We were at home for Canada Day. Last summer (i.e. in 2008) we spent it in the small town of Tofino, at the north end of Long Beach on the west coast of Vancouver Island. They had a nice celebration at the town park, and we enjoyed a day of playing and watching a skateboard competition, but overall it was small potatoes compared to what we have in our home city. So this year Button experienced his first Canada Day here at home.
Actually, we didn’t head out to the festivities until the late afternoon, but we spent a couple of hours at the big park, watching a really neat performance with a variety of singers and dancers, including a lot of native-themed ones. Then we had our requisite summer fun ice cream, and headed home. After supper, as it was starting to edge towards darkness (about 8:30 or so), the kids and I headed out to our favourite fireworks viewing site, with Lovely in tow. We set up our lawn chairs, hauled out the munchies, drank tea – because it was pretty cool for a July 1st – and watched the sunset. At 10:00 on the nose, the first showers of light and sound went up and we watched, enthralled. At this location, which is at the edge of an island in the river, you can see not only the fireworks but their reflection in the river, and there are no buildings in the way to obstruct the view. Plus, being right on the edge of the water – and surprisingly the crowds there are not too huge – you generally don’t have to contend with heads blocking the view. The show lasted a good 20 minutes and then we piled into the car and headed home.
The next day, bright and early (meaning about 10 o’clock or so!) we climbed into the car to head out on our second holiday of the season. The drive out to the bus took a couple of hours, and the kids were getting a bit antsy in the cramped car (complete with dog at their feet/on their laps), but we finally got there and piled out for a coffee break. An hour later, we were again on our way, this time with the kids and me in the bus while Laoye drove, and Laolao following behind in the car.
Another couple hours later we reached our destination: Warsaw Caves campground. The campsite I’d reserved wasn’t that great, so we found a different one that was available for the two nights we would be there and settled in. It was a cool, rainy day but with jackets and trousers we were fine. The website had noted there were caves that could be explored within the conservation area. After supper, we drove over to check them out. Unfortunately, they were the kind of cave that requires equipment and technical experience, so we just meandered through the forest past the entrances and watched the wildlife (birds, squirrels, chipmunks).
The next morning, we drove in the car about 40km to Petroglyph Provincial Park, which was the main reason for coming this way. Near to the parking lot was a visitor centre, with many displays about the local Native culture and how the people’s lives changed with the seasons. We (or at least the grownups) enjoyed the displays before heading out to see the site.
The day was bright and sunny – most unlike the preceding couple of days – and we walked along the short trail to the Petroglyph site. These are carvings in stone on a sloping, flat limestone shelf. They are of sacred significance to the local First Nations people, and several of the interpreters on site were First Nation. The glyphs have been deemed to be of national historic significance, and seeing as they were beginning to degrade (and to keep them safe from vandalism), a large climate-controlled building has been built overtop the site, with a viewing platform all around, from which you can see the glyphs quite close up and get a good look. Several interpretive panels describe the glyphs and what they represent, and visitors are encouraged to respect the sacredness of the site with a quiet attitude.
On the way back to the visitor centre, the kids caught sight of a small turtle, no more than about 5cm in diameter, on the gravel pathway. We watched it for some time, first as it just sat there, then as it trundled off into the grasses by the side of the path. Later we saw another, larger turtle. So nice to see!
After viewing the site, we ate a nice picnic lunch outside in the sun, then headed down a short hiking trail for a bit of a leg-stretch and to enjoy the scenery. As usual, the kids had their nets out and chased after whatever they could: butterflies, dragonflies, frogs… By now it was close to 4pm, when the park closes, so we didn’t go far down the trail.
After a quick trip back to the campground, we had a nice supper, built a fire, roasted marshmallows, and – not forgetting evening storytime! – headed off to bed.
The next morning, Saturday July 4th, we packed up and drove a couple of hours west to Sibbald Point Provincial Park, on Lake Simcoe, where we were to spend the next two nights. This is a very large, very well-appointed park that has a long history of use, particularly as it lies within about a two-hour drive (depending on traffic) of the economic engine of Canada. I had booked our site at the last minute as my cousin, who lives near said engine, wanted to come spend a day with us. While sunny, it was also a very windy day and the level of the lake was high, owing to the significant rains that have not stopped falling since the beginning of May. The kids, dog, Laoye and I explored the beachfront – nowhere as nice Sandbanks, but acceptable!
This park has a good interpretive program. After supper we headed up to the amphitheatre and enjoyed a presentation on the park’s history, complete with ghosts and talking creatures. It was well done – the kids quite enjoyed it. Then the requisite campfire and bed.
My cousin drove out the next morning, Sunday, and spent the day with us. It’s hard to believe she is already 40 years old! She was always my “little” cousin, 6 years younger than me. (Now you know how old I am!) She is single and working in a job in the insurance industry. She has a much younger sister who is also adopted from China – adopted long after she’d left home, so she doesn’t really know her that well. We had a good time together and she enjoyed meeting my kids and playing with them. She left us in the late afternoon, to get back home and ready for work the next day.
On Monday, the kids and dog and I parted ways with Laolao and Laoye. We headed west, to the shores of Lake Huron, where the kids were signed up for a 5-day camping experience (while I volunteered in the kitchen), while Laolao and Laoye took the bus south to visit relatives. Rather than driving all the way over in one day, we stopped at a dog-friendly B&B about halfway there, where we enjoyed playing with Lovely, watching movies on the television in the room (I let them watch two!!!) and generally relaxing.
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