Fun in Fenelon Falls

~ callicraft ~ Leave a comment

Our day in Fenelon Falls at the beautiful Garnet Graham Beach Park on Cameron Lake was packed with fun, laughter, and so much to explore! We parked in the free parking lot that was close and centrally located just off of Francis St. West. At the newly updated playground, the kids immediately noticed the new and popular zip line…they had a blast on this! Right beside the playground, there are two very small beaches, but we did not find it crowded on the day that we went. It is fairly shallow for a decent distance, which was perfect for the younger ones to wade out and play with their sand toys that we brought from home. The adults enjoyed some time on the beach, while the kids played in the water.

They likely could have stayed here all afternoon had we all not started to get hungry. We decided to take a break and walk along the water to Slices N’ Scoops for something to eat. That’s when we happened upon the Maryboro Lodge Museum. Sometimes the best memories are made when you least expect it! Outside the museum, they set up activities all over the place that really capture the imagination and interest of kids. Our children (ages 3-7) were so engaged and eagerly ran from one activity to the next. They had everything from giant boxes where they could create their own tunnels and structures to bubbles to giant lawn games like bowling, checkers, chess, Jenga, ping pong, ring toss, and more, as well as lots of fun experiments to explore. Who knew learning could be so fun! 😉

We didn’t check out the museum inside, but we will definitely go back and make that our first stop next time! We ended our day at the park’s splash pad. It was such a hot day, so this gave them a chance to cool down again and one last chance to burn off some energy before heading home. There are several clean washrooms/changerooms located at the splash pad. The Victoria Rail Trail also runs through this park, and there is a beach volleyball net. The Locks are also fun to check out though we skipped them this time. All-in-all this was SUCH a great, inexpensive day out in Fenelon!

photo credit:explorefenelonfalls.com

Let’s Go Fly a Kite

~ callicraft ~ Leave a comment

There is something about flying a kite that brings out the inner child in us all. Running through a field in eager anticipation of getting the kite to fly is an uplifting experience.

When we woke to a rather windy morning, my older son excitedly asked if he could fly his kite. After realizing that it was broken, I took a quick trip to the dollar store to purchase two new kites, which cost under $4. If you are feeling extra creative, you could make your own kite, but we just wanted to get outside!

We decided to go to Elgin Park in Lindsay. Early this summer the playground underwent a much-appreciated upgrade. Our boys now fondly refer to this park as “the red park”. There is also a splash pad here, as well as a couple picnic tables, changeroom, and washrooms. But most importantly, for flying our kites, there is a big open field. There is some parking just off Angeline street to access the park.

Flying the kites required some coordinated effort: knowing exactly which direction to run, when to release more string, and when to slow down and let the wind take over. I loved seeing the pure joy and pride on their faces when they were able to get their kite into the sky. Today reminded me that creating experiences and lasting memories with our children does not have to be extravagant or expensive.

After flying our kites, we took a minutes walk down Angeline street to enjoy some of our favourite Kawartha Dairy ice cream at This is Bliss. Fresh FueLL is also at this location, which has recently relocated here from Kent St. They serve healthy smoothies and lunches, as well as North Ward coffee, which is a new favourite of ours. The ice cream shop is in a separate building outside, which is handy, particularly during a pandemic. We walked back to the park to enjoy our ice cream under a tree in the shade.

After we had some time to rest and cool down, they were ready to have some fun at the playground, and get wet in the splash pad. All in all, it was a fun day outside, which lead to a great nights sleep!

Canada’s Dinosaur Park

~ callicraft ~ Leave a comment

Canada’s Dinosaur Park does not only feature life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, but it is also a non-profit reptile sanctuary. It is in Norwood, Ontario, which is just east of Peterborough. On their website (found here), they note that all their reptiles are rescued from the pet trade and that many are endangered species that cannot be returned to the wild for many different reasons. Some of their endangered animals are in regulated breeding programs to help save them from extinction, but they are a sanctuary for rescued reptiles, not a breeding facility.

We initially came here for the first time in July of this year when it seemed to rain every day. We were looking for something fun to do on one of those rainy days. The kids absolutely loved it, so we decided to go back one more time before it closed for the season. Tickets for the drive-thru are $30 plus tax per vehicle, which you order online through their website. We didn’t have to wait at all when we arrived, and the woman at the front just asked for my name to confirm that I had already purchased our ticket. Here, they were also selling surprise goody bags with items from the gift shop to raise funds to help care for the reptiles. The drive-thru took about 15-20 minutes from beginning to end, and the kids, who are 3 and 6 years old, LOVED every second of it!

After driving through the Dinosaur Park, we checked out the walking trail. We purchased our tickets for this in the gift shop, which lead into the indoor and outdoor reptile sanctuary. Here, we were able to see many different snakes, lizards, turtles, alligators, and crocodiles from all over the world. The boys were fascinated by the reptiles and loved seeing them up close and noticing the different colours, patterns, and sizes was quite exciting for them. The walking trail then lead back around to some parts of the dinosaur drive-thru. The boys insisted that I take their picture with every single dinosaur that we passed! The walk thru took us about an hour to complete. I would definitely recommend an afternoon here if you have any dinosaur or reptile lovers in your home!

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!

~ laurencaddison ~ Leave a comment

Our summer wasn’t complete without a trip to the Metro Toronto Zoo. Like many other attractions, we were required to order our tickets online ahead of time. We arrived at the zoo in the morning with the hopes of beating the midday heat. We made it through the gates quickly, with no lineup. The young man at the ticket window knew what he was doing because he gave each of the kids their own map to help them navigate their way to each animal they wanted to see.

We headed to the Indomalaysian building first. While outside, masks were not required but at the entrance to each building/pavilion, there were signs asking us to wear our masks and to maintain social distancing while inside. Families were very respectful and the zoo has marked the floor with arrows and safely distanced dots to help maintain distance. The highlight in this building was the tiger that walked right up to the glass and began licking it right in front of our kids – they shrieked with excitement!

We then headed to Africa. We were able to see the giraffes, hippos, cheetah, baboons, lions, zebras and so much more! I was appreciative of the cooling stations (fans with a light mist blowing) that we located in different areas of the zoo.

After touring Africa, we decided to stop for lunch. The restaurants and snack bars were all fully operational but we had brought out lunches. We sat at a picnic table in the shade and enjoyed a quick bite before heading to the Arctic Tundra!

We were disappointed that the polar bear wasn’t swimming because it is always a highlight but the zipline (at an additional cost of just over $10 per ticket) was thrilling for the kids. We then went to see the flamingos.

Did you know that there is a new baby tiger at the zoo? We had the fortune of seeing the tiger cub before checking out the new Goat Playground located beside the Splash Pad. The Splash Pad and Kid Zone are both open but it was getting really hot and we decided to head home.

We couldn’t leave without taking a ride on the carousel! It was less than $3 for them to ride and they loved it.

Each of the kids was able to see at least one of the animals that they hoped to see and they only stopped talking about our day when they all fell asleep on the way home. This picture definitely captures how much fun they had.

The zoo has so many great learning opportunities and offers something for everyone to enjoy. We took our wagon and we had no problem navigating through buildings with it. I never felt like a building was crowded the kids were able to get close to each exhibit to really see the animals. They are already asking to go back!

Family Fun in Lindsay

~ callicraft ~ Leave a comment

Kawartha Lakes is home to many beautiful trails, including the Victoria Rail Trail, which spans 85 km from Lindsay to Haliburton.  I’ve added a couple maps of the trail here and here if you want to know where exactly you can find it. My family loves to go biking on this trail, and I love that we can enjoy a ride without having to worry about traffic.

We often like to start our bike ride at the opening in the trail near Cedar Valley Trailer Park in Lindsay. This is where the trail switches from a dirt path to a paved path. This time, we decided to drive to the Lindsay locks and have lunch at Tastee Shack, which is right across the street from the locks. We’ve been wanting to eat here for a while now, and it did not disappoint! My husband is from Nova Scotia, so of course we had to try their donair poutine. We also had their Tastee Shack Burger. This was probably the best burger that I have ever eaten. It is made with their ‘special sauce’ and it is topped with an onion ring. It’s making me hungry just thinking about it! This is definitely one of those unassuming treasures that we always hope to discover. We will definitely be making more “pit stops” here.

The trail continues on here by the water, and just near the entrance is the Rock Snake that Lauren mentioned in her post about our visit to the beach. See that post here. The boys wanted to add to the snake with the rocks that they painted and collected at the beach. We couldn’t believe how big the snake had grown since our last visit. It is so long, it has actually started to wrap back around!

The trail from here to the recently opened Logie Street Park is a great length for young kids to bike. It’s about 2.5km and took us about 10 minutes. It is beautiful by the water, and the kids love running across the small bridge that we pass along the way, and wave to the boats as they pass under us.

Once we arrived at Logie Street Park, the kids wanted to cool off in the splash pad. If you haven’t had a chance to check out this park yet, it truly has something for kids of all ages! There are several play structures with rubber turf, a sandpit area with a wooden ship, zipline, lots of structures to twirl in and climb on, and fun slides that go from the top of the hill down to the main play area. Logie Street Park is on Sturgeon River, and there is a dock here. So whether you get here by car, bike, or boat, you really can have an amazing day here with your family!

  • Photo credit: Kawartha 411
  • Photo credit: Kawartha 411

A Day at the Beach

~ laurencaddison ~ Leave a comment

We are lucky to live in a town surrounded by lakes and rivers that we can enjoy all year but nothing says summer like a trip to the beach! My family and I have been to Cobourg beach twice in the last year – once last summer and again earlier this year. 

Cobourg is a town of about 20,000 people located on the shores of Lake Ontario, just over an hour east of Toronto. Along with a bustling main street and a small-town feel, Cobourg features a gorgeous beach that is popular with locals and tourists alike.

Our day at the beach began on the West Beach. The West Beach is a quiet hidden gem with a lovely boardwalk, natural shoreline, a cool breeze off the lake, and the sound of crashing waves. Immediately, the kids took their shoes off and dug their toes into the sand while spotting birds and boats. The kids spent an hour finding special rocks and examining their features. They threw rocks in the water and tried to learn to skip them. They experimented with the rocks, watching them change colour when they put them in the water and then watching the water evaporate in the hot sunlight. They waded into the water…further and further each time they stepped in until they were officially swimming in their clothes!

Between trips into the water, the kids (and the adults) painted rocks. Inspired by a rock snake being created in our town, we each selected a special rock and a design which we then reproduced on the rock using Aroic paint pens, which Calli brought along. I wish we had brought some rocks home with us because it was so much fun. The rocks now adorn our gardens at home.

After the kids dried off and we changed, we headed toward the harbour for lunch. On this day, we drove over but the walk along the boardwalk is beautiful and highly recommended if you have the time. There are plenty of restaurants and food options located near the beach but we chose to find a shady spot under a tree to enjoy our lunch at the picnic table. With full tummies, we explored the harbour. On a previous trip, I was amazed by the colour of the water. It was that turquoise blue that you see in images of tropical beaches. On this trip, the water was a deeper blue. The harbour is full of boats but the kids were excited by the number of fish they could see right in the marina area. We could hear them squeal with excitement each time they spotted a new fish and added it to their running total. There is so much to see in the harbour/marina area, including the lighthouse at the end of the pier and the Canadian Coast Guard boat.

The more popular East Beach was full of families and friends enjoying a day in the water and sand. We walked along the boardwalk far enough to see part of the beach which is bordered by Victoria Park, which features a playground and splash pad for kids. Our trip to Cobourg concluded with a walk through some of the streets north of the beach. We found a fountain to make a wish in and stumbled upon other little gems such as the Cobourg Lock Bridge.

Camping in Haliburton Forest

~ callicraft ~ Leave a comment

Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve spans 100 000 acres and 100 lakes. There is so much to do here, whatever the season. There are hiking and biking trails, fishing, camping, canopy tours, bikjoring, dog sledding, ice fishing, snow mobile trails, and there is also a wolf centre that you can check out. There is something for everyone here.

Camping with two littles was a bit scary for me, but my husband and his family, who are from Nova Scotia, are avid backwoods campers. This past winter when everything was shut down due to covid, my father-in-law built himself a shelter in their backyard to sleep in overnight…in the SNOW, just for fun! When we were finally able to have Nana and Pappy visit us from Nova Scotia, we knew we just had to plan a camping trip together. We chose to stay at Haliburton Forest, because they have campsites that you can drive into, but with the backwoods feel.

We arrived at the site around 3pm, got our tent set up and then made our way to the water. The boys were eager to get in. There was a gradual entry into the water, which was nice because the boys could stand and wade into the water…and it was warm! It was so nice to disconnect from technology and just enjoy each other’s company.]

I have to say, nothing compares to dinner cooked on a fire. The first night we had burgers and corn on the cob, which was placed in a water bath before putting on the fire. Some of the corn charred, but it didn’t matter…OMG…it was delicious! Of course, it wouldn’t be a campfire without s’mores for dessert.

The next day, we swam, played games, and paddled. We brought our kayaks and canoe with us from home, but you can also rent canoes at the front office for $25-$35 per day.

The lake was extremely quiet and peaceful. In fact, it was so peaceful that my typically active and energetic boy fell asleep on our kayak ride. I didn’t have the heart to wake him, so we stayed out a bit longer on the water. If you have ever felt that calmness that comes over you when a child falls asleep on you, I’m sure you can appreciate that feeling, but magnified by the stillness and serenity of being out on the lake surrounded by nature. I didn’t want it to end!

We decided to not stay the night because rain was expected overnight, and we really were not keen on sleeping or packing up in the rain. So, after dinner we packed up and capped off our day with one last paddle. It was the perfect end to our camping trip!

Back in Time in Bobcaygeon

~ callicraft ~ Leave a comment

Bobcaygeon is a popular tourist spot for cottagers on the Trent Severn Waterway in Kawartha Lakes situated between two of our beautiful lakes – Sturgeon Lake and Pigeon Lake. Bobcaygeon, a popular tourist destination, has so much to offer, but arguably some of the things it is most well known for is being home to Kawartha Dairy ice cream, Bigley’s Shoes and Clothing store, and the song “Bobcaygeon” by the Canadian band, The Tragically Hip.

Our day in Bobcaygeon began at the Kawartha Settlers’ Village, followed by a Story Walk, visit to the splash pad, and we ended the day at Kawartha Dairy for an ice cream. This was our first time visiting the Settlers’ Village, which is right under the water tower- you can’t miss it.

To be honest, we never know how trips like this will go over with our 2-6-year-old crew, but they absolutely LOVED it! I think it helped a lot that when we arrived, they were each given a scavenger hunt with different artifacts to find around the village. The kids especially loved the Honey Shack- watching the hundreds of bees, and trying to find the Queen bee. Did Lauren and I get to fully appreciate all of the history here with 5 littles running around? No. Did the kids have fun and maybe learn a little? Absolutely. So, it’s a win in our books. Before heading to our next stop, we decided to take a break and have some snacks that we packed. There is a large covered area at the back of the Village with picnic tables for a nice break out of the sun. 

Some things to know if you plan to check it out. Tickets for this season need to be ordered online in advance, but if you don’t have a printer, no worries you can show proof of purchase on your phone upon entry. When we went, adults were $7, children 5-12 years old were $3, and there was no charge for children under 5. You could also purchase a family package for $20 if that works out better for you. The Village was clean and all other visitors we encountered wore masks.

Kawartha Lakes Public Library has set up Story Walks all over the City of Kawartha Lakes (CKL). For a list of all locations, click here. Conveniently, at the back of the parking lot at Settler’s Village, there is a short and well-maintained trail that features a Story Walk on The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. If you have never heard of a Story Walk before, you are not alone- neither had I! Basically, each page of the story is enlarged and posted along the trail. This was a nice 10-15 minute walk that the kids really enjoyed!

Luckily, the day that we decided to go to Bobcaygeon, it was beautiful and hot! After a few hours out in the heat, we decided that it was time to head just across the street to Tommy Anderson Centennial Park to cool down in the splash pad. There is a small playground and skateboarding park here too. We met a friendly bulldog there named Izzy who loved the splash pad just as much as the kids!

A trip to Bobcaygeon is not complete without a visit to Kawartha Dairy. Though you can find shops that sell @kawartha_dairy ice cream all over the Kawarthas, it was founded in Bobcaygeon over 80 years ago, and this is where the headquarters has remained. It only took us a couple minutes to drive there from the park. This ice cream is SO delicious and a favourite of our entire family. Portion sizes are very generous! Here is a complete list of all the flavours just in case you are like me and get overwhelmed by all the choices! We definitely recommend trying out this fun-filled, inexpensive day out with the special kids in your life!

Photo credit: kawarthdairy.com