“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
Marcel Proust
I was reminded this week that I am entering my 27th year in educational publishing! I started my career as a supply teacher in Lambton County, just fresh out of Teacher’s College. I even had the honour of teaching at my high school in Forest, North Lambton Secondary School. I had always wanted to be a teacher and I loved it…well, I loved creating inventive and engaging lesson plans but the introvert in me wished I could have someone else deliver the lessons! A lengthy teacher’s strike in 1993 led to my career path taking a turn, first at the Columbia Sportswear Head Office, and then a call from my best friend Alex Bisset led me to my current career path in educational publishing. My first gig was at Oxford University Press as a Sales Representative. I moved to Kitchener, which was the centre of my territory. Here I am in my first week on the job with my hot, new company car, replete with a “mobile phone” that was bolted to the floor and was the size of my arm!
Educational publishing sure has changed over these past 27 years! No more so than this past spring when COVID-19 hit, closing schools directly after March Break, leaving students and teachers at home without resources and the urgent need to shift to on-line teaching and learning. I work for Pearson Canada now and we did the only thing a publishing company should do, move all resources on-line and open them up for teachers and students to access in their time of need. Long days and nights followed and we Pearson folk soon found ourselves just as exhausted as parents, teachers and students come summer holidays. Thankfully, we have a gracious president who recognized our efforts and I found myself recently with a day off just to be me.
What did I do? I hopped in my car on a sunny summer Friday and drove up to the stunning, spectacular Kawartha Lakes, seeking adventure, the sun on my face and nothing but the open road in front of me.
“Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don’t be sorry.“
Jack Kerouac
I planned to stop first at Fenelon Falls. I drove quickly up the Don Valley Parkway, loving that the 404 now takes you almost up to Lake Simcoe! I cut across country and just outside of charming Beaverton I came across a sign that said “Sunflower Farm ahead.” I ADORE sunflowers. Such a happy flower! And so I stopped and I’m so glad I did. I found plenty of the bright yellow globes, but also an old tractor and a path to walk through the field. I was in heaven!
My next stop was rugged Fenelon Falls, where I had lunch on the patio of Fenelon Falls Brewing Company. One delightful barley sandwich later and I started out on a walking tour along the Trent-Severn Waterway, in search of the famous falls that the town’s name suggests. I was not disappointed!
“Not all who wander are lost“
J.R.R. Tolkien
The day was still young and the weather was spectacular so I checked my Ontario Back Road Atlas to see where the next road might take me. I decided upon touring around nearby Kawartha Lakes, Upper Buckhorn and Stoney Lakes. The first stops, Buckhorn and Burleigh Falls.
Before reaching Stoney Lake, I found a delicious piece of serendipity…an old truck parked beside a church just outside of Apsley. Of course I had to stop and take a few snaps! The truck from “Lone Wolfe Farm” in Manitoba, spoke to me. It said “get in and take me home!”
If I ever won the lottery, I would certainly buy a cottage or home on Stoney Lake! It is gloriously rugged with Group of Seven style views around every bend. I finished my day circling the eastern and southern end of the lake, winding up at Carveth’s Marina just as the sun was setting.
As I drove home that Friday evening with the sun setting in my eyes I decided that I had not fully discovered everything Stoney Lake had to offer. Once home I checked my map again and decided that I could spend one more day around the western and southern end of the lake. I scouted out Young’s Point where I could see more of the Trent-Severn Waterway, and Hobart’s Lighthouse at McCracken’s Landing, a lighthouse with a patio! Since I put the Patti in patio I knew I had one more day of adventure in me. This time I took the 401 East and looked for a lovely back road route north. My exit just had to be none other than Welcome, Ontario!
This spectacular sunny Saturday, the village of Welcome lived up to it’s name! Not only did I find a few barn quilts, but also one of my other most cherished roadside finds, a “Little Free Library” right next to a stunning United Church. My day was already made and I was just getting started!
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.“
Ibn Battuta
On the road north to Young’s Point, I drove through two wonderful communities, Garden Valley and Millbrook. In Garden Valley I found a delightful farmer’s market where I picked up some radishes and blueberries, and stopped to take a snap of a brilliant church conversion. In Millbrook, I found more barn quilts and picked up a wee plant at the charming Valley Shoppe. This is a town that I definitely want to return to some day soon and explore more, as well as follow the Cavan Monaghan Barn Quilt Trail (scan the QR code below to follow it too!)
Just before lunch I pulled into Young’s Point, on the western tip of Clear Lake. Young’s Point is known for it’s spectacular views of the Trent-Severn Waterway lock system. After doing some shopping at Lockside Trading Company, (also an outlet for always wonderful Kawartha Dairy ice cream!) I walked along the canal and across the spectacular Young’s Point bridge.
By this time, it was well after lunch and I was ready for a rest and some munchies on the patio of nearby Hobart’s Lighthouse. Hobart’s Lighthouse is what I would call a “destination lunch” as the restaurant is actually a lighthouse perched on Stoney Lake! I cannot tell you how lovely it was to sit quietly on this patio and enjoy a delightful meal outside in the sun. After months of being cooped up inside due to the pandemic, this day, this special weekend, was a much appreciated blessing!
This unexpected two-day road trip started me on a summer of Saturday road trips that I will share with you in the coming weeks. I will also share some tips and tricks I’ve learned about taking day trips in the midst of a still very present pandemic. So please stay tuned for more adventures from your Vagabond Photographer!
Oh yes, here’s a rough sketch map of my two days on the road. Reach out to me in the comments section below if you have any questions about the routes or my stops along the way. Have a great week ahead!
