We had so many new experiences on this canadian road trip but the highpoint had to be our three night stay in Algonquin Park. The snow really was the icing on the cake and the hiking and guides were so informative that it gave us loads of information to take home with us.

Some of the top things we learnt in Canada (meant for fun I might add!) were:

1. You can make postcards out of birch bark
2. The yellow squidgy fungus is called Witches Jelly
3. On a forest hike don’t expect to come home with dry shoes…
4. You can make tea and start fires with the cedar tree (we also think he said it treat’s scurvy but we were at the back of the group so not sure we heard right…)
5. Don’t eat onion soup…
6. Tim Hotons is on every corner and is highly addictive
7. If the weather forecast says ’squall’ what they mean is ‘white-out’
8. Only one person has ever gone over Niagra Falls intentionally and survived with only cuts and bruises (a woman of course)
9. A you boy was swept over after a boating accident, he also survived
10. The caves behind the falls are 200m deep
11. I kick Stu’s ass in the driving stakes. Toronto in rush hour anyone? :-)

We met up at the outpost at 12.30, there was snow everywhere but the lake was so still and peaceful. Hunting season started today so the first thing we were told was there was little chance of seeing wildlife! Once everyone arrived we set off for our first hike along a snowmobile track. It was completely untouched but anyone so it was pretty amazing being the first ones up it (and very hard going). We stopped at a partly constructed beaverpond. It was odd, I was expecting a small pond but this was the size of a small housing estate and looked like marsh. Apparantly it will fill up soon and become another lake. Still can’t get over the size of it though!

The view from the meeting point.

Once we got to the end of the hike we were met with a 12 man canoe which we paddled back to the cabin. I ended up sitting next to someone who is terrified of water which was a bit unnerving but I have to say my powers of chat kept him calm and I resisted having some fun!

The cabin was amazing, no electricity or anything so it had a huge fire in the middle and paraffin lamps. It’s easily the most peaceful/relaxing place I have ever been – not a computer or phone in miles – brilliant! I could happily live here.

As soon as anyone got in we all immediately changed our socks and trousers and made a massive cup of hot chocolate. I told the chef my ‘bailys in hot choc’ recipe but seems he was already a fan (thought I invented it…)

Second day was more hiking. Stu was a little ill and one from the German party.  The rest of us all went on a night walk to see if we could see a moose and when that didn’t work we decided to drive to a more remote lake to see if we had any luck there. We ended up racing through single track roads and floods and doing thre point turns in roads that you could barely get a horse up it was frightening…felt good to do it though. On the way back the Germans car vanished , turns out more of them were ill…..

…an hour later there were only 3 out of 12 left standing! Turns out they all had food poisoning from the onion soup so my fear of eating onions saved me! Everyone was really ill so the last day was spent consoling and mopping up! I mist say that I was in the bad books that night, I sat downstairs drinking beer with the ‘well people’ and forgot about nursing my lovely other half :-) Oops!

Algoquin Park

The canoe that met us after our first hike

Our home for three days

Half filled beaver pond

Hotel in Sault st Marie is amazing. Spent the evening after the snowy drive sitting in the jacuzzi outside in a snow storm, it was amazing and so relaxing (although running from the jauzzie back inside was less amusing!) I found it hard to get out of the jacuzzi/pool and actually get out to see Sault Saint Marie.

After the drive we just wanted a relaxing evening tso ate in the hotel and had a wee drive round. We could see the border over to the USA and tempting as it was to go over we knew the effort it would take v’s the relaxing we were looking for. We setteld for the drive.

The next day we went on the Algoma railway which took us 114 miles north of SSM. About 30 miles up the snow started properly and didn’t stop until we reached the Agawa Canyon. It was beautiful with the snow and I’m glad we saw it in the snow rather than the autumn colour sice it put me in the christmassy mood (slightly early mind you..)

Once in the canyon we weren’t able to travel far as most of the trails were blocked but we were two of few who attempted to get up to otter falls. Snow was incredibly deep at this point and huge icicles but it was well worth heading up there.

View from the train

Agawa Canyon Train

Loving the snow!

I think we have seriously misjudged the distances in Canada. We left Ottawa expecting the trip to Parry Sound to take 2 hours….4 hours later we got there and from Parry Sound to Sault st Marie was nearing the 8 hour mark, mind you it was a blizzard mosty of the way so I guess that can be forgiven! Despite the snow the drive was actually quite good and it was quite nice to go from sun and warmth all the way through to ice and snow. If the snow keeps up it will make the train journey in Sault St Mariepretty fantastic (I do love the snow).

Anyway, Parry sound was lovely, like something out of ‘Murder she wrote’. We stayed in a victorian styled B&B which was pretty quirky and homely – a really good place to spend a few nights. The woman who runs it sat with us each morning while we ate a massive, homecookedbreakfastand gave us tips on where to go and what to see. She suggested we head out to Kill Bear Park (or Kill Joy Park as Stu kept mistakenly referring to it as).Seems we arrived one week after everything closed for winter so Kill Bear Park was the best option as it allowed us to get a walk and see what is left of the Autumn colour. It was really pretty and the colours were so strong – very very impressive. The lake shore was a little breezy to say the least but it made for some really good, bleak photos.

Kill Bear park was so quiet and had anice drive up to the entrace, it really felt like we were in the middle of nowhere (which is how I like my holidays).

Kill Bear Park

Colours in Kill Bear

Arriving in Canada was fantastic, we’d spent a long time flying and were looking forward to getting to our nice little bed and breakfast.

First thing that hit us after arriving and picking up the car was the sheer size of the vehicle we had chosen, economy in Canada doesn’t equal a manageable size to drive! The second thing that hit us is that neither of us have ever driven on the ‘wrong’ side of the road before so the first time being out of an airport in pitch black was probably one of the scariest moments we’d had…

Ottawa is an amazing city though, really easy to walk around as everything is so close and exactly what we were expecting in terms of the centre being cute wee shops and clapboard fronts. We were one street back from the main centre and yet it was so peaceful it felt like we were miles from anything.

First morning we went for a walk over the river which was pretty cool as it meant passing from Ontario into Quebec and back to Ontario again. It was a loooong, long walk!

I love being in a new city, I really enjoy feeling lost and wondering what’s round the next corner so we spent our  first day ambling around and getting our bearings. We eventually ended up in the market and bought some ‘beaver tails’ to eat. It’s a kind of flat dough/doughnut style pastry with either cinnamon or cheese on it, was perfect on such a cold day! Probably not too good for the old diet but hey, when on holiday…

We saw a guy begging with a sign on his chest saying “too much dope, can you spare some change for my munchies” – I thought it was quite original!

Some art in Ottawa

Our walk in Ottawa

Beaver Tails!

On our walk