Our first visit to an Ontario Provincial Park led to a realization. From the first moment we’d placed an order on our Alto, I began slowly honing a mental image of what I thought it would look like to one day go Alto camping. Perhaps the most influential source of information I had to go on was the blog Routealto80.blogspot.ca, by Jim Gauvreau.
I spent hours reading his words and looking at his beautiful pictures. After we’d gotten Dory home and began exploring our neck of the woods for that elusive, picture perfect spot, I noticed that we had yet to find a perfect match. Don’t get me wrong, I love California State Parks and I’ve loved discovering all the richness and diversity I never knew existed within a 150-200 mile radius of my home. But when we stayed at this particular campsite, right on the water, something in my head went, “Yeah, this. This is the picture.”
It may well be that this picture was in fact exactly the same spot I’d etched into the back of my brain. It all clicked, the lush forest made up of a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees, the varied shades of endless green plant life filling the banks of the slow moving river, right down to the deep blue of the water. This was it and we were here. I blissed out and launched my kayak right from a small beach at the campsite, the very first launch since we left home over a month ago.
Richard hopped in the cool water too, and even hitched a ride out to a little island. Note to self: bring the floatie next time. What could make this better? A sunset. Ok, now it just gets a little excessive in terms of camping joy. It was a great day. Kudos to Richard for thinking to capture sunset pictures of me on the lake.
This was a great day and a brilliant introduction to Ontario Provincial Parks.
Total miles: 269.7, 15.2, 5 hours 37 min. Site 41. No electric hookups and there were hardly any trailers in this area. Nice bathroom a little farther from the campsite, but a “rustic” toilet (not vault) close by. Dump, roaming cell service good with international data plans.
Glad you were able to find the match to the perfect spot you had in your mind. Driftwood is one of our faves, as it truly does capture the quintessential camping experience.
It’s hard to top that one! Such a beautiful area! We will want to return for sure some day.