WINDING DOWN - October 20 and 21

All good things come to an end, even short vacations. We bid a fond farewell to Manitoulin Island on Monday. After three days of rain while there, it was understandably gorgeous as we prepared to leave. I loved it at the Mountain View Resort even though there's no mountain and it's certainly not what I'd call a resort. I would definitely return. 

Because the weather was so much better stopped in Little Current on the way off the island to take a walk on the boardwalk. Even the rolling approach to the town was pretty. I guess those are the "mountains" they refer to on the island.

A rather old swing bridge that closes on the hour leads you off the island onto the highway to Espanola. I guess it really is time to leave.

We made a quick stop in Espanola to visit my book printer then headed east with no sure destination arranged. Passing Sudbury we dialed in the direction of Huntsville. Around 4PM we opted to stop for the night in Parry Sound settling on a hotel offering us a stunning sunset view of the local Walmart.

Yesterday the drive to Huntsville was pleasant but again the rain played a part, a bit drizzly so the fall colour was fading fast. A drive through Algonquin Park once again had us lamenting the questionable weather. Nevertheless a hike was imperative. I love how the people who rate the trails have obviously never set foot on them personally. I found it difficult to understand an easy rating on a trail that did not go ten feet without huge roots, rocks and slippery wet fallen leaves, all on hills.

We were lucky again. Just as we got back to the car about two hours later it started to rain. Perfect timing!

We spent last night, our final stop on this voyage, in Gravenhurst. It's a pretty little Muskoka town and we settled on a Howard Johnson by Wyndam. I thought all the HoJos were long gone. They used to be such a wonderful chain. I remember them well travelling with my parents 60 years ago. I loved them. The colour orange remains in my mind and an upgraded version of that exists today. 

Our drive home today will include a stop at friends in Victoria Harbour. Thank you all for joining us on this short escape from reality. I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time, stay well and keep smiling.

😎

MANITOULIN ISLAND - October 17, 18 and 19

Because checkout at our Tobermory motel was at 11am we got to the ferry dock (5 minutes away) about 2 hours before sailing. It’s a dull kinda crappy day so I don’t anticipate a very interesting ride. The Chi-Cheemaun is larger than I expected and is beautifully painted. Loading was quick and easy…of course we were first in line having arrived two hours early. 

We had no idea of the layout of the ship and the signage was not overly descriptive so we ended up in the gift shop. Once we found one of the lounges we sat down and stayed there for the duration. Dogs are allowed onboard and as passengers filtered in it was beginning to look like we were on the doggie deck. As I said in an email home “place is a bloody zoo”.

                             

My first impression of Manitoulin Island WIK was wonderful. It was very peaceful right from the start, despite a boat load of yahoos being release enmasse. The gentle winding roads made their way through somewhat typical northern Ontario landscapes displaying glorious fall colours! It figures, it's overcast and raining so the colour does not look particularly stunning but it certainly would be if the sun were out. 

The Mountain View Resort (I defy anyone to find anything resembling a mountain in any view on Earth) is wonderful. Our cabin was a welcome delight. Even though there are some restrictive rules here (only one roll of toilet paper per visit issued and fines if garbage and recyclables are mixed) it was a warm embrace the moment we stepped inside.

Yesterday the sunrise was respectable but I caught it too late. 

Our day of exploration left us with the realization that this is a beautiful spot so we must return sometime with hopes of better weather. You can bet that's not going to be in the summer. This whole island would be an asylum then. A drive up the hill outside Gore Bay was wonderful. Again, it really needed some sunshine. The fall colours were respectable and there were not many people around. I suppose had it been a nice day that would likely have been another scenario.

Providence Bay, on the south side of the island, is awesome. It's a beach resort town which normally makes me want to leave but they have put such care into making it enjoyable for all who pass through. We were indeed fortunate that the rain let up for the near hour we were there. The beach is gorgeous with a Cape Cod grass fringe, clean sand, lots of picnic facilities and swings and other park favourites for the kids but the highlight is most certainly the kilometre long boardwalk. Let that sink in for a moment. Thousands of wooden pilings, tens of thousands of wooden boards and hundreds of thousands of nails. All this translates to millions of dollars invested and countless man hours to build. My most sincere kudos to Providence Bay – you have made millions of people happy. 

To top things off there is a marvelous mural in town. 

A barbecue makes even a crappy weather day great...especially when it's steak, some veggies, rice and a glass of Australian red wine! Perfect!

Today is our final day on the island and it rained pretty much the whole day. It was a long, lonely road as we headed east and north to the top of the island, reminding me of northern Ontario yet again. There were rocks in some areas making me feel I was driving from Gravenhurst to Bracebridge in the fifties. Once again the fall colour left me wishing “if only it were a sunny day”.

High Falls is not that high and if the truth be known, not that much of a falls but the atmosphere was perfect and the bridge is what drew me off the highway in the first place. 

The town of Little Current is a perfect small town. Resting on the North Channel at the top of Manitoulin Island the rain gave it even more ambience though preventing us from walking along the waterfront as much as we would have liked. As mentioned earlier, we really need to return when we can be assured better weather.

It was still raining on and off when we got back to the cabin but we managed a quick walk along the cottage road nearby. A laid back lifestyle for all those who live there, even if it is seasonal for some.

The deer in the fields surrounding us have been here all along. They're very skittish and take off into the woods as soon as they hear a car pass by and even quicker when they hear it stop and shut off the engine. White tails up, flags high, run boys and girls. Managed a few shots of varying quality. This one's not bad. Nothing compared to Gayle's in Nova Scotia where they seem to come to her door and ask to be photographed but it was a fitting conclusion to our stay on Manitoulin Island.

We'll be leaving the island tomorrow morning, heading toward home, we're just not sure where we may land. Stay tuned; I'll wrap things up in a couple of days.

😎

TOBERMORY - October 14, 15 and 16, 2025

My purpose for this short trip was primarily just to get away, after all it's been all of four months since Nunavut. I also hoped but knew we were a little late, to see some fall colour. There is virtually none at home. A lot of leaves down.

The continued lack of colour on the drive was astounding. It got a little better as we stopped to eat our lunch in a church parking lot in Shallow Lake, a small village just west of Owen Sound. Some pretty orange but still nothing close to what I had expected.

From there we turned north through Wiarton. You absolutely have to stop for a photo op with Willie at the welcome sign. Only in Canada could a waving rodent prove so adorable and welcoming.

Karen and I have been to Tobermory once before...in 1976. Just a short while ago. We did our SCUBA diving certification open water dive there. Lots of wrecks and clear, freezing cold water in August. Perfect.

The 15th was our 48th anniversary. The weather forecast for the upcoming weekend is for rain, all three days, the three days we'll be on Manitoulin Island. Therefore, we decided we better get some hiking in while the weather is good. With that in mind we headed out to explore Tobermory. The Big Tub lighthouse was our destination involving about a 10 kilometre trek through cottage country and back roads. 

The lighthouse itself was off a short wooded path at the end of the road and stood right on the rocks at the opening of the harbour. It took a bit of maneuvering to get the whole thing in one photo from so close a vantage point.

I was determined to have fish and chips for dinner and there was quite a selection...if it had still been summer. The town is in its last week of activity so a lot of places were closed. Fortunately we still had a couple places to choose from.

All in all it was a great day. Well except for that inhaling the burning, acidic juices from a lemon but that's another story.

Today, the 16th, was a gorgeous day. Being in Tobermory the first thing that comes to mind when you think about hiking is the Bruce Trail. It all sounds so simple but is far from it. All the "good" trails, the ones you've heard of, the most interesting like The Grotto, Lion's Head and Overhanging Rock are in the proper Bruce Peninsula National Park. They are therefore governed by the Federal Government and as I have seen so many times in the past, carry an absolutely obscene entry fee. $33! and everything is still open so the rangers are very visible everywhere, no chance to skip by.

I will not pay that ransom to take a hike so we found a few smaller trails, known by no one. Having said that, all were fairly busy given the time of year. The Little Cove trail was a little shorter than we wanted but worthy nonetheless.

The reward was just as the cove was very pretty. The water looks so clear and inviting but I, for one, know that is not even close to a reality this time of year.

The Cape Hurd Reserves Nature Trail was difficult to find and had not much to offer when we did. The beautiful day and solitude made it well worthwhile.

The best part of the day was most certainly the drive in to the Halfway Log Dump (obviously whoever named this one failed Marketing epically) only to find it was another $33 attempted robbery. A 13 kilometre dirt road pothole it was a wonderful trip. Finally saw what autumn should look like!

Tomorrow we board the 2 hour Chi-Cheemaun cruise to Manitoulin Island. The forecast promises 3 days of rain so we can only hope for a break. Stay with us - we'll be in touch in a few days.

Stay well and keep smiling.

😎