Slight Change In Plans....

So...we had a cottage booked for a weeks vacation that my friend, her kids and I had planned for almost 2 months...or...at least we thought we did. When she called to confirm pick up of the keys, she got the news....we had been double booked and the people who they had also booked were already there ....

Needless to say...after our anger subsided (we do have a free weekend coming our way though after this complete mess up on their part) we hopped online to see what else we could find.

Most cottages were already booked for the week (of course) but I did find this great cottage rental website via Cottage Life.... I also found some cottages in the Bayfield area that I would realllly like to go to this Fall!

My friend and I are outdoorsy types so we decided to have a look at some of the Provincial Parks to see what they had available for campsites...

Well...we were in luck! I had heard about how some of the Parks have permanent camping structures called Yurts and we were able to reserve one for 2 nights at MacGregor Point, just south of Port Elgin (and literally right around the corner from the cottage we were to have rented)!! I enjoy tent camping as well, but the thought of having a bed, electricity and a solid structure overhead helped to soften the blow of going from a week at a cottage to a few days of camping. 

As you can see, the Yurts are PERFECT for winter camping too  as they're quite well insulated (no, it did not snow while we were there) and we plan on going back for a weekend of cross country skiing and snowshoeing. 

The change in plans also meant a trip to Canadian Tire for some camping supplies...and the great thing about this time of year is that a lot of the gear is on sale!! I'm a BIG fan of Coleman products (they even have a Lantern App for your smartphone) and my new set of pots and pans sure came in handy!

So we packed up the vehicles and off we went. First stop in Port was for lunch down by the lake, a walk around the harbour (see below) and then for groceries that needed to be kept cold...and ice! 

Then,.. off to the Park to check in, get our permits and get set up! Once we were set up, we set off on a hike around a wetland called the Tower Trail.

 

There was literally a tower we could climb and take pictures of the beautiful and serene setting...we saw turtles, a variety of birds, frogs etc... The kids loved it!

Then, it was back to the site to get dinner ready...I was a camp counsellor 'back in the day' and those fire making skills came in handy!

Camping food porn!!

We settled in for the night and kept cozy around the fire.....

The next day was filled with more hiking (we did the 6km Old Shore Road Trail) and we also headed to the beach for some relaxation (I also had a conference call from the shore as well).

We had a picnic here while hiking the Old Shore Road Trail....

My friend and her kids...

Amazing views and scenery...

The Beach....the Lake.....Time to just relax...

We took what could have been a very upsetting situation and turned it into an adventure...We have also started a great new tradition...let alone finding all of these new places to explore and come back to!!

I'm thinking maybe Algonquin next summer......

Hope you all had a great long weekend and if you're on vacation this week like I am...ENJOY!!!

RR