Monday September 4: Orillia - Time to Head South

After spending our last night out at Couchiching Lock we headed to Orillia last Wednesday.

The plan was to be there during the coldest of the days of August remaining as well as for the long Labor Day weekend.

Big Chief was quiet with only a handful of boats as we passed it by.

Steve did try a couple of places for perch but that didn't pan out so we went on in to the harbor.



This is really a nice place to be and we are staging to leave the boat and head back to Ohio for a bit. Good breakfast place, great Chinese place, nice grocery store, really nice showers and facilities in the new marina center (the old one burned down a couple of years ago) - many trails for Steve to explore and ride.

But first was a call to Lois - Cheryl's mom! She lives about 45 minutes away and told us to call her if we're in Orillia and she'd drive over for lunch!

So Steve called - I suggested that perhaps Lois really meant when we came back up next June - and she came! Nice Chinese lunch and a short game of dominoes before she needed to drive back home.

We've had the opportunity to travel with her and Peter and Cheryl on several occasions over the past few years and it's always a pleasure! Such enjoyable company and a wonderful sense of humor :-)

The day we arrived was probably the best weather day although the sun has been in and out. Mostly in .....

Steve did quite a bit of biking around and happened upon the relatively new Gordon Lightfoot tribute.

It's done in bronze with the overall wreath of individual leaves forming the Canadian maple leaf.

Each single leaf is designed around one of the songs on the Gord's Gold album.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is pictured to the right.

Pretty fun. We actually saw him perform in Cleveland at the old Front Row theater - since then torn down.

Having been born and raised here in Orillia, there is naturally much pride in his works!

The other kind of leaves we're starting to see are the ones indicating it's time to get this boat put away!

To that end, we leave here tomorrow for a last 16 mile ride to Lagoon City Marina - on the east side of Lake Simcoe.

Fortunately the bad weather has moved on - extremely strong winds, rain, thunderstorm. Made for a bummer weekend for those still working and wanting one last 3-day weekend. The marina was pretty full but the weather really kept the partying down .....

And finally - after 5 years of owning this boat, Steve found his perfect seat for movie viewing!!

Not sure why it took so long :-)