I stayed warm during the night but boy was it cold out in the morning. I did not want to get out of my sleeping bag. So, I stayed in it for as long as I could; until my bladder and my hungry stomach forced me to get up. 

My mom was already up and starting to pack up. We wanted to do a bit of hiking at Indian Point Provincial Park before going home. 

The main reason we were so cold was because our site had no sun and it was colder in the shade. I dragged my wet tarp over to the sunny picnic table at the site across the road. Then mom and I dragged our chairs over and had breakfast and coffee in the sun to keep warm. We sat and talked for quite sometime there; just enjoying the peacefulness of it all. I noticed that a gentleman from a site further up had the same idea and had dragged his chair into the sun of an empty site nearby too. It was that kind of chilly morning. 

Once we were all packed up, we headed down the road to Indian Point. It is a day use only park and is only about 10 minutes away from Balsam Lake Provincial Park. 

We had never been there before and I had only read a little bit about it on the internet. So, I didn't really know where the entrance was at the time. I did know that some people had difficulties finding the entrance. I tried using Google and it brought me to a little side road off the highway. 

But this side road was actually a drive way to someone's privately owned property in the park and was not a public access way. 

I then remembered how people had said that you had to go all the way around and through the town of Coboconk to get to the public access to the park.  So I reset Google to take me to Coboconk.

As we drove down the highway, we were amazed to see 7 Turkey Vultures sitting in a tree. I have only ever seen Turkey Vultures flying in the air and never have I seen one in a tree let alone 7 at the same time. That is not to say that they don't sit in trees or anything. It's just that it is rare to see it. Of course, I was driving and could not get  picture of it. 

Once I was in Coboconk I reset Google once again to take me to Indian Point. Coboconk is a lovely little town and we enjoyed driving around some of the streets and looking at the houses as we made our way to the park. 

When we reached Indian Point Road, we saw, off to the left,  a familiar information bulletin sign like those I was seeing  along the trail in Balsam Lake Park. There was a small space across the road that looked like parking for maybe about 3 cars. It had a back hoe sitting in it , so we weren't sure if that was someone's private property or not.  We got out of the car and took a look around. There seemed to be a trail behind the information board but it was grassy and not well used. It could be just a path that someone trail blazed and not a real trail at all for all we knew. There was no real trail head sign or map that let you know that you were for sure in the right place. 

The only thing we knew for sure by the "You Are Here" sign on the information board is that we were for sure at Indian Point Provincial Park.  There were no trails marked on the map; only the road. 

We didn't know if we were supposed to drive further to get to a trail head or of this was it. We could see another blue sign a little further down the road. So, we decided to get back in the car and drive down the road a bit to see where it would take us. 

The sign said "Indian Point" and "No Dumping" with a bunch of other regulation symbols on it.  This sign could lead people to believe that the trail head and trail parking were to be found further down the road. 

However, this was not the case. We came to a place that looked to be a little less Provincial Park like and a little less inviting. 

​There were big signs letting us know that this area was for "Members Only"  and that this was a private area. So we didn't go any further than this and we turned the car around and headed back to the start. 

We were almost back to the beginning when, from the right side of us, 5 wild turkeys flew out of the bush and flew over the top of the car and barely missed the car. They landed somewhere on the other side of the road but quickly became camouflaged with their surroundings so that we couldn't see them again. 

We reached the beginning of the road  at the park boundary. This time we parked the car in the small parking place near the back hoe and walked across the road back to the information board.  

This must be the place then. Was this information board supposed to be the trail head? 

We decided to walk the grassy, over grown, path and find out.  

The grass was still green but was starting to turn brown in preparation for winter. There were chickory flowers blooming among the grass stalks. 

The grassy path took us to  pretty little open meadow. 

The purple, blue, and pink flowers of the Vipers Bugloss plants gave spots of vibrant colour to the otherwise muted greens and browns of the meadow. 

In short order, the grassy over grown trail became wider and more recognizable as an actual trail. It almost seemed like an old road even. I thought that perhaps snowmobiles and ATVs were used here. 

However, we came across some signs that showed that ATVs and snowmobiles were not permitted here. Nor was hunting or dumping. 

In the trees a Ruby-crowned Kinglet sang to us. 

And a Turkey Vulture circled above our heads. 

The trail took us away from the meadow and started to take us into the tree line.  The sun was shining and the day had started to warm up quite a bit compared to how chilly it had been when we woke up. 

At this section the trees became thicker but the trail was still wide and easy to travel on. The trees started to form almost like a tunnel over the trail. 

The trees were thick enough to block out much of the sunlight, however, it was all so very beautiful. The sunlight that did filter through created pretty shadows and revealed a lush carpet of bright green grass beneath the trees. If we had been in the high heat of summer, this is a place I would definitely take refuge from the heat. 

It wasn't long before we could see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. The trees were opening up and the sky became more visible again. 

And the sunlight hit the changing leaves and lit the colours up so that they practically looked like they were flames. It was so gorgeous in this section of the trail. 

And it was so peaceful. It was the perfect trail to walk in the fall. 

Mom and I came across a big gnarly old tree that had so much character. We just stopped for a few minutes just looking up at it and admiring its majestic beauty. It was another tree that we thought would be right at home in a fairy tale. 

Parts of the trail here became flat rocks that looked like stepping stones in someone's garden.

Then we came across a second three that was even bigger and grander than the last one that we had admired. The trees here are just full of character. 

A red Meadowhawk dragonfly landed nearby. It's bright red body matched the reds of the autumn leaves. 

​It was about this time when we started to hear gunshots in the distance, back in the direction that we had come from.  We realized that it was close to hunting season and we weren't wearing any bright orange vests or anything like that.  Now hunting is prohibited here, but that won't stop dishonest people from doing it anyways. It is totally possible that it was someone shooting on private property on the land that adjoins this land, but we had no way of knowing if that was the case. I figured they could be after the wild turkeys that we saw fly by earlier. At any rate, the shooting was what made us decide that it was probably time to head back. 

On the way back we ran into two other groups of people who were on their way in. There were probably bout 12 other people in total. They seemed unphased by the sounds of the gun shots in the distance. We said a quick hello as we passed each other.  I was a bit worried that there was not enough room in the parking lot for the vehicles and that we may have gotten hemmed in. But all was well and I was able to pull away without any difficulties. 

We were now headed home. It was past lunch time and we were getting hungry. My mom mentioned that we were close to a place that we used to go to for lunch when I was a kid every time we went to visit my Farmor (grandmother).  We called it "The Rabbit Place"  because there used to be a big pen with about 20 or 30 rabbits in it outside the restaurant. There was a huge dirt mound and the rabbits were allowed to burrow inside of it and people would feed them grass and carrots. We loved it. It had been about 30 or more years since we were last there. 

We pulled into the parking lot and found that the place was now called "Tent - Kitchen and Bar".  I thought that was a pretty odd name for a restaurant. "Tent" did not make me think of food in any form or fashion. 

The rabbits were long gone now and the rabbit mound was much smaller. You would never even had known that rabbits had once lived there. It saddened me a little. 

The inside of the restaurant was completely different too. Where once there was more of a dinner feel to the place, it now was more like a posh bistro with art on the walls. 

I had come expecting to grab a burger and fries or something, but nothing like that was to be found on the menu. And the prices were pretty, well... pricey.  I settled on some French Toast. 

My mom ordered the waffles.  Both orders were very fancy looking and looked delicious. However, neither of them tasted all that great. Mine was tolerable but I took a bite of my moms and it was like eating a mouth full of dry sawdust. When the waitress asked us how it was we lied and said it was good. Later, in the car, I asked my mom how she could even eat any of it. She said that she just pretended that it was bread.  

We were surprised when the waitress brought us some complimentary cinnamon treats for dessert.  They were fairly decent but still not the greatest. 

So we were a little disappointed in that place. I guess sometimes it doesn't pay to revisit some of your childhood memories. 

But that was a small blip on an otherwise perfect day.  We had a great trip and were on our way home. Although I will miss the peacefulness of sleeping in a tent until next summer, I won't miss the chilly mornings and will wake up in my nice warm house in the morning. Time for me to start my hibernation process. 

I was pleasantly surprised by how well I slept and how warm and cozy it was. Considering it is now October, I thought for sure I was going to freeze in my sleeping bag during the night. However, I remembered to wrap my shoulders and back in an extra blanket to keep the draft out and I had worn my warm socks, a hoodie, and heavy weight leggings to bed. This combination worked so well that I got a great night sleep. And now I was ready to see what today would bring.

Mom was already up and having her coffee when I got out of the tent. We were both looking forward to a peaceful and quiet day. She asked me what I had planned and I said that I wanted to go check out the beach and the dog park. She didn't want to come along and she thought it would be a perfect opportunity to get in some of her own alone time. So we agreed to meet up later and go for a hike in the afternoon.  For now, the morning belonged to ourselves. So after breakfast I left my mom at the campsite to red her book while I went down the trail towards the beach.

The blue and purple/pink blooms of the Viper's-bugloss plants that were growing along the side of the trail gave the autumn landscape an extra bit of colour to enjoy. Viper's-bugloss got its name, 'Viper', from its spotted, winding, snake-like stem, which resembles a snake's markings, or from the shape of its flowers, which look like the head of a snake. 'Bugloss' comes from the Greek meaning 'ox's tongue' and refers to the rough, tongue-shaped leaves.

I passed through a couple of the large boat trailer parking lots again that still stood empty. 

A couple of them had a wash station for hosing down boats and things. 

I was admiring the colours and patterns of the various leaves all around me. Everything was staring to change and it was all so beautiful. 

As I looked closer I could see some Cepaea snails just hanging out under the leaves. 

I found myself back on the Lakeshore Legacy Trail only this time I was on the other side of the boat launch area.  As I walked the trail I would stop from time to time to read and look at the pictures that were on display on various information boards along the way. They showed some of the history of the park and of the area.

Eventually I came to the beach area that was marked by a lovely little covered picnic area. 

The beach was big and sandy and, at his time of year, fairly empty.  There were plenty of picnic tables everywhere. 

There were even some that were extra long. They were almost twice as long as a regular picnic table. 

The interesting thing about these long picnic tables is that they seem to have been here probably since the park opened. You can see pictures of people sitting around them and having lunch in some of the old photos that were on display on some of the information boards posted along the hiking trail. 

Off to the side of the beach I spotted a little building. So I decided to go and see what it was. 

Looks like it is a boat rental place that also sells snacks. 

But not surprisingly, it was closed for the season. 

On the dock next to the building was a flock of seagulls. 

When I moved closer to the Ring-billed gulls they seemed fairly unconcerned. They didn't fly away. They just stood there eyeing me up. Rather than disturb them, I moved on. 

Over by one of the bathrooms there was a huge tree that was in the middle of changing colour. I was amused to see that only the top part of the tree had turned red while the bottom half was still green. 

At the beach there is a playground for the kids. Since it was too cold to go in swimming, most of the people were hanging out here with their kids. 

Nearby was a Nature Kioisk. A cute little table with a roof over it where I assume the staff do discovery events and presentations. It is a good place for kids to take their coveted caterpillars and frogs they have caught to take a closer look at them. 

I continued down the path and enjoyed watching the bees flit around in the purple Asters. I saw another lady with a big fancy camera and I tried to strike up a conversation with her about photography.  However, she was not very receptive of the idea of having a conversation. So, just kept to myself and continued down the trail. 

At the far end of the beach is the pet beach. There is no fence or other visible division line. The only indication you have that you are at the pet beach is a big blue sign with arrows pointing in the direction of where the dogs are allowed and not allowed to be. 

This was the only part of the beach where I actually saw people swimming in the water. It was some kids with their dogs. The adults sat at the picnic table and watched. Kids are much more brave than adults are when it comes to swimming in cold water. 

Just on the other side of the pet beach the trail came to an end. And so did the park. There was a big blue metal gate that blocked the entrance to the park and you could see the road and a house beyond the boundaries.  I thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be nice to live right next door to a Provincial Park?"  You could go for a walk on the trails and go to the beach any time you wanted to. 

Since I had come to the end of the trail I had to turn around and go back.  I noticed that the Buckthorn plants still had their dark berries hanging from the branches. The berries (and all parts) of the Buckthorn plant are mildly poisonous and will cause cramping and diarrhea.

On the way back I noticed a volley ball court that I hadn't noticed on the way over. 

I also noticed some poison ivy. It was on the opposite side of the trail, away from the main beach area. It was starting to turn it's autumn red colour so it was easier to spot. 

However, there was a lot of it to spot.... a whole field full of it. 

I put some distance between me and the poison ivy and went back to the playground area.  One of the fun things they had here for the kids besides the playground equipment was  place where you can put your face in a hole under a large fish that was in a replica of the Balsam Lake sign so you can have your frinds take a picture of you.

The interesting part about this replica is that it isn't a replica of the present day park sign. It is a replica of the old park sign that used to greet you as you entered the park. I spotted an old picture of it on one of the history boards on the trail. 

Off to the side I could see a cement pit for people to put their hot coals and ashes. Not too many parks in Ontario have these. I wonder if this has been here since the opening of the park? 

As I walked, a little chipmunk peered out at me from behind some grass tufts. I think that he thought I couldn't see him. 

I left the beach and followed another part of the trail. It led me right to the bridge that my mom and I had been on the night before.  

There were no ducks or muskrats today. Only frogs.

The shallow water had some sort of algae growing in it. Looks like some leaves that were decomposing. Perfect hiding place for the frogs. 

I followed the same trail back to camp that my mom and I had taken. I came across the cabin again; the one that you can rent. I knew it was empty so I decided to go and see if I could take a peek in the windows to see what it was like inside.  I thought that maybe our yearly girls camping group might consider staying here next summer. 

A big crow watched me as I strolled across the lawn over to the cabin. 

I peeked into the first window and saw that the inside was spacious and quite lovely. It had a wood stove and a comfy couch and chairs. 

Then I peeked in a second window and saw a kitchen with a full sized fridge and stove. There seemed to be a downstairs level too, but I couldn't really see into those windows very well. 

In the back yard there were 8 Adirondack chairs in a circle around a fire pit. 

A number of Dark-eyed Junco birds were looking for worms and bugs in the grass near the fire pit. 

The back of the cabin had a deck where you could sit outside and relax. This definitely looks like a great cabin to rent if you want to do some glamping. 

I headed up the road back to camp. One of the maple trees that I saw had turned a really pretty colour of red that was more of the peach side than the red side. 

A Robin watched me walking from his perch way up high in a tree. 

By the time I got back to camp it was lunch time.  My mom and I had something to eat  and then we decided to go for a hike on the Plantation Trail.  The website and brochure had said that it was a  "4.2 km (2 hours) hike – a moderate forest trek with both natural and pioneer highlights."

You have to drive past the gatehouse and down the road to get to the trail head. When we got to where we thought the trail head was, we only saw a blue and white hiking sign, not a trail head sign. 

We decided to jump back in the car and drive down to the other entrance and see if that was the "Plantation Trail". 

When we got to the other entrance we found a "You Are Here " sign.  There was no "Plantation Trail " labeled on it anywhere.  We were beginning to think that the hiking trail had been renamed but that it was not updated in some key places. 

Since there was no parking lot at this end and there was a parking lot at the first entrance, we decided to once again jump in the car and drive back to where we had come from. 

We found another "You Are Here" sign at this entry point.  We noticed that there were a couple of loops to choose from. We decided to start off by doing the Woodland loop and we would consider the Pond Loop if we felt like it once we got to it. 

And so we began our hike. The trail was wide and flat and pretty easy going. 

From time to time we would come across some numbered markers where I am sure there was supposed to be some sort of educational or historical point of interest. However, without any brochure or other information, the numbered posts were  nothing more than a bunch of numbers to us. 

It was a beautiful and relatively warm day for October. The leaves had started to fall and they littered the ground beneath our feet. 

We saw the fuzzy pods of Dog-Strangling Vines that had split open as they prepared to spread their seeds to the wind. 

The wild roses had lost their blooms but had left behind the red berry-like rose hips at the end of their stalks. 

Leaves were turning colours and brightening up the otherwise brow and green landscape. 

There were not a lot of summer flowers left at this time of year, but the purple Lindley's Asters were out in full bloom. 

I was very disappointed to find that amongst all this beauty someone had to be a jerk and leave a bag of doggy doo hanging from the branch of a tree. I am guessing maybe they threw it and intended for it to land on the ground in the bush where they figured no one would find it. But instead it got caught on a branch and now hangs there for all the hikers to enjoy. Such a pity that some people behave in this manner. 

We rounded a corner left the doggy doo behind us and pushed it out of our thoughts. Instead we turned our attention to the warm sunshine and sounds of the wind in the trees. 

Shortly we came across our favourite tree on the whole hike. It looked like a tree from a fairy tale. We imagined it would be a tale of dryads and nymphs. 

It had branches that twisted and turned in interesting ways. Some of those branches looked like they were inviting you to climb up into them to make a tree fort, or to just sit and quietly read a book in them. 

Next we came to a section where the trees got a little bit thicker. This seemed to be a favourite spot for birds. There were so many birds here and many different kinds. They were not easy to see because they did not want to sit still for long and they flit from tree to tree.  

I stopped for awhile to try to stand quietly in an effort to get some pictures of the birds, while my mom continued on ahead on her own. 

My efforts and patience was rewarded with pictures of  few birds. Although they were not the best quality pictures, they were still a delight to me. I was able to capture photos of a Red-breasted Nuthatch. 

The peachy-red belly is a lovely colour. 

There was a female Ruby-crowned Kinglet

​She also had a bit of a peach coloured belly, but not as dark as the Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Then there was the Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Red breasted birds seemed to be the theme for the day, because even a Robin Red-breast joined in with the other birds in the trees. 

After awhile I realized that I had been so engrossed with the task of photographing birds that I had lost track of time. My mom was probably wondering what happened to me.  I hurried to catch up and found her sitting, waiting for me on a large stump on the side of the trail. 

Now that we were together again  we continued on our way. It wasn't long before we came to  a sign that served to strengthen our theory about the renaming of the trail. The sign said Upper and Lower "Plantation" Loop.  

And not far away from that sign was another "You Are Here" sign.  This one was showing the junction  and this was where we had a decision to make. Do we make a left and do only the Woodland Loop or do we go straight and continue onto the "Pond Loop"?

We decided to keep going up the Pond Loop, with the idea that if my mom got too tired then she would wait for me at the roadway entrance (the one we had driven to) and I would walk back and get the car and pick her up there. 

And so we continued on up the Pond Trail until we reached..... 

.... the pond.  The pond was long and very shallow. It was a place that just seemed to catch the rain water. It wasn't deep enough for any big fish or anything. There were just some frogs and some water bugs. 

It was still a nice little spot though. It had a bench to sit on to take a break from all your walking. 

It was an interesting bench. My mom and I studied it's construction and decided that it wouldn't be too difficult to build one ourselves. And we might just do that one day. It looked like it was put together using some lumber that was lying around. the boards were not all measured to be the exact same size, but it worked well and it still looked good. 

The trail at this point was carpeted in fallen pine needles. The sun dappled the ground through the pine trees. 

Tiny little white mushrooms were peeking their heads up out of the ground all over the place. 

The further we walked the more the pine trees started to grow further apart from each other and the brush wasn't so dense. 

Until finally the trail went right through an open meadow.

Milkweed and other seed pods were nestled in amongst the grasses there. 

The meadow was not a big meadow and soon we found ourselves back in the trees again. The trail then led us to the fork in the trail where it was time for my mom to make a decision. Did she want to carry on or should I go get the car and pick her up at the road?

It was starting to get late and her legs were getting tired so she decided that she would take the fork that goes to the road and I would carry on down the main trail, get the car, and pick her up at the roadway entrance. 

I was walking by myself now, but I wasn't always alone. Occasionally a red squirrel would yell at me from the tree tops. 

I was surprised to find an apple tree in the middle of my travels. I don't know if it is from someone throwing away their apple core many years ago, or if this was left over from an orchard from the plantation that is now long gone and over grown that the trail used to be named after. Many of the parks that I have been to seem to have some sort of farm or homestead historical background story to it. 

As I neared the exit, there was yet another piece of evidence that this trail was once called "Plantation Trail" 

I reached the parking lot and found my car and drove up the road to pick up my mom. 

When I got to the trail entrance up the road I could see my mom just within the tree line. She was waving to me excitedly and motioning for me to come over to where she was. She seemed to be looking at something and she wanted me to bring my camera. I thought maybe she had spotted a rabbit or something. 

But it wasn't a rabbit. It was a beautiful brown and beige snake. It was not a snake that either of us had ever seen before. I did not know what type it was. I knew it wasn't a garter snake or a rattle snake.  

My mom told me how she had been standing there waiting for me to come along when she spotted the snake. The snake was slithering down the trail but stopped in its tracks when it realized that my mom was there. It just sat there not moving. And my mom stood there not moving. My mom figured that if she stood still the snake would just move on in short order like most other snakes do. Snakes don't tend to stick around when people are nearby. But this one didn't. Apparently for over 20 minutes the two of them just sat there staring at each other in the "Great Snake Stand Off", until I finally showed up.  She said that for awhile there she was beginning to wonder if the snake had died in front of her eyes or something because it just wasn't moving and it was that still. 

So, I took a long stick and gave it a nudge to see if it would go on it's way into the bush. But instead of slithering off as fast as it's little body could take it, like any other snakes I have ever encountered, it instead  coiled itself up and became very defensive. This could just be it's nature or it could be because it was autumn and it was cold and it couldn't move as fast as it would normally in the summer. But no matter the reason, we decided it would be best to just leave it alone and go back to camp. 

We were still excited by our sighting though and we really wanted to now what kind of snake it was. So we stopped into the Park Office and showed the pictures to the girls at the desk and asked if they knew what kind it was. One thought it was a type of garter snake and the other tried to look it up on Google on her phone. The answer was inconclusive at the time. But when I got home and posted the pictures on the  inaturalist.ca website, I found out that this is a Dekay's Brownsnake. 

Befoe heading back to camp I wanted to make one more stop to check out the amphitheatre. 

There was plenty of seating but the stage here was quite small compared to most other Ontario parks. Looks like it is used more for viewing films outdoors than to do much in the way of presentations. But I couold be wrong. 

To the right side of the stage there was a sign that pointed to the "Eco Campsites". I had no idea what an "Eco Campsite" was so I left my mom sitting on one of the benches and I took a quick trip down the side trail to see if I could see one. 

I came to a campsite numbered E1. 

Looks to me like an Eco Campsite is just another name for a walk-in campsite. There didn't seem to be anything special about it except that you couldn't get a car in there. 

One of the great things about camping in the autumn is seeing all the changing colours of the trees . And the trees in this park did not disappoint. As we drove back to the camp site we admired all the beautiful trees.

By the time we got back and made supper it was starting to get dark. With the setting of the sun the temperature started to drop. Tonight we were too tired to play any board games. Instead we opted to go to our own tents and go to bed early. We had done a lot of walking today. Besides, it is warmer when you are curled up all cozy in your sleeping bag.

Just me and my mom on this trip. Last camping trip of the season for us. Destination... Balsam Lake Provincial Park.  It was a beautiful and scenic drive to the park and we arrived at about 4:30 pm.

We pulled into the parking lot outside the office. Different types of trees lined the parking lot and were protected at the base by wire fencing. 

Each tree had a sign on it telling you what type of tree it was. 

Off to the side was a sign that showed information on the local Endangered Alvar Ecosystem that they were trying to protect within the boundaries of the park. It was interesting to read about and see pictures of some of the endangered birds, insects and plants. 

Mom waited outside while I went in to register. While I was in there I got my park sticker for my sticker passport book. 

They gave me a map of the park so that we could find our way around. We would be staying in the Cedar section of the park. 

The site I had reserved for us was site number 838. Of course when I had reserved the spot it was "site unseen" (a little pun there, ha ha!) 

The site was quite large, and very well treed.  There was plenty of room for the car and multiple tents. 

However, it did have one downfall. The ground was pretty wet and muddy. This meant that places to put up a tent were much more limited than what it seemed at first glance. 

It was wet and muddy enough that we almost considered moving  across the road to site number 836. 

But after discussing it we decided to keep the site we had. We managed to find some spots along the edge of the site that were dry enough to put up our tents. We didn't bring the dining tent this time so that was one less thing we had to do. 

While we were setting up, a couple little critters came to visit. The first was a Wooley Bear caterpillar who promptly curled up into a ball the moment I picked him up. 

And the next was a Harvestman that was crawling down the post near my tent. 

The bathrooms were a little bit of a walk down the road. A little further away than the spots I normally choose but it wasn't too bad.  The quiet tree-lined road made for a pleasant walk to and from the facilities.

The bathrooms were in cement buildings with the sinks on the outside. There were two buildings but neither seemed to be labeled male or female so you could use which ever one you wanted. The lights were automatic motion sensored. In one building the lights never turned off though. 

The toilets were not flush toilets (which is fine) and they were relatively  clean.  The soap dispenser above the sink was broken though. 

Once our campsite was all set up and we had eaten a quick dinner of submarine sandwiches that we had purchased in one of the towns along the way, there was still enough daylight to do some exploring.  So, we headed down the gravel path that was right beside our site and went for a walk to see where it would lead us. We forgot to bring the map with us so we were just going where ever we wanted to without any real direction. Our goal was to try to find the lake. 

The gravel path led to the road. There is a choice to cross the road and continue down the path on the other side or to actually walk down the road itself. We decided to make a right and walk down the side of the road. 

Here and there, along the road side were various types of young saplings all wrapped up and protected in planter cages. 

We could hear the sound of a woodpecker looking for an evening meal. We scanned the tree line and found the source. It was Hairy Woodpecker looking for bugs in the bark of a tree.

​Up ahead we could see the park store and the wood shed. 

We were a bit disappointed to see that it was closed for the season though. 

A little further on we came across another building. It was empty and looked like a house. Maybe the park employees stay here during the summer I wondered?  But later on when we got back and looked at the map I realized that it was actually the cabin that is for rent in the park. 

A big, wide walking trail, called the Lakeshore Legacy Trail,  runs right in front of the cabin. As you walk down the trail you come across information signs from time to time. According to the sign this trail used to be a section of the Old King's Highway 48  and is now being replanted with White Pine trees and Bur Oaks.

My mom and I found a bench that looks out onto the lake and we stopped to sit and enjoy the sun that was starting to get lower in the sky. It was a beautiful spot. 

I noticed by the multiple pieces of fishing line and tackle stuck in them various nearby trees that this is also a favourite spot for some people to try fishing from. Looks like it is not the most successful spot though.

After a short rest we continued down the trail and found another information sign. This one told of a bit of history of the indigenous peoples of Balsam Lake. 

Just beyond that sign we came to the beginnings of the beach and boat launch. We spotted an unusual looking dock and we strolled over to have a look. 

The dock comprised of grey plastic sections that seemed to snap together like a jigsaw puzzle. It looked like it was something that could be put together or taken apart without too much effort. I assume that they probably pull this out of the water for the winter. 

We stood and watched the distant sky turn pink and reflect the colours off the surface of the water. It wasn't a dazzling sunset by any means but it was still peaceful and pretty to look at. 

Looking over the edge of them dock you can see interesting rocks that look like they have been cut and formed with a knife. 

A single red leaf floated below the surface of the water as a reminder that it won't be but a few more weeks before winter will be upon us. 

The leaf probably came from the nearby tree that was already half way through its colour changing process. 

We continued our walk and headed over to the main boat launch area. It was one of the nicest boat launches and dock area I have seen in an Ontario provincial park. It was well kept and nicely laid out. 

My mom pointed out that they even had lamp posts along the docks and paths. She figures that this park probably gets decent funding in order to provide those types of things. I tend to think she is probably right. Not all of our parks get the proper amount of funding like this one does (Kap-Kig-Iwan could really use an infusion of funds, for example). It is kind of sad really that our parks don't get the funding they need much of the time. 

On the far side of the docks the trail crosses over a bridge and continues into the woods. We decided that the bridge would be as far as we would go for the evening. We didn't need to be venturing into the woods on an unknown trail as it is getting dark. I figured I would explore the rest of the trail tomorrow.

Instead we stood quietly on the bridge for a bit and watched the Mallard ducks swimming around.  I also saw a muskrat swimming by the bridge but it was so dark under the trees and the muskrat was moving so quick that I was not able to get a picture of it. 

Just off tot he side of the bridge was another information sign talking about the water birds in the area. The focus of the sign was that of the Osprey. 

The reason for that was because there was an Osprey nest way up high on a pole above this sign. Of course at this time of year the Osprey were no where to be found, but in the middle of summer this would be a place you could find them. 

Another nearby sign told of the many types of  aquatic life that you can find in the area, from turtles, to frogs to Blue Herons. 

The cement blocks that line the side of the shore were interesting because they had imprints of some sort of giant leaves embedded in them. I don't know what kind of plant it is but it sure was large! 

People were starting to come in from the lake and were tying their boats up for the night. We figured we had probably better head back to camp. 

The moon was starting to make an appearance and looked beautiful against the pinks and blues an purples of the evening sky. I felt blessed to be able to be here. 

We cut through a parking lot for boat trailers to take a short cut back. 

They must get a lot of boats here in the summer because the boat trailer parking lots are huge and this was just one of 11 of them in the park. 

By the time we got back the sky was no longer pink and the moon was high and bright. It was starting to get chilly and I knew that it was going to be a cold night. 

We didn't feel like making a fire because then we would have to stay up and babysit it until it was time to go to bed. So instead we opted to go into the tent where I had set up a table and chairs and we played dominoes by the lamp light. 

It had been a good first day and I really like this park. I am looking forward to exploring more of it tomorrow.