2018 Trip 9: an Ottawa Valley get away

We were off to a new destination this year for the closing weekend. Our regular spot had decided to convert their overnight sites into seasonal sites, which was not overly surprising and we guessed something was up given the mass cancellation they did in the spring. A little search for a similar campground turned up the Opeongo Mountain Resort, situated on Lake Clear.

This campground is in the heart of the Ottawa Valley, and although a bit more of a hike to get to, we knew the lake as it is right beside our old family cottage. I am very familiar with this area, having spent a lot of time around here, so many years ago now.

Unfortunately, what was not lovely was the weather. It was a cold and somewhat rainy weekend. The poor weather was however, well offset by the great company we had, fellow Alto owners Chris & Jen, Ralph & Tricia, and Terri joined us for the weekend, and it made for a really nice time.

always fun to have company...

The campground is mostly seasonals, and the sites themselves are quite large. The overnight sites were nested in a row, surrounded by mature pine trees and some hardwoods. We were glad to have services, and the electric heater got a good workout. After we were all set up and dinner was out of the way, we had a great campfire, sitting around the fire, not only for the conversation, but also for the needed warmth.

We hung around the campground Saturday, enjoying several nice visits from our friends. Chris and Jen drove into the closest town, Eganville, and came back with a decadent treat...freshly baked Ottawa Valley chelsea buns, also locally known as ‘sticky buns’.

In the evening, we all bought tickets and went to the homemade Thanksgiving dinner that was hosted by the owners in their little canteen building.  They put this dinner on every year, a sort of thank you to their regular customers, and for those like us who happen to be camping.  It was a wonderful traditional dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies, and turkey dressing. Of course, the lovely gravy added it’s own flavour to the plate. Homemade desserts rounded out a totally splendid meal.

great meal...even better company

a man and his desserts

When we left the canteen after dark we stepped out into a light, and thankfully brief, touch of snow flurries. We built another roaring fire to take the chill off, along with more great conversations and laughter.

Sunday brought more of the same weather, but there were a few moments a sunshine that took the dullness off the day. A bit of hiking and a bit of poking around the camper made up the day. Tricia and Ralph ventured down the cottage road to their daughter and son-in-laws for Thanksgiving family dinner and Chris & Jen joined us. We shared meals and sampled a few tasty beers.

Barley is waiting to be served

the fall colours were well underway

old school boat tucked away for the winter

Monday was down to the task at hand, and that was the rinsing of tanks and winterizing the water lines. We headed out in the early afternoon, and made a quick pit stop at the Antrim Truck Stop, to pick up a couple of classic cold turkey sandwiches for the ride home. We also could not resist getting one of their famous butterscotch meringue pies to take home...very yummy.

So that wraps up another season, and again, it was stellar. So many highlights this year...the pre rally rally, the big SC rally, which exceeded all expectations, ten wonderful days of visiting friends and relaxing at Sandbanks, and all the other great weekend getaways, made it a memorable season.

And now very shortly, a whole new adventure lies ahead...stay tuned.