How does one write a travel blog during a pandemic? The question of travel bloggers everywhere. I guess I could have spent time catching up on dozens of past adventures that I *intended* to write about, but instead I’ve been working on other projects– namely, finishing my novel.
HOWEVER, now that things are starting to open, I have been able to get out and do some fun things in Northern Arizona, where it isn’t a hundred bazillion degrees outside.
You think I’m exaggerating, but seriously, once it hits 115 degrees, you can’t even tell when it gets hotter anymore.
The good thing about living in Phoenix is that I can escape bad weather with a two-hour drive. My parents treated my family to trips up north in August, TWICE. A glorious reprieve.
While in Flagstaff, I finally had the chance to try the Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course. There are actually two options for adults: The Zip Line and the Adult Adventure Course. I got to try both!
Zip Line
The Zip Line was so fun! This course offers dozens of zips, and one is so long you can’t even see the end through the trees. I love the feeling of being high up, so this was a lot of fun for me. If you’re nervous, though, never fear– you’re connected by two strong clips at all times.
My foster son, R, and I doing the Zip Line Course
Fun fact– this is the largest zip line course in the Western U.S.
Also– how many gnomes can you find hiding in the trees?
Adult Adventure Course
There are five levels to this course, and one guide told me (after I fearlessly leapt to a rope that swung me into a giant net) that only 25% of people actually finish all five. Can you do it?
My husband, Ben, and I. And yes, I chose that shirt on purpose.
The beginning of this course is really easy, aside from crawling through a hanging barrel. But it does get harder. And higher. There’s even some bouldering involved!
I liked the Adult Adventure Course best. It’s focused on challenge, rather than just fun. But both were a lot of great! Definitely something I’d do again.
COVID Precautions
The Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course’s COVID precautions were appropriate. Everyone on staff wore a mask and the facility was clean. Guests were encouraged to social distance and avoid going in the building, except to use the restroom. We were allowed to take off our masks once we got in the trees, but each party had to stay on separate platforms. You will be touching things other people touched, but I wasn’t too worried about it since it was outside in the sunlight. I just didn’t touch my face and washed my hands after.
I totally recommend this! I was born in Flagstaff and lived there for several years. I’ve been to all the touristy things within two hours. This one is one of my favorites.
Last call for summer in Ontario! I can’t want to see fall in Canada, but summer is National Parks Season. In just a few short weeks, most of the National Parks in Canada will be closed for winter.
Naturally, the end of free Canada Parks passes for Canada’s 150th anniversary is a big deal for a budget traveler like myself.
So, when Ben and I both had a three-day weekend over Memorial day, we loaded up the dog and hit the road for a three-day camping trip in Ontario!
Ipperwash Beach: $0
Although we live in Detroit, we ended up taking the Port Huron border crossing. It’s closer to the coast of Lake Huron, where Bruce Peninsula is located.
Canadian Monopoly money
The way into Canada wasn’t too bad. The guards didn’t even bother checking Kito’s paperwork! It’s up to date, of course, which is actually more important on the U.S. entry than the Canadian entry. After quick formalities, we were on our way!
Lucky dog– she’s been to 4 countries now!
After we got through the border, we drove along the coast. After living in Saint Martin, where all the beaches are public property, we forgot there would be so many private beaches!
Of course, there are also some nice public beaches on the Huron coast of Ontario. We decided to stop for lunch at Ipperwash Beach, which is in Lambton Shores.
Part of the beach does require paid parking, but if you drive to the northern entrance, you can park for free. Exit Highway 21 on Army Camp Road, and you’ll find the lot and a nice picnic area with restrooms.
The beach itself was nice, and we apparently hit it on a good day! However, it was really crowded, so we made a mental note to come on a day that isn’t a holiday weekend next time.
The best part about Ipperwash Beach was a guy driving a couple of jet skis into the lake on his tractor. You don’t see that every day.
The Old Homestead Campground: $42 CAD/ $34 USD
Unfortunately, I didn’t plan the first day of our trip very well. I originally wanted to take a longer route and go through Point Pelee National Park on the first day, but Ben very wisely pointed out that the massive loop I mapped out on Google Maps was going to take more than 3 days, unless we never wanted to get out of the car.
So we didn’t have camping reservations, and when it came time to find a camp, we didn’t have a very easy time of it. Most of the campsites and hotels were full. Finally, I stopped at a general store and asked for advice. The owners pointed me to The Old Homestead, not too far from the highway in Bayfield.
Honestly, we were a bit underwhelmed by the campground. It was nice, but for $42 CAD I’d expect something different than an unserviced piece of grass on the common lawn. The playground was very close to the campsite, and everyone was packed into tight spaces, so it was pretty noisy. Someone played very loud music until late at night, too.
We forgot a pot, so Ben used his “African ingenuity,” as he calls the skills he learned from a childhood in Tanzania.
Although I’m more of a camp-in-the-middle-of-the-woods kind of person, The Old Homestead would be nice to stay at on a less busy weekend, if you don’t mind neighbors. It’s clean and well kept, which is always a plus.
Right behind our site, there was a path that led into winding trails through the forest. This was awesome! Kito loved running around the woods and splashing through the creek. I don’t think she’s ever seen a creek before, and she was fascinated!
We also found a great place to string up hammocks. We were far enough away from the noise of the camp that we could relax in the peace and quiet of the woods for a while.
Point Clark Lighthouse: $7 CAD/ $5.64 USD
The next day, we packed up and headed further north. We stopped at Point Clark Lighthouse in Point Clark, because who doesn’t love lighthouses?
I was planning to just look at the lighthouse, but Ben and I were excited to see that this was a Parks Canada Historic Site! Armed with our Parks Canada pass, we headed inside.
Unfortunately, the Parks Canada pass is not valid at Point Clark Lighthouse. Not sure why Parks Canada would own something but not operate it, but I guess that is why the pass isn’t taken there.
Because we were on a budget for this trip, we skipped the lighthouse tour. However, if you don’t mind spending an extra $7, it looked like a great place to tour! I was OK to skip it, though, since it was a bonus stop on our trip anyway.
Sauble Beach: $0
If you know anything about the Huron coastline of Ontario, you probably have heard of Sauble Beach.
Sauble Beach is a resort town on the coast, and it was hopping the day we visited. We were lucky enough to get a parking spot close to the beach itself, so we walked over to have lunch.
A friendly police officer reminded us that dogs are not allowed on most of the beach, so we stayed in the small dog-friendly area to eat. The view was very pretty!
Fathom Five National Marine Park: $0
The Fathom Five Marine Park is located on the tip of Bruce Peninsula, near the town of Tobermory.
For the Canada 150 celebration, Fathom Five Marine Park is open to the public for free. This treat ended already, sadly, and we ended up visiting on the second to last day! Because of this, the park was packed.
However, you can visit next year for about $6 CAD per adult and $15 for a family, which is an awesome price! If you want to see flowerpot island, add an extra $60 for a private boat tour. Or, go all out and scuba dive through one of the many shipwrecks.
Despite the mayhem, the crowds did not deter us. They kind of freaked out Kito, who barked at a beagle, a child, and a park bench within the first ten minutes of being in the park. She chilled out once we got on the path, though.
I took the climb up the tower to see the whole park. Wow! What a climb. the girl in front of me got shaky legs and had to summon all her courage to get all the way up. I tried to take some photos to show how high up it was.
We took the Burnt Point Loop, which is the hike in Fathom Five National Park. This, along with the trail from the visitor’s center, was about four miles long. It’s actually a side trail of the epic Bruce Trail, which runs from Fathom Five to Niagara Falls! It was cool to get to do a little bit of the Bruce Trail, which is a bucket list item for me.
The trail was gorgeous, and it took us to incredibly clear, blue water that reminded me of Saint Martin. Despite the many visitors, there were many nooks along the coastline where we could be alone an enjoy the view. A picture is worth a thousand words, so take a look below:
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Singing Sands at Bruce National Park: $0
On our way out, we stopped at Singing Sands, a part of Bruce National Park. This is another park that was free in 2017 and closed on Labor Day. Again, it was a bit crowded, but not as crowded as Fathom Five.
Ben and I would have liked to hike the trail to The Grotto in Bruce National Park, but they were totally booked for the day and turned us away!
Ben on his daily run! 112 days and counting.
We ended up at Singing Sands, which was still a lovely way to end our day. Besides, the Grotto will be there next time.
Singing Sands doesn’t look like much– until you start walking along the path. Here, you’ll find incredible biodiversity and lovely wildlife! Ben saw a snake, but all I saw were flowers and birds. I’m OK with that!
KOA Owen Sound: $35 CAD/ $28 USD
After our time at Bruce National Park, we drove to the Owen Sound Koa, about an hour and a half away. I’m a fan of KOAs, since they’re pretty predictable. In a place where randomly hiking into the woods and setting up camp isn’t allowed, this was a great option.
We are definitely coming back here! We did have neighbors and a busy campsite, but it was nice and quiet. It was spread out enough and there were tons of trees, so it felt fairly private. It also looked like a fun place to bring kids– a hay ride was taking off just as we arrived.
We strung up our hammocks by the car and made dinner– macaroni and cheese in a bread pan over a portable stove! Hey, whatever works.
The most wonderful part of this camp was that it is connected to the Bruce Trail! We woke up early, made a flask of hot chocolate, and followed the trail over the bridge, through the Rock Springs Side Trail, and on to the Bruce Trail.
Oh, my word! The trail in the morning was so still. It was only about 65 degrees Fahrenheit, but the stillness in the air made it feel comfortably cool. I come from a land of conifers, so this boreal forest was magical. Everything was covered in soft green moss, and the morning light filtered softly down through the leaves.
I wish so badly that we could take a month and trek the entire Bruce Trail! I’m not sure if that will ever be a reality, but it was a treat to get to walk a couple of miles of the trail.
Produce Stand at Masse Farms: $13/ $10.50 CAD for produce
We had a long drive ahead (and it got longer as the lines at the border increased), so we went straight along the 5-hour route home.
We did, however, make one last stop! One simply cannot go through farm country without buying fresh produce, so we followed the signs to Masse Farms and bought some sweet corn, meat, strawberries, and tomatoes. Yum! There’s nothing like farm-fresh food.
We continued on through the cornfields and towns toward home. Each church tower, brick shop, and Victorian estate was something new and beautiful to admire! If you ever find yourself with a weekend to wander, these towns are worth a look.
After a relaxing morning of driving through rural Ontario, we eventually pulled into our driveway. It was a weekend well spent! Next time, we’re heading around the southern coast of Ontario.
Other Expenses:
$140 CAD/ $113 USD for gas
$37 CAD/ $30 USD for groceries
Total: $268 CAD/ $216 USD
We were able to have a three-day trip from Detroit to Tobermory for under $250 USD! Of course, the free Parks Canada pass ends this year, so the parks won’t be free after 2017. However, the parks aren’t very expensive, and if you don’t want to pay, you can always opt for free walks in the nature parks!
The trick to keeping this trip inexpensive — despite the necessary gas for such a long drive — is to refuse to splurge. Don’t go shopping, don’t stay in hotels, and don’t eat out. You can have plenty of fun in nature while eating your own groceries!
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Meet my friend Marie! Marie and I went to college together in Arizona. She currently lives in Asia, where her husband is stationed with the military. She has gathered many stories during her global travels, and I asked her to share one with us!
My friend, her husband, and I had been in Thailand, specifically Bangkok, two days and we decided to sign up for a tour to visit the Erawan National Park and the close by Elephant Sanctuary. Our earlier adventures had all been in the exciting city of Bangkok. We had seen the Jade Buddha, national temples and palaces, the Giant Buddha, and many sights on-board exciting public transportation. However, time had come to see a little more outside the city.
The morning of, we woke early and met up with our van driver outside the hostel we were staying at on Kao San Road. For three hours we made our way outside the city, only stopping briefly to use a squatty potty and grab a meat filled biscuit for breakfast while the van was filled with gas. Through the beautiful jungle and up the winding roads we finally made it to the Erawan National Park where seven gorgeous waterfalls awaited us.
We made our way up the path to the first waterfall, along the way seeing wild pigs and hearing multiple languages from the many tourists on their way to the waterfalls. The heat and humidity required the constant consumption of water on our brief hike, but finally we made it to the first waterfall. The beautiful turquoise water gushed over the huge rocks and small naked children swam through the water with the many fish. The fish were the same kind of fish that many spas use to eat the dead skin off of feet.
Further, we made it to a less crowded waterfall and pool where we waded and swam through the cool and refreshing water to the rocks under the waterfalls, getting our toes tickled by the many fish. Under the falls we looked through the curtain of water and viewed God’s beautiful nature. After a little bit of time and three more waterfalls, we had to say good bye to the falls and made our way down towards the van for an authentic Thai lunch and then on to the Elephant Sanctuary.
An hour later in the van, we pulled into a park by a river surrounded by jungle. Immediately we were greeted and lead down to the shore by the river. Two massive elephants emerged from the jungle and waded into the river, each atopped by a native Thai man yelling commands.
Three at a time, we made our way out to the first elephant and climbed onto his back. The elephant was then coaxed to spray his back with water, completely soaking us. His bristly back helped us to stay on as he moved and the river current sped on by. After a few minutes, the Thai man gave out a command and the elephant bent his front legs and threw us forward into the river. After belly flopping and trying not to be taken down river, we made it to shore where we went up to platform to ride the elephants. We climbed aboard an enormous and very friendly elephant. The trip was absolutely fantastic as we made our way through the jungle scenery. We were absolutely terrified when the elephant would climb up and down steep stairs!
When the elephant ride was completed we climbed back into the van yet again for the long ride back to Bangkok. That day was filled with awesome new experiences. From there on we gained many other new exciting experiences as we entered Cambodia and visited Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, and Sihanoukville. After Cambodia we made our way to Southern Vietnam and saw the Mekong Delta, Can Tho, and the Floating Market. At long last we headed back to our homes in South Korea.
