Thursday, November 5, 2015

Morning Paddling on the Bay of Quinte

Bay of Quinte in the Morning
Normally by this time of year I've long since swapped the canoe for my hiking boots. The canoe would normally be hung up in the garage awaiting next summer's adventure. This year I decided to leave the canoe on the floor in the hopes that I would use it a little more in the fall.

I have not been disappointed.


Although autumn is a tough season to find the time to get outdoors, due to busy kid schedules and a shrinking number of day light hours, I have been managed to get out more. I had a good routine of loading the canoe onto the car the night before I planned on going out. I would get up early in the morning and do an hour's worth of paddling before heading off to work. This strategy worked well for much of October. I managed to get out in the canoe at least once per week. The trouble I was running into is that I had less and less light in the mornings. I don't mind paddling in the dark but it's a lot nicer if you can see what's out there.

Sun Sandwiched Between Horizon and Clouds
Thanks to the time change this past weekend and some very warm temperatures I've managed to get out a couple of times this week and I'm hopeful that I can get out again next week. Could a December outing be possible?

I know that my canoeing days are numbered for this season but I sure am enjoying making the most of the days that are left. The fresh air and the serenity mixed with a bit of exercise first thing in the morning have been great additions to my morning routine.

Set aside some time to get outside. You won't be disappointed!






Sunday, October 4, 2015

Sandbanks in the Fall

The outdoor activities that we do seem to come to a grinding halt after Labour Day. This is not because of the weather (we had an unbelievably nice September this year) nor is it entirely about school starting. Obviously with school starting we have much less time to get outdoors, but with the start of the school year comes the start of so many other activities.

The kids had a P.A. Day on the last Friday in September. This seemed like a great opportunity to for a camping trip. We decided to book a site at Sandbanks Provincial Park from Thursday to Saturday (a birthday party kept us from staying the entire weekend).

We arrived to an absolutely stunning evening. The sun was warm, the sand soft and it felt as if we had stepped out of the rat race and back into summer. By the time we had arrived at the park the office was closed so we would have to check-in the following day. We headed to our campsite and got setup. Our site was so close to the beach that it was covered in sand. The kids had a great time playing as we got things organized. By the time we were done the sun was about to set so we walked the 30 metres to the beach to take it all in. The kids had a blast playing in the sand, running up and down the beach and taking pictures of the beautiful sunset. Much to our amazement was only one other group on the entire beach.

Playing on the Beach at Sunset
Once we were done at the beach we had a lot of fun getting settled into our tent. It was an adventure to prepare for bed. Everyone found their warm clothes and got bundled up in anticipation of the cold night ahead. We read some stories then settled in for the night. I love that we're all still in the same tent. Bedtime is such a precious time for us to be together.

I awoke early the next morning in order to get to work. Somehow it seems like less of a chore getting ready for work when you're in such a picturesque location. I also felt as though we were cheating the system. We were camping on a week night in September. Score! I went to work and found myself thinking a lot about what the rest of the family was doing all day. As you might imagine they spent a lot of time playing on the beach, splashing in the water and even doing some swimming.

Beautiful Day for a Swim
Sand Castles
Out for a Swim
It was great to return to the park and see everyone having a great time. We played on the beach some more then headed back to our site. The kids played at the site while we prepared dinner. The food was delicious, as it always seems to be when cooked over a fire.

After dinner we cleaned up and headed to the beach. There were a lot more people on the beach this time around. Perhaps a result of the stunning sunset.

Picnic Table at Sunset
We headed back in the dark and got the kids settled in for the night. Once they were asleep I headed out to get some night shots. It felt like I had been gone for a long time but when I returned to the tent I realized it was only 9:30. The early fall sunsets sure make it seem much later.

The Beach at Night
The next day we decided to spend some time paddling up the Outlet River. The wind was really blowing but it was from the North East so there were no waves on the beach. We paddle to the mouth of the river but the combination of strong current and shallow water meant that we had to line the canoe through the shallow section. We paddled the length of the river and made it to East Lake. When we got to the river the wind and the waves were coming right across the lake at us. We made our way back to the shelter of the river.

Great Looking Site on the River
We paddled back to our site, had some lunch, packed up and headed for the birthday party. We had such a great time and need to do this more often. I'm hoping we can sneak in another fall trip this season.


Thursday, September 3, 2015

First Family Trip to Killarney

After hearing about Killarney and seeing lots of photos earlier in the summer our kids were keen to pay the park a visit. We thought it might make for a good trip next year. At some point we decided that there's no time like the present. Why not go this year and next year? We didn't have a ton of time so we decided to go overnight. Our intention was to book a site at the George Lake Campground and explore George Lake. However, we discovered that the reservable sites were all booked. There were about a dozen non-reservable sites available but we weren't sure that we wanted to take our chances. Instead we booked an interior site on George Lake. Even better!

We packed up the gear and began our journey. Less than 10 minutes into our trip we spotted a fox next to the road. Less than 45 minutes later a coyote crossed the road a short distance ahead of us. If nothing else this trip was already a success for wildlife sightings.
Red Fox on the Train Tracks
The rest of the drive was fairly uneventful. We continued along the highway and headed into the town of Killarney. We stopped on the wharf and had some fish and chips from Herbert's Fisheries. The sky looked quite threatening so we thought it would be best to be on our way. We arrived at the park at about 2:30. By this time the sky was beginning to clear a little. For Killarney's interior you book the lake you want to stay on and not a specific site. We had wanted to stay at site 6, which was at the opposite end of the lake from the access point, so that we could explore some of the other lakes. We headed in that direction hoping we wouldn't need to backtrack if the site were occupied. As it turns out the site was vacant. It was a great site located on a point.

Once we were setup we decided to paddle to the 80 m portage into Freeland Lake. Upon our arrival we found a large beaver dam.
Beaver Dam into Freeland Lake
Freeland Lake was a picturesque lake. It was long and narrow and was quite shallow and marshy. 
Freeland Lake from the Killarney Lake Portage
We paddled across the lake to the portage into Killarney Lake. We left our stuff at the beginning of the portage. Our purpose for this trip was to check out the waterfall located about halfway along the portage. We were not disappointed. We were rewarded with a great looking waterfall. 
Waterfall Along Freeland to Killarney Portage
Waterfall From Above
We made our way back to the start of the portage and paddled across Freeland Lake. As we neared the portage we spotted a beaver a short distance in front of us. Not long after we spotted it, it dove. We quietly paddled along hoping to catch another glimpse of it. As we paddled we figured we wouldn't see it again, then it reappeared in front of us. It swam for a bit and then realized we were there. We watched it slap its tail then dive. It was such a site to see. I'm glad we were all able to see it.

As we paddled back to our site the clouds started to build again. The sky looked very threatening so we ate and cleaned up quickly. Just as we were about to enter the tent it began to rain. The wind picked up and was howling all night. Luckily there was a rock face between the lake and our tent that acted as a windbreak. Although we could hear the wind, we didn't feel any of it.
Clouds Over Killarney Ridge
In the morning we packed up and headed out against a really strong wind. We paddled close to the south side of the lake to stay somewhat protected.
View From the Campsite
Granite on the South Side, Quartz on the North Side
 We paddled until we got to where we could see Little Sheguiandah Lake. We got out and admired the view. It would make for a neat little side trip. It wouldn't be too difficult to lift over the rock and paddle around the small lake and do some exploring of the neat looking cliffs.
Little Sheguiandah Lake
We left Little Sheguiandah Lake behind and headed into the wind. It was slow going and at one point it didn't seem like we were going anywhere. I mentioned that to everyone else and at that point the young paddlers decided they should pitch in. It made a big difference. We paddled to a cliff that was located between sites 2 and 3. We were hoping to see a volcanic intrusion and thought that we had (as it turns out it was a little further along the shore). We did however see some cool patterns in the rock.

Interesting Patterns in the Rock
On the way back to the access point we paddled past a glacial erratic, a rock deposited by a glacier. It was an interesting rock due to all of the holes and cracks in it.
Glacial Erratic
Although our stay was short it was full of adventure and we look forward to returning.

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Star Gazing

We're always on the look out for family adventures. Often those adventures require some travel. Sometimes the travel is long, other times it's short. Rarely do I think of the things that can happen right outside our door as adventures. I was reminded about these 'backyard adventures' the other night. We were staying at a cottage and after the kids were in bed I decided that I would head out and take some pictures. It was a perfectly clear night and the stars were out in full force. It was a stunning sight all around.
Parry Sound at Night
As I lay on the ground gazing up at the Milky Way and the seemingly endless sea of stars I watched meteors careen through the atmosphere and tracked satellites as they moved across the sky. There were so many things to take in. 

The Milky Way
The icing on the cake, though, was being fortunate enough to witness the northern lights. I snapped a few photos of them and was going to wake up the rest of the family, but they dissipated quickly. They reappeared about thirty minutes later but again they didn't last long.

An Appearance of the Northern Lights
That night I was extremely grateful to have witnessed all that I did. It was a perfect night for star gazing. I look forward to spending some time with the rest of the family admiring the vastness of space and seeing what interesting sights might appear. Sharing nights like that with the family, either from the backyard or some distant location, will be a real treat.


If you haven't starred at the night sky lately, head to a dark spot and set aside at least thirty minutes to take in the night sky. You won't regret it...so long as it's a clear night. You can also search for Aurora Forecasts to see when the Northern Lights might be active. Here's an example and here's another.

Friday, August 7, 2015

A Quick Overnight to Kawartha Highlands

We decided at the last minute we should do an overnight trip to Kawartha Highlands. We arrived at Access Point #6 (Cold Lake Access) at about 4:30. We paddled through Gold Lake which was full of nice cottages. Many of the cottagers were down on the water enjoying the afternoon. They were all really friendly. They waved and asked us where we were going and wished us well.

We were happy to cross into the park and paddle through the narrows leading into Cold Lake, our destination for the night. It's a small lake with a couple of islands and a neat sandbar. Our destination was site 511 on one of the islands. It was a great site. It had great rocks for swimming off of, lots of space, a great view of the lake and trails that led around the small island.

Looking Across Cold Lake From Site 511
Once at our site we setup camp and prepared dinner. After dinner the kids wanted to go out for a paddle so we loaded the canoe and paddled around some of the marsh behind the site. It was a perfect evening for a paddle.

Paddling at Dusk
Working Hard
The next day our two year old daughter said that she wanted to go hiking (music to our ears). Little did she know that the plan was to hike one (or possibly more) or the portages leading out of the lake in search of a Paddle In The Park Contest paddle. We loaded up the canoe and paddled to one of the portages. It was fairly rugged and difficult to follow at times. I was glad that I didn't have a canoe on my head. The kids did alright on the hike, but we certainly discovered that any portage much over a kilometre would be a challenge for them. In total we hiked close to three kilometres. Everyone was tired by the end, but generally in good spirits. The reward for hiking the portage is that we had the chance to observe two different deer on our way back.

We made our way back to our site and had a much deserved swim. The water was refreshing but not too cold. There were lots of laughs and some hooting and hollering. What a great way to enjoy the park. We had some lunch and packed up then retraced our steps from the day before. Although our outing was short it was a lot of fun.
Enjoying Lunch and the View


Thursday, July 30, 2015

Family Adventure to Kawartha Highlands

Last year we visited Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park. I took our two older kids (Bob & Not-Bob) for a few days and we all had a great time. The only thing missing was...the rest of the family. The kids wanted to show their younger sister (Still-Not-Bob) and mom what this great park was all about. Given that Still-Not-Bob is now two years old we figured it was time to introduce her to the backcountry.

How could we not want to go back to this?
Our visit was only three days long and as far as backcountry trips go, it was a very simple trip. We booked two nights at Bottle Lake. Aside from the 210 m portage from the parking lot to the lake there were no portages and it was a fairly easy paddle up the lake. We chose to stay on Bottle Lake because of the amazing beaches at a number of the sites. We figured that the beach would be a lot of fun for the kids. As it turns out the kids were a able to occupy themselves both on and off the beach. Next time I would be more inclined to travel further into the park.

Day 1:
We arrived at the park around noon. We unloaded and carried our belongings across the 210 m portage. Nobody had any difficulty with the portage and we all could have done at least double the length without any trouble. After lunch we put the canoe in the water and started paddling to our site (site 107). The paddle took longer than might have been expected since we were battling a very strong head wind. Regardless we were all very happy to be in the canoe. Once we arrived at our campsite we unloaded and started setting up. The kids had a great time playing as we took our time getting setup. Once the site was setup I wandered back into the woods to find a good spot to hang our food. It took me a ridiculous amount of time to get something setup. It felt like a comedy of errors: broken rope, not high enough, too close to the branch at the top, etc. Perhaps I was being too picky but I felt that this was one thing to be over cautious about.

Upon my return from the food hanging adventure I discovered my wife and son testing out our new stick stove. What a great piece of gear. If you haven't tried one you really should. Bob was so excited by the stick stove that he made it his responsibility. He setup the fire and kept it well fed with sticks from around the site. We had frozen some sloppy joe mix the night before. It was now thawed and just needed to be heated. We dumped the meat in the pot, put it on the stick stove and left Bob in charge. It was fast, easy and delicious.

Taking care of dinner!
Once things were cleaned up we headed down to the beach to watch the sunset. What a beautiful spot.
Beautiful sunset
We headed into the tent to play some cards and get the kids set for bed. As they were falling asleep I heard a noise in the woods so I got up and made my way back to the food bag to find everything in tact. It was a beautiful night so I decided to take some pictures. This is when I discovered that I had forgotten the tripod. I managed to make do with the camera case.

Night Sky
Day 2:
We woke up then cooked some bannock for breakfast. We cooked it like thick pancakes. We made one per person so it was a lot faster than cooking pancakes. After breakfast we decided to paddle up Stoney Creek at the north end of the lake. While we were at home we thought this might make for a nice paddle so we checked it out on Google Earth. We saw a small beaver dam that we would have to lift over and further upstream was what looked like a waterfall. Our goal was to check out the waterfall. We made it to the beaver dam. The kids were so excited about us lifting them over as they sat in the canoe. So much so that when we were done they asked if we could do it again. We knew the waterfall wasn't too much further so we pressed on. As we rounded a corner we could see a rock strewn creek that marked the end of our trip in the canoe. We got out and made our way up the sometimes loose and sometimes solid boulders with water running between them. We covered the 40 or so metres to get to the beaver dam. Such a beautiful spot. The kids had a great time playing among the rocks, both in and out of the water. They looked to find where the water was coming from, what kind of insects were living where and noticed some of the plants that were growing along the shore. These are the rewards that we seek! Such a beautiful spot and we all had such a great time. We had lunch at the waterfall then made our way back to the campsite.

Dam at the top of the falls
Playing at the waterfall
Wheeee!

A lunch time visitor
While Still-Not-Bob was napping at the campsite, Bob and I paddled to the portage into Sucker Lake. We wanted to see if by chance there was a Paddle In The Park Contest paddle hidden there. The portage was short at only 80 m but it's does go uphill. It would be very doable for the entire family. Sucker Lake looked just beautiful. It has a number of islands and nice bays to explore. It's also a motorboat free lake. After admiring the view into Sucker Lake we made our way back to the canoe and then paddled to the portage that leads to the parking lot just to see if a paddle had been hidden there. We came up empty handed so we turned around and battled a strong headwind to the campsite.

Back at the campsite we started a fire and the stick stove. The kids manned the stick stove to hydrate some dried vegetables, Sarah made a cheese sauce (I think she called it a roux) for our mac & cheese while I cooked the sausages. Dinner was a real team effort and it was delicious. After dinner we had a swim and did a little fishing. What a great day.

Day 3:
We had some oatmeal for breakfast then began packing up. The kids helped a little and played a little. As we were about to leave the woman who had stayed on the site next to ours (108) paddled over to tell us that her food, which had been hung in a tree, was completely destroyed. The only thing untouched by the animal(s) were her dill pickles. She wanted to warn us to be careful. Somehow I felt better about spending all the time I did to get our food bag 'just right'.

Just about ready to leave
We left the site and thought we'd paddle Bottle Creek on the way out. It was nice, but not as interesting as Stoney Creek was. I think it would be a great fishing spot. We made it to the dam that leads into Catchacoma Lake, had a snack and paddled to the portage leading to our van. The portage was very busy: a clear indication that it must be Friday!

We all had a great time and on the ride home the kids began asking when we could go again. We heard "Can we go back tomorrow?".  I love it and clearly they do too. #RewardsAreOutThere

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

A Visit to Bon Echo

We recently spent 5 days at Bon Echo Provincial Park. The entire family had a great time. There was so much to do that we didn't even scratch the surface of our to-do list. It was the first time that we brought our bikes camping with us and we certainly put them to good use. I feel as though we biked 20 km in our first 24 hours, but that could be a bit of an exaggeration.

On our fist day we had lunch at the main beach then headed to our site to setup. Once we were setup we biked and did some swimming at the North Beach. The North Beach is much smaller than the Main Beach, the sand isn't as fine and there are lots of pebbles in the water but the view is far superior to that of the Main Beach.

North Beach with Mazinaw Rock in the background
Once everyone was shivering we headed back to the campsite to prepare our dinner. We had made some kabobs the night before, put them in a resealable bag (double then triple bagged) with some marinade. Come dinner time we just needed to start a fire and pop them on the grill. In addition to the kabobs we had bannock roasted on a stick. The kids really enjoy helping out. They get really excited when they can help prepare the food.

Bob, Not-Bob & Still-Not-Bob roasting bannock on a stick
Once we finished eating I took the two older kids (Bob & Not-Bob) for a bike ride to the Narrows while Sarah got Still-Not-Bob ready for bed. The Narrows is a great place to be while the sun is setting. Although you are looking East, the reflection of the sun off the rock creates an incredible view.

While we were at Bon Echo we took in a lot of the programming offered. On our second day Kevin Callan, The Happy Camper, was giving a 1 hour canoe tripping talk. We paddled from the North Beach (which was close to our site) to the Lagoon (map) where the presentation was being held. We weren't sure the kids would enjoy it but we thought we would give it a try, figuring we could always leave if they got bored. As it turns out they loved it. The presentation was very informative, humorous and really kept the kids' attention.
Kevin Callan helping Not-Bob with a heavy pack
Following the presentation we walked over to the Main Beach where we all had a great time swimming and playing in the sand. We made our way back to our site for a late lunch and a nap for the youngest member of the group, Still-Not-Bob. The others biked and played soccer at the grassy area of the comfort station. After nap time it was time to start preparing for dinner. We made nachos for dinner and S'mores for dessert.

Still-Not-Bob enjoying a S'more
After dinner we headed to the amphitheatre to see Kevin Callan give a talk about his family trip around Killarney last summer. You can find his videos of the trip here. Again the presentation was informative, entertaining and inspiring for the kids. One of the first things they said when we left was "When can we go to Killarney?". It's nice when they're asking to go places rather than us asking.

On the third day we decided that we would hike to the top of the Cliff Top Trail. You can take the Mugwump Ferry over for a small fee ($4 for adults/$3 for children) or you can paddle over and tie up at the dock. The ferry does not run on Tuesday or Thursdays making them good days to paddle over. We went on a Tuesday and only saw three other groups of people. The trail is only 1.5 km but is steep in places and has a lot of stairs. Having said that the kids did great. They got a little tired close to the top but nothing major. The trip was certainly a lot faster this time than it was two years ago. We made our way back down the trail and paddled along the rock for a bit observing some of the pictographs before heading back to the boat launch. Bob, Not-Bob & Sarah went for ice (outside the park) and then went to the visitor centre while I stayed behind while Still-Not-Bob was napping.

Snack at the top
We had pizza roasted over the fire for dinner. We've done this before with some success. Sadly this was probably our worst attempt. Not-Bob and Still-Not-Bob's pizzas were up first. They came off the grill just fine. For the most part the rest of us ended up with pizza that was either under-cooked in some spots or burnt in some (or even most) spots. I guess that's what happens when you forget to pack the make shift reflector oven. We'll work on it for next time.

The morning of the fourth day was cool so we got a fire going, which did little to heat us up but provided a great chance for cooking pancakes. It was a slow process but the pancakes turned out great. Once again everyone had a role in the cooking process. With our bellies full we biked to the High Pines Trail for the 1.7 km hike. As we arrived in the parking lot we spotted a baby snapping turtle. Once again the kids were great on the hike. The afternoon was filled with some biking, a stop at the gift shop and some burgers for dinner. After dinner we saw David Archibald perform at the amphitheatre. He's always popular with our kids. We make sure to see him at least once every summer at some park.

Snack time on the High Pines trail
On our final day Sarah took the kids to see a Living Fossils program while I packed up a bit. They really enjoyed the program and headed to the Visitor Centre afterwards to learn more about the native history of the park. Bob was very keen to learn about the pictograph and the stories behind them. Once we were done at the visitor centre we headed to our site to finish packing up and to have lunch. After lunch we were off to the main beach for an afternoon of swimming and playing in the sand. What a way to finish off the trip.

We had a busy five days but there were a few things that we didn't get to do. We didn't do any fishing. We had intended to but it seems that biking took over as the activity of choice. We saw lots of people fishing and heard from some of them say that Mazinaw Lake was a tough lake to fish. We'll have to give it a try next time.

In addition to car camping Bon Echo also offers some paddle-in/hike-in sites on Joeperry Lake. It's a neat lake with a beautiful beach at the North end. I thought it might be fun to paddle Joeperry and stop at the beach for lunch. It might also be worth testing out the fishing there.

Another point of interest in the park is the Kishkebus Canoe Route. It's a 21 km canoe route that essentially goes around the rock. The toughest part of the route would be a 1500 m portage from Mazinaw Lake to Kishkebus Lake. From there you could paddle across Kishkebus Lake and do a short portage into Shabomeka Lake. As you go into Shabomeka you leave the park and the shoreline is dotted with cottages. From Shabomeka Lake there is a 60 m portage around a dam into Semicircle Lake. Paddling across Semicircle Lake takes you to a 40 m lift over into Campbell Creek. The final lift over takes you from Cambell Creek back into Mazinaw Lake. With young kids I would likely do the route in reverse order in case we decided not to finish it. The lift overs and small lakes could make for some fun paddling. There are also a number of geocaches along the route that would be fun to try and find.

There is certainly lots to do at Bon Echo. We'll have to go back and do some more exploring.

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Paddle in the Park Contest

If you like getting outside in the summer (and who doesn't?) you should check out the Paddle in the Park Contest. The contest involves finding paddles that have been hidden around parks in Ontario. When you find a paddle you get to keep it and you get a prize package. Clues are periodically posted online about where the paddles might be found. It then becomes a puzzle and a race to find the paddles. I've followed the contests for the past couple of years and have found it very interesting. However, given the age or our youngest daughter (she's two), we're not super mobile as a family. We're not likely to pack up on a whim drive a long distance in the hopes of finding a paddle (we'll get there one day). We still like to follow along and see if we can figure out where the paddles are.


This year in addition to the paddle hunt, the organizer are offering Paddle Points. The goal is to get us all 'out there'. They have created a huge list of things to do outdoors. Go do them, take pictures, upload them and potentially win prizes, including a canoe. You can double your points if you include the Paddle in the Park Flag in your photos. Although winning prizes would be really cool, the real rewards are experienced by everyone getting 'out there'. Enjoy. #RewardsAreOutThere

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Picnic and a Paddle at Ferris

After struggling with the lawn tractor yesterday afternoon (the lyric: "One wheel's off and the axle's broken" came to mind) we decided we should end the day with a relaxing picnic and paddle. We packed up the gear, some food and the kids and we were off.

We headed to the park and made our way to the boat launch where there was a picnic table  right by the water. It was a perfect spot for a BBQ then to launch the canoe for a paddle. Once every thing was set up I turned on the propane and heard hissing coming out of the tank. It turns out the O-ring on the hose was missing. Luckily I had some bits of lumber in the van. We made our way to a nearby campsite and cooked up some wieners and s'mores. It was a great night for a picnic. Watching an osprey feed it's young while we were eating was certainly a highlight.

It was while we were eating that I pulled out the camera and realized that the memory card was in the computer at home. I had also left my phone at home on purpose since the only thing I could imagine needing it for was taking pictures. Who needs an old camera phone when you've got a DSLR right?

Approaching the suspension bridge from the south
After eating and playing at the park for a bit we made our way down to the water and put the canoe in the water. It was a perfect night for a paddle. We paddled upstream toward the suspension bridge. The current was unnoticeable at first but as we approached the generating station it was clear that we had to work a little harder. It was still very manageable.  It was cool seeing the bridge from below. The picture would have been great. We paddled under the bridge and made our way up to the falls.

Ranney Falls 
We paddled under the overhanging rock where the falls would be raging in the spring and got close enough to the portion that is flowing to get sprayed.

Under the Overhang
Time for a Shower
It was a hoot. We saw a lot of small fish swimming in the rocky waters just below the falls. The paddle back was leisurely with the current pushing towards our destination.

The kids loved playing at the park while we packed everything up and got the canoe tied on the van.

We will certainly go back and get all of the pictures we missed so that we can post them here.

Edit: We went back the next day for more fun and some photos this time. We also had time to cross the bridge.
A Turtle, Spotted From the Bridge