After spending the first couple of days at the cabin we made our way closer to the Gaspé Peninsula, stopping at La Mauricie National Park for a couple of days to break up the drive and do some hiking. La Mauricie is located in the Laurentian Mountains near Shawinigan and features an extensive network of canoe routes and trails for hiking, cycling, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, depending on the time of year.
Category: Canada
The Cabin – August 2026
The summer always flies by way too quickly. In an effort to savour it and create more family memories, we planned a three week road trip around the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec and along the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. And since it’s along the way, we figured we might as well spend the first couple of days of our trip at the cabin.
The Cabin – July 2026
We had some pretty extreme weather this past week with record-breaking temperatures followed by poor air quality from recent wildfires in northwestern Ontario. We had planned to spend a few days at the cabin over the weekend and even booked some time off work. Thankfully we got some much needed rain the day before we were leaving which seemed to clear up the heat, humidity and smoky skies.
A Week in Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island is located on Lake Huron and it is the largest freshwater island in the world. It contains more than 100 inland lakes, some of which have their own islands within an island. Needless to say, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the coastal scenery and views of the water.
MacGregor Point Provincial Park in April
After a long, cold and snowy winter, we were finally starting to see signs of spring. But with the warmer weather came the rain. We planned to spend the weekend at MacGregor Point, located on the sandy shores of Lake Huron. Saturday was looking promising with nothing but sunshine, but on Sunday the forecast was calling for heavy rain all day. Nevertheless, we packed the car and headed off on an adventure to make the most of things.
Algonquin Provincial Park in March
Out of all the provincial parks in Ontario, we’ve been to Algonquin the most. It was the first provincial park created and it’s one of the largest in the province. We used to go backcountry camping there every summer by canoe. But now that we have a toddler, we’ve traded in our tent for a roofed accommodation. And instead of visiting in the summer, we’ve been taking advantage of the quieter offseason when it’s less busy and buggy.
Arrowhead Provincial Park in March
Arrowhead Provincial Park is located near Huntsville, an area in Ontario that typically gets hammered by snow. But the park has fully embraced winter and offers a plethora of activities to enjoy the ice and snow. This includes skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and for those who are a bit adventurous and have their own skis and a dog, skijoring. Arrowhead offers camping and has several heated cabins for visitors to stay overnight in the park, even in the winter.
Presqu’ile Provincial Park in the Winter
It’s been a cold (and very snowy) winter, which means we haven’t been spending much time outside. But the weather forecast was looking promising over the Family Day long weekend so we planned to do some winter hiking. We settled on Presqu’ile Provincial Park as it’s not too far from home and the trails are all relatively flat, which would work well for pulling our little M around in her little red sled. There’s no roofed accommodations in the park during the winter so we booked a room in a hotel in Trenton for a couple of nights, which is 30 minutes from the park.
Point Pelee National Park in January
Point Pelee National Park is located on a peninsula on Lake Erie and is the southernmost point of mainland Canada. It’s one of the smallest national parks but it’s also one of the most ecologically diverse. Many of the rarest plants in Canada can be found here. It’s not terribly far from home and we typically make a trip here every year to stay in one of the oTENTiks within the park.
Arrowhead Provincial Park in December
The Muskoka region in Ontario typically gets a lot of snow. As a result, Arrowhead Provincial Park has become extremely popular in the winter, offering skating, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. While winter activities in the park don’t typically start until January, visiting in December provides a quieter experience while still being able to enjoy the snowy scenery.