We had a fabulous time camping at two of our favourite parks, and the trips were so much more enjoyable as we were camping with our friends Karen & Steve.
Way back during the past winter, we had a Zoom visit with Karen & Steve, when they mentioned their service visit scheduled at Safari Condo (SC), which was around the time we were to be at Rollins. As the park was along the way, they quickly booked a site almost right beside us.
Rollins was the first trip with our new tow vehicle, a Honda Passport.
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| Posing for the camera |
Being a long time Honda owner, I had always hoped they would introduce a model just slightly smaller than their Pilot, and when this did happen in 2019, I had a strong inkling that when the time came, this model would be our next choice. We took delivery just before we headed out.
Stopped at our favourite little grocery store in Tupper Lake to pick up a few supplies, then headed to the park.
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| Wall o beer |
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| Score! |
It was great to see Karen & Steve again, lots to catch up on, lots of laughs, great meals, sunsets, and some nice campfires.
They continued their journey a couple of days later, and we drove to Lake Placid for an afternoon to pass the time.
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| Tail of the Pup ribs |
Our site was under a heavy canopy of leaves, a perfect test to see if the external solar panels would help the battery charging needs…and they sure did.
Although we only had a few hours where pockets of sun hit the site, at times we were able to generate a little over 5 amps of power. Because of this, our battery charge never dropped below 80% of capacity. Pretty good stuff.
Part of the planning done in the winter was to have Karen & Steve swing by Ottawa after SC, and stay a few nights. We organised a small BBQ on our back deck with a few fellow owners that know them from previous rallies. Although the weather was a bit spotty, we had a wonderful time chatting and laughing.
The next day we took them for a drive around the city to show them the sights.
On Monday we headed out in a very small convoy to Sandbanks. We like going via secondary highways, as it is a more pleasant drive.
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| Quick pit stop in Tweed |
Other than a small directional brain fart in Belleville, we arrived at the park right at check-in time. Unfortunately, we discovered that the campers in Karen & Steve’s site had yet to even hitch up, and by this time they should have been long gone. We made them aware that they needed to depart right away, but they seemed very scattered and full of delaying excuses. Karen & Steve pulled onto our site to wait, and as the Park Rangers had become involved, this probably hastened their exit.
The weather was great, and we enjoyed an afternoon on the beach, although the water was a tad chilly. Dale and Karen were brave though, sitting close to shore, where the water was presumably warmer. On the beach we got shade from their very interesting shade canopy called a Shibumi. Simple design, yet very effective.
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| Creates a nice chunk of shade |
We enjoyed some wonderful dinners, including homemade pizzas hot out of a portable oven called an Ooni. Damn, they were good. Desserts were awesome as well, including Ottawa Valley butter tarts, a first for Karen & Steve.
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| Very authentic |
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| Super hot...super fast cooking |
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| A feast for the taste buds |
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| The butter tart...a classic |
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| Someone had a birthday! |
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| Glamping food |
Naturally, when you put two guys together that are pretty handy and enjoy modding their Altos, then some little projects are bound to happen. We installed a fridge light, which Steve had spied in our Alto while at Rollins. An easy mod, with a huge benefit. We also modded the rear stabilizer jacks to allow the crank to work at a less awkward angle. A couple other little items and we were soon very pleased with our results. Fun stuff!
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| Why not pull stuff apart |
We ventured into Bloomfield one afternoon, checked out the shops, and had a great lunch at the Bloomfield Public House. Always a good spot for a bite.
Too soon it was time to head out, us back home, Karen & Steve moving on to their next adventure. What a blast we had hanging out with them…from the Adirondacks to PEC. Such great memories made with great people. Can’t wait until the next time!
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