The great white north...the northern lights...snowmobiles...ice fishing...snow everywhere. When Canadians think of the north, those are a few of the images that come to mind. Sudbury ticks all those boxes. At certain times of the year, there are gorgeous displays of dancing lights in Sudbury. There are 330 lakes in the Greater Sudbury area, hence it is known as the city of lakes. Snowmobiles replace cars on many snowy days in winter, and ice fishing delivers delicious fish fries throughout the frozen months. 

Torontonians bemoan cold winters and thank their lucky stars they do not live further north, yet many Sudbury residents born and raised love winter. I met a fellow who grew up there and he told me his four favourite months of the year were between December and March because he played shinny on the pond, rode his snowmobile, went ice fishing, used the skating paths to visit friends, and hung out and played the whole time. 

Our family recently spent a weekend in Sudbury. Below are five things I would recommend doing while there: 

Watch the sunset over a lake 
Having 330 lakes in one municipal area is unbelievable. And when you drive around Sudbury, you notice the lakes. Ramsay, Long Lake, and Wanapitei are big, clean, and desirable. People pay a lot of money to live there, most over a million and a handful of houses in the multi-millions. Minnow, Bethel, and Simon are smaller and far less prestigious. Historically you have not been able to swim in those lakes. Nonetheless there are houses there worth close to a million. 
We rented an Airbnb in Estaire on Lake Nepahwin south of the city. Lake Nepahwin is peaceful and serene. Although it permits power boats, the tenor of the lake is quiet. Many of the cottages are rustic and older and the newer builds still respect the personality of the lake as being modest and down to earth. 

As we sat out at night reading and talking, the sun began to set. The colours started pink and moved to purple and green and blue and yellow as the rays shone across the lake and reflected on the water. It inspired feelings of wonder and awe. There is nothing better than a pristine, spectacular northern sunset. 

Get on the lake 
There are myriad activities related to the lake. In Spring, Summer, and Fall, I recommend canoeing or kayaking on the lake, ideally in the morning. The early morning sunshine coupled with the calmness of the water and the animal sights and sounds makes this activity good for the soul. Communing with nature is essential when you canoe or kayak because you are so close to the water and can see the water bugs, the activity on the shore, the waves move over the water, and the sky changing overhead. I try to take every opportunity to enjoy with my children whenever we are on a lake. 

If you happen to be in Sudbury in the winter instead, skating the city-maintained path on Lake Ramsay is a complete pleasure. Beginners and experts alike can enjoy the cleared path around the lake. Further, if you are a hockey player, there is nothing better than playing shinny. Finally, ice fishing is a whole industry in Sudbury, and you can rent huts and equipment to ensure you catch the most fish in the best spot. Expertise abounds all around town. 

Canadiana is epitomized by small town Northern living. The simplicity of life, the beauty of nature, the one-industry towns, the love of hockey, and the embracing of the physical world through all four seasons are all characteristics of the town of Sudbury. The prices for Airbnb and hotels are far less than you would pay in most places in southern Ontario. The unique northern experience is worth the three-and-a-half-hour drive. Go see the great white north! 

1.  Skate

My eldest son decided to skate on our backyard rink.  He practiced his shot and his tight turns and had a marvelous time outside in the crisp cold air.

2.  Walk dogs

My youngest son decided to create a path for the dogs to scamper through.  They were most energetic until they became too wet and cold.  Once they dried out, they wanted to do it again.

3.  Snuggle up with a book (and a dog)

My eldest daughter decided to snuggle up with a dog and a book.  Cozy socks, cozy sweats, cozy blanket.  You get the general idea.

4.  Shovel snow (for fun or money).

Three of my four children made snow shoveling the rink a fun experience.  Lots of soaking each other with snow and laughing.  Pop was enjoyed for refreshment.  Everyone was laughing.

5.  Toboggan

Once my children finish shoveling, all four of them are heading to the toboggan hill near our house.

Although I am thoroughly looking forward to the children physically returning to school tomorrow, it is delightful to watch them embrace a snow day with such enthusiasm.  The rosy cheeks and healthy glow is more than worth them falling behind on their assignments for one more day.

Our family of six recently spent a week in Essex County.  Essex County was one of the first places to be settled in Ontario.  It is still primarily rural and is known for very flat farmland and a lot of wind.  Point Pelee, the southernmost point of land in Canada, is in the county.  Expect hot summers and snowy winters.

​The landscape is now peppered with windmills as far as the eye can see.  Farmers receive approximately $8,000 per year from each installation.  At night, the red lights put one in mind of an alien invasion and during the day, the arms look like spiders creeping across the landscape, rarely stopping.  It is a unique sight and was one of the characteristics most noticeable about this part of the province.

I would recommend the following if you are heading to Essex County:
1.  Stay in Lighthouse Cove. 
Lighthouse Cove is built on a canal system feeding from the mouth of the Thames River into Lake St. Clair.  Every home in the community backs onto the canal.  This facilitates fishing from the backyard along with fire pits overlooking the water.  The canal is always moving. 
 
We stayed at a beach house with a five-hole putting green in the backyard.  There was also kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding.  Walking around the community is interesting as the houses range from tiny cabins to massive mansions and everything in between.
 
Lake St. Clair is a very shallow lake, 21 feet at its lowest point except in the shipping channel that is dredged to 27 feet deep to facilitate Great Lakes shipping from Lake Huron to Lake Erie.  It has sandy beaches, most notably at Belle River, and lots of sandbars.

2.  Go to Point Pelee National Park. 
Point Pelee is our second smallest National Park at the southernmost tip of Canada.  It is also our most ecologically diverse, known for thousands of flocks of migratory birds in the Spring and Fall along with monarch butterflies.  Originally a military base coveted for its red cedar for boat making, it is now maintained by the country’s parks system who do an excellent job of preservation and protection.
 
Our family visited in late June.  We had a wonderful time at the very tip of the point, barefoot in the sand, wading into the water to our ankles, marveling at the tides and waves and how the Lake Erie water comes sloshing together there.  We climbed to the top of the lookout point and were able to see Pelee Island.  We also enjoyed the tram and some hiking.  There is a boardwalk that takes you right over the top of the water where you can view barnyard sparrows and red-winged blackbirds close-up along with all manner of flora and fauna.
 
We spent a second day swimming in the beach on the west side, enjoying the sand bars and the waves.  The water was fresh and the beach was long with multiple picnic tables for guests who didn’t want to swim.  It is one of the nicest beaches in the county.

3.  Golf at On the Green Mini Golf in Tecumseh. 
On The Green Mini Golf is a 36-hole outdoor facility along with a 17,000 square foot indoor golf extravaganza.  We played all 36 holes of pirate-themed outdoor mini golf.  Animatronic buccaneers talk to you when you come in and there are multiple plates telling interesting pirate facts and tales as you move through the course.  The holes are creative, fun and challenging.  We had a marvelous time.
 
The indoor facility was closed due to COVID but looks fascinating with the ability to play any course in the world from the simulated indoor area.  We ended with soft serve ice cream cones – vanilla and chocolate swirl - while we sat at the picnic table waiting for our ride.  It was a pleasurable way to spend a few hours.

4.  Go to Windsor to gaze across the Detroit River. 
Go to Windsor and look across the relatively narrow Detroit River at the United States of America.  The border runs right down the middle of the river.  There is something neat about looking across at a totally different country and seeing Americans driving their cars along the water with the Stars and Stripes flying proud.  Detroit used to be a bustling, busy, vibrant city.  The infrastructure is still on full display when you gaze across the river.  It is a most interesting experience.
 
Windsor has done a nice job of creating and maintaining multiple waterfront parks where you can play frisbee, swim, play on climbers, walk dogs, picnic and just enjoy some green space by the water.  Many houses fronting the Detroit River are large and luxurious.  The drive past the Ambassador Bridge is also engaging and there were some freighters in the river.
 
On the way back, we visited Stop 26 Ice Cream & More and ate some tasty ice cream.  It was a nice drive.

5.  Go Walleye Fishing on Lake Erie. 
Lake Erie is known as the best place for walleye fishing in the world.  Walleye, also called pickerel, is a white fish typically ranging in size from 19 to 24 inches in length.  It makes for a delicious meal when cooked fresh.
 
We chartered a 28-foot boat captained by Chris Benn through Crooked Hook Charters.  He had 12 fishing poles running alongside his radar system showing where the fish were.  Our children each caught multiple fish, primarily walleye but also two sheepheads, a big trout, and a couple of baby perch.  We ate the trout for dinner that night.
 
The boat ride on Lake Erie was magical, with the wind blowing through our hair and the water shining and shimmering.  The day was sunny and warm with a breeze.  Being half an hour out in the middle of the lake was most enthralling.  Everyone had a grand time.  Canada is extremely lucky to have all the freshwater lakes we do.

​In Essex County, the weather was beautiful, the people friendly, and the landscape much different than what we were used to.  Being on the water is always a luxurious pleasure and boating on the lakes makes you feel fortunate to live in Canada.  Although the windmills everywhere you look took some getting used to, the week in Essex County was most relaxing, relatively affordable, and something I would recommend.

I was born and raised in Canada.  I am an incredibly proud Canadian.  It perplexes me to hear anyone suggest that we should "cancel" Canada Day.  How the concept of cancelling Canada Day can help, in any capacity, the Indigenous children who died at residential schools is illogical in the extreme.  Yes, in hindsight, Canada should never have set up residential schools.  No sensible Canadian could argue any different.  But does that somehow besmirch Canada as a whole and everything that is wonderful and worth celebrating about Canada?  Absolutely not.

Canada deserves celebrating for countless reasons.  It is a safe, happy, industrious and kind place to live.  Canadians are known worldwide for being nice.  We have some of the safest cities in the world.  We have a low unemployment rate, offering everyone the opportunity to make something of themselves with hard work and sacrifice.  We are a tolerant people, welcoming people of all races, religions and creeds.  We have universal health care.  We have the most beautiful topography in the world with our vast mountains, our low valleys, our wheat fields, our whale sightings, our craggy coastlines, our abundant Great Lakes, our shoreline, our fresh air and our abundant space.  We produce the best hockey players in the world.  And our walleye fishing is internationally renowned.  And that is just the beginning...

No country is perfect, but ours comes damn close.  One of my boys' Grade 9 teachers immigrated to Canada from Iran.  Very few people in the civilized world would call Iran a good country.  Yet that teacher had the gall to tell my boys that they should be ashamed of living in Canada because of our Indigenous history.  That comment is offensive.  Judging Canada based on one aspect of our history, namely how we treated our Indigenous people in the 1880s forward, is neither fair nor logical.  No reasonable person would argue that residential schools were a good idea.  But the decisions made then in that time were made when society was less enlightened and more prejudiced.  They have to be looked at in the context of the time.  Thankfully we in Canada have evolved since then.  That is one of the reasons Canada is such a great country, because of our evolution and constant improvement.  As a result, no reasonable Canadian today would suggest that we continue the residential school model for Indigenous people.  We now know better.

The Cancel Culture that has developed lately is dangerous.  Humans are not perfect.  Far from it.  To hold every person to the standard of perfection and to "cancel" that person if he or she says something that "the powers that be" deem offensive creates a superficial culture of automatons.  Sanctimony is an ugly trait.  I don't know one sanctimonious person that I like.  Extreme political correctness creates a culture where everything on the surface is perfect yet underneath there is an ugly underbelly seething with resentment and anger at the hypocrisy on display.  The reality is that everyone has prejudices.  Everyone has biases.  That is what makes humans different, unique and interesting.  Everyone makes mistakes.  Everyone of a certain age has regrets.  No one is perfect.  If the sins of the mother are visited on the child, then I pity my children.  I believe the key is to try to continually improve, to work on becoming kinder, more compassionate, and more helpful.  Self-righteous people like to tell everyone else what is right and what is wrong.  Those are not my kind of people.  If you believe you are already perfect, then there is nothing to improve.  I like the people that recognize they have many problems but work to improve themselves and resolve those problems without becoming smug.

I intend to celebrate Canada Day today and every July 1st.  I intend to continue to be immensely proud of my country.  I will encourage my children to celebrate Canada Day.  Canada is the best country in the world.  That being said, celebrating Canada Day doesn't mean I don't feel pity for the Indigenous children who died at residential schools.  To the contrary.  I embrace Desiderata.  "With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world."  Even though mistakes were made by past Canadians, Canada is still a beautiful country.  Happy Canada Day!

As we enter into our second pandemic summer where travel is limited, I have enjoyed rediscovering Ontario and finding places in our own backyard to savour. Our kids need to get out of the city and enjoy themselves, and we could definitely use a change of scenery. Although there’s no telling exactly what will be open this summer, here are five activities for the family that can be added to your summer bucket list.
1. Hit the beach
Some people like to spend days at the beach sunbathing; others just like to walk on the sand in the morning or evening; and children tend to spend hours frolicking in the water. This is an obvious summer activity, so I have researched three new beaches to avoid your becoming bored of visiting the same ones. Ontario is home to over 250,000 lakes so there are so many beaches to explore that you could probably choose a new one each weekend of your life and still not cover all of them. I would recommend trying these three this summer:

• Port Dover: This is almost a hidden gem, although it is a popular site for parasailing. This just adds to the fun, as you can spend hours watching the dare-devils, especially on windy days. The beaches here are lovely and the tiny town itself has a toned down resort feel, with many charming shops. If you plan a day trip here, be sure to stop into Shaw’s for ice cream. This place has been around since 1948, and it takes just one taste to see why. With over 45 different flavours, they’ve got Baskin-Robbins beat, and you’ll find some truly unique flavours including Grape, Saturday Morning Cartoons, and even a little charmer called Unicorn Toots.
• Cobourg Beach: This is a shorter drive, and a smaller beach, but still a great spot for families. Cobourg itself has tons of shops and restaurants, all with a hometown feel that families love. It’s not too touristy, although in the heat of summer, the beach does tend to fill up fast. So, head out early to claim your place in the sand.
• Sandbanks: A little further east of Cobourg, you’ll find Sandbanks Provincial Park with its own little strip of top-level beaches in Prince Edward County. This beautiful park offers both day and camp use, with three stunning beaches for swimming. Sandy lake bottoms in hand with shallow waters make it ideal for small kids. The park is home to the world’s largest baymouth barrier dune formation, which is an impressive wall of sand that the kids will love exploring.

2. Take a road trip
Our children always enjoy a road trip…as long as it doesn’t go on too long.  While some kids might be antsy, with games and activities loaded into the car, you can keep them occupied until you reach the destination. Here are three interesting Ontario road trip ideas:

• Prince Edward County: The beauty of this road trip is that it has something for everyone. Kids will love ending up at Sandbanks, while parents can enjoy the scenery of the county. I would recommend planning a Glenora Ferry ride to add a layer of unexpected fun.
• Hamilton: This might not be the first place you think of, but Hamilton has several interesting spots to visit including Dundas Peak, plentiful waterfalls, Dundurn Castle, and the Steam and Technology Museum. It’s just close enough to avoid too many “are we there yet” complaints, while providing a lot to see once you arrive.
• South Georgian Bay: This lovely road trip takes you to your choice of spots including Collingwood, Owen Sound, and the Blue Mountains. Each spot has beautiful scenery with winding roads and the Georgian Bay coastline. With plenty of beaches at Wasaga and attractions at Blue Mountain, it is worth the trip.

3. Plan an adventure
Depending on what’s open, there are many Ontario adventures to explore including:

• Inner Tubing at Elora Gorge: Consider a trip to Elora Gorge where you can rent inner tubes and mosey on down the river. It’s a great way to keep cool, look at the sites, and enjoy water in a whole new way. Be sure to pack the sunscreen!  The kids and I inner tubed on the Gull River in Minden and had an absolutely marvelous time.  We now want to try Elora.
• Go canoeing: There are endless parks offering the chance to take to the quiet lakes and rivers of Ontario and try your hand at canoeing. This is a wonderful activity for families and also provides a way to get up close with nature.  There is little better than canoeing on a river or lake with your children.  We have been out in the early morning when all is quiet; in the middle of the day when everyone is out swimming and playing; and just before bed when the fish are biting.
• Hike the Cheltenham Badlands: This is a popular spot to experience an otherworldly adventure on a stark red rock expanse that looks a lot like Mars. These badlands are 445 million years old, and present an interesting expanse of iron-rich red shale that goes on forever. The red hills took on their shape thanks to local sketchy farming practices that led to erosion back in the early 1900s.  We are looking forward to exploring these this summer.

​4. Discover Bruce’s Peninsula
Arguably one of the province’s most cherished natural areas, Bruce’s Peninsula offers a wonderful place to explore. In hand with endless parks and trails, attractions include:

• Cyprus Lake Grotto: Located at Bruce Peninsula National Park, you can swim and snorkel in an actual cave here. This cave formed through thousands of years of unforgivable Georgian Bay waves pounding the rock. You can either enjoy the hike to the grotto along the Georgian Bay Trail, although there is a 12 meter climb so be prepared to swear, or rent a boat and enter from the lake itself.  You have to book far in advance to hike the trail.  Renting a boat is pricier but in my view a better way to discover the crystal clear waters of lovely Lake Huron.  The park itself is also quite awesome.
• Flowerpot Island: Located in sweet, tiny Tobermory, this island is part of Fathom Five National Marine Park. Named after the stunning, massive rock formations, the sea stacks are the main attraction. Over 18 meters tall, they are visible from the water and require a boat trip to get there, adding to the fun.  The shape and size of these rock formations will have kids and adults alike agog, wanting to see them up close.  You can dock at the island and hike, or see them from the lake in a boat.

5. Explore some caves
Ontario offers several opportunities to explore the dark, quiet world of caves. Some trips we are considering include:

• Bonnechere Caves: Located in Eganville, the caves were once formed by a tropical sea, leaving behind limestone walls that are millions of years old. In fact, they far outdate the dinosaurs. The tunnels are located near Ottawa and offer an eerie yet unique chance to view stalactites and prehistoric fossils. However, they are not a great choice if you are worried about tight spaces, as some areas can be quite narrow and claustrophobic.
• Tyendinaga Cavern and Caves: This privately owned spot in Belleville offers a look at caves that have fossils over 450 million years old.
• Scenic Caves Nature Adventures: Located at Blue Mountain, these caves and caverns are part of one of Canada’s 18 UNESCO sites. They weave through 17 unique geological features formed by glacial ice.

Hopefully you can use some of these five ideas to keep your family occupied and engaged this summer.  Ontario is a spectacular province with so much nature to offer that getting to know it better is always a good idea.

Canada is 40th in the world in vaccination rollout and Ontario is in our third lockdown since the pandemic began. Clearly we are punching way below our weight in the fight against COVID.















Closing restaurants, health clubs, hair salons and small retailers is clearly not going to stem the increase in COVID infections. That decision is merely going to put those businesses closer and closer to the precipice of bankruptcy. Closing the entire province when the problem is in Toronto and Peel is also asinine. This punishes the entire province when the COVID problem is concentrated in two main regions.

We have protected our elderly and most vulnerable living in congregate settings through mass vaccinations where they live. Let's now focus on the sources of the current COVID problem: the mass outbreaks in essential service workplaces in the hot zones of Toronto and Peel. Let's immediately vaccinate all essential workers regardless of age, at their workplaces. This would include the Amazon warehouse workers, the Canada Post workers, the teachers and the meat packer workers. Let's also focus our current vaccines on Toronto and Peel because that is Ground Zero in Ontario. You solve the problem there, it reduces or eliminates the spread everywhere else.

I cannot fathom how frustrating a province wide shutdown must feel like in Sault Ste. Marie or Sarnia. Doesn't common sense dictate that we focus on the problem. My dad had an analogy. If Ford Motor Company had a problem in one factory, they would solve the problem in that factory. They would not close all the other factories until they figured out the solution for the one problem in the one factory.

Rather than close businesses that have nothing to do with increasing COVID outbreaks; rather than shut down a province where infection rates are low in most regions; rather than damage certain segments of the economy already teetering on the edge, why don't we just focus on the problem. First, immediately vaccinate all essential workers regardless of their age. Second, focus the vaccines available to vaccinate those living in Peel's and Toronto's highest risk neighbourhoods regardless of age. And re-open the province, for goodness' sake.

​Those moves might at least demonstrate that we are still in the ring trying to knock out the foe using a modicum of common sense and a glimmer of intelligence. Imagine.

​

​My children are smart but no one would call them keeners.  They like to learn but rather than listen to their teacher, they prefer to play, either online or physically. Their favourite part of school is the social aspect.  Needless to say the online model of learning is not working for them.  My husband and I view it as a lost year of learning thus far, and we are not out of the woods yet.

Regular school gives my children so much to look forward to.  They love to socialize; they look forward to playing school sports; they enjoy certain teachers; and they like learning new things in a classroom environment.  When they are at school, they sometimes use their spare time with their friends to tackle homework so they have nothing to bring home whereas other times they play football or tag with friends.  We are fortunate that none of our children has ever told us they hated school and refused to go.

Online school is a whole other ball game.  Rather than refuse to go, they sign in then tune out. I cannot count the number of times I have come downstairs to see them with their headphones in listening to their teacher while a video game is being played on the screen.  This is not an effective method of learning.  I fear they are taking in next to nothing of what is being said or taught.  The “new normal” is a misnomer…this is nowhere close to normal in either experience or outcome.

It will be interesting to see the impact of interrupted learning on this generation of COVID kids, whether they score lower as a group on IQ or aptitude tests later in life because of the disruption to their learning in their formative years.  Face to face interaction with the teacher is critical to my children’s success.  Face to face interaction between my children and their classmates is likely just as critical to their success.  Both of those components are missing online.

​The latest COVID numbers in Ontario are somewhat encouraging and the trend seems to be downward.  I can only hope that in-school attendance will return soon.  In the meantime, my children are becoming very adept at doing the bare minimum to survive their online school experience while actually learning bupkis.

Israel has vaccinated more than 1 million people since December 20th, surpassing its goal of 150,000 vaccinations per day.  In stark contrast, Ontario started vaccinating almost a week earlier than Israel and has vaccinated a little more than 50,000 people in the same period.  Yet Israel has a smaller population than the province of Ontario, with 8.8 million people to our 14.5.

Growing up, my father used to run the assembly line at Ford Motor Company in St. Thomas.  He managed 1,100 people on the line who would produce 60 cars an hour over a ten hour shift.  He is an engineer skilled at production, logistics and delivering solutions to problems…just the sort of person that Doug Ford needs to roll out an effective vaccination program for Ontarians.

Although I realize some people do not want to be vaccinated, the vast majority of Ontarians do.  If we assume 80% of Ontarians want to be vaccinated and we target normal life resuming by September of 2021, we must vaccinate approximately 11.5 million people between now and then.  By my calculations, that means we should be vaccinating about 1.5 million per month or 48,000 people per day.  Right now we are vaccinating 8,000 on a good day.

COVID 19 has caused so much death, illness, mental health distress and overall destruction it is time for it to end…and the end is in sight. 

​Papa…when can you start?

Bruce Peninsula is located at the northern tip of Southern Ontario, separating Lake Huron from Georgian Bay.  Tobermory is at the north end of Bruce Peninsula; Sauble Beach at the south.  It is about three hours from Toronto.  This is one of the prettiest parts of the province, with the largest nature reserves in Southern Ontario.  Bears, rattlesnakes, loons, herons, and all manner of interesting animals can be found here.

Georgian Bay is known for its rugged landscape, clear cold water, and stone beaches.  Lake Huron is clear, blue and sandy.  Sauble Beach is the second longest freshwater beach in the world with 11 kilometres of sandy beach. ​

We recently spent five nights in the region and recommend five sights that are a must see when here:

1.  Play on the sand and in the water at Sauble Beach.
Sauble Beach is the world's second longest freshwater beach, after Wasaga.  We have such bounty in Ontario.  Sauble Beach is known for fabulous sandbars stretching hundreds of feet out into the water.  The water is crystal clear such that you can see your toes when you are walking in the lake.  The beach strip is great for younger adults who want the beach vibe next to the strip but the north end of the beach is perfect for families who don't want to deal with the crowds.  We swam every morning between 10 am and noon at the north end of the beach and pretty much had a good stretch of the beach to ourselves.  We swam every evening between 6 and 8 pm and again pretty much had the beach to ourselves.  The water in August is refreshing.  I suspect it would have been a bit cold in June and July but our four children could not have cared less.  Bring a football, a couple of frisbees, your beach toys, along with some inexpensive floaties.  Your children will spend two hours in the lake playing and wave surfing without once asking for their electronics.  And the sunsets are gorgeous!  Sauble Beach is definitely a highlight of this part of the world.

2.  Visit the Grotto.
The Grotto is an Ontario heritage site and is spectacular.  There is no other word for it.  You have to book your parking and access to the hiking trails well in advance, particularly in the summer and on long weekends.  We instead rented a hard hulled Kodiak with boat operator from Divers Den in Tobermory for two hours.  We docked a hundred yards away from the grotto and snorkeled in.  This cost $400 plus tax and was money very well spent.  The water is blue and green and clear clear clear.  The rock formations and underground caverns and caves are breathtaking.  The grotto itself is a treasure and feels like a magical secret cave when you are swimming in it.  You can also jump off the large rocks into the clear water.  This was a highlight of our trip.  Our children begged to go back a second day but we could not afford to rent the boat again and had not booked access to the hiking trail...otherwise we would have been back at least two days in a row.  This is a must see in this part of the world.

3.  Go splunking.
There are a bounty of caves in this part of the world.  We visited Bruce's Caves for our hike but there are many options from which to choose. After a bumpy drive into the parking area, we enjoyed an easy 15 minute walk into the caves.  The vegetation around the caves was lush and mossy and green.  The caves themselves were very interesting with strange rock formations, narrow passageways from one cave to the other, high steep rocks to climb, deep gulleys to explore, and in general very interesting rock formations that we had not seen before.  The children were enchanted.  It was a nice way to spend an afternoon.

4.  Go see Flowerpot Island.
Whether you arrive by ferry boat or private charter, Flowerpot Island is something to see.  Manitoulin Island is a three hour journey by ferry, but Flowerpot Island is a mere 25 minute journey from Tobermory.  The island has lots of interesting stone formations and sights to explore.  It is named for the one intact flowerpot rock in the lake along with one flowerpot that has partially fallen but remains interesting.  The third flowerpot sunk into the lake a while ago.  Just the unusual nature of the rock formations makes this visually curious.  Spending time in nature exploring the island is a refreshing break from whatever you do every day for work.  It will reset your priorities spending time in such an awe-inspiring environment.

5.  Eat local.
There are many local eateries and small groceries that sell homemade goods.  We loved the homemade cookies, fresh ice cream, and homemade burgers from North Sauble Meats N More.  Sitting down to eat burgers off the barbecue with fresh corn was a pleasure.  Kelsey's in Owen Sound, at the foot of Bruce Peninsula, was also just excellent.  We visited three days in a row and their chicken with sweet and spicy Thai sauce was exceptional as were their quesadillas, broccoli and cheddar soup, and homemade biscuits.  Everything we ate was fresh and delicious...a culinary delight.  A good trip should involve good food and this one did not disappoint.

Bruce Peninsula is well worth seeing.  You are guaranteed to come away with a deeper appreciation of the stunning beauty available to us in Ontario along with a plan to return someday real soon.

Finally, the price of houses in the city of Toronto remains incredibly high.  The prices are completely unaffordable for most families.  Anyone coming into the city from elsewhere in Canada cannot afford to buy in Toronto.  That lack of access to affordable houses in the city will drive people who want a backyard and their own house further and further outside of the city limits.

Those three trends support my prediction that homes in the surrounding communities within one to two hours of Toronto will skyrocket over the next two years.  We’ll see if the prediction comes to fruition.