The Groenwolds Go North!

This past August, James and I packed up the car, then packed up Brynn, and headed north, travelling along the banks of Lake Superior. Despite forgetting our sleeping pads and pillows (which thankfully was realized somewhere between Lindsay and Orillia- soon enough to make a stop at a handy Walmart before all civilization was well behind us), we managed to stuff all our camping gear into our Mazda3 and girded up our loins for the 18+ hour trip up to Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. Seeing that we were making the trip with an 18 month old- and that we have brains in our heads- we decided to make a few stops on the way, rather than driving straight through... we wanted to come out of this trip with some remaining sanity! So without further adieu, here is a record of our adventure this summer!

First stop:

Chutes Provincial Park

We managed to make it to Chutes in about 7 hours, Walmart stop included, so we had a bit of time to explore and take a look around. Since we had bigger plans ahead, we only stopped here for one night.  The park is called Chutes because there used to be a log chute here where the loggers of old would send their hard work down the river and out into the lake to be shipped wherever it needed to be shipped. The chute is long gone, but in it's place is a lovely waterfall that we could hear from our campsite. It was a pleasant night, and a good start to our trip!

Best moment: We were keeping Brynn occupied while packing up by letting her play in the driver's seat of the car. Our campsite was directly across from the stairs down to the waterfall, and just as a teenage boy topped the stairs, Brynn laid on the horn and scared the bejeebies out of this kid. I burst out laughing when he jumped about 2 feet, and I'm pretty sure he didn't accept my apology, since it was offered while trying to control my giggles. Sorry, kid!

"How to Keep Toddler Sleeping in a Car"... 

exploring... chasing the "squoles"

Sometimes a picture is perfect, even if you look like a goof and it's blurry 

The Chutes at night, taken with the GoPro

Next stop: Lake Superior Provincial Park!