Goodbye Quebec, welcome to Ontario! After spending three years in Quebec, it's time for us to start visiting other provinces of Canada, starting with Ontario and its great lake of the same name.
Friday, May 20th, 2022
Our day starts at the most beautiful spot we have come across so far. Granted, it is only our fourth night on the road, but it still counts! We parked our wheels on a vast lawn by a border lake, where we can wave hello to our American neighbors. In the summer, it is a camping area, but since we are off-season, we can stay there for free. How cool is that? We spent the night lulled by the sound of wild geese and other birds. Very pleasant.
It's exactly the kind of place where we could spend several days, but the road is calling! A fill-up of water and we're off!
After stopping by Tim Hortons to get some Wi-Fi, and then at McDonald's because the Wi-Fi is better there 😵, we finally head towards the Thousand Islands, an archipelago of about 1,800 small and large islands located on the St. Lawrence River, still in Quebec. We are actually about to leave Quebec for good, as the Thousand Islands are located at the mouth of the vast Lake Ontario.
We drive along the road that follows the river, impressed on one side by the properties with perfectly mowed lawns, and on the other by tiny islands that still house a house! It's a funny idea to build a house on a small piece of rock that seems like it could be submerged by the slightest wave!
At the mouth of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario is the city of Kingston. With its strategic location, Kingston was the first capital of Canada. There are many fortifications in the city, including Fort Henry, which is currently closed. Well, at $20 per person for admission, it's not certain that we would have gone there anyway...
For tonight, we make our home in a park near the city, the Ontario Park. In the off-season, it seems allowed to stay overnight, and we find a spot by the water. Toilets, picnic tables, and above all, showers! Very happy, we go to take our first real shower... which is cut short because the water is freezing! Might as well just swim in the lake 😂 But it still feels good to clean up, even with cold water.
In the evening, we cook our food and wash our dishes in front of the amazed eyes of passersby. JP always makes an impression ^^ We spend the evening working on the blog at the back of the Jeep, sheltered from the wind by the tailgate, while drinking our evening tea. Next to us, our one-night neighbors, comfortably settled in their camper van, seem to be teasing us 😁.
Saturday, May 21st
Wake up at 6:30 am. Everything is quiet, the weather is nice. We immediately pack up and go for a walk in Kingston, where we take the opportunity to buy coffee and muffins. At the time of the city's founding, the founders must not have been very inspired, because the main streets are named "Queen Street", "King Street", and "Princess Street".
At 9am, we hit the road again. We drive along the lake on small roads, as we love to admire the beautiful properties, magnificent houses, and perfectly manicured gardens that are void of any trees. It must be quite a task to mow those lawns! After a short ferry crossing, we arrive at Sandbanks Provincial Park.
The Dunes trail – 2,5 kms
On the shores of Lake Ontario, this park has a little bit of a Southern France vibe. "It's like home, but without the sea spray," says Rémi. A fine sandy beach, lots of pine trees - all that's missing is the sound of cicadas to feel like we're back home!
Around noon, we found a nice spot by the water to have a picnic. The crystal-clear water was tempting for a swim, but it was too cold for us today, especially after yesterday's cold shower!
2 hours of driving await us to reach Toronto. We decide to ignore the highways. It's just that the small country roads are so much prettier and more enjoyable. We drive slowly, admiring the scenery and the beautiful properties that we never tire of, indifferent to the Canadians who are impatient behind us. We should stick a "non-hurried travelers" sticker on the back of JP xD.
3 commentaires
Trop rigolo la photo à la place du “I”… J’aurais fait exactement la même !!!
J’adore ces petites maisons sur ces ilots. Mais effectivement, elles me paraissent bien basses, pas de pilotis pour prévenir de la montée des eaux, ce qui arrive souvent comme on l’a vu en avril…. Et il y a aussi ces chaises de couleur que l’on retrouve régulièrement dans les parcs, les jardins, face aux lacs, rivières. Se poser là et admirer la vue dans le calme, quel bonheur simple…
Très joli Kingston, coloré, propre (ou du moins ce qu’on en voie). Rémi a fait le fou en dévalant la dune de sable….il se croyait chez nous.
Drôle ces maisons sur l’eau. Je ne serai pas trop rassurée. Ça me fait penser aux maisons sur l’eau que nous avions vu au Vietnam sachant que c’était des paillotes qui n’avaient rien de luxueux.
Bonne continuation.
Bisous.
Mamie.
Incroyable ces maisons au milieu de l’eau, au moins pas de problème de voisinage ahah
La ville de Kingston a l’air très joli, j’adore le look des bâtiments !
Hâte de voir la suite, bisous à tous les deux 🙂