The Long Road Home...

..via the scenic route! 

A bright sunny day in autumn up north? Going Home Day? Forget the freeway route...take the scenic one through part of the Muskoka Lakes area... known for its lakes, obviously, but also for its autumn colour and its annual Calvacade of Colours celebration. The leaves were not at their peak yet but were still stunning! Vibrant reds, glowing golds, brilliant orange and yellows...By Thanksgiving weekend, the colour should be at its peak. 

Unfortunately I did not get any fab fotos of all that colour; there was always a car on my tail, and nowhere to pull off the road..but I arrived home inspired..and anxious to autumnize my living room...but that's another story...

The scenic route I take goes through Gravenhurst which is on Lake Muskoka, one of the 3 biggest lakes, and offers lake cruises on RMS Segwun, this historical steamer that is moored there. (main) My sister, brother and I took mom and dad on one of the dinner cruises for dad's 80th birthday .. a long time ago....and he loved it! He particularly enjoyed  seeing how everything worked...

"RMS Segwun is the oldest operating steam driven vessel in North America, built in 1887 as the SS Nipissing to cruise the Muskoka Lakes, a resort area with many lakes and rivers. Early in the 20th century, Muskoka was poorly served by roads. Vacationers were transported to lodges, or private cottages, via a fleet of steamships." 

In 1924, as demand grew, the Muskoka Lakes Navigation Company needed to add another boat to their fleet, but with money being tight, decided, that rather than commission an entirely new boat, they would convert the decommissioned SS Nipissing, a side paddle-wheeler, into the current  twin propeller passenger steamer it is today. And, interesting to note, Segwun is one of only three ships in the world still carrying the status of Royal Mail Ship. Neat, eh?

It was a long day... so my little stopover in Gravenhurst gave me a break and also a blip! I had been up for the sunrise, but had to settle for after- sunrise photos (extra) as the clear sky did not offer much in the way of drama this time!  But I did see the beaver, stalked him, hid behind a tree and, unnoticed, snapped a few pictures of him - but once again all I got was a brown blob in the water! 

I had pretty much everything packed before breakfast and then came the lugging of everything into and out of the boat and into the car...with lots of help from my daughter and SIL..The drive home was longer than usual..the scenic route is slow..add in a detour around a serious car accident and lots of Sunday going-home-from- cottage traffic, and the hours added up...By the time I got home and did some grocery shopping, I was "done in"

So...unpacking, doing the laundry and storing summer attire will be tomorrow's task...