Emily Provincial Park is located in the Kawartha Lakes. It is about 1 1/2 hours from the GTA. It is located on Pigeon River. The park has 2 small trails and 2 beaches. While I was here, there was a full fire ban in effect. This was a first for me. I’ve never camped without a bonfire.
This was a big trip for me! This was my first ever solo camping trip. This trip was a lot different than most of my other trips. I was very anxious the entire drive up here. I was so afraid that I wouldn’t be able to set up the tent. If I couldn’t set up the tent alone, that was going to be the end of the trip. But with some preserving I GOT IT UP! It was such a proud moment for me. I had accomplished something that may seem small to some, but was HUGE for me. Setting everything else up was a breeze. I had an electric site so blowing up the air mattress was a piece of cake. I have camped so many times, and it was always my job to set up the inside of the tent while the other person set up the outside of the campsite. It took me a little longer to get everything set up but eventually, the bed was ready, the chairs were set and the kitchen was ready to go.
I spent most of the day at the campsite, just reading a “The Origins Of You” by Vienna Pharaon. This was a book recommended to me by my therapist. It is a hard read. It has a lot of self discovery and really digging deep into your childhood so I could only read it in small portions. I am making my way through, it is just challenging to really dig deep into your childhood and really dig up the origins of some of your personal trauma. When the book got hard, I just put it down and wrote in my journal and walked around the campground. I wrote a lot in my journal over this trip. Being out in the wilderness without anyone to talk to really made me connect with myself. I didn’t really eat much while I was here. For me it was more about snacking than eating a full meal. I had an apple and a protein bar in the afternoon.
I did walk around the Circle Campground. That was where I was staying. The sites were pretty large but not very private. This park was very much like a trailer park. There were a lot of families with small kids. There is a brand new playground next to the comfort station for the kids. This is a small park. They don’t really have any hiking trails. There are 2 trails that are less than a kilometre each and I have walked them before so I didn’t need to do it again. Rosie and I did take a trip to the dog beach. It was a nice sandy beach and the dogs were able to run and play in the water before it got too deep.
Rosie did meet another Bulldog while we were at the beach. It’s not very often we see other Bulldogs. Hazel was able to coach Rosie into the lake and the two of them splashed around. The water was very warm. The warmest lake I have been in this year. There is a lot of highway noise coming from the highway at this park. This is not a park you would want to come to if you’re looking to really be in the wilderness. This is more of a park you would come to if you just want a quick trip that’s not too far from the GTA.
The campground also has a park store along with a rental office. They rent canoes, kayaks and stand up paddle boards. They also sell some essentials you may have forgotten as well as Central Smith Ice Cream.
Having a fire ban made the evening very strange. A bonfire is such a huge part of the camping experience. Rosie and I made the best of it. We cuddled up in our Heated Kuma Buddy Chair and just listened to the Tragically Hip. We were so close to Bobcaygeon, it just seemed fitting. I continued to read more of the book until it became too dark to read any more. We had a snack of rice cake chips and Greek Yogurt dip and then just called it a night and went to bed.
I have a blog post on 10 essentials when car camping as well as solo camping so make sure to check them out!
Day two at Emily was fun. I started packing things up early in the morning because I knew I would have my struggles getting the tent back in the bag. I packed up the blankets and deflated the mattress and had everything neatly pilled before attempting the tent.
I made Flourish Protein Pancakes for breakfast and sat and enjoyed the morning sun. I love the Flourish Pancake mix. It is just add water so it is perfect for camping. I make waffles every single day with it but this time I used the same batter and made pancakes since my waffle iron was at home. I don’t know if the universe was working with me today or what, but I was able to get the tent packed up perfectly on the very first try. Once I had the car loaded, Rosie and I took one more trip to the dog beach before heading to my dad’s for Father’s Day.
For me personally, I need to see water. There is just something so calming about it and it takes away all of the stress and anxiety that I have. Even if it is to just sit and watch the waves. I need to have water in my life. I think that’s one of the main reasons I love camping so much. I always make it my first priority to find the water. It could be a lake, a river or even a stream. I just need to put my feet in it and do some deep breathing and take in what Mother Nature has given us.
After spending an hour or so just taking in the sun and the water, Rosie and I decided it was time to hit the road. We headed to my dad’s where we spent the rest of the afternoon with him celebrating Father’s Day.
I hope you guys enjoyed this review of Emily Park. Feel free to leave a comment if you have been here. I would love to hear about your adventures. Remember to follow me @fitness_adventures_with_liz on Instagram for more up to date content of my adventures!
Happy Camping!
Love,
Liz
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