The Ring Kiln Side Trail - Natural Ontario

Looking back at 2012

2012 was quite the year! With many changes happening in both my personal and work life, I feel like I'm entering 2013 in a completely different place and with a brand new perspective. The last year was definitely one to remember as there were many adventures (both good and bad), lessons learned, even more photographs taken and a lot of places that I'll be sure to revisit! Keep reading.

Happy Holidays!!

To everyone in Ontario and beyond, I hope you and your families have a wonderful holiday season and an even better new year! Here’s to a adventurous 2013 with many trips, trails and and memories that will last forever.

The Journey Back

It was one of those double-edged moments. I was correct in guessing that it was more than just a sprain and I like being right. But after it sunk in, I really wished I had been wrong. Having to wear a cast for 6 weeks through the peak of summer seemed really cruel. It’s amazing how much stuff you can pack into 6 weeks. There was an upcoming camping trip with my friends that I had helped organize, I was going back to hike Forks of the Credit, I had picked out a few other new spots to visit and I had a few other yet to be organized trips brewing. All cancelled.

Then came last Friday. The first part of this unfortunate journey was over. The freedom to walk again felt amazing even though it was riddled with pain. The first time I took the garbage out felt like such an accomplishment. Having Molly come home was so uplifting even though I still needed help to walk her. All the little things in life you take for granted were becoming available again. It was such a relief.

I won’t lie and say that I’m not still angry about the way everything happened, because I am. But stewing about all the things I have and will miss won’t get me healthier any faster. Sure it helps at times when I need to focus on pushing myself and I need that extra motivation, but mostly I’ve been trying to look forward to fun that is to come.

A look forward has so much on the horizon: going back to Tobermory and visiting Flower Pot Island, trying the Cup & Saucer trail on Manitoulin Island, visiting what I hope will be a bearless Chutes Provincial Park, trying to brave “The Crack” in Killarney, many fall camping trips, and playing photographic bingo with Hamilton waterfalls.

Happy Canada Day!

We hope your weekend is filled with Muskoka chairs, friends and family, and everything else Canadian!

What better day to launch a site devoted to our province and the great outdoors than on one of the most popular cottage weekends of the summer. Thousands flock north to escape the city and get back to nature. Campfires and flashlights are the only lights you see, trees outnumber people and the background is filled with singing birds and chirping crickets. The ideal Canadian long weekend!

But for us it doesn’t need to be a long weekend, the outdoors are always calling. From camping beside rushing waterfalls, standing on top of frozen trees, scampering down shear gorges or just relaxing with our feet in the lake, we know how to reconnect.

Through all of these adventures we’ve collected quite a bit of information. We know the places to go, things to see, events to visit and when to do it all. Every week we’ll continue to share our stories with the hope that we’ll inspire you to get out and see what we have seen.

We hope that this site will be a great resource for you and your travels.