A new destination this weekend, into the Rideau Lakes area, to a rather large campground nestled between the upper and lower Beverly Lakes. Although we originally thought this was a private campground, it turns out it is owned and operated by the local township. It has a private campground feel, lots of seasonal trailers, and the sites are quite tight. It is evident that it is well run, there is staff around all over, tending to the grounds, picking up garbage, and operating the little canteen.
Our site is right on the river that connects the two lakes, and we are between two seasonal trailers. At the back of the site there is a wooden deck that almost spans the river. All the sites are nice and grassy. Our neighbours, Roger & Margaret, wandered over to say hello. They have been coming to this park for over forty years, and apparently the same is for many other campers here. Their children loved coming here, and although they toured around the country in a variety of trailers over the years, their kids always wanted to head back to Delta, and this campground. Delta is the little town between the two lakes, and it is still little now.
There is lots of activity here this weekend, mostly, as Roger tells us, because bass season opens tomorrow, and everyone is anxious to get the lines in the water. The weather is promising to be beautiful all weekend, which will give our site lots of sun, followed by shade from the huge trees around us. We took a walk around the campground, heading first to the canteen for an ice cream cone. We were not the only ones with this idea. With the size of the campground, the number of seasonal sites, and a canteen offering all sorts of food, this operation must be a nice little extra cash flow for the township. It is little wonder they are investing the effort to keep it well maintained.
There is a small beach for swimming, and it is a nice sized lake with lots of islands. We sat on a rocky point to watch the sun go down. There is live music drifting across the water from a nearby island. Roger told us the island is owned by a local family, and it is set up as an event venue. They have a couple of pontoon boats that ferry people back and forth to weekend events like BBQ’s and bands. It is locally known as the party island, and from the regular ferry crossings full of people, and the applause after the songs, it seems to be a happening spot.
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| caused by water flowing off the rock??? |
Roger told us the fisherman would be out early, and sure enough, at 5:00am, a steady stream of boats started puttering past us, heading for the lake. That was it for my sleeping, as my boat curiosity took over, and every sound of an approaching motor made me wonder what sort of vessel was going by. Dale, unsurprisingly, was not affected with the same curiosity.
We took a little bike ride to explore the town, however there is not much going on here any longer. From the buildings though, you can see that at one time it was an active community. There is a mixture of houses, some quite large and elegant, along with a long retail building, and some small factories. Most of these are now abandoned. Also part of the old fairgrounds is a classic looking spectator stand, although any ball diamond or sports field seems to have long disappeared.
We talked to a local farmer who had a stand set up across from the empty retail building, and she told us that a few years back a group of businesses set up shop in the stores, and tried to make a go of it, but then one morning the locals discovered them gone, leaving everything behind. She also told us that although the summer has some good traffic, the winters are desolate, with even the gas station/grocery store has a tough time surviving.
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| lots of yummy treats |
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| a classic Land Cruiser |
Fired up the Q for dinner, seasoned flank steak with chimichura sauce, and grilled baby potatoes. A simple meal. Dessert, well that was an ice cream cone of course!
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| only like this for a moment |
It was a warm day, but it cooled off nicely, mostly due to the breeze off the lake, so it was great for sleeping. We started to pack up after breakfast on Sunday, sipping our coffee and chatting with our neighbours. As we are close to the little town of Newboro, Dale has decided that a quick stop at Kilborn’s is a ‘must do’ activity. This a a very cool destination store, with all sorts of goods, but in reality, their market is truly aimed at the car full of women friends that are out for a shopping adventure. Always something to find there, and sure enough, Dale did!
Another nice weekend, relaxing away from the usual weekly commitments.
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