Daily writing prompt
Have you ever been camping?
The short answer to this is, yes ....many times.
Over the years, our go-to spot was the grand-old Algonquin Provincial Park, located about three hours north of our old home in Ontario. I once calculated that I had made at least a yearly trip there personally, every year since about 1978 or 1979.
We've spent many a night car camping in Algonquin, but what we especially enjoy is wilderness canoe camping. Packing the packing and setting off from an access location and finding that perfect campsite on your destination lake.
Unfortunately, Algonquin Park isn't the same park from when I first went there or even since Lynn and I together started going. Sure, there have been obvious infrastructure improvements over the years, like the new Visitors Centre and the Logging Museum and trail upgrades.
But, the advent and use of social media and the park's relative closeness to the Greater Toronto Area and a population of nearly 6 million people, have made it a prime destination during the summer months along the Highway 60 corridor.
Now, day passes have to be reserved. They never were before. Reserving a car camping site, at times can be next to impossible. There are times when the developed areas within the park are simply overrun with people.
So, the grand old park as I and others have known it, isn't the same anymore. In more of the remote access locations and northern camping areas within the park, I think little has changed over the years, given the much longer distances and effort needed to get there.
We haven't been camping there since 2021 I believe. In fact, the last two times camping there were some of the most enjoyable times we had, despite the crowds.
We drove through the park from east to west in the summer of 2023, when we drove back from Nova Scotia for a memorial service. That brought back a lot of memories.
Camping is a great family activity or even as an individual. I think that it is something that everyone should try at least once. Equipment can be borrowed(hopefully someone will lend you some) or it can be rented. Some parks(at least a few National Parks in Canada) will rent you a camping site, including all the equipment you need.
We're hoping to maybe get out camping here, if only for a couple of days this summer. It seems our summer is pretty full at the moment, but I think we can work it all out.
--as always with love--
--- get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself ---
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