Algonquin Here We Come

Waking up at 4 in the morning was not really in the plans but I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. I made coffee downed 2 cups then decided that everyone else needed to share in my excitement. All the dogs are awake, it's hard to sneak around without them knowing. Susan is up, barely. The truck is hooked up and away we go.

Toronto traffic was Toronto traffic, need I say any more. Typical dead stop to a crawl where the 401 meets the 400. We stopped near Barrie for diesel, a doggy break, and to stretch our legs.

We finally saw the sign, we are here.

No sooner had we entered the park, a red fox darts in front of Precious. I guess it had a death wish, missed it but just barely. We arrived at Mew Lake Campground which is where we will call home for the next 11 days. Most provincial parks have electrical sites and one central location to fill your fresh water tank. The unusual thing about Algonquin, which I didn't know was the only location to fill fresh water was 5-7 kms down the road. Since we were already at our destination and there was a lot of construction we opted not to drive any further to fill the tank. Using a bucket to haul fresh water has become second nature to us. 

Our campsite was large the only problem was the location of the electrical outlet, 30 meters away. Thank goodness for a 30 amp extension cord.

We settled in then I went for a walk with the dogs while Susan had a snooze (navigating is a tough job). I checked out the bathrooms & laundry facilities because you never know. Note the laundry tub with both hot and cold water. I can get hot water there to do dishes. Bonus 😊

The beach looks great but no dogs allowed. I continued around the lake to find a place the dogs could swim or whatever they were going to do. Remember they are dachshund/chihuahua cross, not a mix known for their swimming ability.

A lone duck obviously use to people and dogs.

Where is Spirit (our friends black lab) when I need her most. No pictures I was rescuing two black pups who are totally non-swimmers. I think we need life jackets.

A great campsite right on the lake. However, I found fresh bear scat about 100 yards from this site. A sign at the entrance indicated bears are in the area. Do you think! They weren't wrong.

Another camping option in Algonquin is a yurt which comes from the turkic language meaning portable round tent. It comes equipped with 2 beds, electric heat, a grill outside, picnic table, and fire ring. Sounds cozy.

After an hour hike with the dogs they are tired, I'm tired, and I'm hungry. More exploring tomorrow.