So what is good in Huntsville? (UPDATED W PICS)

[Rev]

We are leaving Sunday afternoon after church to spend five nights camping at Arrowhead provincial park. Those familiar with the Huntsville area, any interesting sights, restaurants etc you would suggest? We will have the dog with us so no dining in, but maybe some pations or take out would be in order.

[LGM]

Don't know much about Huntsville except for there is a Tim's over the hill off the highway.
I'd head into Algonquin and check out the visitors center & hike the Lookout trail.

[Rev]

The only issue with hiking this year is that the wifey is 5 months preggers and her stamina isn't the greatest, so we will only be doing local trails at Arrowhead or leisurely walks around town.

I'll check out the Tims.

[superchargedx]

Downtown Huntsville, very nice patio/bar right on the water. You can even pull your boat right up to the patio
Forget the name of the place, but you cant miss it!!

[inblack]

it is right across form the Tim's

Nice lively downtown, you will find things to do there.

To bad the Jr. B team didn't make the playoffs, or you could head a block and a 1/2 from that same Tim's to the arena and check out some Lacrosse action.

Speaking of that --- will be in the Fergus arena again on Sunday, 7pm start. Cheap night out, beers after???????

[Rev]

cool. Thanks guys. I'm looking forward to it.

Maybe I'll find a dirt road or two to explore.

[Nd4SpdSe]

I've been to Arrowhead a few times when I was younger. I loved it, it's quite nice and did alot of fishing off the dock. There was also a huge turtle in the lake there too. There's a nice long hill there that I used to hit 80+kmh on my mountain bike doing down it.

[xrover]

If you have a bike, maybe bring that as they have some nice trails in Arrowhead for biking. Since you are limited on hiking with your wife, then you should check out the visitor centre in Algonquin park. They do have a nice trail there that takes you to a beaver dam, but I can't recall it's length. Maybe run it in reverse to get to the dam and then backtrack. I thought I'd seen beaver dams before until I saw the behemoth that the little critters have built there. It's holding back an incredible amount of water.
On the way back make sure to visit Ragged Falls between Dwight and Algonquin. A very cool falls, not running high this time of the year, but a great place to explore.
The town of Dorset (by where my cottage is) is very nice. Boasts the best General store in Canada (well it was rated that about 25 years ago). Nice town, there's a boat being rebuilt there which is cool to see, and the fire tower offers great views, but not the best for your wife.
In fact I recommend you circumnavigate Lake of Bays, Head out on 60 towards the park, and make your first stop in Dwight. From there head onto 35 towards Dorset and do the town. From there head onto Brunel Road to get to Hunstville.
Here is a google map link:
Driving Directions
Link: <http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s ... =UTF8&z=10>

A little further away still would be the Wolf Centre in Haliburton.
<http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s ... 58807&z=10>
- actually you may be better to combine it with the circumnavigation. It's a really cool place and the wolves are real!

[LGM]

The town of Dorset (by where my cottage is) is very nice. Boasts the best General store in Canada (well it was rated that about 25 years ago). Nice town, there's a boat being rebuilt there which is cool to see, and the fire tower offers great views, but not the best for your wife.

I went to Dorset for a class trip back in the mid-80's, stayed in a dorm. Great experience. Got almost to the top of the firetower but couldn't build up the courage to go up the stairs that were outside of the frame. Good times...good times.

[Rev]

wow Xrover. Thanks! I'm going to have to print off all these ideas and bring them with us.

[Jayman]

There is also a Hydroline trail that you can drive as well, although it's not IN Hunstsville, it's kind of in the area, about an hour away. One of the members (can't remember who, it was a white truck if that jogs anyone else's memory) a few years ago did it with his truck, and said that it's completely stock friendly, although that was a few years ago, so who knows what it's like now.

This is the only info that I have about it, that was posted on the board:

Algonquin Park Hydroline trail.

West Gate of Highway 60m In Whitney, where the Hay Creek Rd. starts

{Someone asked about truckers and what channel on the CB they chat on}

Yes.. they're on CB channel 23, I was on it all the time. There is a fair bit of chatter you hear from them and it's hard to tell what's going on.

You just get on Paradise Rd in Whitney just at the bend right in town:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=whitney,+o ... 5988&hl=en" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And keep going right up to where it becomes Hay Creek Rd and the Hydroline. Yo can't miss it once you're on Paradise Rd. You get out right outside of Fort Irwin. The only pass required is the $12 daily permit.

*****

Anyways, I don't know if that's of any interest to you, but it's in the area.

[Rev]

Links don't work.

If you have a bike, maybe bring that as they have some nice trails in Arrowhead for biking. Since you are limited on hiking with your wife, then you should check out the visitor centre in Algonquin park. They do have a nice trail there that takes you to a beaver dam, but I can't recall it's length. Maybe run it in reverse to get to the dam and then backtrack. I thought I'd seen beaver dams before until I saw the behemoth that the little critters have built there. It's holding back an incredible amount of water.
On the way back make sure to visit Ragged Falls between Dwight and Algonquin. A very cool falls, not running high this time of the year, but a great place to explore.
The town of Dorset (by where my cottage is) is very nice. Boasts the best General store in Canada (well it was rated that about 25 years ago). Nice town, there's a boat being rebuilt there which is cool to see, and the fire tower offers great views, but not the best for your wife.
In fact I recommend you circumnavigate Lake of Bays, Head out on 60 towards the park, and make your first stop in Dwight. From there head onto 35 towards Dorset and do the town. From there head onto Brunel Road to get to Hunstville.
Here is a google map link:
Driving Directions
Link: <http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s ... =UTF8&z=10>

A little further away still would be the Wolf Centre in Haliburton.
<http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s ... 58807&z=10>
- actually you may be better to combine it with the circumnavigation. It's a really cool place and the wolves are real!

[Rev]

There is also a Hydroline trail that you can drive as well, although it's not IN Hunstsville, it's kind of in the area, about an hour away. One of the members (can't remember who, it was a white truck if that jogs anyone else's memory) a few years ago did it with his truck, and said that it's completely stock friendly, although that was a few years ago, so who knows what it's like now.

This is the only info that I have about it, that was posted on the board:

Algonquin Park Hydroline trail.

West Gate of Highway 60m In Whitney, where the Hay Creek Rd. starts

{Someone asked about truckers and what channel on the CB they chat on}

Yes.. they're on CB channel 23, I was on it all the time. There is a fair bit of chatter you hear from them and it's hard to tell what's going on.

You just get on Paradise Rd in Whitney just at the bend right in town:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=whitney,+o ... 5988&hl=en" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And keep going right up to where it becomes Hay Creek Rd and the Hydroline. Yo can't miss it once you're on Paradise Rd. You get out right outside of Fort Irwin. The only pass required is the $12 daily permit.

*****

Anyways, I don't know if that's of any interest to you, but it's in the area.

Thanks!

[PiDGE]

I was headin south in that great traffic Sunday and pretty sure I herd you commin Northbound, did you have a blue bag on attached to the rack?

[Jayman]

Not that Rev is going to check the board while he's away, but if anyone else is interested in that Hydroline, I finally figured out who's truck it was that went on the trip.

Guy's name was Luke Aka: Filthy Luker, and he had a White Pathfinder with a thule ski rack on top. He posted all his pics on Mud Mudders, so for those of you with memberships over there:

http://forum.madmudders.net/viewtopic.p ... =algonquin" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You have to have a log in to see the pics.

[Rev]

I was headin south in that great traffic Sunday and pretty sure I herd you commin Northbound, did you have a blue bag on attached to the rack?

That must have been me! I had a small blue water jug strapped to the roof and from that distance I'm sure it could look like a bag or something. The inside of teh rig was loaded with gear. Man you have got good eyes!

[deeker]

Len stole all of my cool suggestions.

[PiDGE]

[Rev]

We packed up the X and headed north.



Stopped just north of Barrie at Webbers (a must stop) for a late lunch.





One seat was dedicated to Spike who was beginning his first camping trip as we always leave him with friends.



Spike loves the “truck” and “trips.”


We arrived a couple hours later at Arrowhead Provincial Park. We had never been before and were excited to explore a new park. We didn`t get a whole lot of pictures over the five days we were there for some reason. I guess we were too busy reading, lounging, hiking, eating, and napping.

Here was our set-up.














Spike loved the screen room. Sooo many chippies and birdies to watch.






Breakfast of champions = cheese whiz and toast


We ate well. Filet mignon, fajitas, burgers, dogs, bacon, eggs, etc.
















At one point I felt a sharp pain in my ankle. I looked down to see a black fly the size of a sparrow latched on there. I screamed like a girl, swatted it away, and then killed it with a bag of empty water bottles. When I looked at the fang marks it looked like a vampire had bitten me. Here is the proof!


Exploring Arrowhead a little bit.




Spike and my pregnant wifey.






Played some games


This deer was walking through a camp site as the residents of that site sat fifteen feet away. I was driving by and stopped. By the time I got my camera out the deer had quietly walked into the brush.


This woodpecker ate breakfast on a tree beside our site every morning. Unfortunately by the time I got the camera on the proper setting with the zoom it had flow away. Here is a blurry shot before I got things figured out.


It rained hard one night (close lightning) and the Eureka Northern breeze stayed nice and dry, as did our tent. A tent pitched on high ground with proper cover should stay nice and dry no matter the weather.


Gratuitous Xterra shots.






I think Spike enjoyed his first adventure camping. He was grinning the whole time. I think if he could talk he would have said, "Is this what you have been doing all these years when I was shipped off to grandma`s house?"



]

[LGM]

I looked down to see a black fly the size of a sparrow latched on there. I screamed like a girl, swatted it away, and then killed it with a bag of empty water bottles

Great pics Rev, thanks for sharing....