Had my 3rd week of vacation this week (3rd week for the summer and 09 that is) and boy was it a good one.
Spent the first 2 days hanging out with my friend Paula, we drove to T
obermory to pick up her niece from the ferry. I had no idea Tobermory would be so busy. Okay, I should have factored in that it was the long weekend, but still, the few times I've been there I've
had the place pretty much to myself. Not good for businesses, but good for me. We didn't see too much wildlife but we did see some great country side and different places. For example, I have never seen the Wind Turbine Farm outside of Shelbourne, very different, very mesmerizing.
Paula and I tend to stay in Provincial Parks, so when in Tobermory we went to the Visitor's Centre for the Canadian Parks up there (Cyprus). It was a very good visitors centre, learned a few things I didn't know and sparked the drive to try some new places, even though I love Algonquin and would probably pick it as first choice over anywhere.
And of c
ourse while in busy Tobermory we visited the lighthouse (Big Tub), watched a few kayakers and swimmers in the very clear water near there. In the town we spent 2 hours of our visit either in line for lunch or sitting and waiting for lunch. It was a beautiful day, so the wait was worth it. That and the fact that we have developed a business plan for new adventures to come.
Mid week Paula and I got back in the car, picked up Susan and headed east. Again took the very scenic routes and continued to visit small town Ontario. Passed Pickles and Quilts in Wilno, ON, one of my favourite store names of all time. I've missed actually going in twice now, so there will have to be a special trip just to visit Pickles and Quilts.
Our destination was the Owl Whitewater Rafting rustic resort, where the real adventures began. The first night we spent getting to know the place, went for a paddle boat trek around the small bay (can it be a bay if it is on a river), watched the full moon work its way over the horizon, soaked up the atmosphere of the place and prepared ourselves for the unknown to come the next day.
Day 1 - 12 person raft with Guide Tiia. Our boat was a mix of adults and teenagers. 4 women and 8 men, well 2 men and 6 boys. We had some great group of rapids to go on, a few of the boys were very nervous, but by the 3rd or 4th rapid were feeling pretty adventurous.
But the big fun came on Day 2 - 7 person raft with Irish Shane. We had all adults, a few who were a bit obnoxious to start off with, but soon calmed down. The most fun I think was Susan, who with one word can make me start giggling. She ended up beside Irish Shane and spent much of the ride on his lap. I think she was making a move, she said she kept getting thrown on him but perhaps this was just a cover. Susan made the mistake of tracking Shane down the night before and telling that she didn't want to flip the boat. We had seen the 7 person boats flipping all day on Day 1, she decided she didn't want that to happen to us. So Shane made it his mission to try to flip the boat. Thanks Susan!!!
He didn't flip it, but did manage to get Susan and I out of the boat on one surf, I ended up under the boat, had a bit of a struggle to get myself out of there, BUT, won a bumper sticker for my efforts. Susie ended up rescuing paddles, so her ejection from the boat wasn't wasted.
It really was a very adventurous trip, we all agreed that we'd go again, only next time we'd do a 7 person raft along with wateryaking - some sort of kayaking without an inflatable kayak. We'll work our way up to the river kayaking I think. Need to learn to roll first. I highly recommend the white water rafting, it's exhilarating, it's exhausting and it's a whole lotta fun.
We're now back in Toronto, I am off to pick up the dog, who I miss terribly and spend the weekend with my parents, which is always an adventure.
Over and out.
H
