Algonquin Park

Recently we were asked the question "Why do you like camping as a family?" and also, "Why do you like Algonquin?" One person even asked "Do you really enjoy just sitting around doing nothing all day?" :) I had to laugh at that one! I don't think it's possible to pack 6 days fuller than we packed ours! Instead of being too wordy, I'll let our pics speak for us (with some commentary, naturally:)

This is the notice that awaited us when we pulled into the campground on Sat. afternoon. Rich didn't tell me about it at first, fearing that I'd follow in my mother's footsteps, become frantically afraid and pack up and leave.

More on bears later................here we are taking Corin on his first fishing trip. We followed a long, windy road to a very isolated spot - the starting area for interior camping. It was a gorgeous, lonely lake - our only companions were a couple of loons. The lake was edged with the straight pines and huge rocks characteristic of northern ON. Corin caught his first fish, but while I was ridiculously proud of him, he was rather scared of it :)
Our campsite was pretty neat. It had lake access at the back of it, so the kids could fish or swim right off of our own site! And just a few steps over was a little private beach that we had to ourselves.


So, back to the topic of bears............and wildlife in general. Algonquin is quite famous for its bears, wolves and moose. It's not at all uncommon to see bears or moose right off the main highway - but we've never seen anything larger than a raccoon in the camping areas. Here are some shots we took of the amazing local sights.........

However, by "local" I mean the Algonquin visitor's/interpretive centre :) (so no need to worry, mom!) We were disappointed to not even see a moose this year, much less a bear! I had high hopes the entire trip and spent much of my time scanning nearby bushes and marsh areas, but to no avail.

But to briefly come back to the Q "Do you really enjoy just sitting around doing nothing all day?" - not really! So it's a good thing we keep busy :) Our days are filled with biking, hiking, going to the outdoor theatre for movies or slide talks, fishing, swimming, some reading (less than we'd like!), kids programs, guided tours, and lots of family fun. The time we spend just being together as a family is priceless to us - and especially in a place where we aren't pressed for time or needing to get places in a hurry.

Thoughts on collapsed bridge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wG0dhA_RT8

Fun with Family

Though the chicken pox and "morning" sickness have somewhat restricted us this summer, we've still managed to do some visiting and have some really good times with our family/friends. It's so nice to have family that you can also call "friends" :)

Steve wanted to give the kids a treat and make a nice little fire for them to roast marshmallows. However, he doesn't believe in doing things halfway, so the kids ended up with this monster of a bonfire that they were rather terrified of!! But Steve, being the brave man that we all know him for, put 5 or 6 marshmallows on his own stick and risked life and limb to deliver on his promise. What a guy!

Some happy customers! (I know - I tend to favour these 2 when it comes to pics, but aren't they cuties? :)
We also wanted to try out Heartlake conservation area this summer, and though we were rather disappointed by the scummy lake, we still had a nice time. Luke is getting better and better at soccer and gives Rich a "run for his money" now when they play together!

The kids found a coupla other kids to go "frogging" with. I'm always somewhat hesitant when it comes to frogging, b/c though the kids love it, I rather doubt that the frogs do...........
We were also able to squeeze in a visit with Ron and Lori in Indiana. We got to see their beautiful new house (which I neglected to get a picture of!) and enjoy each other's company. I love my older sisters - and I don't get to see Lori very often since they live so far away.
They have 2 sets of twins - one set (2 girls) are 8 years old, and the next set (a boy and a girl) are 1 year old. My sister and her husband are busy people, to say the least!!

Though this pool left much to be desired in way of it's condition, it still provided hours and hours of fun for the kids. They didn't seem to care that the top ring wouldn't stay inflated :)

And now that our chicken pox are behind us and I'm feeling somewhat better, we're looking forward to our camping trip in a week and a half! Summer's not over yet........not by a long shot!