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My vacation this year 2003, was from August to Sept. On the 1st week in Canada, I used my
timeshare for a 1-week accommodation with Eric and his family at Harbour Inn Resort in
Brechin, Ontario, just around 3-4 hours from Mississauga.
This is a quaint Tudor Inn at the harbour entrance to the marina Lagoon City,
a 1600-acre community with 8 kms of navigable waterways and steps from the beaches of the
eastern shore of Lake Simcoe. The inn has an indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna and tennis courts.
Other amenities included free use of paddleboats and outdoor barbecue grills on the sundeck.
On days when we did not tour the surrounding attractions, we spent the day at the nearby
beach or at the pool.
One of the nearby attractions that we first visited was the Scenic Caves at Blue Mountain,
Collingwood. We drove out around 9-9:30 am, and got there before 11am in just a comfortable
speed, passing by Lake Couchiching and Georgian Bay. There we explored a labyrinth of
caves, following some marked paths into a hidden natural fortress and crevices. The girls
who were more adventurous, went inside an ice cave, so-called because it is always cold,
even if there's no snow.
Afterwards, we hitched a ride on the park's country wagon to go to the suspension bridge.
This is described as the longest suspension footbridge in Ontario at 126 metres long
and some 300 metres above Georgian Bay.
One can gaze down on a 10,000 square-kilometre view.
It has a spectacular view over Blue Mountain toward Collingwood, and across the Bay to Wasaga
Beach, Christian Island, and the distant shores of the Penetanguishene Peninsula.
Crossing the narrow walkway towards the other side gives you the sensation of being
suspended in space with the wind causing the bridge to sway beneath your feet. But the kids
loved it and didn't get scared. (Only Jenny with her fear of heights!).
On the way back, we had a late lunch beside Georgian Bay. While the kids waded in the water,
played among the rocks, we older ones relaxed under the shades of some trees near our picnic
table. We started going back to our resort inn, but stopped at the Wasaga bump car site
where Eric took the girls riding. It was a tiring but a fun-filled day.
The next day was spent relaxing at the inn, at the beach, walking around the marina, using
the paddleboats. After Eric cooked dinner at the barbecue grill, we went
swimming at the indoor pool.
The day after, we went to Algonquin Park, some 3 hours drive from the inn. Algonquin Park is
Ontario's oldest Provincial Park, and one of the largest in Canada, with over 7600 sq.km.
area and over 2000 fresh water lakes. Within its borders can be found deer, moose, beaver,
wolves, bears, and many other wild animals, all in their natural habitats. We spent a whole
day there, going through 3 day trails, and ate a barbecued lunch.
Other sites which we visited during that week was Lake Couchiching in Orilla and Casino Rama
(that is, only
Eric and me, taking photos outside, and just sort of peeping inside - we didn't play at the
tables, since we had already done this the year before.)
This year, only Eric and I drove to US, going first to New Jersey and New York to stay at
Badet's, then to Chicago at Sal's condo. (But this is another site to be written, maybe at
a later time).
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