After a quick exit through customs and an over-long wait for the hotel shuttle bus, we checked into the Travelodge Toronto Airport. This was nothing like UK Travelodges which are as basic as they come - this had a grand lobby, 17 floors and full leisure facilities.
We then headed downtown and met Jenn and her little pug Rambo. We went for a brief walk with the dog and a quick visit to Jenn's apartment, which was spookily number 1111, when our Toronto hotel room was 1112! We went to an English pub (a Firkin) for beers, food and an all too short catch up, and headed back to our hotel. Our body clocks were telling us it was way past our bedtime :)
18th September
This morning we breakfasted in the executive lounge, thanks to our excellent travel agent who had secured us a room on a private floor. Get in! Then we headed back to the airport to collect our hire car for the next couple of weeks, a red Chrysler PT Cruiser. Stuey was not particularly chuffed at this, but whichever way he looked at it, it's a damn sight better than his current jalopie ;)
We took a 'bit' of a wrong turn and ended up on the 401 heading east through Toronto, when we meant to go on the 400 north. No matter, instead we took a leisurely drive through the district of Durham, passing through Whitby, Manchester and Sunderland among other throwbacks to British towns! This took us round the east side of Lake Simcoe and up to the town of Orillia.
Orillia is rather fabulously located on a land bridge between Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching. Before the availability of electric refrigeration the town's primary industry was ice mining, carving huge blocks of ice out of the frozen lakes in winter and exporting it.
After a nice lunch overlooking Lake Simco (see picture) we stopped to photograph the views, and then headed onwards to Bracebridge, where we visited High Falls. While they weren't quite as high as I might have hoped given the name, they sure were pretty! We even managed to get some shots of a rainbow as the water splashed down onto the rocks.
We then made our way up to our accommodation for the next 2 nights, the rather fabulous Hidden Valley Resort near Huntsville. Wow what a place! As we approached the area our British sarcasm really came to the fore 'oh this looks like it's going to be awful, can we go home?'
The resort has a sandy freshwater beach overlooking the gorgeous Peninsular (or Penn for short) Lake. Although it's not quite Fall here yet, some of the trees are beginning to turn so there are some fabulous coloured trees around the lake shore, making for some great reflections.
After a bit more photography and a quick change we went for dinner in the hotel restaurant, Birches. Good grief the food here is good! Stu tucked into a full pound of Alaskan King Crab (see picture) and all our meal was fabulous. We washed it all down with a lovely bottle of Canadian wine - a Chateau des Charmes Sauvignon Blanc, from Niagara on the Lake. Spookily, according to the bottle the grapes were harvested on 18th September 2006, 3 years ago to the day, and only 12,000 bottles produced. That's spooky coincidence #2.
The hotel itself is beautiful. Modern yet rustic with some lovely furniture made from canoes and oars! It may not sound it, but it's very tasteful!
Safe to say we're having an awesome time so far and I can barely wipe the smile from my face :)
Hope everything back home is ok.
Dx
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