This weekend I ventured to Arrowhead Provincial Park to go hiking. I have been here many times before. This was the first park I ever camped more than a weekend! I spent 5 days here in September 2020. It was here that Rosie went into a canoe for the first time. That was a terrible experience but we needed to try it out! Rosie is great in a boat that she can walk around in, but she will not sit still in a canoe.
I have also been here on a few different occasions in the winter to hike or skate the outdoor trail. The skating trail is so beautiful in the winter. They also have fire pits set up near the visitors center in the winter to warm up after your skate, hike or snowshoe adventure.
This park really has a piece of my heart. I have a lot of great memories coming here. This was the first time I have ever been here alone. Today I decided I wanted to go and clear my head and really sit and think about what’s next for me so I left Rosie at home and hit the road by myself.
I hiked the Arrowhead Lake Trail and sat by the lake for a few hours and wrote in my journal and cried. These last few weeks have been trying on me. I went through some serious car trouble, people on social media telling me that I photoshop my photos and my weight loss can not be real, and then Rosie got an infection in her tail and I have had several different doctor appointments and all this money just went flying out the window. They say when it rains, it pours and these last few weeks it has been a down pour for me. I know we all go through things that suck. We all have different issues that arise that we need to figure out. Well, this is me telling you that I am human and I have a lot of the same issues. I want this blog to be very real and I want all of my readers to be a part of my life so letting you all in on this is not easy but I know in the end it will all be worth it.
I am at a point in my life where I don’t know what’s next. I don’t know what’s next in my work, I don’t know what’s next in my personal life, I really just don’t know what’s next for me. Going on these hiking and camping adventures is my real passion in life. If I could make a career out of this, I would be one happy girl. Coaching people to their health and fitness goals also makes me very happy. It is so fulfilling for me to see the results in people when they put their minds to it and stick to the plan I have created for them. I know one day I will be able to be a full time online coach and be able to travel and explore more of this beautiful country we live in 🇨🇦
Fall is the season of change, the leaves are falling and it is showing us that when you let something go, something beautiful is going to follow so maybe that’s what happening with me. This last year has been one of the hardest years of my life and I am trying to navigate to become the best version of myself. So maybe letting go of things from the past that I hold dear is the way to go, or maybe keeping them close is the right thing. At this point I don't know what is right or wrong all I know is I’m changing and growing and trying to figure it all out. You need to water the flowers in order for them to grow so releasing tears at the lake helps me water the flowers that are growing inside of me.
Arrowhead this time of year is spectacular. It doesn’t have all of the crowds of Algonquin to see the fall colours. The beauty of this park is very comparable to Algonquin, but a shorter drive. The Big Bend lookout is a short hike with amazing views of the changing leaves. I’m sure the hike through Stubb Falls would also be very pretty this time of year. I didn’t do that hike this time but have done it several times in the past. If you do venture out to Arrowhead taking in all the trails is key. There are 15 km in trails in this park. They all have great scenery and are not extremely difficult to complete.
Arrowhead Provincial Park is a great 4 season park. If you are looking for somewhere to go at any time of the year I highly recommend this park. It is a short 2 hour drive from Toronto and has so much to offer and so much beauty. While I was here this past weekend, I walked through a few of the campgrounds and scoped out a site that I cannot wait to book next year. I just love this park so much. I will be back here again in the winter to try out snowshoeing and to come skating on the outdoor trail! I bet Kaidy would love to come with me out here to skate this winter when she isn't tied up with hockey.
Arrowhead is one of those places that I love and hate at the same time. I have made so many memories here both good and bad and am so proud of myself for going back here and creating new memories alone that I can carry with me for a lifetime. There are a few other parks that I hold close to my heart that I made incredible memories at that I hope one day I will be able to make it back to. Restoule Provincial Park being one of them. Maybe 2024 will take me back there. I fell like every park that I visit again alone brings on an entire new meaning, new memories. Every little step that I take is a small part of my journey.
This weekend Rosie and I are off to Sharbot Lake Provincial Park for what might be our last camping trip of the season. We stopped by here on our way home from Fitzroy and loved how private the sites were. I was able to get a site that overlooks the lake so I can't wait! The weather is also supposed to be 22 and sunny so I am ready to go out kayaking and check out the fall colours in Eastern Ontario.
If you have been to any of the parks that I mention in this blog, make sure to leave a comment and let me know your favourites so I can check them out too! Remember to follow me on Facebook and Instagram to get all the up to date info on where I'm headed next!
Until next week,
Happy Camping 🏕️
Love, Liz
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