We decided to change it up a bit this time and visit some areas which are located right here in our own back yard of Southwestern Ontario. Often people dream of travel and beauty afar, rarely exploring the world directly in front of them. This weekend we plan to explore a few waterfalls and hopefully quench this gypsy’s thirst for Fall Colours!

With work done and Betsy all packed up, NATURE here we come! On the road for what felt like forever, we decided to call it quits for the night in Huntsville. Pulling off Highway 11, we quickly found a Tim Hortons parking lot and were out for the night.

Day 1 – October 22, 2016

Up early, we decided to explore some of William’s family heritage. Specifically…the art of grave hunting…lol.  Travelling north to the small Town of Corbeil, we ended up on a narrow gravel driveway to someone’s farmhouse. We starting laughing “This can’t be right!?”.  Mon Dieu! (William is of French decent)  Then we noticed the graveyard in this farmers side yard. So close to his living quarters…YIKES! After spending an hour or so walking around reading grave markers, William was happy to locate his great-grandmother, Ozila (Champagne) LeBel and a few great aunts and uncles.

Another surprise we encountered was that two of the Dionne Quintuplets and their parents are also buried there. Ironically, one of Williams Great Aunts  was lucky enough to be one of the midwives who helped deliver these famous Canadian Quintuplets.

 

Back on the road and trying to out run the snow flurries,  Ragged Falls Provincial Park is our first waterfall adventure, located just east of Huntsville.

Just a short walk from the parking area and these two wanderers could already hear the distinct roar of the rushing water. The top of the falls looked innocent enough with a wide mouth, but how deceiving it was. The rocks quickly narrow and drop creating awesome rapids. These two onlookers were in awe.

Picture this…. the back drop of the perfect selfie and from nowhere a bone chilling scream! William darts off toward the scream, starting to strip down before he even knows what’s going on. From the frantic look of the young girl on the other side of the rapids, it appeared her travel companion had fallen in! William without a second thought was climbing down the rocks weaving and bobbing trying to find any sign of life. Thankfully he found a very scared young girl, clinging to a rock, in shock, and looking like a drenched rat. Thank God she was safe!

With all the excitement over and everyone safe, we climbed up and down the rocks thinking about how lucky that young lady really was. These rapids were treacherous.

Time for Lunch! Deep in the park we found a picnic table, we set up our trusty jet boil and these two enjoyed hot soup and sandwiches.

Back in Betsy and heading towards our next destination, we drove past Erika’s Bakery and Coffee Shop. Actually, these two travelers can’t resist the urge to stop at these quaint little coffee shops. We enjoyed the best date square and chocolate donut ever baked. YUM!

High Falls is located just north of Bracebridge and our next waterfall stop. Our first impression was that it was man-made and not overly impressive. We started to explore the surrounding area and quickly realized that this place had much more to offer.A short walk along the forest trail and we were standing on a carpet of golden-yellow leaves and surrounded by different shades of green moss-covered rocks. The earthly energy was undeniable. As we walked deeper into the forest we started to hear the sound of rushing water in the distance. The area was really rocky and a little rugged to climb but the sense of peace and tranquility and the deep connection with nature was just too enticing.

On the way out of the park we stumbled across a wedding party standing out on the rocks trying to take pictures. The photographer of this duo offered up her expertise to take a few pictures of the entire group. What a great way to leave High Falls on a “High Note”.

“Ting” we received a Facebook message from a friend….”if you’re in the area you need to visit Bala Falls in Muskoka”. Not on our original travel itinerary but only a half hour to the east…..Why Not! To Bala Falls!

Alright, back on the road heading southwest towards the Inglis Falls Conservation Area. Getting a bit hungry and tired we stumbled across a rest stop tucked off the side of the road in Craigshurst.  Sitting nice and warm in the back of Betsy, the wind howling outside and the sun setting,  the driver thought it was time to look for a place to call it a night.

The search for the perfect stealth camping site was on! Driving along the highway towards Owen Sound when William notices a bunch of cars parked along the side of the road. “Why weren’t we invited to this party!?!”. To our surprise we stumbled across a local Farmers Market celebrating the lighting of their Pumpkin Pyramid, let’s check it out.

An hour later we were finally tucked in for the night in an overflow parking lot, just behind the Tim Hortons in Owen Sound. The perks of travelling during the off-season. Stealth camping at its best. Good night.

Day 2 – October 23, 2016

The next morning started off in William’s perfect way, hot coffee and oatmeal.  First stop Inglis Falls. A quick search in the GPS and Walters Falls pops up on the way. Not on the list, but let’s check it out.

Walters Falls is a privately owned waterfall with an old Saw Mill attached. You can view the falls from the top and it appears to be nice but there is no access around or down to the base of the waterfall to enjoy its true beauty.  However, the mill and weir structure provided a glass like surface for great pictures. Did he say wier??…because all this gypsy heard was weirdo…lol

Onto our original destination….Inglis falls.  Although there was a concrete barrier at the top of Inglis Falls to keep onlookers at bay, these two climbers couldn’t resist to get a closer look. A quick walk around the site and we discovered a “somewhat” accessible route down to the base of the waterfall.

Williams’s definition of accessible and the gypsy’s are clearly different, but we survived…..BARELY! William’s quest for adventure almost got him soaking wet when he took a leap of faith onto a large rock and then had no safe way back. With EVERYTHING  crossed he made it…lol

A ten minute jaunt up the road and we were at Indian Falls. Let’s get our hike on! A short walk through a heavily wooded area and then in the middle of nowhere opens up this massive circular cavern with a very impressive natural waterfall.  We ventured down the ravine to witness this wonder up close and personal. An easy hike with FANTASTIC results.

 

Another fifteen minute up the road and we were parked along the side of Highway 6 at a little hidden entrance to the Pottawatomi / Jones Falls Conservation Area. Which we actually missed the first two times….grrrr…lol.

No worries, it worked up our appetites and gave us an excuse to eat lunch….van style.

The rocks forming Jones’s waterfall looked more like Mayan ruins that should be in Mexico. The multiple layers of rock appeared to be stacked and the outside edges square and plum, it almost appeared to be man-made. Or maybe an engineer had something to do with it….lol.

Even with the cooler weather and winter approaching, this waterfall still had green vegetation and flowers growing. The area looked so exotic and out-of-place. We found a large rock right in front of the waterfall and perched ourselves on top enjoying the warmth of the sun.

Time to head even further south to Hoggs Falls, which is located right outside of Flesherton.  We parked the van and took a short walk through a forested area.As we approached the falls we ran into several people standing around at the falls.  I think we’ve grown accustom to being so isolated on our adventures that when others are around it takes away a little from the magic.

The nomad driver was getting a bit tired by this time in the day, but his gypsy sidekick shouted “Eugenia falls is only 5 minutes up the road!!”.

Eugenia Falls was a very impressive 50’ drop, but there was no safe access down to the bottom of the falls. We walked around the concrete protective barriers along the top and enjoyed the view from a distance.

With another great adventure under our belts, it was time to start thinking about heading back home…a.k.a. #happyrock! .  We cannot stress enough how beautiful, easily accessible these local waterfall wonders are.  Please get out and check them out. If you are reading this from anywhere in Southwestern Ontario get out and connect with nature! “Home William”!