A visit to the Thunder Bay area along Lake Superior, Ontario, is not complete without a visit to The Sleeping Giant. We had the opportunity to see the giant’s profile from Marina Park back in 2021 and I have been thinking about it ever since. Famous primarily for one of the most iconic trails in Ontario, the Sleeping Giant was the main reason we returned here.
“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree” – Emily Brontë
Thunder Bay is the largest city in northwestern Ontario and was composed of two formerly separate towns: Fort William, a French fur trading outpost on the banks of the Kaministiquia River, and Port Arthur, the eastern terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the major transshipment point for lakers carrying goods from across the Great Lakes.
Thunder Bay centre boasts a small variety of buildings, but no one really visits this area for the city. The panoramic view of the Sleeping Giant and Marina Park are the main attractions of the Waterfront District and an afternoon spent there will give you an idea of the other activities available.
The scenery changes once you get to Sudbury (5 hrs north of Toronto), but the truth is that the 700-km stretch from Sault Ste Marie to Thunder Bay offers the most picturesque coastlines and rocky cliffs that will take your breath away. The rugged Precambrian red granite, the forested hills, and the deep blue or turquoise waters create the perfect backdrop you could wish for.
From pebbles to the finest sand beach, you will never tire of finding your special spot. From lazy rivers to white-waters rapids, there is something for everyone! Oh, and did I mention the waterfalls?!
Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park (officially Kawartha Highlands Signature Site) is a 375-square-kilometre (145 sq mi) area of preserved wilderness used for recreational purposes in south-central Ontario, Canada. It is the largest park in southern Ontario after Algonquin Provincial Park, and is located North-East of the main belt of the Kawartha Lakes, in Peterborough County.
With an extensive network of lakes and rivers, this area also has historical significance as a trading route for Indigenous people and early settlers. Often called Canada’s Canoe Capital, The Kawarthas are known for many things. The name “Kawartha” derives from an Anishinaabe word meaning “land of reflections” or “bright waters and happy lands”. And here we are to explore these lands and enjoy the beautiful summer days.
As the days got longer and the skies sunnier, nature has finally come back to life, entirely! After a long winter and a shy spring, we are all eager to enjoy once again our summer activities. Blooming flowers, birds and wildlife normally keep us entertained on a daily basis, but today I will focus on the pollinators who have found our backyard garden attractive again, this year. Summer feasts are in full swing for the little ones as they can’t seem to satisfy their insatiable appetite!
With a handsome setting around the San Francisco Bay, that eventually gave the city a nickname by which it is often called “The City by the Bay”, San Francisco is known for so many things: from its steep streets featured in so many movies, to Alcatraz Island, where the famous or rather infamous prison is, to the iconic Victorian houses, and last but not the least, the Golden Gate Bridge. If you happen to be in San Francisco, you can’t go far without noticing the Golden Gate Bridge, as it is visible from many points along the Bay shore. Partially hidden at times by the ever-lasting layers of clouds, it is just there, begging for your attention.
Located 40 miles (63 km) northwest of San Francisco, Point Reyes National Seashore is a relatively hidden gem if you are not from this area. Rolling hills and endless beaches are the main features of this reserve, and if you are a nature lover or a birdwatcher, then this is your kind of place you want to visit.
“This is the best tree-lover’s monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world.” – John Muir
Located 12 miles (19 km) north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods National Monument is nestled in the Coast Range, a mountain range that runs down the length of California. The mild climate along the coastal mountains provides an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, and the redwoods are the most famous, dominating the entire ocean coast. Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Monument protects 240 hectares of old growth coastal redwoods (Sequoia Sempervirens). This is one of the world’s last remaining ancient redwood forests, which is why it was designated a national monument in 1908, even before the National Park Service existed. The Kent family, who purchased the land in 1905 with the goal of protecting the redwoods and the nearby mountains, insisted on naming the park after naturalist John Muir, whose environmental campaigns helped establish the National Park system in the United States.
1000 Places and Memories 