MAIDEN VOYAGE

As peers in the tourism industry, we were invited on an introductory cruise of Muskoka Bay to the lighthouse which stands at the entrance to Gravenhurst Narrows. This was my maiden voyage aboard the Wenonah II, a diesel-run replica of the early Muskoka steamships, combining turn-of-the-century charm with modern conveniences.

WAKEBOARDING

On the ride back to Basecamp, Josh Arviko, one of their instructors, performs an aerial somersault. Staff from The Rosseau were invited to visit their camp facilities for a tour, BBQ and an afternoon on the water wakeboarding. Having never tried it or snowboarding before, it took me several attempts before I was able to stay up... briefly.
[Thanks to Scott Duke and the staff at Basecamp for a wicked day.]

VICTORIA DAY

A boater cruises past Victoria Rock, a natural rock formation that resembles the profile of Queen Victoria, whose birthday we celebrate today. She reigned for 64 years, the longest of any British monarch, and also spent the last 40 years of her life dressed in black and in perpetual mourning after the death of her husband, Prince Albert.
[My kayak provided by Dan Arcand of Muskoka Sports & Recreation.]

OPENING WEEKEND

Visitors and cottagers arrive for the long weekend and the opening night of The Kee, with a sold out concert by Blue Rodeo. Originally known as Dunn's Pavilion during the era of dancing to the Big Bands, the name, times and music have since changed, and it continues to attract crowds with their resort nights and popular concert line up.

HUCKLEBERRY ROCK

"View the beauty of Muskoka" beckons the sign at the parking lot entrance, the trail leading to Huckleberry Rock Lookout which boasts one of the best views of Lake Muskoka. One vantage point features this white pine, its upper formation suggestive of a bird in flight, like many of the birds that frequent this area riding the thermals.

MUSKOKA TRAILS

Along with launching their new website, the Muskoka Trails Council has initiated a passport challenge for everybody to hike six different trails in the area and experience their diversity, each with an unique passport number to record. Upon completion of all the trails, submit their numbers and you'll receive a certificate for your achievement.
[The Muskoka Trails Council newsclip provided by TVCogecoOntario.]

A SUITE VIEW

To commemorate the 10 year anniversary of geocaching, I planted my first cache at this scenic lookout under the same title. Touted as "the sport where you are the search engine" geocaching is a high tech hide and seek treasure hunt that everybody can participate in using a GPS to find hidden caches, often in some interesting places.
[Visit www.geocaching.com to register for free and start searching.]

MAY FLOWERS

April showers bring forth May flowers. A red trillium stands out from its white peers, in both colour and qualities. Trilliums are members of the Lily family and are aptly named for their arrangement of three leaves, sepals and petals. The white trillium was adopted as the floral emblem of Ontario and is also the symbol of its Government.