We survived! 7 days and 6 nights at Rock Lake in Algonquin Park. Phew! The car drive up north was a huge success. We took a more scenic route and it was lovely. The sun was shining when we arrived - so setting up camp was a breeze. Unfortunately, the majority of our week it was partly cloudy with showers. And at night it was pretty near freezing - which we had not prepared ourselves for. It actually was the coldest week of the summer...not so awesome. In spite of the weather we had a great time. There really is nothing worse then sitting around a cold and damp campsite...so, out we went. Some highlights of our trip included...
...our roadside moose sighting. As you drive through the park it is important to pull over to the side of the road if you see other cars pulled over. Chances are people are looking at some sort of wildlife. On one evening, when we were returning back to camp after enjoying a program at the outdoor theatre, we made a roadside stop. The moose was 20 feet away, chomping on his dinner. AMAZING! The pictures aren't great - I couldn't use the flash! But, he was there and he was huge.
Our next highlights were the many hikes we went on. We put on our rain gear and hit a different trail each day. Each trail had a breathtaking moment. Like when we came upon the incredibly peaceful beaver dam,
or the bird filled forest along the river
and the cliff top view of the "world."
Absolutely breathtaking.
Another highlight for the kids was attending the "Kids in Algonquin" programs each morning. The naturalists who put on the programs were enthusiastic and engaging. Especially Ian...we are working on writing him a thank you note. The girls learned about insects, animals and the history of the park.
A finally the trip would not have been the same without the many hours spent making memories with our family. Camping is always more fun with more people. My sister and her husband (and 2 dogs) were with us the entire time...and my brother and his partner (and 1 dog) spent a couple of days with us. Dinner prep and dinner clean up, canoeing, hiking and sitting around the campfire were filled with laughter thanks to the company we kept! (there also might have been some complaining about the freezing, rainy weather...we're only human!)
All in all a successful trip. We didn't last the full nine days we had booked. Only because the last two days were going to be filled with rain - and there is nothing worse than taking down a campsite in the pouring rain. I have discovered that camping is a lot like childbirth. While you are in it there is pain (sleeping on the ground), there is crying (children, of course) and there is swearing (mosquitos). But, in the car ride home we were planning our next trip.
Thanks Algonquin Park!
