Tag: camping

Charlton Lake Camp in Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario: Your Canadian Adventure Destination

by stephsimply, posted in Travels

“You get a strange feeling when you are about to leave a place, like you’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.”–Azar Nafisi

Welcome to your Lake Charlton Camp cabin!

Looking for a Canadian Adventure? 🇨🇦

If you have ever considered traveling to Canada, and you enjoy scenic, out-of-doors vacations, then add Charlton Lake Camp (CLC) to your list of places to visit. Situated in Killarney Provincial Park in Willisville, Ontario, CLC is surrounded by clear, tea-stained waters, heavily wooded islands, and rocky outcrops with the craggy, quartzite rise of the La Cloche Mountains in the background. The camp sits along the Whitefish River connecting visitors to the sparkling waters of Charlton Lake, Frood Lake, and Cranberry Lake.  

Bring your own boat or rent a boat, the choice is yours at Charlton Lake Camp.

Clean, Well-Equipped Cabins 🏕️

Charlton Lake Camp offers a variety of cabin sizes designed to accommodate families, friends, couples, or even a solo retreat. From fishing to boating, from swimming to hiking, and from exploring to plain ol’ relaxing, there’s plenty to do when staying at CLC.  Throughout the camp there are plenty of hammocks and Adirondack chairs for reading and lounging about. Each cabin has its own picnic table, barbeque, and a screened porch overlooking the Whitefish River.  Additionally, there is a boat dock for every cabin, and visitors can either bring their own boat or rent one from CLC.  The camp also has well-marked hiking trails on and near the property.

Roped-off area for swimming, and in the background you will see the fish cleaning cabin as well as the camp’s official pontoon boat.

Kayaks, canoes, and peddle boats, oh my! 🛶

CLC has kayaks, pedal boats, and canoes available for every camper to use. For those who like to cool off in the heat of a summer day, there is a roped-off swim area with a platform and its own beach area. Plus, in the center of the camp is a large fire pit area for which the camp provides wood for those interested in roasting hot dogs, making smores, or simply swapping tales at the end of the day. And, yes, there is wifi!  

Dan and Lisa help you shift into vacation mode, so you have more time for enjoying scenes like this from your cabin’s front porch.

Welcome to Charlton Lake Camp 🏕️

The owners, Dan and Lisa McGuire, go out of their way to welcome guests and help new arrivals get situated on their first day.  The McGuires meet and pick-up visitors in a pontoon boat at the camp’s parking lot. From there, visitors and their belongings are boated across the short distance of water to their camp. Once across the river, Dan typically has a four-wheeler with a trailer available for loading up campers’ belongings, and he will then drive those belongings straight to the assigned cabin.  This makes it much easier to get everything unloaded and unpacked, so visitors can quickly get started on vacation mode.

It’s a quick, easy trip back to the CLC’s parking lot to get you back to town for anything you forgot or any other adventures you wish to partake.

No worries if you forgot something 🤔

Once campers are settled, Dan will go over the boat basics for those renting one of CLC’s boats.  From that point on, campers can travel with ease to the three different lakes for sight-seeing or fishing adventures.  Additionally, anytime visitors want to travel back to town, they can either boat themselves across the river to the camp’s parking lot, or Dan and Lisa will take campers across the water on their pontoon. It’s a win-win situation, especially on those days when kids (or adults, for that matter) get a bit restless.

Espanola is a friendly, welcoming town.

Hiking, shopping, dining, Exploring . . . 🥾

The closest town, Espanola, has several stores, grocers, and restaurants, including one of our favorite pizza places, Toppers.  Additionally, in the opposite direction, a little bit further down the road, is Manitoulin Island, with its closest town, Little Current . This town offers unique shops, grocer, and restaurants. Additionally, Manitoulin Island possesses a wide-array of day-trip worthy activities, including numerous hiking trails, stunning lookout points, beautiful beaches, golf courses, and museums to name a few.

A fishing paradise 🎣

However, with all that Charlton Lake Camp has to offer, it can be difficult to tear yourself away from its picturesque surroundings. This is especially true for those who enjoy fishing. The waters at this camp are teeming with small and largemouth bass, walleye, pike, and a variety of panfish. John and I have had the pleasure of staying at CLC twice, and both times we were able to find excellent fishing spots. This is because the water is full of structure, baitfish, rocky points, channels, weed beds, and plenty of boat docks.  It is truly a fisherman’s paradise.

Idyllic surroundings 🏞️

That said, for those who love canoeing and kayaking, this camp is situated in a wonderland of picturesque and tranquil surroundings. Whether you canoe or kayak for exercise, fishing, observing nature, or the simple pleasure of being on the water, the waters surrounding CLC are ideal for all types of boating adventures. Plus, the camp offers paddle boats for the kid in all of us.

Mother nature Likes to play 🌦️

While staying at CLC this past June (2024), there were drastic weather shifts.  We arrived with a cold front that sent temperatures into the 40s at night. The subsequent highs during those first two days were in the 60s.  During this time, rain moved in, followed by a heat wave.  With the heat wave, lows never went below 70 degrees, and the high temperatures reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit (30s Celsius). However, by the very end of the week, temperatures moderated a bit.  

Fat-Bellied, Chunks 🐟

The extreme weather shifts made for some interesting fishing conditions. Therefore, we weren’t able to catch as many fish as we did the year before, but we did catch fish daily. We caught some real beauties too!  There were numerous fat-bellied smallmouth bass, which are always fun to catch and release. Plus, there were several chunky largemouth bass, a few random panfish, and John even caught a pike while fishing for a bass!  

licensed for fun 🤩

In fact, we caught over 40 fish by the week’s end, which was great, given the weather. We released all that we caught; however, the camp does offer a nice fish-cleaning station for those who keep and eat their catch-of-the-day. That said, anglers need to ensure they purchase the right fishing license in order to do this (conservation license vs sport fishing license).

sensory experience

Personally speaking, while John and I do enjoy catching fish, it is the pristine beauty and serene surroundings that sent us back to CLC for a second visit.  Honestly, there is nothing like gliding along in a boat on the still morning waters of a backwoods, upnorth lake, listening to the call of the loon, feeling a light breeze nuzzle your cheek, and inhaling the aromatic scents of pine and moss.  Furthermore, spending time with nature for hours at a time stokes an appetite, making even the simplest of food taste like a feast. Plus, all that sun and fresh air lulls you into the most restful sleep at night.

Make Memories that last a lifetime 🍁

If you’ve ever considered experiencing a Canadian wilderness trip with friends or family, consider giving Charlton Lake Camp a look. The owners are fantastic, the cabins are clean, and they are fully stocked for your camping needs. With its panoramic scenery, tranquil waters, and plenty of choices for your out-of-doors activities, CLC is a spot where vacation memories are made to last a lifetime. This is one place John and I hope to visit again at some point in the coming years.  

An adventure awaits you in Northeastern Ontario, Canada

Featured by stephsimply, posted in Travels

“I believe the world needs more Canada,”–Bono

Despite the juxtaposition of the sounds from the overhead highway, the falls’ beauty cannot be denied.

What’s Not to Love about Northeastern Ontario?❤️

If you’re a fan of the great outdoors, especially hiking, fishing, hunting, canoeing/kayaking, cycling, motorcycling, camping, or even just traveling/visiting places with beautiful scenery, then Northeastern Ontario, the area north of Lake Huron and east of Lake Superior, is an area to consider visiting.  My husband, John, and I recently traveled to the area and discovered an abundance of remarkable surroundings filled with frosted quartzite mountains, carefully managed hiking trails, pristine lakes and rivers for fishing and/or canoeing/kayaking, and a variety of accommodations.  Not only that, this area is rich in art, natural history, varied attractions and cultural interests, as well as  historic sites.  Which is why we decided we need to return next year to further explore the wonders of this area.

A deer casually gazed at us as we searched for the trailhead for Whitefish Falls.

Charming Charlton Lake Camp🏕️

As mentioned in a previous piece, John and I stayed at Charlton Lake Camp–a camp we highly recommend–which prides itself on being a “housekeeping cottage resort for families, fisherman, artists, and adventurers.”  It is located in the heart of the La Cloche Mountains, with its stunning scenery, nearby hiking trails, charming nearby towns–such as nearby Espanola and Whitefish–and welcoming people. In addition to being able to walk out the door of our cottage and head directly to the water for fishing, boating (including kayaking/canoeing), and swimming, we were also a short driving distance to historic hiking trails, cultural centers, and landscapes that have inspired scores of great art, made particularly famous by a group known as the Group of Seven.

The La Cloche mountains provide constant the backdrop to the scenery in Northeastern Ontario.

Ring the Bells🗻

The La Cloche Mountains rose up out of the earth like glistening castles of white and offered a wondrous backdrop to everything we did while visiting this area of Ontario.  These mountains are believed to be over 3.5 billion years of age and consist of glistening quartzite and granite.  Once higher in elevation than the Himalayas before the glacier destruction but now rounded with age and erosion, the mountains were named “La Cloche,” which means “the bell” in French, because of the ringing sound that could be heard from a distance when struck.  It is said that First Nations used this sound as a warning signal.  Now these mountains are a source of inspiration for artists and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

Ready to climb a mountain’s rockface? Welcome to Willisville Mountain Fire Tower Trail!

With all of its mountainous topography, Northeastern Ontario is full of hiking trails. In the area in which we were staying were ten highly recommended trails; however, as you fan outward, there is a countless array of trails for all fitness levels.  Two trails John and I hiked within the local area of camp were Willisville Mountain Fire Tower Trail & Whitefish Falls. Additionally, we also visited Manitoulin Island and hiked the Cup and Saucer Trail.

Willisville Mountain Firetower Trail🥾

Willisville Mountain Fire Tower Trail is well-marked with red dots and arrows showing you the way straight up the mountain.

Part of the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (an Ontario-focused charitable land trust), Willisville Mountain Fire Tower Trail was first brought to our attention by Charlton Lake Camp owners, Dan and Lisa McGuire.  They recommended it for its panoramic views of the La Cloche range and the surrounding area.  According to Dan and Lisa, it was a hidden gem of trail.  The trail, once you realize where it is, (They did say ‘hidden’ after all.) is marked with red dots and arrows that are repainted every year.  Unlike many of the U.S. trails for which John and I are accustomed to hiking, this trail mostly consists of white quartzite, and it is steep–heading straight up the rock face of the mountain.  We definitely recommend hiking shoes or boots for this route, but the views are nothing short of spectacular, momentarily allowing hikers to experience the soaring eye view of the local golden and bald eagles.

What a view 🦅
In the heart of the La Cloche Mountains.🦅👀

Whitefish Falls Trail🌊

In contrast, Whitefish Falls trail does not rise straight up a mountain, but it too is a bit of a hidden gem.  Finding where the trail starts took John and I a second time driving by it before we figured out where it was located.  This out and back trail was partly an earthen/dirt path and, once more, partly quartzite, which can be slippery alongside the water’s edge.  Once you arrive, the view (and sounds) of the falls is stellar! However, I did find the juxtaposition of the falls’ wondrous beauty, and clamorous traffic passing overhead on the highway bridge above, a startling contrast.  Nonetheless, Whitefish Falls trail was a worthwhile experience.  

Whitefish Falls
I can only imagine the sound of these falls after a heavy rain or spring snowmelt.

Cup and Saucer Trail☕️

One other EBC trail John and I explored was the Cup and Saucer Trail located on Manitoulin Island.  This out and back trail is 8 km (4.97 miles) long and is not for the faint of heart!  Winding around a mountain with a wide variety of footing challenges (At one point, the trail has a rope for hikers to use to hoist themselves uphill!), this trail offers heavenly views from its cliffs.  Made of 400 million year old silurian deposits, the cliffs earned their name because higher, cup-shaped cliffs appear perched on top of the lower saucer-shaped cliffs.  While this trail kicked our, shall I say, boots, the views were outstanding, and the drive to and from the trail across Manitoulin Island was scenic, making the overall experience quite rewarding.

Manitoulin Island🏞️

The Manitoulin Information Center is full of historical pictures, artifacts, and information about the island.

 Another stop we made while visiting Manitoulin Island was to visit the town of Little Current. In order to explore the town, John and I walked part of the town’s official recreational walking trail which is approximately 7 km (about 4.3 miles) long. We walked along the walks of the pleasant downtown area and on to its attractive waterfront/marina area and continued on up a hill to an area known as Low Island Park.  The trail continued, but we headed back towards the downtown in order to have adequate time to hike the Cup and Saucer trail.  Nonetheless, we could feel the vibrancy of the town, its businesses, and its people.  We definitely hope to return for another visit.  

Group of Seven🎨

A piece about Northeastern Ontario would not be complete without a nod to the infamous Group of Seven Artists. According to Canadian Encyclopedia, this was a group of landscape painters, often known as the Algonquin School.  These self-proclaimed modern artists were officially established in 1920, but sadly disbanded by 1933. They were part of Canada’s first internationally recognized art movements.  While the styles of the seven artists greatly varied, the artists were united in their exploration of Canada’s rugged, windblown landscapes, spending a good deal of time painting and illustrating Northeastern, Ontario, as well as establishing a credible art school.  Due to the enduring work of these world renowned artists, travelers can embrace the Group of Seven Artists’ spirit by embarking upon road trips, much like John I did, in order to experience an immersive, 3D exploration of their indelible canvases. 

Immersing oneself into the natural beauty of Northeastern Ontario fosters a feeling of connection when viewing the various artworks created by the individual artists that made up the Group of Seven.

Nature’s Playground🌄

What’s not to love about Northeastern Ontario?

In the end, Northeastern Ontario, Canada is a playground for all types of adventure seekers.  With its glistening lakes, windswept woods, majestic milky mountains, rushing waterfalls, charming cities and towns, and a wide array of accommodations, it offers individuals, families, and groups multiple opportunities for exploration and great escapes.  Sure, the drive, or flight, may take a bit more time, but that’s all part of the great experience of traveling!  

Wishing you safe and happy travels!

Explore WV, Part 1: Pearl S. Buck birthplace, Cranberry Glades, and the Falls of Hill Creek

by stephsimply, posted in Herald-Dispatch Articles, Travels

Pocahontas County has the largest concentration of public lands in WV.  Over 62% –totaling 349,000 acres–is either state or federal property, including five state parks and two state forests.

800 miles of hiking and biking trails can be found in Pocahontas County. 

Although there are approximately 9,000 residents in Pocahontas County, more than a million tourists visit the county each year. 

Eight WV rivers’ headwaters are located in Pocahontas County–All facts courtesy of WV of Tourism Research.

The Falls at Hills Creek in Pocahontas County, WV

We wanted to celebrate our 31st wedding anniversary with an excursion. However, there was (and is) no escaping the new reality of COVID-19–although, at the time of planning, cases appeared to be on the decline. Still, questions had to be asked.  Is it safe to take a vacation?  What risks are we taking?  If we do decide to try one, where do we go and for how long?  

Populated areas were immediately ruled out.  Additionally, we felt we should travel only a few hours away in case we needed to make a quick return trip home.  We kicked around several locations within our three state region in which COVID cases were low.  Then, I read the book, The Unquiet Grave by Sharyn McCrumb about the Greenbrier County ghost, and I knew where to visit. 

The book that inspired our trip.

Returning to Lewisburg, WV, designated one of the country’s coolest small towns, was the perfect fit for my husband, John, and I.  It is only 2 ½ to 3 hours away from the Tri-state area, it is a friendly town, close to out-of-doors/nature attractions, and home to several of our favorite eateries.  We could spend most of our time, weather permitting, bonding with the beautiful WV landscape, but still come back to town in time for dinner. (Again, at the time of trip planning, WV had very few COVID cases, and numbers nationally were on the decline. Little did we know . . .)

Originally, John had hoped that we could find a cabin along the Greenbrier River and its namesake trail, but all of the small cabins within our pocket-friendly budget appeared to be booked through most of the summer.  Instead, John happened upon a charming bungalow on Airbnb called, “Stone’s Throw Retreat” located, well, a stone’s throw from downtown Lewisburg.  It was super clean, comfortable, and well-appointed for our day-trippin’ needs.  Plus, the host, David, was attentive, communicative, and most helpful.

Nestled on a hillside, the bungalow was the perfect leaping off point for this trip. Located just off US Rt 60, and only two or so blocks from US Rt 219, aka, The Seneca Trail, “Stone’s Throw Retreat” allowed us to quickly escape town and head out to the less populous, and-oh-so-scenic, WV mountain side.  On a personal note, I did chew through an entire pack of gum during our trip to stave off car/motion sickness from the kiss-your-bottom curves winding up and down the mountains, but it was well-worth it–even if John bemoaned driving slower than he preferred to help assuage my heaving stomach, swimming head, and popping ears!

On this trip, we explored both Greenbrier County, and its next-door neighbor, Pocahontas County.  Both of these scenic counties offer plenty of options for out-of-doors explorations.  However, unlike other trips, we made very few plans regarding which sites we planned to explore!  In fact, with the exception of two locations, most of the locations we traversed were spur-of-the-moment decisions based upon what we saw along The Seneca Trail.

On our first full day in Lewisburg, we decided to explore parts of Pocahontas County, with the ultimate goal of hiking the Falls of Hills Creek Scenic Area.  This was a suggested spot by Jamie Surgeon, an employee of Del Sol, the restaurant in which we dined the evening of our arrival.  (Del Sol has a strict mask and disinfectant policy with large areas of empty tables in order to distance diners, and of course, offer take out options as well.)  What a great suggestion this turned out to be!  While in Pocahontas County, we spontaneously made the choice to visit two more places that were in route.

Our first spontaneous stop of the day was at the Pearl S. Buck birthplace in Hillsboro, WV.  This picturesque country home is located alongside The Seneca Trail. Unfortunately, due to COVID19, the museum and home were closed.  However, it was still wonderful to stand there and honor the memory of a noteworthy female author who began her life in WV and won both a Pulitzer Prize and a Nobel Peace Prize. Additionally, the road alongside her homestead was lined with beautiful wildflowers in all of their blossom glory seemingly bowing their heads in the breeze in homage to Buck’s memory.

 Next, we made the impromptu decision to visit Cranberry Glades Botanical Area.  This protected area of bogs is the largest in WV.  Bogs, which are unique and ancient acidic wetlands, are typically found in northern regions of the US or, more commonly, in Canada.  Many of the plants, located in these four bogs, are said to be descendents of seeds from nearly 10,000 years ago, and a few of the bog plants are even carnivorous!  The half-mile boardwalk, constructed for visitors to view this unique landscape without harming it, was under construction for repairs/maintenance at the time of our visit, so we were only able to see part of the bogs.  Nonetheless, the sounds, pure air, and scenery were peaceful, serene, and certainly worth visiting!

Last stop of this day was the intended, Falls of Hills Creek, and we were certainly glad we saved it for last.  For one reason, it is stunning–not just in the vivid greens and varying luscious shades of chocolate, but also in the surround sound of rushing water, the caress of a breeze brushing skin, and the comforting scents of earth!!  However, the second reason for making it the last stop of the day, was that while it was a delightful descending hike into the bottom of a breathtaking gorge with its cascading falls, it’s uphill all the way back!  Trekking downhill, the temperature dropped, the deeper into the vegetation and ravine we plunged; unfortunately, that was not the case on the way up!

The Falls of Hills Creek Scenic Area is located on 114 acres and contains three waterfalls–each more spectacular than the previous–with the last falls offering up the greatest torrent of white water tumbling off rock.  In fact, the lowest falls has a height of 63 feet making it the second tallest waterfall in WV.  Whereas, the first falls are 25 feet in height, and the second falls are nearly double in size at a height of 45 feet.  Who needs a calming app when you can simply hike in WV to see, smell, and listen to such tranquil sounds?  Seriously, this lovely place was well worth the hike!   (Thank you, Jamie, for the recommendation!)

Next week, I’ll share a few other magical places worth visiting–even if just for a day excursion–along The Seneca Trail!  You most certainly do not have to stay in home like we did, WV is full of places to camp and/or take day-trips.  Get away from the blaring news, headlines, and the never-ending barrage of negative social media, and instead, reconnect with nature and its Ultimate Creator.  Your heart will smile and your spirit will feel revived.

From our home to yours, John and I wish you safe and healthy travels!