May 29 - Inglis Falls & Owen Sound, ON
We left Owen Sound this morning after 2 delightful days at Harrison Park Family Campground. This is a 40-hectare retreat with gardens, playgrounds, trails, recreational facilities and a full-service campground with a river running through it!
Yesterday was HOT – 36C and sunny. I went to the library in the early afternoon to update our blog while Jen rested. The a/c was very much appreciated. When I returned to Ali, Jen and I decided we should go take a look around Owen Sound. We drove down past the library to the riverfront. Here is a Great Lakes freighter tied up on the opposite bank.
Armed with a map of Owen Sound from the tourist bureau we then headed out to find Inglis Falls. We're sure glad we did.
The downtown area is typical of many towns in Ontario – old brick buildings line the main street. In the residential areas, there is some stunning architecture.
Inglis Falls is one of four major waterfalls coming off the Niagara Escarpment.
Here's Jen in awe of the Falls.
After our short visit, we headed back to the park.
So getting back to this morning's journey, we purposefully stayed away from the major highways for as long as we could. Going "cross-country" can have its exciting moments. We didn't take a picture but at one point we were literally racing down one side of a valley (well, racing isn't exactly correct as with Ali in tow, I want to be able to stop if I have to) and up the very steep incline on the other side. There's no zig-zagging back and forth up the hills here in Ontario – it's straight down, then straight up.
But don't let me get started about Ontario drivers – like the one this morning that pulled out right in front of us (doing the speed limit – 90 kmh) as we came down a slight grade. One guy had pulled out with lots of room to spare, but at the last minute, this &^*%&! idiot pulls out right in front of us. I didn't think anyone could be that stupid, especially with a full load of adults in the van. I really wanted to…..oh well, just let it go, Mason. Okay, one more – how about the guy who pulls a u-turn right in front of us when we have a green light (it had just changed to green). I tell ya – driving defensively is a must with Ontario drivers. Naw, I'm gonna get me an air horn! That'll make them stop and catch their breath!
Okay, so back to our leisurely drive along the shores of Georgian Bay. It looked so peaceful and serene that we stopped at Northwinds Beach for a coffee break.
We are now very close to the end of May and all over this part of Ontario the lilacs are in full bloom. There are literally very large lilac bushes everywhere – it is really quite amazing.
When we finally arrived at Orillia, there was no other choice than to blast up Hwy 11 along with the milling masses. We pulled off at Gravenhurst for gas and went under this sign. Then as we passed through Huntsville, we crossed over a bridge and headed up the highway to our campground for the night.
The campground is very expensive for what we're getting so we’re here just for tonight. Tomorrow we head east along Hwy 60 through Algonquin Park. We'll stop on the other side of the park for a few days. Hopefully by then, the temperature will have returned to a more comfortable setting.
See you later.
