Write@Home
Winter 2015

Canada

Canoe on the Lake Shore in Algonquin Park at High Falls

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I celebrated his 32nd birthday in Algonquin Park. It was absolutely an amazing time we spent there. I am always amazed by the natural resources in Algonquin Park.

It was an unplanned two-day/one night trip. We had such luck with booking the campsite and canoe at the last minute. The place we stayed is called Rock Lake. We drove all the way from Toronto to the campground, and then found our boat well-prepared at the lakeshore. At that point, I was appreciative of the trust between people in the provincial parks. I still enjoy paddling even under the circumstance that I’m so hungry. It took us one hour to have everything shipped to the campsite. We made a fire and had our lunch quickly. Then, we visited Booth's Rock Trail and got opportunities to see the sunset. It’s a magnificent view of Rock and Whitefish lakes when we reached the top of the mountain. The trail is 5.1 km in length. We arrived a bit earlier, and while we were quietly seated at the lookout rock, waiting for the sunset, I started reading the history of Booth’s Rock Trail. It made me a bit sad as big corporations were using DDT causing a huge population reduction of the loons. On the other hand, I’m glad we realized how we can impact other lives and we can start making the changes. The next morning, I woke up early, and walked around the lake, I saw one loon was eating fish and playing in the water. It’s my first time seeing a loon in real life. I felt I’m blessed.

Time flies, I wish I could stay longer and experience more. I really enjoyed the days without internet and no cellphone. People are closer to each other and closer to nature. If time allows, we will plan more trips to the nearby provincial parks.