Canoeing in Algonquin Park,Ontario

Algonquin Park - seen from the Observation Deck - Visitor Centre

Observation Deck

 "Established in 1893, Algonquin was the first provincial park in Canada and the forerunner of Ontario's extensive park system."

 Algonquin Park's natural beauty is awesome!

It was a beautiful day on the second day of the long weekend.

We rented a canoe and paddled along the shore of Lake Opeongo.

 As we canoed on the lake, the vista opened up right in front of our eyes.

 With the cool breezes on our faces, the soothing sound of the water, we felt the freedom at our hands along the gentle shore.  We could go wherever we wanted to go observing the wild life in the water.

We saw herons, cranes resting on rocks and frogs swimming on lily ponds. We inched our way trying to get to them as close as we could without disturbing these creatures.

We saw this little guy and we just sat there and enjoyed its movement.

Algonquin's wild life,  wooded slopes and numerous pristine lakes have long  been the subjects of artists, painters and sculptures.

One of the most famous groups of artists were the Group of Seven whose work depicted the Algonquin scenery.

A 3 Dimensional Display at One of the Museums

We went to Alogonquin Park a few times but each time we could only visit a limited number of places.

This time we had a little more time so we took our time to enjoy some of the museums and galleries located in the park

For those people who don't have a car,  there is actually an express bus service to Ontario's parks. The Parkbus will drop passengers off right at park campgrounds or back country access points where hikers/ campers can rent a canoe and start theri backpacking adventure. The bus service starts in downtown Toronto and takes passengers to Algonquin Park, Killarney Park, Grundy Lake and the Bruce Peninsula. How convenient is that!

For the Park Bus information,  call 1-800-928-7101 or go on their site  PARKBUS.CA for more information.  Make sure you reserve your site for the perfect spot. Happy camping!

A Display Explaining the Beaver Dam

Lots to do and see in the parks!  for instance, in the Algonquin Park Visitors Centre, there were a lot of really interesting and interactive displays explaining topics related to nature and wild life.

We also spent some time in a couple of galleries admiring the work of a few local artists.

We bought a couple of art pieces and had the artist signed them as well!

Portaging a Canoe by Jonathan

We had an amazing and fun day!  We really enjoyed our canoe trip! The best part was when we jumped off the canoe and explored a small island in the middle of the lake.

Unfortunately, by then my camera ran out of battery and I was unable to capture those moments when Jonathan was balancing on a fallen tree log.

We stretched our day and went to an evening show at an outdoor theatre with the history of Algonquin Park played out in a time machine. Lots of songs, movement and  laughter.

Beautiful Fall Colour!

We got back to the Wolf Den at 10p.m. Exhausted, but also rejuvenated from all the physical exercises and fresh air!!

R.T.
Algonquin Park, Ontario
Sept. Labour Day Weekend