Venture into the Kawartha Lakes

Five days before my friend Florence’s wedding, the two of us went on a trip to Lindsay, Ontario, a small region in the city of Kawartha Lakes. Aside from being actual lakes themselves, Kawartha Lakes is an agglomeration of quiet communities approximately an hour and a half east of Toronto by driving. Florence and I had planned this trip a few months ago, where we figured we’d go somewhere to relax and calm any last-minute wedding panics. So no, I was not kidnapping the bride, if you were wondering.

In Lindsay we stayed at a local motel for two nights, and it became our mini bachlorette party. For our hike, we headed to the nearby Ken Reid Conservation Area, where we ventured deep into the woods on a hiking trail on a nice Tuesday afternoon.

Why Kawartha Lakes? Well, after last year’s trip to Tobermory, Florence and I wanted to find somewhere similar, something close to nature where we could enjoy a nice hike near the waters. A little bit of research led us to Kawartha Lakes. Of course, none of our friends had been there before, but we figured, let’s give it a try. Nothing can be so bad with each other’s company, right?

RAWR! Get away from mah territory! This little chipmunk was the first thing we saw after we parked the car. It was making itself comfortable in the pile of wild fruits, munching some here and there and scurrying around. Chipmunks are really the cutest things ever, and look at this one! The fierce look in its eyes, the fiery grasp of its claws, and the flaming flick of its tail…the BADASSERY!

Tobermory road trip with my ladies

Today’s post is about…Tobermory! Did Annie head back to Canada already? Nope, not a chance, not until September, at least. I was stuck in a gray, melancholic Louvain-la-Neuve this weekend, where the sun has disappeared for no less than a week. Yesterday, I saw sunshine for about five minutes before the dark clouds devoured the light hastily. I was going to go to Maastricht yesterday, and was glad that I didn’t, as the weather would have completely killed the mood. Oh, and I had to go to the lab, that would be the main reason.

So I thought, why don’t I dig out and organize some photos from previous trips that I hadn’t written about? (I still haven’t gotten to Cherbourg and don’t know if I ever will write about it.) I was surprised to find that I actually never wrote about Tobermory, which happened last August during my vacation back home in Canada.

The trip was planned long before I arrived in Canada with the intention of spending a relaxing weekend with my dear ladies Florence and Candy. We chose Tobermory, a tiny place right at tip of the point between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, 273 kilometres north of Toronto. It was far enough to be away from the bustling of the city while close enough to be reached by car in a relatively short amount of time. It would be two fun days of hiking, exploration, mad photo-snapping, girl talks, and generally being in touch with nature.

Setting out from Mississauga at 7 in the morning, we got to Tobermory about two and a half hours later and there began our adventures into the wild.

As soon as we parked the car, we embarked on a journey to Flowerpot Island, a couple of kilometres off the coast of Tobermory in Georgian Bay. Flowerpot Island got its name from the two gigantic rock formations on the island, both of which look like flower pots. We passed by this cute lighthouse during the boat ride to the island.