked out onto the trail, just a head of us.
Yes - they did have the right of way, they were 5 - 6 feet tall, so you can imagine the actual size of them. They walked along quite quickly so we couldn't get a picture and we were not in any hurry to try to over take them. It looked a lot safer to let them go ahead of us.
WOW - that didn't last too long, they just all wandered back into the bush.
We carried on along the trail towards the beach area.
It was a perfect morning for walking the beach.
Then we made our way back to our site. It really is surprising how quickly 2 hours moves along when you are enjoying the area.
After lunch we relaxed for a while before we headed out on the Beach Trail.
The beach Trail runs along the cliff top of the beach and ends up at Look Out Point.
Which gives you a good view of the beach and Lake Erie. Always another favorite spot of ours.
From the Look Out Point we made our way down to the beach and the Lake.
It was another clear day, so we could see The Mohawk Lighthouse very well this trip.
This is actually where The Fossil Beach begins (or ends, depending on where you start).
Yes, I took far too many pictures again, but found a few decent fossils, very fascinating.
And there were many more pictures.
We walked a section of the "Shell Trail" Yes, it is completely covered with pure white shells.
Always a shame to actually have to walk on them.
You wonder how a flower can grow through shells, but some how this one managed very well.
We could see the Look Out Point from where we were, way below on the beach.
Didn't really think we were so far up on the cliff when we were actually there.
Guess that makes for a good work out.
Lake Erie was exceptionally clear today.
There was evidence of some very hungry Sea Gulls along the beach. Unless, of course, the Wild Turkeys made their way down to the beach!
After a fun afternoon of walking we decided we should head back to #118 before the evening was upon us.
Jeff and Janis stopped by for a visit after we had got back, and we all sat around chatting about all kinds of things, and places. It was a pleasure to spend the time with them. They have so many likes and dislikes that we have.
After dinner we walked to the beach to watch the sunset. It was well worth it.
When we got back we stopped at Jeff and Janis's to exchange addresses etc. It would be good to be able to meet up with them on our travels sometime in the future. They are leaving tomorrow, and we are here for another night.
Back at #118 it was campfire time, and TO Blue Jays game.
Another very close, exciting game, with the exact ending we were hoping for. A big W.
A great fire type night again.
Tuesday September 13th 2016.
We awoke to another beautiful day.
Today's plans were organised before we left home. We arranged to go to Ridgeway for a visit with Grant and Myrna, and we had certainly picked a good day for it. The drive from the park to Ridgeway was a really pretty route. A good portion of it was along the Lake Shore Roads, and all the small villages that were there. The properties along the way were wonderful.
Arrived at Grant and Myrna's about 12. no0n. They both looked great. We sat and caught up on the past couple of years since our last visit. Everything working out well with both our families. Guess we are some of the lucky ones.
We have been friends since 1975 when we all moved into a new sub-division in Guelph, and although there have been moves and changes for all of us we have still managed to find time to catch up together with these visits.
Grant drove us into Fort Erie for lunch, which was delicious. Although far too large for me. Not that it was a problem, as it meant my Chef would not have to work too much this evening. We really had a great visit and a lot of fun times discussed - as usual. Good friends are priceless.
After lunch Grant drove us back to their place via a very scenic route. Along the river and through some ares where houses were not really houses, but huge mansions. Oh well, it is nice to look and dream - right!
By then it was late afternoon and we had to get back to our campsite. So the end to another really great visit was upon us. Truly wonderful friends.
The drive back to the park was good. Got everything all set up again and relaxed for a while before taking a walk down to the Lake.
Once again the waves were quite a size and very loud as they hit the shoreline.
Slowly the sun began to get ready to set.
When we checked the radio on our return to our campsite it turned out the waves were said to be upto 4 metres high. Guess that accounted for all the noise we could hear.
It was, again, a great evening to sit around the campfire, after such a very enjoyable day with great friends.
Tomorrow we are on our way to Port Burwell. Please join us.
