Living in Toronto, my provincial park aspirations are generally geared to parks further north, often a 6-12 hour drive away. But some weekends you don’t make grand plans, or just want to stick closer to home.
Darlington Provincial Park, located along the shores of Lake Ontario, about 85km east from Toronto is one such park that is fun to visit for a day trip and only takes about 1.5 hours to get to.
Burk Trail Sign at Darlington Provincial Park near Toronto
You’re not going to get extreme or challenging hiking, as the four trails here total no more than 7.5km in length combined, with most being rated as “easy”. It’s more of a family-friendly, social gathering and low impact type of hiking destination at Darlington Provincial Park. Many people come here to toss a frisbee around, go for a swim, and just get an escape from the cities.
Hmm, which way to go?
For the most part, the park is pretty wide-open, but there are some parts you can hike to that will make you feel like you have the entire place all to yourselves.
Hiking, or walking, along the Burk Trail, if your bet option for getting a bit of this escapism. The sign at the start of the trail mentions Cooper’s Hawks, songbirds and insects as the wildlife highlights. Hey – we’re not in northern Ontario here, so I’ll take what I can get!
Insects in the heat of summer can be a bit annoying, so if the mosquitos are around you may need some bug spray. It’s open fields at the start, so insects and scorching summer sun are prominent, then you get into some mix of shade and sun.
Part of the trail stops out in a big field near the lake, if you need to relax on a bench or go cool down in the water. Lots of greenery and plenty of small birds zipping about between the trees on this trail.
The lookout is probably the biggest highlight. Worth stopping for a break and quietly listening to the sounds of the insects and forest, while hoping to maybe spot one of those hawks that the trail sign mentioned.
Hiking along the mostly open field Burk Trail
It is a bit of a climb to get to the lookout, but nothing strenuous. The trail in total is only just over 2km in length so you’ll barely crack into your bottle of water by the time the trail ends. Well, not quite – it is a pretty open hike so a sunny summer day will keep you hot and sweaty and needing some hydration.
The lookout was a nice spot, but the pioneer cemetery wasn’t quite what I expected. A plaque tells the story of the Burk family who settled here, dating back to John Burk 1794. Perhaps they were the first people to live on this land, although it is likely that different Native American peoples passed through the area before then.
Clearing near the lake on the Burk Trail
The trail is named after the Burk family, as Darlington Provincial Park comprises part of the land that they owned back in the early 1800s.
As for the cemetery itself, it’s a fenced off grid, with very little in the way of eye candy or interesting headstones. Looking at it, being maintained by the park, you can’t help but wonder how many other, similar pioneer family cemeteries might be hidden away by vegetation across Ontario.
The Burk Trail Lookout, didn’t spot any Cooper’s Hawks on this day
The cemetery is towards the end of the trail, with a fairly flat and easy walk from here. Depending how much history and how many insect noises you want to stop and enjoy along the way, this is a quick 30 minute hike or leisurely hour long nature and bird walk.
The Burk Trail Pioneer Cemetery at Darlington Provincial Park
Getting up early always seems easier while camping. Perhaps it’s the relaxed mind and peaceful sleep out in the fresh air that helps you feel so rejuvenated in the mornings?
Grundy Lake Provincial Park had been on my camping hit list for a number of years. I had heard good things from a number of people about the trails, activities and general vibe of the park. It sounded fun, although a bit more accessible, and perhaps crowded, than most Ontario Parks I visit.
First dawn, waiting for the sun to appear over Gurd Lake
I decided to check it out one July after the long weekend, around the time of my birthday. I booked a site many months earlier and had been lucky to get a spot near Gurd Lake.
As I was setting up the camp site the first afternoon, I was greeted by some butterflies and birds in the forest behind the site. All was good. A small black bear walked by, looking for food from careless campers. He rambled on, the birds remained.
The orange glow and brightening sky…
Afternoon turned to evening, we enjoyed cooking some campfire sausages and had a couple of beers before it was time to sleep.
Waking early, I was full of energy and it wasn’t even light outside yet. My girlfriend at the time wasn’t quite the early riser, so I got up and let her sleep. The darkness was just lifting, so I grabbed my camera and walked over to the lake to watch the sun rise.
Misty Gurd Lake as the first rays of light stretch out across the lake at sunrise
A nearly perfect, cloudless morning. The dark sky slowly emerged. An orange glow and increasingly bright blue sky opened up above Gurd Lake.
Parts of the lake started to mist, as the temperatures were changing. Birds (and some flies) were buzzing around.
The glowing orange sunrise and first glimpse of the sun over Gurd Lake at Grundy Lake Provincial Park
Then the sun peaked up from behind the distant tree line. The golden glow stretched out across the lake. It was a perfect start to a fine Canadian summer day in July.
This was my first morning at Grundy Lake Provincial Park, later that day I’d be canoeing on this lake with loons, fish and snapping turtles nearby. It was a fairly busy park, with campsites all packed, but I never felt crowded, so I’d happily return to Grundy Lake PP one day…just many other Ontario Parks to visit first!
A new day begins, a sunrise in July, while camping in Ontario
My personal alternative name for this hike in Kettle Lakes Provincial Park is “Scary Creature Trail”, but we’ll get to that soon enough.
Start of Wintergreen Trail at Kettle Lakes PP
There are some nice hiking trails at Kettle Lakes, and this could be a favourite for many people. All trails at the park are pretty short, with this one coming in at only 1.5km in length. It has mostly minor elevation changes – nothing gruelling, but offers some great lake views.
Wintergreen Trail at Kettles Lakes starts off with lush green fields and a mix of vegetation to enjoy. You’ll find the trail starts with a bit of low lying shrubs and a sandy dirt base, as is found at many of the parks in this area of Ontario, just east of Timmins. Blueberry bushes and jack pine forest are common here in the park.
Those tall spindly pines provide a fairly open start to the trail and offer possible bird, squirrel and chipmunk sightings. It isn’t long before the vegetation changes though, into denser forest with more birch trees popping up as the trail eventually winds around Island Lake, one of the many kettle lakes formed here by the last ice age.
Walking through some overgrown shrubs along the trail, approaching the lake, was when I heard something quite loud, which stopped me in my tracks.
Just up and around the corner something was making a lot of noise, rustling through the trees, breaking branches and causing commotion. Hmmm. Deer and smaller creatures tend to move around in practical silence, so this seemed odd.
Greenery along the Wintergreen Trail just before the scary noises…
Even bears, which love the blueberries around here, are generally very quiet. My heart started to race a bit as the noises got even louder and seemingly closer. Something was tearing up the forest just ahead of me and it didn’t sound friendly.
The trail was pretty narrow here. Rough terrain on the right was slightly uphill – towards the sounds, or a steep and long downhill slide that would eventually lead into Island Lake. It was going to be a jump downhill if whatever was ahead decided to come after me.
Stopped on the trail, above Island Lake
The noises got even louder, whatever it was, had reached the trail up ahead of me. Branches and twigs snapping. I waited for it to come barreling down the trail right at me, it sounded huge whatever it was!
Then the sounds started to get quieter. Moving away, moving downhill towards the lake. I cautiously moved forward on the trail, up to the corner and to where the noise had come from. I got there just in time to see the last parts of a birch tree being dragged down to the lake.
Ah ha! A beaver. I stood there near an opening in the forest and waited. Sure enough a couple of minutes later I saw the telltale ripples of a beaver swimming across the lake, with long tree in tow.
More handiwork (toothywork?) of the busy, busy beaver
The beaver had obviously been busy. Surveying the area it wasn’t overly obvious that a tree had just been dragged through, unless you looked close at the small shrubs and bushes. A little ways off the trail was where the tree had been taken. It was a good 50m or more from the lake, and a fair trek uphill/downhill for that beaver. He sure earned his reward!
Walking along the trail, with nerves calmed, I soon came across another birch tree that had been freshly chewed down by the beaver. Seemed that someone had some home renovations in the works.
Another birch tree, waiting to be dragged away by the beaver
I left the scary beaver trail behind and admired the lake from above. There weren’t any trails to get down and see what the beaver was up to, but that was probably good – nice for them to have their peace and quiet away from us visitors, even if they caused me a bit of a noisy scare.
View of Island Lake at Kettle Lakes Provincial Park, home to the noisy beaver
Before long, I came to a clearing and end of the trail. A nice walk in the woods, with a bit of a surprise. At least now I know what a beaver dragging a tree through the forest sounds like!
If you’re a fan of road trips, this little US journey has a bit of everything.
On paper, or on Google Maps, it comes in at around 530 miles long, but we all know that when you include visits to National Parks and scenic coastal highways there is a tendency to take a few extra side trips! I always allow for at minimum 10% extra on my road trips, and often exceed that.
San Diego Roadtrip time, hanging out in the desert in SoCal
In reality, I travelled more than 600 miles on this road trip, which started and ended in San Diego. If you’re thinking of going to Southern California, and San Diego, take a look at these highlights and consider doing some exploring outside the city.
Day 1 – San Diego
If you ask me, the first day of a road trip is the best day to cover the most ground. But, the exception is when you’re flying into a new city to start your road trip, as I was on this adventure. How come? Well, you need to stock up on supplies, enjoy a good meal and take some time to enjoy your new surroundings!
Day one on this journey included grabbing snacks and food from the grocery store, picking up the rental car and enjoying a greasy dinner from California’s favourite burger joint – In N Out burger. (Ok, so some road trip meals are about sampling the local fast food, instead of eating well!)
One thing I’ve learned to appreciate from many road trips is that National Parks get all the glory, but State Parks often have the best surprises. After a couple of hours of highway driving, the desert journey began and I had to stop to enjoy some of the local flora. There are some funky, cool looking plants in this part of the Colorado desert!
The first roadside surprise of this trip occurred on the way into the village of Borrego Springs. It’s a located in a very scenic flat desert landscape, with mountains in the background (prone to flash floods though!)
Near Borrego Springs, California
Driving towards town, these curious rusted animals popped up in the middle of the desert. First there were a few Mammoths, then some horses…weird, fun – photo stop!
Moving on from Borrego Springs, the desert landscapes were dramatic, with big mountains complementing deep canyons and dry washes.
Turning north, a final stop in Palm Desert to top up on gas had Joshua Tree National Park as the next destination.
Arriving just after sunset, the park quickly became eveloped in a blanket of darkness. This area of California is a dream for astronomers and night sky watchers. With very little development around, the park is isolated from light pollution. Just a couple of hours after sunset, the sky was twinkling with starts and air planes.
Playing around with some night photography in Joshua Tree National Park
Instead of seeking a campsite, I pulled over and spent a couple of hours trying my skills at photographing the night sky. I had never tried photographing star trails or the night sky with my current camera, so it was a fun experiment, which garnered mixed results. I learned that my current DSLR is much more sensitive than my older DSLR, I played with taking long exposure images as well as high ISO images – up to 6400ISO! A bit noisy, but I had to see just how good/bad images looked at that ISO.
With tiredness setting in, it was then off to have some dinner and find a camp site at Jumbo Rocks camp ground.
Day 3 – Exploring Joshua Tree National Park
What a night! Forgetting how cold it can get in the desert at night, it was a bit of a chilly sleep, compounded by insane winds that howled all night long. Thankfully getting up early at sunrise was always the plan and catching a few golden hour photos of Joshua Trees and desert scenery was a worthy reward.
Moody Morning Clouds and a Joshua Tree
Where to go and what to do? So many trails to choose from in this big park! I decided there were three must-do experiences on my hiking and adventure list for the day.
First stop was hiking around Hidden Valley. It was early in the morning and except for a solo rock climber, I had the trail and area all to myself. Well, there were a few ground squirrels running around too!
Hidden Valley Trail scenery in Joshua Tree National Park
Second hiking stop of the day? Checking out Barker Dam. Supposedly an area that attracts wildlife and migrant birds attracted to the water reservoir. They weren’t hanging around in abundance when I made it to the dam, but there were enough birds around and greenery on the ground to know that this was a unique place in this part of the Mojave desert.
The final park attraction of the day was Keys View. At 5185 feet / 1581 meters, this lookout was pretty cool, mostly for the fact that it overlooks the infamous San Andreas Fault. It was pretty cool looking across the desert valley to mountains on the otehr side of the fault. Every year the lookout and those mountains on the other side are pushed further apart, by more than an inch a year.
The San Andreas Fault – everything on the other side will slip into the Ocean one day. Maybe.
With the main attractions done, it was time to enjoy the rest of the park at leisure. Originally the plan was to spend another night in the park, at Cottonwood Spring, but it was closed due to flooding so plans changed, something you have to be prepared for on any road trip.
A detour to the Oasis of Mara brought me to the north edge of the park and from there it was a late-afternoon drive across the desert – headed west towards the coast.
A true desert Oasis – the Oasis of Mara at Joshua Tree National Park
Next stop? Carlsbad.
Day 4 – Carlsbad and Coastline
Being a beer geek, the night in Carlsbad was spent sampling some decent local craft beers from breweries like Stone, Alesmith and Lost Abbey. There is such an abundance of great beer in SoCal that I would call it the second most attractive beer destination in the US, just behind the Portland, Oregon area.
Headed south, this was a leisurely day for just seeing what the road had to offer. Del Mar was the first surprise, with it’s plethora of shops and perfect seaside location next to Torrey Pines State Reserve. After a bit of a walk around, the journey south continued all the way to Point Loma in San Diego, where I was staying for the next few days.
Ocean Beach sunset in San Diego, California
After seeing how beautiful the Torrey Pines area was on the drive down, I knew I’d be spending the entire next day hiking and enjoying the coast. Once settled into my hostel, it was time to head to Ocean Beach, or OB, to catch the sunset, then grab some grub at Pizza Port, which happens to be a great beer joint.
Day 5 – Pine Trees and Sea Lions
On a sunny San Diego day in January, the temperatures were set to reach 20C, so it was off to Torrey Pines for some hiking. What a great place! The Torrey Pine Tree is actually an endangered species that is found only in this reserve and on some nearby islands. They provided some great contrast to the dry desert ground, especially with the crashing waves of the Pacific in the distance.
Looking to the Pacific Ocean from Torrey Pines State Reserve
Wanting to get to the beach at Torrey Pines, I took a hike down to the shore and returned via the Beach route circuit. Winding through some hilly, shrub lands, scattered with the occasional pine tree, it was a popular hike that seemed mostly frequented by locals out for a jog or bit of exercise. Despite numerous rattlesnake sign warnings…no wildlife was spotted.
At the beach, it’s a big staircase down to the welcoming ocean waters. I headed south towards a spot called flat rock. Most people who head to the beach stop at the seaside cliffs beside flat rock, but if you do a bit of climbing and venture around the wall, a entire beach can be all yours! I spent an hour on this other side, enjoying my own personal beach. I also had to show that I was Canadian by getting wet in the water.
Nobody was swimming in the Pacific Ocean at Torrey Pines, but a few people were getting their feet wet. To me, the water wasn’t that cold, so I waded in almost waist deep to get some photos and walk along the shoreline.
After the beach journey and hiking back uphill to the road, the next stop of the day was La Jolla Cove.
Sleepy Seals at La Jolla Cove in SoCal
If you haven’t heard of La Jolla Cove, it is the best spot to go and watch sea lions on the beach. There are probably somewhere around 100 of them here, mostly lounging around on the beach. Some are perched precariously on rocks and others are zipping around quickly in the water. They’re a bit stinky, but they’re super fun to watch.
The biggest highlight here was watching one odd baby sea lion. It’s mother was slightly lighter skinned than the rest of the sea lions. She was kind of a lighter gray colour instead of dark gray / black like most other sea lions. But the baby, it was nearly pure white in colour! Very odd, at first you’d almost think it was an albino, except it did have some bits of colour on it’s fur.
After the day of adventure along the coast of SoCal, it was back to San Diego to enjoy a few more great beers. I first headed over to Coronado, for a nice sunset view of the San Diego skyline and a bit of BBQ at Lil’ Piggy’s Bar-B-Q.
Catching the Ferry to San Diego from Coronado
Then the night destination was Toronado pub. It was a bit out of the way, not downtown or along the oceanfront, but well worth the journey by taxi. Quite possibly the best lineup of beer I found anywhere in San Diego, both in bottles and on tap.
Day 6 – San Diego Zoo
Not much road trip driving today, but plenty of walking! Would the world-famous San Diego Zoo live up to it’s hype? Indeed it did.
While I skipped over many animals like elephants and giraffes, which I’ve seen in the wild in Africa, I was impressed with the spaciousness of the enclosures for the animals and getting to see some cool animals I’ve never had the pleasure of encountering in the wild (yet), such as spectacled bears and panda bears and a bunch of odd creatures I can’t remember the names of, ha!
One of the cool, funny-looking animals at San Diego Zoo
Even though I got there early, at opening time, and had planned to possibly see more of the city, I ended up staying for a full day, the Zoo is that big and that much fun.
After the Zoo day it was time for me to leave San Diego. I covered a lot of ground in 6 days and had planned to see even more. A novice road tripper may find this trip a bit too much to do in 6 days, so give yourself an extra day in the desert.
San Diego Road Trip Recap:
Distance on paper: 530 miles
Actual distance: 610+ miles
Start/End Points: San Diego Airport
Main cities: San Diego, Carlsbad, La Jolla, Escondido, Palm Desert
Main attractions: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Torrey Pines State Reserve, La Jolla Cove, Ocean Beach, Coronado, San Diego Zoo
Over the last couple of years I’ve noticed more and more travellers starting to offer their own tours.
This is a great, natural progression for people who are experts in their travel destination or a specific skill set, such as photography. I wanted to give some of these people that I know a shout out, as their niche efforts and passion go beyond what some large-scale tour operators can offer. These trips are all about passion and sharing special experiences, without cutting costs to improve the bottom line. Now some of these people have been running tours for many years, while others are brand new.
I’ve worked with, travelled with or become friends with all of these people, so they all get my personal stamp of approval. Take a look at them all if you want to experience something different than the typical tour groups.
Photography Tours for Travellers
Ewen in South Luangwa National Park
If you’re into photography, this first one is easy for me. I’ve travelled with many fantastic photographers and learned a lot over the years. Back in 2005 I spent a month overlanding in Africa. Photographing the wildlife was my passion (and still is). Before that trip, I’d known Ewen Bell by email as we worked with similar travel companies, so I knew it would be a treat travelling with him.
His style of photography goes beyond the landscapes and natural world, as he has an ability to connect with the people in places he visits. I’ve never been one to photograph people, but have often been amazed by his photos.
Oh, and if that isn’t enough he is a solid writer as well and has won numerous photography awards, including Travel Photographer of the Year from the ASTW.
The type of rural village you’ll see in Kenya on a tour with Dave & Deb
Switching gears a bit, there has been a rash of travel bloggers getting into the tour game recently. Among them all, the ones I like most are the trips being offered by Canadians Dave and Deb, known as The Planet D. What separates them from most other travel blogger trips I’ve seen recently is their level of professionalism and the range of skills they bring along as an added-value to your trip.
One problem with committing to a trip with a new company or individual is that you may not have have any guarantee of services if something goes wrong. Large tour companies are members of organizations like ABTA, IATA, TICO or PATA. You don’t need to know what these acronyms mean, but they’re essentially regional or international associations that often require members to be financially stable and responsible. In some cases funds from members go into a pool so that if a business goes bankrupt, you’re not stranded in some foreign country.
Why am I mentioned all of this now? Well Dave and Deb are based in Ontario, Canada. As such they need to have a licensed tour company that is a member of TICO running their tours. They teamed up with the good people at The Travel Society, to create their tours and adhere to all local regulations. Such safety measures vary greatly across countries, and even provinces or states within countries. If you’re going to book with a local / small company be sure to ask if they’re licensed to actually sell travel services and what happens if something goes wrong on their tour.
For Planet D, Thailand, Kenya and Switzerland are up first on their tour list. Their personable nature, great photography and ability to turn their blogging into a successful business with many great partnerships shows how dedicated they are to doing things right. You can expect no less from their tours.
A touristy image in Moscow, let Masha show you the non-touristy highlights
Uncrowded and Untravelled Asia
I worked with Masha for many many years at one of the big, global tour operating companies. When I went to Russia in 2012 she was the first person I thought of when asking for some tips and advice. That’s her speciality – not just Russia, but Central and Northern Asia – oh and SE Asia too of course. But it is her passion, knowledge of, and experience in leading tours and organizing tours to places like Iran, Russia, Mongolia and the “Stans” that make her trips special.
She has been a tour guide and has also ran the operational / logistical side of things for tours in these areas for many many years, so she knows how to create the best trips out there.
I expect her new trips to be full of amazing meals, lots of laughs and local expert “inside” information.
Tour Guy Jason guiding some beer lovers around Toronto
Local travel can be just as fun and rewarding as hopping on a plane and stepping foot on foreign land. When it comes to fun day tours and adventures around Toronto, look no further than Tour Guys Toronto.
I’ve taken their Beer Makes History Better tour and learned plenty of beer factoids, as well as some interesting Toronto history. It was fun, involved beer, and was led by a great guide. As these tours are short, that guide aspect really is a key component to their success. Having great, knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides makes a big difference. Now if beer isn’t your thing, other tours around Kensington Market, or their When Pigs Fry tour are great options.
If you’re visiting Toronto, or have friends coming into town and want to suggest some ideas for them, then send them to Toronto Tour Guys. The Tour Guys also run trips in Vancouver.
Aaron from Original Trails, starting a fire, with some Maasai help
From Ethiopia to Tanzania and Nepal to Cambodia, Original Trails offers up some of the most carefully crafted custom tours and ethical adventures out there. Aaron and Aparna who run the company are big supporters of helping local communities and giving back to the places they visit. They call it “Pure Travel” and it shines through in everything they do.
They also run great fundraising trips and bootcamp challenges for people to make it to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro or trek the Inca Trail. If you need a dose of inspiration and personal challenge with your travel, check them out.
I’m lucky to have travelled with, worked with or become friends with the people running these tours. It really is worth seeking any of them out, as they all run specialized tours in places that they’re passionate about. It’s not just about making money for these guys and gals, it’s about making the most of your travel experiences.
