Bon Echo echo echo echo….. We were so excited to finally camp here. Once here, we understood what all the fuss is about. Mazinaw Rock and Lake are iconic.

Our site was in the Sawmill Bay section. I liked it quite a bit. We set up the big tent and the hammock and settled in for several days of R&R. This when we learned that it would be a bit of challenge to do this.

It turns out that the mosquitos and the horse flies are quite abundant in June. Even with ample bug spray, layers and bug netting we were the main meal.

Our only option was to keep busy. We escaped to the water via a canoe we rented at from the Lagoon. The canoes were all those kind where the middle becomes convex over time, but no worries. The water was fairly still, with only a light breeze to keep the insects away. We paddled out to look at the pictographs. There were so many. The interpretive centre offered translations on each.

We then docked our canoe at the Cliff Top Trail trailhead. This is a 1.5km trail with 3 observations decks that follows along the top of Mazinaw Rock. The bugs were back, but only if you stopped and the view was worth the extra bites. If you don’t canoe or kayak, you can take a ferry from the Lagoon.

After returning the canoe we headed to the interpretive centre. It was quite well done and we stayed a while. The park shop is next door, we went to see what there was and then returned to camp.

We made bannock for our after dinner snack. You can find the recipe here.

Animal Tails (It’s not a typo)

That night, one of neighbours had loud party that went into the wee hours. My daughter complained, but as I always remind her, they’ll have to deal with everyone else’s noise in the morning. What they didn’t account for though, were the mid morning snackers. It turned out that another neighbour left their food, coolers and all out in the open. I woke to raccoons calling to each other as they combed each campsites, likely a nightly routine. Once they came upon the site down from us, the calling ramped up. Soon the clanging of dishes and pots being overturned and dropped filled the air. Then it seem more raccoons joined in. There was rustling plastic and all sorts of packing sounds. Yet, the campers at this site didn’t stir for what seemed an impossible period of time. Then I heard a zipper open and gasps and then shouting and calling to the campmates. A light went on. The sounds that followed were of pure disappointment. They would be going into town for breakfast and groceries in the morning.