2009
Rocky Roads of Muskoka
As you drive around in Muskoka or anywhere within the Canadian Shield areas you will see these rock cuts with giant icicles oozing out of them. This only takes place during winter of course but they do tend to hang on for a bit into the warmer spring weather. This photo was taken on Highway # 169 between Glen Orchard and Bala, Ontario. Please click on the photo for glacier sized images.
A close up of the oozing ice that comes out of these road side rocks.
Click image for glacier sized photo
In: in and around muskoka ontario, tripin around towns, uncategorized
2009
Port Sandfield in Muskoka Sleeps
Port Sandfield is the dividing point for Lake Rosseau and Lake Joseph in Muskoka. Once you cross the swing bridge coming from Port Carling you will see the Silver Stream Farms Market on the right side. This general store is very popular with cottagers and locals alike. I can’t wait for those delicious cinnamon buns from their bakery.
2009
The Ghost Town of Swords, Ontario (Muskoka)
This is the general store and former post office in the ghost town of Swords, Ontario located in the district of Muskoka. It is abandoned uninhabited now and has been for quite a while. In 1894 a lumber company was established here and the town was called Maple Station with trains passing through up to 20 times per day. Later the towns name was changed to avoid confusion with another Maple Station. The Sword family operated the general store until 1930. The lumber ran out, the train station closed in 1946 and the post office shut down in 1966 with most residents moving away.
NOTE: Although many of these types of properties are abandoned or unoccupied please remember they are still private property. Please respect the rights of these owners and do not go crawling through them without obtaining prior permission. (Swords photos taken from the roadside)
Ontario Abandoned Places
For a General Store Sized Photo Click on the Image – 1280
Click Image for Biggie Size
Click Image for Super Sized 1280 version
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, tripin around towns
2009
Put up your Dukes in Muskoka Canada
Things looked a little quiet and bleak when I passed by Dukes in Port Carling recently. Dukes is a historic place in Muskoka with a long history of classic boat building. I had a chance to tour the facility last year and witnessed the restoration of some old Ditchburns and Minett-Shields classic woodies. They occasionally have an open house for the public and if you get the chance I highly recommend you take the opportunity to step back in time.
Click on the image for a large launch sized photo
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2009
Up Against the Wall in Port Carling
Port Carling, Ontario – located in the hub of Muskoka features one of Canada’s great roadside attractions. The worlds largest historic photo mosaic spanning 111 x 45 feet.
“The Wall” as locals refer to it is made up of 9028 individual photos of Muskoka’s first 100 years – 1860 to 1960. Each photo was digitally manipulated to show the superimposed S.S. Sagamo steamship circa 1922 which regularly passed through these locks. When you get up close you can see the original log cabins, the bearded homesteaders and the nautical machines of Muskoka’s great historical past.
click the image for a Steamboat Size photo
2009
ffffrozen creature in Muskoka
Looks like we were fortunate to dodge all the hoop-la in Muskoka over the holidays. I understand there was a combination of heavy snow, freezing rain, flooding, extreme high winds followed by hydro outages for thousands. By the time I got back up to check on things it felt like frozen arctic tundra at a mere minus 22c. Here is a shot of a creature discovered on the Gravenhurst waterfront.
click on image for biggie size
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2008
The Church on the Hill in Gregory
On the Lake Rosseau side of the fence there is an old Anglican Church – The Christ Church of Gregory.
Well its time to take a small Blog break. I have not had many chances to get up north this winter but will return for New Years. I’m headed to the Caribbean in search of sandy white beaches and mixed concoctions. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and all the other correct Seasonal Greetings. See you in 2009 – Cheers!
Click Image for Santa Claus Belly Size
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2008
Sun Trees
In the middle of snow flurries everything stopped for a minute and the sun peaked through the clouds. I was hoping it would drop so I could shoot it between the trees but it disappeared and continued to snow again.
Click on the image for a larger 1280 pixel size
2008
Snow Horses
It was snowing pretty hard when I approached the fence and these two zeroed in on me with blank stares almost immediatley.
2008
The Tours Over
Stumbled upon this Bus parked in a wooded area. It appears the road tour may be over for a while. Not sure if anyone was living in it or not. Please click for a larger size.
Click on the image for a bus sized photo
2008
The Leaning Doors of Rosseau
I posted a similar shot of these doors I found up in Rosseau back in June. Many liked them so I thought I would show from the opposite angle.
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, tripin around towns
2008
Lest We Forget
Remembrance Day, also know as Poppy Day. We are so removed and insulated from what it was like for our dads, brothers, uncles, grandfathers and friends to go off to war and never arrive home again or return changed forever. We now take those sacrifices for granted. Please ponder it a moment…
Taken in Bala Ontario overlooking the Moon River
In: in and around muskoka ontario, tripin around towns, uncategorized
2008
Looking Back at Bala Falls
While taking a drive through the town of Bala in Muskoka its hard not to miss the Save the Bala Falls signs. Many locals and cottagers are very upset at the possible destruction of the natural beauty of these falls with a proposed hydroelectric plant being built. This photo was taken “looking back” at the road over the dam and railway bridge near Purks Place and the old stone church.
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2008
The Old Cranberry Truck in Bala, Ontario
Just before the Cranberry Festival hit the Town of Bala I made a trip over to Johnston’s Cranberry Farm. The leaves were almost peaking and the sun was warm at least compared to now. This old truck was or is used for the harvest of cranberries on the farm. It looks like it probably still works.
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, tripin around towns
2008
Lock #45 Port Severn, Ontario
When you take highway # 400 north to cottage country you pass over the Severn River that empties into Georgian Bay. This is the township of Port Severn or Severn as its known today. Severn is part of the Trent Severn waterway that is 387 km’s long and consists of 44 locks, 39 swing bridges and 160 dams. This photo was taken near lock #45 the smallest of them all.
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2008
Out in Muskoka’s Cranberry Patch
Cranberry Marsh in Muskoka Canada
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, tripin around towns, uncategorized
2008
Purks Place in Bala another Muskoka landmark slated for teardown
Their motto is Boats and Bait since 1908. Purks Place is a Muskoka landmark located on Burgess Island at the Bala Falls in Bala, Ontario. It appears Purk’s will be no more. In the near future a hydro electric power plant is slated to be built in its place. Some of the locals have been in opposition to this and have setup a website savethebalafalls.com
Interesting article by local Bala author and musician Jack Hutton. Â Who Cares About Purks’s Place?
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2008
Muskoka Roadside Mailbox Attractions with Dueling Banjo Soundtrack
While driving the back roads of Muskoka I discovered this wonderfully weird mailbox. Those are actually large boulders mounted on top that would weigh a ton. The driveway also had two poles with similar boulders adorning each side. I was curious what I would discover down at the end of this driveway, maybe a great artist or some other eccentric character? The dueling banjo’s went off in my head and I decided it was just a little too creepy to continue.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, tripin around towns, uncategorized
2008
Bracebridge Fall Fair Revisited
Another photo from the recent Bracebridge fall fair. I noticed these two beauties, a Fairlane 500 and a 1931 Ford Model A with a rumble seat. My father used collect cars and had one like this. When I was a kid we would ride into town in one of those bumpy rumble seats -man we thought we were so cool waving to everyone while it put-putted away.
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, tripin around towns
2008
The Zipper Ride
When I was a kid we could hardly wait to go to the annual fall fair. We would usually sneak through a hole in the fence somewhere at the back so we could save the extra money for the midway. Well there was this amusement ride that all kids were really freaked out about called “The Zipper“. Of course we all wanted to ride it and brag about how we lived to survive it despite the rumors about people being launched out of the cages and crashing to a brutal death. (I later learned those weren’t rumors.)
After coming off with green faces we discovered that if we hung around the Zipper we could pick up the money that fell out of peoples pockets. This was a great way to make some extra cash until the nasty Carni man with the stick chased us away – but that’s another story. This past weekend while strolling around the Bracebridge fall fair I discovered my old friend the Zipper
In: in and around muskoka ontario, tripin around towns, uncategorized
