hellothanks.com

Hello From The Kawarthas - Early Fall Colours, Scarecrows & Frogmen

Fall is one of the most beautiful seasons in Ontario when forests light up in hues of yellow, orange and red. It's the perfect time for drives in the countryside, to visit small villages, check out farmer's markets, attend country fairs. We've had a long hot summer this year, even as I write this we are expecting temperatures 10 degrees Celsius above average. As a result the fall colour season is a little delayed, but that did not change the fact that it was time for a country driving tour.

During the Servas conference in Vancouver I made a great connection, I met a fellow Ontarian, a lady in her 50s by the name of Julie who lives north of Peterborough in Ontario's Lake Country. And as is the Servas tradition, she generously offered her hospitality and invited me to come up and visit her on Buckhorn Lake. I left on Saturday at around 4 pm and although I got lost a couple of times, barely two hours later I arrived at her beautiful house on Buckhorn Lake.

We spent a fabulous evening chatting and cooking a meal together that was so delicious that I packed in two big servings. We talked about many topics and touched on the transitions of life, who we really are when you strip away job titles, material possessions, our affiliations with our marriage partners - what is really left at the end of the day. It was a really interesting discussion, I always enjoy conversing with people who have more life experience than I do.

Not surprisingly, Julie is a very interesting individual, she is a "diversity expert" and teaches organizations how to deal effectively with a multi-cultural workforce. She also participates in a variety of volunteer organizations (including Servas), plays tennis and volleyball, goes for long hikes, canoes, plays the piano, sings in a choir, to name just a few of her activities. I asked her if she ever gets lonely in the tranquility of Lake Country, after having lived most of her life in the metropolitan hub of Toronto. The answer was a definitive no, and once I heard of all her activities I realized that with such an active social calendar it would be very difficult to feel lonely or get bored.

What's always great about a personal visit is connecting with a local expert, who really knows the area. Julie took me on a little driving tour of her neck of the woods (literally) and showed me some of her favourite spots, which include Fothergill Island, the Gannon Narrows Conservation Area and the country drive to the village of Buckhorn.

The Kawartha area is full of lakes, many of which are connected and form part of the Trent-Severn Waterway System that connects Lake Ontario with Georgian Bay, part of Lake Huron, over a distance of 387 km through a serious of lift locks. The Kawarthas are one of the three main popular getaway areas for Ontarians which include Muskoka, the Haliburton Highlands, and the Kawarthas. During our drive Julie pointed out one of the landlocked lakes that is not connected to the lock system, Sandy Lake, which has a bottom of sand and clay, resulting in an often turqouise appearance, somewhat reminiscent of famous Lake Louise in Western Canada. Sandy Lake is a very popular spot for vacation homes and the entire Kawartha area boasts thousands of cottages, camps and resorts, from simple house-keeping cottages to luxury resorts and conference centres.

Of course fall is harvest time as well, Halloween is approaching too, and one of the big autumn pastimes in cottage country seems to be the creation of all forms of scarecrows. They were all over the place, in front of private homes, bed & breakfasts, schools, community centres, churches, even on bridges, and I started snapping away with my camera to document this rural creativity. My favourite scarecrow encounters included a wedding scene, "breakfast in bed" in front of a B&B, and some "scarecrow hoodlums" climbing the fence of a baseball diamond.

After saying goodbye to Julie and thanking her for her great hospitality, I decided to do a little loop around Buckhorn Lake and I checked out the village of Burleigh Falls. I got out of the car and walked down on the flat rocks beside the river which descends in cascades into Stoney Lake. Burleigh Falls is a cute little hamlet located at the confluence of Lovesick Lake and Stoney Lake, and has a few restaurants and a variety of other accommodations.

One thing I did not realize is that Stoney Lake is a local scuba diving spot. As I walked past the cascades and arrived at a little clearing, I saw a scuba diver in full gear coming out of the water. He explained to me that there were problably about 20 or so divers in the lake, and that they explore the rocky lake bottom which apparently also includes a deep trench.

From Burleigh Falls I continued my path south and stopped at Youngs Point, which houses one of the locks of the Trent-Severn Waterway System. This little town marks the start of the Canadian Shield and was settled in 1825. The original lock here was built in the early 1870's. I stopped at the Lockside Trading Company, which offers cottage country apparel, home furnishings, a variety of souvenirs and home decorating items, as well as some of the famous Kawartha Dairy icecream, which of course I had to taste.

Youngs Point was my last stop on my way home, although I drove through a series of cute villages including Lakefield, Bridgenorth and Port Perry. I thoroughly enjoyed the drive through the rolling hills of this agricultural land northeast of Toronto. The feeling was apparently shared by a myriad of other travellers, some pulling boats on trailers, others riding on their motorcycles. All in all, it was a perfect early fall day and an ideal occasion to check out Toronto's backcountry.

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions (http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Find unconventional travel information, cross-cultural experiences, interviews with travellers and other inspiring people. Submit your own travel stories & win an exciting Amazon River cruise! "Life is a Journey - Explore New Horizons?

Silverstone

MORE ARTICLES:

Michelin Star, French Chef Marc Dobbels Wows Guests at Paraiso de la Bonita, Riviera Maya
Michelin Star Chef Marc Dobbels has been appointed new Executive Chef at Paraiso de la Bonita. The intimate, beachfront boutique resort featuring ninety ocean view suites, nestled amidst 14 acres leading into the Caribbean Sea, is considered by gourmets as a 'jewel' in the Riviera Maya.

Remote Lands Invites Guests to Experience Asia's Most Exciting Celebrations in 2009
Remote Lands, the world's leading luxury travel designer offering bespoke journeys to Asia, has announced a series of unusual events, festivals, and celebrations taking place in 2009, for which the company can provide high-end, personalized holidays. Starting at $1,000 per person per day, not including airfare, Remote Lands will arrange for their clients to travel to some of Asia's most fascinating locations, and be an integral part of the festivities that make this continent so colorful and extraordinary.

CORRECTING and REPLACING A New ``Shade' of E-Cards: -- MushyGushy is First to Allow Users to Personalize E-Greetings Based on Ethnicit
First graph, second sentence of release should read: MushyGushy (www.mushygushy.com) lets users create personalized animations and utilize Google search phrases as an optional delivery vehicle for their initial line of more than fifty e-cards ("GushyGrams") (sted MushyGushy (www.mushygushy.com) lets users create "JibJab-like animations" and utilize Google search phrases...).

Wedding Planning: Clear Communication with Your Wedding Guests
Effective communication between you and your wedding guests is essential in the months leading up to your wedding. But in this stressful time, how can you maintain healthy relationships with your family and friends when you're flooded with questions and feeling in over your head?You know your wedding guests ask for details because they care about you.

OC Pavilion and Ambrosia Restaurant Invite Guests to 'Swing in the New Year' with Royal Crown Revue
The OC Pavilion and Ambrosia Restaurant are pleased to invite guests to "Swing in the New Year" with the ultimate celebration of food, music, cocktails and dancing for New Year's Eve featuring world-renowned swing band Royal Crown Revue.

Beyond Kids' Rocking Chairs: Can You Raise A Polite Kid In This Boorish World?
Today's kids believe that being tough or uncouth is smarter than being well-mannered and be called a wimp Good manners are disappearing just like those wooden kids' rocking chairs of long ago

Desert Quail Try to Remain Unruffled as Uninvited Guests Move in
Covey on verge of destruction unites with heroics to preserve itself

Hello From The Canadian Rockies - Part 2: First Impressions Of Calgary
As so many times before, I used my Airmiles to book our flights to Calgary (with the Westjet Airmiles Mastercard you get to fly out west for only 1600 Airmiles instead of having to use 3000 Airmiles in high season with other airlines). As an astute traveller you have to look at every option of cutting your travel costs and Airmiles is one of my favourite tools. A direct flight took us from Toronto to Calgary in about three and a half hours.

New Hampshire B&B Saves Memorial Day Vacations By Giving Guests Free Gas
The Bear Mountain Lodge in Bethlehem, NH, is giving guests free gas cards to help fight the rising costs at the pump.

Mind Your Travel Manners In Aruba
There are plenty of travel stories about ?ugly Americans.? Usually, these travelers aren?t aware they are doing anything wrong while on vacation. But if you aren?t aware of local customs and etiquette, offending those around you may be inevitable. Though you will find that the uniquely Caribbean hospitality and slower pace of Aruba tourism are markedly different than anything in the U.S., adjusting isn?t nearly as difficult as it seems. As you enjoy all of your activities in Aruba, here are some tips to make sure you and everyone else remain happy and comfortable.

Bridal Shower Favors - Way of Saying 'Thank You'
Hosting a bridal shower can be fun and exciting The increase of popularity of giving shower favors is widely recognized all over the world

New Colon Cleansing Center in Thailand Offers Weight Loss & Body Cleansing Programs for International Guests
Absolute Group is pleased to announce the opening of Thailand's Premier Colon Cleansing Detox & Yoga Center. Located on the beautiful island of Koh Samui, Absolute Sanctuary is a Moroccan-inspired boutique resort which blends luxurious accommodation with detox and yoga programs to cater to those seeking a journey back to balance, rejuvenation and wellness. Programs include professional colon hydrotherapy, juice fasting, body balancing, yoga, internal cleansing, and spa treatments.

Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative Announces October New Play Readings: 'Bedside Manners' by Lisa Stephenson and 'Carry On' by Donn
The Cincinnati Playwright Initiative (CPI) is pleased to present staged readings of two one-act plays by local women on October 24, 2006 at the Aronoff Fifth Third Bank Theatre. “Bedside Manners” written by Lisa Stephenson and directed by Mary Jo Beresford and “Carry On” written by Donna Hoffman will be presented as part of the New Voices Series sponsored by the Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative and the Cincinnati Arts Association.

Hello From Ottawa: The Sheep Shearing Festival And Other Interesting Things To Learn About Wool
Once a year on the May long weekend, the Canada Agriculture Museum puts on its Sheep Shearing Festival. It is held on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of the Victoria Day weekend. After my excursion to the see the Flotilla on Dows Lake, one of the signature events of the Tulip Festival, I took a slow walk on the western shores of Dows Lake past a serene nature area towards the Canada Agriculture Museum. As you ascend up a small hill from Dows Lake towards the museum, you get a beautiful view of downtown and the eastern part of Ottawa and it's a great location for a bike ride or a stroll.