Day 2 & 3 - Chutes Provincial Park, Massey, ON

The dogs woke me up at 5:30 in the morning wanting to go outside, so I got up. Susan got up when coffee was ready and not a second before. We broke camp and were on the road by 9 sharp. What a difference a day makes and a few hundred miles north. No traffic yea. We found out the cause of the third traffic slow down/stoppage yesterday was caused by a bear. Stupid bear, that’s the north for yeah.

With a couple of pit stops along the way, we arrived at Chutes Provincial Park at 1pm.

We set everything up, Susan & Stuart(the boy) went for a snooze, Calusa, Charlie(the girls), and I with camera in hand went for a nice long walk. Chutes Provincial Park was established in 1963 and was named for the 60 meter log chute which was built at the main falls to direct logs downstream. Chutes PP consists of 109 hectare of land situated on Aux Sables River. There are a total of 130 campsites each with a picnic table and firepit. Many have 30 amp service. Water taps are located throughout the park. We chose site #4 in the Red Pine area, the site is large, it has hydro, and it’s close to the comfort station. I don’t do outhouses.

I see the poison Ivy is in full bloom, nice of them to point that out.  So are the “the trilliums” Ontario’s Provincial Flower.

Chutes PP has a 6.5km trail called Twin Bridges Trail. The trailhead starts at the falls where the old logging chute was once located. The trail then winds itself around the Aux Sables River. As I stood on the lookout platform just above the falls I was amazed at how loud and powerful this waterfalls was. Calusa wanted nothing to do with it while Charlie didn’t care one way or the other. You could feel the power of the falls throughout your whole body, it gave me goosies from head to toes. I’m hoping to get out on the trail tomorrow if the weather holds up.

Rivers in Northern Ontario have a long history in log transportation. In the winter from the late 1800 to the 1930s trees were cut then dragged to ice covered rivers to await the spring thaw. The swollen rivers including the Aux Sables River would be filled with logs. The logs would be loaded onto tugs and transported on the great lakes to prospective sawmills for processing.

The park has an enclosed pet exercise area which is an added bonus. Unfortunately it looked a little overgrown and I’m sure the dogs would come out covered in ticks. We passed on that one.

Trilliums everywhere some white some mauve.

The next day the weather was terrible rainy, overcast, and cool. That wasn't the worst part. I can walk in the rain and I love the cool weather, it was the mosquitoes. You couldn't go outside without being swarmed even with repellent on. Terrible little creatures. So we opted for a reading day.

Our friends arrived around 2pm. We let them get set up and settle in before the adult beverages started flowing. We did manage a walk to the falls when the weather broke and the rain stopped.

Day 1 - Six Mile Lake Provincial Park, Port Severn, ON

After a great night’s sleep we awoke to another warm sunny day. The excitement and anticipation has been building since we got home from Florida. Now the day has come to start our wonderful adventure. We packed the last minute things into the rig, stowed everything away, said our goodbyes to some friends, and away we go.

We departed from home at 9:15 am knowing that we would miss the morning rush hour and of course bet the afternoon chaos. Sometimes the best laid plans fail no matter what you do. Our first traffic slowdown was on the Hamilton/Burlington Skyway Bridge. We were stuck at a complete stop going up the bridge for at least 30 minutes. Not where you want to be while towing 16,000 lbs.

The only good thing about stopping at the top of the bridge is the view, it was amazing. A view you normally couldn’t enjoy.

We finally got going only to be slowed down to a crawl again, this time near the Toronto airport. We watched airplanes coming and going to help pass time.

Now, when they say the third time is the charm they sure weren’t talking about traffic jams. This one was the worse. Three lanes of traffic stopped dead in our tracks near Barrie. 

We waited about a half hour then decided to do something I’d never recommend. Back up on a highway. When I told Susan what I was going to do, her comment was “YOU WHAT, NOT WHILE I’M IN THIS _____ TRUCK”. I said good now get out and make sure I can back up safely. It just happens we were stopped right beside an exit. What a trooper, she got out just to look, jumped back in, and we were on our way once again.

We arrived at Six Mile Lake Provincial Park which is near Port Severn at 2 pm.  Normally a 3 hour trip took us more than 5 hours. But that’s okay we are not in a rush.

I got us checked in, we found our site, we hooked up, and then we took the dogs for a long deserved walk. We were told that a yearling bear is in the area so be mindful when walking.

 What a beautiful park, we were all by ourselves in the Pines Campground area. We had a pull thru site with 30 amp service. Water is at a communal spigot.  Since no one was around we connected to it and had running water all night, nice.

Estero Bay Preserve State Park, FL

For many years now I have not been one to stay up to midnight only to watch the bells strike twelve, cheer the new year, and then go to bed. This year was no different. What really gets me excited is the ranger led hikes through out Florida on the first day of the year. Seeing an organized hike at Estero Bay Preserve SP I was quickly on board. Susan didn't want to go and the dogs have already had their long morning walk so away I go. There's no camping allowed in this park just lots of nature trails with lots to see. 

Estero Bay Preserve State Park consists of approximately 10,000 acres and was acquired in 1966. The preserve was purchased in order to protect environmentally sensitive land from the impact associated with development. The preserve continues to grow as land becomes available.

The preserve has two locations to access trails. The Estero River Scrub entrance in Estero and the Winkler Point entrance in Fort Myers.  This hike happens to be only 10 km (6 miles) from where we are staying. Bonus! 

The parking lot is extremely small so I was glad I got there early. Parking Precious (my truck for those who don't know), is always fun. The trail head is fully equipped with a picnic area and bathrooms.

The Estero Scrub River location which is where we are has four separate trails. Each one offers something different. We are hiking the 2.5 mile Fiddler Crab Loop or Yellow Trail which winds through salt marshes. 

Right away we could see a recent controlled or prescribed burn on one side of the path. This one did not jump the trail. These burns are so important to Florida's ecology, they help with new growth. 

Bachelor Buttons

Pipe Wort

Florida spends countless amounts of money to control invasive species of plants and animals. One extremely invasive tree native to Australia and Malaysia introduced into Florida in 1906 is the Melaleuca Tree. This tree is so invasive that it causes almost total displacement of native species. It is illegal in the state to plant this tree. 

Melaleuca Tree

Walking through the mangroves we finally see evidence of the elusive fiddler crab. These crabs are easily recognized by their asymmetric claw. Male fiddler crabs have the larger claw which is used during ritualistic courtship.

Another invasive tree to Florida is the Australian Pine. First introduced in the 1890s from Australia, this aggressive fast growing non-conifer is resistant to salt-spray making it the perfect tree for windbreaks along canals, roads, and fields. Today, possession of this tree with the intent to sell or plant is illegal in the state.

We have finally arrived at the salt marshes. During the summer months this trail is usually under water.  Not so much water now. However, due to the high water levels left from Hurricane Irma, water is still present in this area. Good thing for hiking boots.

There are four different types of mangroves in Florida, white, red, black, and buttonwood. These happen to be white mangroves. 

This was like being a kid again, wading through the muck. I was having a blast.

Evidence of feral pigs in the area

Mangroves that have died for one reason or another, just makes for a pretty picture.

Another invasive species in Florida is the Brazilian Pepper Scrub. Pretty but very aggressive.

At this point the water is over our ankles and I'm lovin' it. Another great hike.

Barnwell State Park, SC

Yes, we arrived at Barnwell State Park in great time. The trip was pretty much unremarkable. If anyone wants to know how the pups travel all I can say is, most of the time we don't know they are back there. And of course Stuart is Stuart, he just goes anywhere Susan goes.

Barnwell State Park is located near Blackville, SC. The park is one of 16 parks built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC). The CCC was a program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This program was designed to provide employment during the Great Depression while addressing national needs in conservation and recreation.

The park has 307 acres with recreational opportunities such as fishing, hiking, camping, picnic shelters, and more. We could tell right away the park emits a laid back feeling ...just what we wanted.

We arrived at the front office to check in and found the head ranger doing paperwork. He explained this time of year they are only open an hour per day. Luckily, we hit that magical hour.

The fall foliage leading into the campground was beautiful. The trees still had some colour and with the sun shining through made it even more spectacular. However, the road was a little narrow so I will wait to sight see.

Barnwell SP has a total of 25 campsites. Sites 18-25 will accommodate RVs up to 36 feet and have water, 50 amp service, and sewer connections. I knew we downsized for a reason. There is a dump station but it was destroyed during the tornado. 

The sites are a little hilly but definitely doable.

After setting up, I went out exploring with the pups in tow. Even though it was not a long drive we still needed to stretch our legs and the pups needed to wear off some of that puppy hyperness.

This is one of three small lake. This one hosts a variety of activities such as swimming, non-motorized boating, and fishing. Not sure if I would swim in them there waters...it's called alligators. This man-made lake was one of many made by the CCC. 

The dike system also made by the CCC is to hold back lake water allowing the lake to remain a certain levels.

A large activity area with volleyball nets. The volleyballs are provided by the park.

I had mentioned earlier a tornado. Two years ago a category 5 tornado rolled through this area destroying everything in it's path.  Even with a massive cleanup effort the damage is still quite visible. 

There are 5 cozy cabins available to rent located about 100 yards from the upper lake. Some are new...it's called tornado.

There are 4 picnic shelters like the one below available for picnic gatherings.

All-in-all this was a great park to hang out for a couple of days. Lots of areas to walk the dogs, it was extremely quiet, and best of all it was free. Yes, for helping/volunteering in the Amazing Challenging at Myrtle Beach State Park I received these 2 nights at Barnwell for free. Not a bad deal.

Heading South

Well, it's that time of year again where we pack up the 5th wheel and head south. This year the magical date was 1 November and the place is Bonita Springs, FL. Yes, our park took a direct hit from Hurricane Irma but they reassured me it's open for business as per usual.  

We moved into the 5th wheel the day before we left. That gives me time to winterize the park model and do the final cleaning. Normally I have the winterizing done in an hour. This year it took almost 5 hours. Let's just say different place, different things to go wrong.

We crossed the border at Fort Erie Peace Bridge. All of our ducks were in order so we were through in a matter of minutes. It started raining as soon as we crossed and didn't let up until Morgantown, WV our first stopover. We were noticing that many of the trees had not yet changed. We're hoping the leaves in the higher elevations are colourful this year.

The second days drive did not disappoint. The fall foliage was beautiful. Unfortunately it was rainy and overcast, but still breathtaking. Our climb was just over 3,000 ft at this point and the leaves are still on the trees. How unusual. We arrived at Fort Chiswell RV Park in great time, the sun was shining, the temperature was in the 70's, the shorts came out, and the pups are all pooped out from a long walk up and down the hillside. Life is good. Again a single night stopover.

The next day we woke to fog so we waited an extra half hour and it was like magic. The fog lifted, the sun was shining, the dogs are packed in the truck, and away we go. Oops forgot Susan. Here she comes 😓

When I was in Myrtle Beach last season I received a gift certificate for 2 free nights of camping at Barnwell State Park in South Carolina. It's not really out of our way so we decided to take advantage of it. More on that later. Coming down out of the mountains is always breathtaking. There's about a 7-10 mile descent out of Fancy Gap, about 2500 ft drop in elevation, and 10 degrees difference in temperature. Amazing.

We arrived at Barnwell State Park in great time, stay tuned for my blog on this great park.