Bad River

Our friend Bob Dykema has boated in this area quite a bit and recommended that we visit Bad River. The crossing from Hopewell Bay was a little rough, but we made it.  This was one of the highlights of our trip so far. The rocks are shades of pink and orange, and are gorgeous! We cruised to the back of the river and anchored. Other boats were there as well, some tied to rings in the rock face and some tied to shore. A few people were there by boat to camp in tents. 

We put the dinghy in, and rode up the nearby rapids (they are gentle rapids) and back down again. Ryder rode with us, of course. I found the rock formations and patterning quite interesting. We stopped at a place where we could secure the dinghy and climb up the rocks. The view was spectacular! There were wild blueberries growing all over. The blueberries are small and not as sweet as what we’re used to, but they are everywhere.

Once the sun was well down and it was very dark, I went out to look at the stars. I was thinking that in August meteors/shooting stars are most active. It was truly amazing! I could see more stars than I have ever seen before. I did see a few shooting stars as well. I wake up a few times a night, so I am taking advantage of that to go out and look.  Years ago, when the kids were much younger, we took them out on the boat in the middle of the night to look for shooting stars. We went out into the Wilmington River past Steve’s parents’ house to reduce ambient light. It worked, but it was nothing like this!

The diving board is on a floating dock that they can move to the middle for deep water

Looking out into Georgian Bay

Starting into Bad River

This was our anchorage at Bad River

On our way to the rapids in the dinghy

Gemini at Bad River

These two boats went into the rapids ahead of us. Their girlfriends floated down, and they followed without their motors, backwards. It was interesting to watch!

We hiked up one of the big rocks - that's our dinghy down there!

Lots of little blueberry bushes

Back in the dinghy - Ryder first

Going down the rapids - I told you they were gentle

Sunset at Bad River

Next day before we left - these folks were having a blast!

Headed for Kilarney

Hopewell Bay

So it’s been a while… We last posted from Parry Sound, which was the last place we had wifi. Instead of a really long post to catch up, I am opting for individual posts of the places we have visited.

We left Parry Sound on July 31 and headed for Hopewell Bay to anchor out. The weather was beautiful with a good breeze. There were lots of little sailboats out taking advantage. We went through broad stretches of deep water (good for the sailboats) and little channels between rocks. You may have seen the little rock cairns in some of my photos up to now. I thought it was a reflection of the Celtic heritage of some of the residents. In fact, they are shaped like a little man and are inspired by the local Inuit people. 

There are still many cottages even in the remote areas. For those not fortunate enough to own a cottage, there are lodges and “resorts” along the way. Some have beaches, most have docks and boat rentals. This is a very popular place for summer vacationing. The Canadians love to be outside and take advantage of the warm weather. 

Hopewell Bay was uneventful and quiet. There were a few other boats there with us, including one very large one. I should have said it was uneventful except for Ryder. She made a big mess – she pushed her food and water bowl down the forward stairs.

Leaving Parry Sound

Lots of little sailboats

There are still cottages, even out here

A typical day for Ryder

der

This was slick - it had a backrest, so it was like a chair for these kids

Swimming with the dog

Hopewell Bay

Other boats had the same idea

Ryder makes a mess - oh wait, there's a book by that name!

And she is facing the opposite direction, ignoring the fact that Steve is cleaning up her mess.

This boat was with us in the bay