The town of Mindemoya boasts a population of 1,750 and is known as the hub of Manitoulin.  It is centrally located at the cross section of two of Manitoulin Island's highways, and has more amenities than its neighbouring towns.  Lake Mindemoya is the third largest interior lake on the island with an island in the middle called Treasure Island.  The water is warm and clear with lots of boats, canoes, kayaks, paddle boards and swimmers.

This is the first year that Splashtown has run an inflatable water park on the lake.  We spent three gorgeous afternoons playing on the floaties in the water and soaking up the sunshine.  All of us were brown as berries by week's end.  The lake around the water park bustles with activity.  The lake bottom is sandy and about 30 feet deep in most spots, although it boasts a shallow sandy entry along with a deeper cold water fishing hole where anglers wrestle whitefish into submission.

On Canada Day weekend, there was a delicious ribfest from Thursday through Sunday.  The ribs and chicken were so mouth wateringly good that we attended two days running.  The mac and cheese, fresh lemonade, funnel cakes and deep fried Mars bars also rate a mention.  The place had country music playing all day long and a local craft fair on Saturday with artisans from near and far.  One of them, We Have The Wood, was offering custom made cutting boards with various Ontario lakes featured.  I ordered one as a gift for my business partner and his wife.  The weekend weather was perfect with nary a cloud in the sky, and Saturday the place was hopping with lots of locals and tourists alike.

We had breakfast at Mum's Bakery one morning, enjoyed poutine at the GrillNChill, and grabbed delicious fresh sub sandwiches at Wilson's Corner Store a few afternoons.  Wilson's is where we also filled up for gas, did our laundry, and bought tasty breakfast sausages.  I visited the local library and City Hall and conducted a business meeting in the comfortable council chambers thanks to the kindness of the town staff.  Mum's Bakery is not good for your waistline but is good for your taste buds, offering fresh pies, cookies and bars at the counter when you settle your bill.  The local Foodland offers anything you need for groceries right at the four corners.  I also had need of a tire change while on the island and Daniel Meneray from Meneray Towing and his colleagues Jayden and Barrie could not have been more helpful.

The hub of Manitoulin Island was good to us, leaving us with memories of playing in the sun and surf, eating exceedingly well, and enjoying the friendly charm of the island.  It was worth the trip.

In Providence Bay on Manitoulin Island, fireworks were permitted to celebrate Canada Day.  Fired from a barge in Lake Huron after the sun set, they lasted about 10 minutes and were a fitting end to a most enjoyable day.  We sat on the beach with about 1,000 others and waited for the wonder to begin.  It was a gorgeous night and the island has very few mosquitoes, so it was comfortable, warm and relaxing.

Providence Bay Beach is considered by many to be the best beach in Northern Ontario.  It stretches around the bay in Lake Huron and is sandy and shallow with clear water and beautiful sunsets.  The beach area has a small museum, an ice cream shop called Huron Island Time, a wonderful playground in the sand for the kids, a boardwalk, and an exercise area for adults.  While wandering the small museum, I was shocked at the size of beavers - they can be as heavy as 110 pounds.  While exploring, the children enjoyed Farquar's ice cream in bubble gum and cotton candy flavours.

We stayed at Glenn and Judy Black's place at Black's Bay.  A completely off grid cottage, the setting was immensely beautiful set in 113 acres of forest.  We saw plenty of bunnies, butterflies and deer.  There were very few mosquitoes but lots of moths.  The view from the back deck was relaxing and the breeze off the water coupled with the sound of the water lapping the shore was easy to get used to.  They have a canoe which we enjoyed, and a farm with free range chickens and a couple of dogs.  They were kind, welcoming hosts.

Being in Providence Bay on Canada Day weekend was glorious.  The town gave away free lemonade along with a piece of chocolate or white cake from Mum's Bakery.  There was a large yard sale, and everyone was happy and welcoming.  We managed a meal at Mum's Bakery soon thereafter, and it was delicious as were the pies, brownies, cookies and bars that we bought after breakfast.  We also made it over to Lake Huron Fish and Chips twice.  Their fresh halibut and white fish with chips was mouth watering both times.

It would be hard to imagine a more enjoyable Canada Day weekend than the one we spent in Providence Bay.

Gore Bay is located on Manitoulin Island at Lake Huron's North Channel, a fabled waterway.  Incorporated as a town in 1890, it has vast vistas of sea and forest along with a charming harbour, a couple of nice restaurants and a chocolate factory.  We spent two days enjoying its charms earlier this month.  The people were helpful and welcoming and the water was inviting.

Here you can rent boats at Canadian Yacht Charters to explore the North Channel, something on my TO-DO list albeit with a bit of trepidation.  Here you can eat delicious pepperoni and cheese stuffed crust pizza at Buoy's Eatery looking out over the harbour.  There is also a fish and chips restaurant at the pier along with a playground and water park on land and a bunch of fun floaties in the water operated by SplashnGo Adventure Parks.  We spent a fun-filled afternoon in the water, bouncing around, pushing each other in and having a blast - kids and adults alike.

Our final destination was the Finnia Chocolate Shop in town.  It boasts homemade chocolates made on the island, "from bean to bar." It had numerous chocolate options including gluten free and vegan chocolate and the pairing of both dark and milk chocolate with peanut butter, mint, raspberry, maple syrup and buttermilk.  All of us grabbed something to savour and enjoy upon departing Gore Bay. 

Gore Bay was such a delightful day trip for us that we did it two days in a row.  Spending time in a lake town with so many enjoyable activities is never a bad idea.  It was glorious.

Cascading 36 feet into a swimming hole, Bridal Veil Falls is a special spot.  Located on Manitoulin Island just outside of Kagawong, a small town of less than 1,000 people, the waterfall is fed from the Kagawong River and flows into the North Channel of Lake Huron.  We swam in the swimming hole three times during our week on the island, and the last time we had it completely to ourselves, which was exceptional.  There is blue clay behind the waterfall that my children and their friends rubbed on their skin to soften it.  They looked like the Incredible (Blue) Hulk.  The swimming is lovely, with the depth ranging from one foot to six foot and permitting little ones to enjoy along with their parents and grandparents.  There is also an easy hike down the river which my older children hiked by wading through the river rather than along the path beside the river.  My eldest daughter spotted, captured and returned a baby loon to her mom while wading in the river.  The only suggestion is to bring water shoes when you go.

Just down the road from the falls is Manitoulin Chocolate Works. We visited twice because their chocolate was so melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  From chocolate covered licorice to homemade smore bars to chocolate covered peanut butter bars, the list goes on and on.  It is a must-stop when you are at Bridal Veil Falls.  Just up from there is a life size chess board along with a tick tack toe and other games.  Just down from there is Sailor's Church, 120 years old and sitting on Mudge Bay in Lake Huron.

On your way home, Bridal Veil Variety has good ice cream, cute toques, and all manner of cottage-type items.  Bridal Veil Falls makes for a lovely afternoon spent in and by the water.

North Bay was named based on its position vis a vis Lake Nipissing.  Boasting a population of just over 50,000 and an OHL hockey club, it has become far more popular as a place to live due to COVID as people were untethered from the need to be proximate to their workplace.   It also benefits from the price escalation in Muskoka pushing people further north for affordability.

Duchesnay Falls runs red with iron in the water.  Given its northern location, North Bay has lots of rock and forests.  Duchesnay is just one of those sites.  It boasts an easy hiking trail up the falls and back down.  You can stand on a rock in the middle of the falls and watch them cascade down around you on either side.  It is peaceful and beautiful.  You can hike for as little as 18 minutes or as long as an hour and a half.

In addition to hiking, the eating was good.  Marigold Restaurant offered up excellent Indian and Nepalese food.  My business partner and I enjoyed okra, butter chicken, chicken tikka masala and naan bread on the patio overlooking the water.  Excellent spices and abundant sauce made the meal delicious and enjoyable.

Lake Nipissing is the third largest lake entirely in the province of Ontario.  Known as a vast and powerful yet shallow body of water, you cannot take a small boat out on the lake and feel safe.  It requires something at least 30 feet long because the waves are significant and an 18 foot aluminum boat will bounce around with the swells going over the craft itself.  My friend owns an island about 30 minutes from shore and getting there is a harrowing experience if you don't like the choppiness of the waves.  It is a mercurial body of water.  Fishing is abundant on the lake with walleye, bass, northern pike and muskie available for the taking.  It is 25 kilometres wide by 65 kilometres long but only 20 feet deep on average.  It is known as one of the best places for ice fishing in the world.

It was a very nice day in North Bay.

​I have done my share of driving over the past decade as a mom of hockey players.  It wasn’t until we moved to Sudbury in September, though, that I began living the Stompin’ Tom song “I’ve Been Everywhere”.  The north is vast and most small communities are a significant drive away.  One of my sons plays in the NOJHL, taking him to Sudbury, Espanola, Powassun, Hearst, Cochrane, Timmins, Elliott Lake, Sault Ste. Marie, Noelville, Kirkland Lake and most recently Blind River.  I try to see as many of his games as possible and my most recent adventure was to Blind River.

​Blind River has approximately 3,500 residents.  In this town, you can still buy a house for $100,000.  The largest industry is uranium refining.  Uranium was discovered in 1954 and Cameco has been running a large uranium refinery since 1983 processing uranium from around the world into uranium trioxide. There is a golf course beside Cameco called Huron Pines Country Club on the river, along with Lauzon Aviation offering fly-in fishing and hunting wilderness vacations.  

​There is also a hockey team, the Blind River Beavers.  The mascot in the arena is a beaver puppet sported by a super fan.  The arena would seat about 300 people maximum and was more than half full the night I went.  The team is good, ranked third out of six teams in their conference with a record of winning 2/3 of their games.  The players billet with local families and play hockey from September through April, providing a significant source of entertainment for the town residents.

​The drive from Sudbury is just under two hours along Highway 17.  I made plans to arrive around 5 pm so I could do some exploring before puck drop at 7.  Situated on the North Channel, a fabled waterway in Lake Huron that many Canadians have on their bucket list, water is everywhere.  In summer there are an abundance of beaches to enjoy.  There has been a post office in town since 1877.  The Canadian Pacific railroad expanded into town in the late 1800s bringing people and causing it to incorporate as a town in 1906.  A logging company started and flourished there for many years logging white pine until a big fire in 1948 burned all the trees down.  

Pier 17 is a local sports bar, known for fresh food and good times.  It was fully renovated two years ago from a fancy restaurant and when I was there on a Saturday night, it was doing a brisk business.  The pool tables were busy and the tables were almost full.  The waitresses were friendly and the food was incredibly good.  The special was fried pickerel, which was fresh and delicious, which I finished with a chocolate eruption cake.  A large summer patio overlooks the water.

The Espanola Paper Kings lost to the Blind River Beavers 3-1.  My son drove us home along Highway 17, noting deer along the highway but no hitchhikers.  He played country music the whole way.  It was an enjoyable Saturday night, adding to my own version of “I’ve Been (Almost) Everywhere.”

Kivi Park is a Sudbury institution.  It comprises 480 acres of land run as a non-profit with over 55 km of hiking, skiing and biking trails. You can rent canoes, kayaks and paddle boards at Crowley Lake.  There is an ice skating trail called Nina's Way, lit up at night for a skate through the winding woods.

Lily Fielding, a lifelong resident of the Long Lake area of Sudbury, donated 300 acres to the non-profit in 2016, her 100th year, along with $3 million to create the park.  KIVI means rock in Finnish and was Fielding's maiden name.  Sudbury is part of the Canadian Shield, so the KIVI name is fitting.  Fielding died at 103 years old, having spent her life being charitable.
  
We have thus far attended The Great Pumpkin Hunt and Light Up Kivi Park.  Both activities were well done.  The Great Pumpkin Hunt found 100s of pumpkins hiding in the forests along with scavenger hunts, lots of Halloween themed games and foods.  Each child left with a pumpkin.

Light Up Kivi Park hosted Santa Claus.  The trail was lit with Christmas Lights and everyone played in the playground.  There were reindeer and snowmen in abundance.

Despite being only six years old, KIVI Park is a treasure for both Sudbury as a town and also for the province as Sudbury is seen as the gateway to the north.  We will be back in the Spring for the next festival, if not before to cross country ski.

The Lake Laurentian Conservation Area has 13 different and sometimes overlapping hikes throughout the 2,400 acres it comprises.  Summer paddling and lake activities are very popular with rentals available throughout the season.  Cross country skiing and snow shoeing are available in the winter.  Birds are abundant.  This Area was set aside in the early 1960s and stretches from Lake Ramsey to the Highway 17 by-pass.

My eldest daughter went here for a science outing and learned a lot about the ecosystem.  My youngest daughter and I went last weekend to take a short walk and reconnoiter to plan future visits.  There were about 20 people in and around the hiking trails although we only came upon one other visitor, a cyclist, on our 30 minute walk.

The NASA Trail is the easiest of all hikes in the park.  It is only 1/10th of a kilometer each way and takes you to a large rock with a NASA plaque and beautiful views of Lake Laurentian.  Once we finished that walk, we headed onto the Link Trail, which is 2 km long.  We managed about half of it before turning around and vowing to return.

We came upon an interesting bird in our travels.  It walked a bit like a turkey and seemed fairly nonplussed at our presence.  Not inclined to fly away, it strolled along the path in front of us.  It looked like a Ruffed Grouse.

Shivaun and I will be returning to the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area soon to explore a couple more trails and spend more time wandering.  The views of the lakes from the hills are true vistas, and the abundance of tree cover makes for a shaded and lovely walk.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Ramsey Lake was world famous for being the largest lake fully contained within a city.  When Sudbury amalgamated, Lake Wanapitei edged it out.  So Sudbury has the two largest lakes fully contained within a city.  That is a neat distinction.

The best part about the lake is the Jim Gordon boardwalk that rims the body of water.  Jim Gordon was Sudbury's longest serving mayor and made great strides re-greening the city.  My girlfriend Marisa and I walked all along it and enjoyed the landmarks that can be seen on the walk.  The first building of note is the old hospital, painted in pastels with butterlies all over it.  It is a talking point in town.  Some people love it; others believe it is an eyesore.  It is definitely unique.

Science North can be seen from Lake Ramsey, along with Bell Park and Laurentian University.  It is truly in the middle of town.  Moonlight Beach is a lovely summer spot and Lake Laurentian Conservation Area is also on the lake.  In 1972, when the Inco super stack was installed and it dispersed the mine emissions across a wider area, the town of Sudbury spent money to reclaim what was then a "dead" lake.  That initiative was successful, and today the lake is safe for swimming and fishing, boasting bass, perch, pike and walleye.

Sudbury's most expensive real estate fronts on Ramsey Lake.  There are two building lots available for $750,000 a piece, and many of the houses are over $1 million.  Sudbury has 330 lakes in town, and Ramsey Lake is one of the three best lakes in town, along with Long Lake and Wanapitei.

It was an easy walk around the lake, with two benches at the end of the route to sit and take in the atmosphere and the water, before turning around and heading back. It is a lovely way to spend a couple of hours.

When we were there, the trees were reflecting off the water in perfect symmetry.  You can hike right down to the water itself and sit on the rocks while ruminating on the natural splendour.  Recollet Falls is in the French River gorge.  When you are about a kilometre away from the falls, you can hear a distant roar that becomes louder as they come into view.  You can also hear birds along the trail, including the Blackburnian Warbler and the Red-Eyed Vireo.

The French River runs 110 km west from Lake Nipissing to Georgian Bay.  The Restoule and Little French Rivers also connect.  This provides multiple canoe trips for exploring the natural sights and sounds of the park.  It was designated in 1986 as Canada's First Heritage River because of its history as a transportation corridor and logging route from 1615 when Samuel de Champlain arrived through to 1821.  The Indigenous peoples named it French River because it brought French missionaries to their communities along the river.  It was a one day journey for traders bringing European goods and wanting Canadian fur.

You can swim in the river but there are no designated beaches and the 120 foot depth makes it cold.  Fishing is robust, with pike, walleye, bass and muskellunge.  There are 50 lodges and marinas along the river. 

It is known for its undeveloped natural rugged beauty, bays with bull rushes and rock everywhere.  Replete with animals, the river sports moose, bear, wolf, lynx, fisher, mink, beaver, otter, bald eagle, osprey, turtle and rattlesnake.  You cannot canoe or kayak over Recollet Falls in the Spring when the water levels rise as much as 4 meters in spots, when flooding is a worry.

The hike in French River Provincial Park to Recollet Falls is worth the one to two hours it will take you.  The relaxation that you feel while sitting by the falls watching the trees reflect off the water is good for your soul.  The bird song you hear along the pine-needle blanketed forest pathway also elevates your mood.  There is nothing negative about the commune with nature this hike involves.  Embrace it and you will come away calmer and happier.