Arnprior - Bracebridge

You can't prevent it, four days before departure I think that everything will be over soon. For me, of course. Actually, I don't want to have such thoughts, but they come inevitably. And even if you want to see such great things to end, a approaching farewell makes you a little sad. At least it has stopped raining.

The drive to Algonquin Provincial Park takes 2 hours and even if the rain doesn't start again, there is dense fog over the land. Occasionally, the visibility is so low that you only perceive oncoming vehicles shortly before passing by. But since the allowed maximum speed is only 80 km/h, adapted driving is not a problem. There is no pushing here either.

It is noticeable that there are relatively many cars on the road. On a rather gloomy Sunday, that surprises me a little. The entrance to the park is decorated with small houses, but at least you don't have to pay to enter. That surprises me too. Why don't they charge for it? They would make good money today. Because the park is very crowded.

I don't even want to imagine what it looks like here in the summer. Although it can also be that many are attracted by the Indian Summer and there is not so much going on in the summer. In any case, it is really crowded. Some parking lots are even so full that you have to park illegally. The colors yellow and red have now completely taken over. The whole forest shines in these signal colors and if I compare that with the beginning of my journey, the difference is incredible.

When there are a lot of cars parked on the side of the road in one place, I stop because I think there must be something special going on. And indeed, a moose cow is grazing with her calf at the edge of the forest. Those are the moments when I wish I had a better camera. In any case, my iPhone doesn't work as well at that distance. The scene is then ended by a completely idiotic motorcyclist who is obviously annoyed by the parked cars and revs his engine several times. This prompts the cow and her young to disappear into the forest. There are already complete idiots.

By the way, now I also know why it's called Indian Summer. I've never seen so many Indian visitors anywhere before. And most of them are traveling in large families. I have no idea if they have emigrated to Canada or are on vacation here. In any case, it is noticeable. That was not the case in Nova Scotia.

The road through the park is relatively short, not 80 km, but because of the numerous stops, it takes me almost 3 hours. I notice, like yesterday, that I am getting tired earlier and earlier. And so I drive directly to my accommodation, which turns out to be a loveless shack. But you are right in the city center and can see Canadian hustle and bustle in this town of 16,000 inhabitants. If you're really into it, you can also go to Santas Village and experience Christmas in late summer or fall. I'm not one of them.

Tomorrow I will drive for another 3 hours and then visit one of the main attractions of my trip. I'm very excited. A childhood dream will come true. And then it's finally heading to the airport. One advantage of shacks like this one is that they make saying goodbye easier.