Mara Provincial Park was the intended destination. Only minutes from Orillia and along the shores of Lake Simcoe. Sounded promising. Or at least it would have been.
I pull up into the entrance way of the park only to find that it was barricaded by huge boulders. I had heard that some of our Provincial Parks were being changed into "Day Use Only" parks and I feared that this had become the fate of this park. At the side of the road sat two local residents who had recognized each other in passing and had stopped to chat. I rolled down my window and asked them if this was a Day Use Only Park. The lady told me that no, it was just closed for the season. (An apparent disadvantage to attempting to camp any time past the September long weekend). "Oh No!" I thought. "Now what do I do? Do I travel all the way back to Midland and try to find Awenda Park?" The "Oh No" part of that thought escaped my head and dashed out of my mouth.
Not to worry though, the kind lady on the bicycle suggested that I go back out to the highway (about a one minute drive), turn right, drive for about another 10 minutes and follow the signs to Mc Rea Point Provincial Park. She assured me that it was a beautiful little spot and quite easy to find and it too was on the shores of Lake Simcoe. I was hesitant about trying to find a place I have never been to before with no map, but I did have my cell phone and could always google map it. So, what did I have to lose in trying? I thanked her very much and headed off in the direction she had given.
True to her word, the park was only minutes away and very easy to find. I didn't even need to stop by the side of the road to consult my phone.
Finally, after all this time, I had arrived to the campground that I was going to be able to settle into and enjoy....McRae Point Provincial Park.
I pull up into the entrance way of the park only to find that it was barricaded by huge boulders. I had heard that some of our Provincial Parks were being changed into "Day Use Only" parks and I feared that this had become the fate of this park. At the side of the road sat two local residents who had recognized each other in passing and had stopped to chat. I rolled down my window and asked them if this was a Day Use Only Park. The lady told me that no, it was just closed for the season. (An apparent disadvantage to attempting to camp any time past the September long weekend). "Oh No!" I thought. "Now what do I do? Do I travel all the way back to Midland and try to find Awenda Park?" The "Oh No" part of that thought escaped my head and dashed out of my mouth.
Not to worry though, the kind lady on the bicycle suggested that I go back out to the highway (about a one minute drive), turn right, drive for about another 10 minutes and follow the signs to Mc Rea Point Provincial Park. She assured me that it was a beautiful little spot and quite easy to find and it too was on the shores of Lake Simcoe. I was hesitant about trying to find a place I have never been to before with no map, but I did have my cell phone and could always google map it. So, what did I have to lose in trying? I thanked her very much and headed off in the direction she had given.
True to her word, the park was only minutes away and very easy to find. I didn't even need to stop by the side of the road to consult my phone.
Finally, after all this time, I had arrived to the campground that I was going to be able to settle into and enjoy....McRae Point Provincial Park.
McRae Point was everything that Bass Lake was not. It was warm and welcoming. It was open and spacious and had the perfect balance of sun and shade. And it had....staff!!
I pulled up to the gate house and told the girl at the window that I wanted to stay the night. She asked if I was staying just the one night and I replied with "Maybe. We will see how it goes. One night for now and if there are no creepy people then I will stay longer". Of course that was met with the question "Creepy people?" and I explained my story from Bass Lake. As I am telling my story a head pops out from the back room as another staff member became intrigued with my story. Apparently he had a similar story of his own except his took place in a hotel room in the United States. So this guy could relate to just how I felt about it all. He assured me that the staff were here for the duration and that they make their rounds in the truck at night to keep an eye on things. He said that he would be sure to keep an eye out and make sure that no one was bothering me. I was grateful for the added peace of mind.
They suggested I drive around and choose a site that I like and then come back to finish registering. I grabbed a map and headed on my search for that "perfect for me" campsite. Once again, the "end of the season" disadvantage arose in that all of the non-electrical sites were closed off and only the electrical sites were available. They didn't make me pay the extra for the electrical site though so it worked out OK.
I pulled up to the gate house and told the girl at the window that I wanted to stay the night. She asked if I was staying just the one night and I replied with "Maybe. We will see how it goes. One night for now and if there are no creepy people then I will stay longer". Of course that was met with the question "Creepy people?" and I explained my story from Bass Lake. As I am telling my story a head pops out from the back room as another staff member became intrigued with my story. Apparently he had a similar story of his own except his took place in a hotel room in the United States. So this guy could relate to just how I felt about it all. He assured me that the staff were here for the duration and that they make their rounds in the truck at night to keep an eye on things. He said that he would be sure to keep an eye out and make sure that no one was bothering me. I was grateful for the added peace of mind.
They suggested I drive around and choose a site that I like and then come back to finish registering. I grabbed a map and headed on my search for that "perfect for me" campsite. Once again, the "end of the season" disadvantage arose in that all of the non-electrical sites were closed off and only the electrical sites were available. They didn't make me pay the extra for the electrical site though so it worked out OK.
So I grabbed a map and drove around and finally settled on a site. I knew that September can be fairly cold at night but could still get relatively hot during the day if it was sunny. So I chose one that had a good balance of sun and shade depending on what time of day it was. Plus, once again, this one was not too far from the comfort station (the only bathroom available on that side of the park at that time of the year) and there was a nice street lamp kind of light outside the bathroom that felt just a little more safe, if you know what I mean. The bathroom itself was exceptionally clean and the hot water was actually hot.
And what number would this campsite turn out to be? My lucky number ....137. Yep. Am I a sucker for daring the fates or what? Oddly enough when I went to register my site though, they wrote down 135 and even when I renewed it they never changed it on the new forms. I didn't worry too much about it since no one was on 135 either. But I told myself that if they think they are going to try to move me to 135 at any point I was not going to budge.
And what number would this campsite turn out to be? My lucky number ....137. Yep. Am I a sucker for daring the fates or what? Oddly enough when I went to register my site though, they wrote down 135 and even when I renewed it they never changed it on the new forms. I didn't worry too much about it since no one was on 135 either. But I told myself that if they think they are going to try to move me to 135 at any point I was not going to budge.
So with a campsite / vehicle registration in hand that I actually recognized, I went to set up my camp. As nice as my back was feeling earlier from the walking it quickly became evident that I was pushing my luck with trying to put up the tent by myself again. That pretty much was the deciding factor that if at all possible I wasn't going to move sites or campgrounds anymore. I just couldn't keep tearing down and setting up the tent over and over. At least not this time around.
McRae Point Provincial Park is not an overly large park, but the sites, themselves are huge! Granted I was on a site meant for holding an RV, but I took a walk later on to the closed off section to look at those sites just to compare, and most of them were pretty huge too!
To give you an idea of just how large my site was, this is a photo of just the left side of it.
And this is a photo of the right side of my site. There is enough space there to pitch another two tents and probably two more vehicles! It was great!
The space was a bit wasted on me, but great none the less. There was at least one empty campsite between me and any neighbouring campers and most of them were quiet older couples. The neighbors to my right were playing some very quiet, hardly audible 70's music and the site in behind me was playing some somewhat louder top 40's dance music. I was worried that I would have to contend with people's radios all weekend but in the end the music was never very loud and never for very long. There is nothing worse than trying to enjoy the peace and quiet and being forced into listening to someone's music that not only do you not want to hear at that point but it isn't even your type of music. If we wanted to listen to music we would have stayed home in the city and went to a night club. We aren't here to party with you. So for all you campers out there, here is some Camping Etiquette 101 : Don't turn on your radio or music players while you are camping unless you have head phones on. The rest of us do not want to hear it.
So the tent was up, there is still plenty of daylight left and it's not quite time to eat yet...what to do next?
Explore!
I grab the map and decide to head on down to the beach. The map doesn't show any short cuts but I quickly found out that there were short cuts to just about everywhere in this park. I only had to go down the road about a campsite or two and there was one through some cedar trees.
So the tent was up, there is still plenty of daylight left and it's not quite time to eat yet...what to do next?
Explore!
I grab the map and decide to head on down to the beach. The map doesn't show any short cuts but I quickly found out that there were short cuts to just about everywhere in this park. I only had to go down the road about a campsite or two and there was one through some cedar trees.
Going through the first 15 feet or so of this path was like entering a little cedar tunnel. It was shady and it was pretty. I had only just taken a couple of steps into it when I came to a complete halt. The smell of the cedars was so strong and so wonderful that I had to stop and just stand there so that I could keep on smelling it. It was like opening up grandma's old cedar chest and it brought with it the feeling of relaxation and peace. After a few moments I finally continued on my way.
As I exited the little cedar tunnel, I entered into a small open space at the top of a hill. Once again I came to a dead stop. However, instead of my sense of smell it was my sense of sound that was being delightfully occupied. All you could hear were hundreds of frogs and crickets and chirping birds all singing at once mixed in with the sounds of the waves splashing up on the beach below. It was as though I had opened a door and walked into a confined room of all these creatures. The sounds were so loud that they drowned out every other sound in the park. I could no longer hear the other campers, the car radios, the dull sound of motor boats out on the lake or the distant sound of a plane passing overhead. All of those other sounds were drowned out and lost in this symphony. I was completely encompassed by the singing and chirping and it was once again a very peaceful sensation. I just stood there looking up at the sky and I thought to myself "Now that's what I am talking about. That's what I came out camping alone for. Just to be completely emersed in nature like I am right now."
Eventually I pulled myself away from nature's "sound proof booth" (although I visited this path many times over the course of my stay) and made my way down to the beach. I was just in time to watch a beautiful sunset over the lake. The beach itself was very rocky and completely covered with tiny little empty shells that have washed up onto the beach as well as quite a few crayfish claws that have somehow managed to lose their way from the bodies they were formerly attached to. The big grassy picnic area was dotted with about 30 or 40 Canadian Geese that were using the park as a resting place before they made their long autumn journey south to escape the inevitable cold winds of winter that will eventually be upon us. Along side them were about 30 or so seagulls hoping to get some scavenged food from the picnic area or failing that maybe even trying their luck at some fishing.
I noticed off to the side was a boat launch and on the map as well as on the posted sign there was a notification that this was a "Pet Play Area". OK, so now I love this park! A pet play area? Wow! They not only tolerate pets here but they actually go out of their way to make them welcome! I have never seen a provincial park with a pet play area. The signs always say the opposite - "No pets beyond this point". OK, so this park has my vote! And I haven't even spent an entire night here yet at this point.
I notice a sign for the hiking trail. Definitely going to have to hit that before I go back home. But for now it's getting dark and it's time to go and make a fire (with wood that I bought at the park office, no scrounging needed this time) and get some supper made. I decided to make it an early night because I needed to get up in time for the card tournament the next morning.
I noticed off to the side was a boat launch and on the map as well as on the posted sign there was a notification that this was a "Pet Play Area". OK, so now I love this park! A pet play area? Wow! They not only tolerate pets here but they actually go out of their way to make them welcome! I have never seen a provincial park with a pet play area. The signs always say the opposite - "No pets beyond this point". OK, so this park has my vote! And I haven't even spent an entire night here yet at this point.
I notice a sign for the hiking trail. Definitely going to have to hit that before I go back home. But for now it's getting dark and it's time to go and make a fire (with wood that I bought at the park office, no scrounging needed this time) and get some supper made. I decided to make it an early night because I needed to get up in time for the card tournament the next morning.
I snuggled in with Jerome and had a great night's sleep. Jerome is my stuffed giraffe that I have been using as a pillow for years now. Not only is he cute but if I rest my neck in the crook of his neck so that his head is on one side of me and his body on the other, it is the most comfortable form fitting pillow ever. I tend to suffer from sore shoulder (and obviously a sore back) on occasion but Jerome always alleviates that. Once you use a giraffe as a pillow you will never go back (you can get lions and hippos too, but Jerome suits me best). Don't knock it until you try it.... you will see what I mean.
So the next morning I wake up and head in to Orillia for the card tournament. It's a miserable rainy day but I figure that it's OK because I will be spending most of my day inside playing cards anyways. At least that was the plan. However, as usual my plans did not go, well....according to plan.
The website for IronHill said that their business hours are from 10 am to 8 pm so I decided to get there a little early. I arrived at about 9:45 a.m. only to find that the sign on the door states that they only open at noon everyday. OK, so there is a misprint on the website. No big deal, I will just do some shopping and fill the car up with gas and generally just fill in the extra 2 hours and come back.
At about 11:55 a.m I return and the doors are still locked up tight. I decide to wait outside the door for a bit to see if anyone shows up. There is a drunk guy sitting near by and he starts to chat with me. He asks me about the cards and we discuss how if we had only held on to those old vintage things we had as kids we could have made a fortune off of them today as collectors items. Eventually he felt that he needed to go on down to the beer store to get some more to drink and he headed off leaving me to wait alone for someone to open the shop up. Eventually though, I too give up and just decide to go back to camp. It may be raining but at least I can work on writing my book that I want to publish and I could be doing my crafts in the dry tent instead of sitting here in the wet rainy doorway of someone's shop who doesn't even seem to care about their business. So I never got to play. I did write a complaint to the company when I got home a few days later though. I don't know if anything will come of it but it made me feel better to write it.
So the next morning I wake up and head in to Orillia for the card tournament. It's a miserable rainy day but I figure that it's OK because I will be spending most of my day inside playing cards anyways. At least that was the plan. However, as usual my plans did not go, well....according to plan.
The website for IronHill said that their business hours are from 10 am to 8 pm so I decided to get there a little early. I arrived at about 9:45 a.m. only to find that the sign on the door states that they only open at noon everyday. OK, so there is a misprint on the website. No big deal, I will just do some shopping and fill the car up with gas and generally just fill in the extra 2 hours and come back.
At about 11:55 a.m I return and the doors are still locked up tight. I decide to wait outside the door for a bit to see if anyone shows up. There is a drunk guy sitting near by and he starts to chat with me. He asks me about the cards and we discuss how if we had only held on to those old vintage things we had as kids we could have made a fortune off of them today as collectors items. Eventually he felt that he needed to go on down to the beer store to get some more to drink and he headed off leaving me to wait alone for someone to open the shop up. Eventually though, I too give up and just decide to go back to camp. It may be raining but at least I can work on writing my book that I want to publish and I could be doing my crafts in the dry tent instead of sitting here in the wet rainy doorway of someone's shop who doesn't even seem to care about their business. So I never got to play. I did write a complaint to the company when I got home a few days later though. I don't know if anything will come of it but it made me feel better to write it.
So I spent the rest of my day writing my book and making greeting cards and creating my paper quilled ducks and other paper quilled critters. The next day promised to be sunny and warm so I planned to do the hiking trails and see what the rest of McRae Point Park had to offer.
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