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travel / adventure / guides / summer 2005
| Travel & Adventure Guides |
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By Conor Mihell
Eganville-Bonnechere: Ontario's Secret Caves
Gananoque: Thespians and
the Thousand Islands
Mattawa: River of the Past
100 kilometres
Eganville-Bonnechere:
Ontario's Secret Caves
Follow Hwy. 17 west toward
Renfrew, then take Hwy. 60 west
to the village of Douglas.
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| Photo: Alan Marsh/Firstlight.ca |
About 100 kilometres from
Ottawa, near Eganville, Ontario's
prehistory is revealed in a network
of underground caves etched in
500-million-year-old limestone
bedrock. The Bonnechere Caves
(www.bonnecherecaves.com)
were carved by meltwater 10,000
years ago, following the last ice
age, but today, they offer visitors
of all ages the opportunity for
subterranean time travel. "The
caves are like a time capsule from
millions of years ago," says Chris
Hinsperger, co-owner of the
Bonnechere Caves. "Natural
processes of erosion allow us to catch a glimpse of a world that
was much different from the one
we live in today."
From Victoria Day weekend
through Thanksgiving, interpreter-guides
lead hour-long walks
through the caves. On a hot
summer's day, the cool cave
passageways echo with the
sounds of dripping water. As
you follow the well-lit, earth-coloured
walls, you learn about
the region's geology and see
examples of 450-million-year-old
Ordovician fossils.
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| Illustration: Mary Read/DesignStudio |
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In late August
or September, little brown bats
arrive and make the caves their
winter home. Tours run every 20 minutes during the summer and on
weekends in September and three times
a day during the week in September.
The caves offer an excellent day
excursion, but it's easy to spend a weekend or longer in the area.
Nearby Bonnechere Provincial
Park has Algonquin-like scenery,
without the crowds. The park
features a full-service campground,
swimming and a number
of hiking trails. If you're looking
for a bed and breakfast, visit
the village of Eganville, where
The Hobit Bed & Breakfast
(www.thehobit.ca) offers
charming rooms and an onsite
masseuse.
200 kilometres
Gananoque: Thespians and
the Thousand Islands
Follow Hwy. 416 south and
Hwy. 401 west.
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| Photo: Barrett & Mackay Photography |
A weekend in the quaint eastern Ontario
town of Gananoque is not just an escape
from the city - it's an escape from reality.
After an easy two-hour drive from Ottawa,
you reach Gananoque, the "Gateway to
the Thousand Islands." From May to
November, this picture-book town sets
a scenic stage for theatre. This summer,
a musical production of Lucy Maud
Montgomery's Canadian classic, Anne
of Green Gables, will headline at
the Thousand Islands Playhouse
(www.1000islandsplayhouse.com). From
July 22 to September 3, the Springer
Theatre stage will be transformed into
rural Prince Edward Island, with Anne
Shirley, Diana Barry and friends sure to
entertain audiences of all ages.
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Throughout the summer, the Springer and
Firehall theatres will mount seven other
productions, including comedy, romance,
musical and mystery genres.
Between shows, nature lovers will
want to explore St. Lawrence Islands
National Park, part of a UNESCO
Biosphere Reserve. At the Landon Bay
Centre (www.landonbay.org), located just
northeast of Gananoque, the five-kilometre
Donevan Trail takes hikers through a
unique transitional forest, where southern
and northern species live side by side.
Here, wildflowers and songbirds abound.
And from atop the Look-Out Trail's lofty
perch, it's easy to see why First Nations
likened the Thousand Islands to the petals
of heavenly flowers. Landon Bay is also
home to a full-service campground and interpretive programs.
Gananoque's inns alone
are worth the trip. They
provide more than just a
place to spend the night,
and many have wonderful
restaurants. The entertainment
package available
from the Victoria Rose Inn
(www.victoriaroseinn.com)
comes complete with meals, theatre tickets and a boat cruise;
its kayaking package includes a
guided tour of the islands. And
at the Trinity House Inn
(www.trinityinn.com), you'll
enjoy rooms and decor dating
back to 1859. Casa Bella Bed &
Breakfast offers four comfortable
and casual guest rooms, but the
menu and inspiration of chef
Stev George are reason enough to
visit this highly rated restaurant.
300 kilometres
Mattawa: River of the Past
Travel west on Hwy. 17.
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| Photo: Hap Wilson/Spectrum Stock |
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To the Ojibwa, Mattawa means "meeting
of the waters." Here, the eastward-flowing
Mattawa River joins the southeast-flowing
Ottawa River, ultimately leading to St.
Lawrence tidewater. For millennia, First
Nations people used the Mattawa as part
of the westward waterways connecting
Lake Nipissing to the upper Great Lakes.
More than two hundred years ago, the
fur-trading voyageurs followed the
aboriginal path from Montréal to Canada's
interior. The 295-kilometre road trip
from Ottawa parallels the fur-trade route
of yesteryear.
Today, the town of Mattawa and its
surroundings are still a worthy destination
for travellers. In Mattawa, the river
remains the big draw. It has been
recognized as a Canadian Heritage River
and is part of a protected-waterway park.
Wilderness canoeists have access to the
Mattawa at several points west of the
town. If you launch at the eastern end of
Trout Lake, you can enjoy a three-to-four-day
downstream run. You can also take
shorter overnight and day trips. En route,
you'll pass historical carrying places
named by the voyageurs, including
Portage Pin de Musique and Portage de
Plein Chant — places where the pines
still whisper the songs of the fur trade.
The trip is well suited to intermediate
paddlers, and the portages are well
marked. Contact North Bay Canoe &
Kayak (www.nbcanoe.com)
for
more information.
For the less adventurous, a
night at Samuel de Champlain
Provincial Park's full-service
campground will open your eyes
to the human and natural history
of the area. Located 15 kilometres
west of Mattawa, the park
features three hiking trails, a beach, the Voyageur Heritage
Centre, where you can admire
a replica birchbark canoe, and
The Canadian Ecology Centre
(www.canadianecology.ca),
whose summer camps and interpretive
programs appeal to all ages.
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