Living life, one mile at a time!

Tag: Cdn Nat'l Park

Kejimkujik National Park : Day 2

In every walk-in nature one receives far more than he seeks.

John Muir

There was a magical and mystical morning fog that hung over the lake in a calmness that I can’t explain. The pristine quiet which gave you a sense of peacefulness. A sense of vastness that had you wondering what more was out there……

Once the fog lifted it was the most picturesque day you can imagine. While exploring Keji, our travels had us checking out the dark tea waters of Mersey River (apparently a historic river too). Biking, even on a board walk – which seems to be common in National Parks. We also watched the canoers leave Jakes Landing, from Whynot Adventures – I so wanted to canoe but my knee was not up for it. A stop at the turtle crossings looking for the endangered Blanding Turtles to no avail. Although while hiking we did see a rare snake and I must say much too close for my liking! We walked the Volunteer Walk of Honour – “Their Trail of Success” and lastly, we were captivated by the sounds of the rushing Mills Falls.

All in all, just what the doctor would ordered! Next year we will check out the Kejimkujik National Park Seaside which is a separate protected wilderness on the Atlantic Coast!

Kejimkujik National Park

Mi’kmaw – Land of the Little Fairies

Mi’kmaq legends

Well, I finally made it. I am in my mid-fifties and have always talked about wanting to go there and finally I made it; and Kejimkujik National Park or Keji (as the locals call it) lived up to ALL my expectations.  This picturesque National Park is definitely in harmony with nature. As you have noticed, I love to take pictures. Well this visit, was over the top. Over 1000 pictures; I couldn’t help myself. Good thing for digital imagery! Definitely made for some longer bike rides, (time wise anyway). Although I tried my best, the pictures do not give it any justice at all.

Keji has something for all, outdoorsman, hiking, canoeing, biking, bird watchers, historians, wildlife enthusiasts and Star gazers.  They have Campfire programmes and an Outdoor amphitheatre, also some Aboriginal rock art that illuminates Mi’kmaw heritage. They have a Sky Circle that shows you the Dark sky preserves. On a dark night allows you experience the astronomical depth of this allowing you to gaze at the brilliant celestial bodies (stars) with the naked eye. It was Simply Amazing.

We spent a couple of days here at Jeremy’s Bay Campground, (unfortunately it will be closed for the 2020 season). We had a site that you could see the water through he trees, it was quite and peaceful and just what we needed a chance to slow down.

Not all bikes are created equal

It was that time again to head back to Ontario and for this trip we decided it was time to explore a bit of New Brunswick. We followed the Acadian Coastal Drive with our resting stop today had us in Kouchibouguac National Park. This park has something to offer for everyone. It has miles of bike trails, beautiful sandy beaches, sand dunes, salt water marshes, lots of fishing opportunities and great for the bird watcher and for wildlife sightings. We can attest to this first hand, as we actually saw a bear cub eating; we did not see Momma Bear but I am sure she was not far away and after a quick picture we were out of there!

Kelly’s Beach was beautiful and still full of lots of people; some fishing, some building sand castles, others tanning, and some beach-combing or swimming and then there are the people watchers; the list goes on. This area is called the “edge of New Brunswick” where the water was warm and inviting. The smell of salt air will have you reminiscing about your childhood memories onto the beach.

We did check out over 50 km of bike trails here; some were well marked and well groomed while others were a challenge. Terrains varied; mud, boardwalks, narrow, deep-rutted ones, grass covered, rock exposed, etc. Now, our bikes are considered a hybrid bikes, so in theory they should cover most terrains (at least according to the park attendant at the front desk). So today Steve decided to challenge that theory and took a one-direction only mountain bike trail. (That fact alone should have given us a clue to what the bike path would be like.) It was a challenge for sure. Jo’s hands are still cramped for the death grip she had on the handle bars!  Steve’s hybrid bike with shocks definitely made the difference on this trail. So now we know, all bikes are not created equal.

Welcome to the Tip of Canada

Better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.

Asian proverb

Well, we did not float away last night with all that rain and the sun is shining this morning. Today we are heading out to Point Pelee National Park. This park lies on the shores of Lake Erie and is home to the most southerly tip of mainland Canada. Did you know that this most southerly point of mainland Canada is as far south as Rome and Barcelona? Interesting, eh?

This park was a dream. The bike paths were amazing – some a little wet, but still bike-able. It has something for everyone. Boardwalks, marshes, bird watching, observation towers, historic sites such as “DeLaurier Homestead”, beaches, sand dunes and wildlife. Did you know that this was the home of the Cardinal Brand Apples Company? However, our main reason for coming was of course, the most southerly point of mainland Canada. We definitely got our feet wet here!

Momma Jo will not forget that for some of us (i.e. Jo) it was deer fly central, as she seemed to be a beacon for the deer flies. Hundreds of them swarming her. The deer flies did not like Steve but he did get dive bombed by a mother bird protecting her nest. Got to love nature! We got to explore over 16 km of the park. Our bike & hike took us about 4 hours but you could definitely spend a full day here.

Ok, on to our Harvest Host for the night Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery. Now Lola (our lovely GPS) was not winning any friends tonight as she definitely took us the wrong way. Not to worry though, as we made it by 4:55 pm with 5 minutes before closing time! The staff here were very kind and served us and kept the place open for us to enjoy a few of their wines. They had some very interesting names which made you want to try them and a whole section “for the Sweet tooth” yep right up Jo’s alley! A rosé Sweet Eloise, a white Chillin’ Dylan, a sweet select Riesling – Jo actually like a couple of these. Steve enjoyed the reds Caboom! and Lady in Red and we both enjoyed their Applelicous. This gorgeous winery on the shore of Lake Erie offers a great place to come and enjoy an afternoon on their beach, with a picnic basket or a charcuterie board (which you can buy there). The beach was so relaxing; this was such a beautiful place. If you are ever in Southern Ontario, we would highly recommend this stop and I hope some day we will be back!

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