For those of you who followed me last summer, you may remember I spent several months at the family cottage in Orillia, Ontario. An escape from city-life while being surrounded by nature from July to September was something I was very fortunate to experience. Being able to work anywhere there is an internet connection is what I love most about my day job plus I have the flexibility to make my own hours and get out and enjoy nature as much as I do.
This year, I am doing something similar but have relocated even farther north until the fall. Wanting to explore new areas, I made the decision late in 2019 to buy a travel trailer. Despite going about things in an unusual order things so far are working out great. Early last year I began researching travel trailers. Not wanting anything too big I narrowed down what I wanted but had not settled on a brand or model.
In November I found what looked like the perfect campground one that had seasonal sites available, catered to older and professional campers, and was surrounded by lakes, rivers, and plenty of hiking trails to explore. A quiet campground was really important for me as I would have to work from my trailer and didn’t want to listen to unruly 20-somethings partying all hours of the night. After all, I was that age once and would not have wanted to be neighbours with me and my roommates when we were in our 20s.
Having never seen the campground or even been in the area, I paid for a seasonal site based on pictures on the campground’s website and speaking with the owner. Now I needed to decide on a trailer. After looking at several makes and models at local dealerships, I finally settled on one in December. I ended up getting a 20 ft model with a queen-size bed, full bathroom, and small kitchen. The small kitchen was not an issue for me as I planned on doing most of my cooking outside anyway as spending more time outdoors was the whole reason for this venture. What impressed me most about this small trailer was the abundance of storage something I would need for all of my gear plus work-related items. Owning a small SUV, I can’t actually tow my trailer but do intend to get a tow vehicle at some point thus I arranged spring delivery with the dealer I purchased from.
Spring of 2020 arrived and while in the midst of preparing to make the move north COVID-19 hit. With campgrounds closed my delivery date was now up in the air. I didn’t let this bother me as I really try not to stress about things I have no control over plus the health of the world is more important than me taking delivery of a trailer. Finally, after a few months of uncertainty, the campground was allowed to open to seasonal campers and I had my trailer delivered only a few weeks later than originally scheduled.
I have now been living and working from the trailer since the 3rd week of May and absolutely love it. I still make return trips to London to see my Dad and help with his yard work but plan on being up here most of the time until the campground closes in October. So where am I? Well to maintain some privacy I won’t say exactly but will say I am only a short drive from Algonquin Provincial Park. The area is full of lakes, rivers, and hiking trails to explore as well as other provincial parks only a short drive away. I’ve had the chance to do some exploring on my days off and after work and have enjoyed getting out paddling once again this year, something I got back into last summer.
I look forward to a season full of new adventures and discovering new areas. Up until last month, I had never visited Algonquin Provincial Park before and am now in love with this breathtaking piece of land. I hope to see and photograph new species and have already seen my first ever wild moose and Black-backed Woodpecker. Taking time to blog more regularly and share the stories and images of my adventures as they happen is something I plan on as well. With a full season ahead of me, I am excited about the endless opportunities and time in nature that will transpire over the coming months. I hope you will all continue to follow along on my adventures despite the fact I won’t be blogging and sharing images from Southwestern Ontario for a few months. I know many of you visit this area regularly and I hope you will be interested in hearing of my experiences as I explore this vast landscape.
Good birding,
Paul
