Week 28: Quebec to Eastern Ontario

When I awoke Saturday, 7/5 I was ready to leave Quebec and excited to cross into Ontario.  

Rideau Pines Farm, Ontario
The consensus of folks was to visit Quebec City and Ottawa but skip Montreal (mostly due to its size).  I drove highway 40 west through Montreal to see as much as possible but the high winds and construction made it difficult to take my eyes off the road.  When I got close to Ottawa, I made a spontaneous decision to put the nation’s capital on my “next time” list.  It was very hot and humid making it impractical with Trooper.  I drove highway 416 about 30 minutes south of Ottawa to Rideau Farms, a Harvest Host farm.  John and Saundra have operated the thriving farm for 35 years and offer 25 acres of pick your own strawberries and raspberries, garlic, potatoes, kale, and many other tasty vegetables.  Less than one hour after arriving, Trooper was a true farm dog by rolling in something disgusting.  Neither of us were happy with the ensuing hose bath.  A special thanks to Rideau Farms for a wonderful place to stay!

Thank you Rideau Pines!

Not a bad place to call home for the night

Not a bad place for the birds either

Who knew asparagus grew like this?

Vibrant and deliciously tart red currents (yes, I sampled)

Trooper likes being a farm dog

Bon Echo Provincial Park, Ontario

Since Ontario is Canada’s second largest province and several people warned me about how long it will take to get through, I planned to stop at the most popular Provincial Parks.  Monday and Tuesday, 7/6 - 7/7 were spent at Bon Echo.  It was a three hour drive from Rideau Pines on back roads giving me a nice break from the highways and giving me an opportunity to see several small towns along the way.  Bon Echo is a huge park with more than 500 campsites making it a popular (and loud) campground, but the main draw is the “Gibraltar of Ontario”.  Mazinaw Rock is a 100-meter high cliff erupting from the extremely deep waters of Mazinaw Lake.  Trooper and I spent two days exploring the area, visiting the local book store and making new friends like Lee Shane from Massachusetts.

Day 1 cloudy look at Mazinaw Rock

What a difference a day can make!

Closeup

T enjoying the lagoon

This biting water thing is new 

Yes, I see you

Engulfed in majestic trees

Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

We left Bon Echo on Tuesday, 7/8 and headed northwest to Algonquin Provincial Park.  Algonquin is Canada's oldest provincial park, is close to 3,000 square miles and has over 2,400 lakes.  I drove on highways 41 and 514 north into Barry Bay where we picked up highway 60 west into the park.  The drive was beautiful and gave me exactly what I pictured Canada being: miles of pristine and untouched forests and lakes.  En route to Mew Lake Campground, I saw a beautiful young bull moose along the road.  It was my first moose-sighting and I was beside myself with excitement.  What a gorgeous creature!  The employees warned me that bears have been coming into the campground and to make sure food and Trooper were properly stored away at night.  After setting up camp, I met my neighbor who had three huskies… I throughout Trooper was enough dog!

An absolute majestic creature

Closeup enjoying grass

What a handful!

Wednesday, I got on the bike and road from Mew Lake to Rock Lake passing several other lakes along the way.  There are so many lakes and rivers in Canada adding to the natural beauty of a unspoiled landscape.  The rest of the afternoon was spent chatting with my neighbors, including Marg.  At the age of 74, she bought a Roaktrek van and is doing something for herself.  She shared with me that her husband passed away six months after being diagnosed with brain cancer.  During those six months, he said that he wished he would have spent more of the money he worked so hard to save and enjoyed life a bit more.  Marg’s message to me was appreciate and enjoy what I’m doing… and good for me for actually doing it!  Marg touched my heart in a short amount of time and I hope she makes that desired trip to British Columbia so we can enjoy more time around the campfire.

Riding and looking for another moose...

Another perfectly untouched lake

After saying goodbye to Marg Thursday morning, Trooper and I did a little hike before traveling to Sault Ste. Marie on Trans-Canada 17.  It was a long day of driving but I felt good with the progress.  I was shocked to see the that highway across Canada, in many places, is a two-lane divided highway.  Traveling 65 - 70 MPH head-to-head with semis is not a calming experience.  It was eyes on the road and two hands on the wheel.  By the time I made it to Sault Ste. Marie, it was all I could to pull into Walmart and climb into bed.

One final hike in Algonquin

And a few minutes to properly say goodbye

Not sure what this is but loved the color

Final Thoughts
Tomorrow.  Along my travels, there is a common theme of meeting wonderful folks in their 60s and 70s.  After sharing my story, they all tell me how proud they are that I found the courage to quit my job and give myself one year to do whatever I want and go wherever I want.  They typically have a personal story where they or a loved one wished to do the same but never did, but missed their chance.  Tomorrow is not a guarantee, but everyday life clouds that knowledge and forces people into their daily rituals and routines.  I know how fortunate I am to have this opportunity, and not everyone can do what I am doing; however, if there is something that you have wanted to do for a long time, then plan it and do it.  Put it in motion today because tomorrow may not come.

Thanks for reading and until next time...