2011 Trips
Index | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006
 |
Planned | | | 10 places | | | 30 nights |
 |
Booked | | | 10 places | | | 30 nights |
 |
Camped | | | 10 places | | | 30 nights |
|
|
|
Fitzroy Provincial Park (Fitzroy Harbour, ON) |
Park | Map | Photos | This location: 8/10 | Our experience: 9/10
June 9 to 11, Two Rivers Campground, Site 253: 30A Electric @ 119V. A late start to our season saw us travelling for the first time to nearby Fitzroy. We were pleasantly surprised by the park, which is very picturesque. Site 253 is large, flat and grassy with partial shade and, at a certain angle, a view of the water. We saw plenty of dragonflies (always a good sign) and there were some mosquitoes although our new OFF! Clip-On mosquito fans did a great job keeping them away.
We were short a couple of things this trip... we forgot to bring water and the trailer's fresh water tank still tasted a little of (non-toxic) RV antifreeze... and the stoppers and strainers for the kitchen sinks have gone missing. We bought water and stopped the sinks with paper towel.
Good:
- Staff - Friendly and helpful.
- Showers - Controllable temperatures and no auto-off - a step up for an Ontario park.
Not so good:
- Response - The park number is in the brochure but no-one answers after hours.
- Store - Small with high prices - $3.25 for 1.5L of water is a soaking!
|
|
|
Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary (Ingleside, ON) |
Park | Map | Photos | This location: 9/10 | Our experience: 9/10
July, 8 to 10, Nairne Island Campground, Site 48: water, 30A electric @ 112V. Part of the Parks of St Lawrence, the Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary (UCMBS) is a gem - one I wish we'd found years ago! Site 48 is huge with an unobstructed view of the St Lawrence Seaway and passing shipping. This site has power and water and plenty of room for shelters, chairs, outdoor games, and a nice fire. There is a fairly level gravel pad for parking and nice green grass covers the rest of the ground.
Good:
- Staff - Friendly and helpful.
- Atmosphere - Quiet and respectful - perfect for families.
- Beach - Fine sand with warm and shallow water is perfect for kids.
- Sites - Spacious and well maintained on gently rolling, grassy hills.
- Comfort station - Clean and well maintained.
Not so good:
- Sites - Little privacy.
|
|
|
Riverside RV Park (Saint-Basile, NB) |
Park | Map | Photos | This location: 9/10 | Our experience: 7/10
July 22 to 24, Site 53: water, sewer, 30A electric @ 120V. A long drive got us to this nice little park just south of Edmundston. There are several sites (including ours) along the small but fast-moving Iroquois River and it's quiet enough so that the River is all you hear at night. There were thunderstorms both nights and the latter knocked out the power and a large tree branch that blocked the road to our site. Both were temporary.
Good:
- Staff - Friendly and helpful.
- Atmosphere - Quiet.
- Location - Conveniently close to the Trans-Canada, but far enough away not to hear it.
- Sites - Large, well maintained grass with gravel pads.
- WiFi - Free but hard to connect at our site. To be fair we were about as far from the office as we could be.
Not so good:
- Sites - Mostly full exposure, little privacy.
Edmundston seems to be a popular overnight stop. Our two-night stay gave us the time to do a little sightseeing and we found a gem - the New Brunswick Botanical Garden. If you visit, be sure to find and talk to the carver-in-residence, the talented and personable Mr. Luc Cyr.
|
|
|
Linkletter Provincial Park (Linkletter, PE) |
Park | Map | Photos | This location: 9/10 | Our experience: 10/10
July 24 to August 3, Site 37: water, sewer, 30A electric @ 119V. Last year's trip across Canada was an real adventure, but this year we wanted to go somewhere closer and stay in one place longer. PEI fit the bill perfectly - and the farthest point on the island from Linkletter PP is two and half hours by car.
Good:
- Staff - Helpful and very friendly.
- Location - Not too far from Confederation Bridge, right outside Summerside, and right on the ocean.
- Sites - Well maintained grass, most with an ocean view.
- Beach - not great for swimming, but awesome for exploring, especially when the tide goes out.
- Firewood - Fairly cheap at $4.20 for a large bundle. Nice, dry... and delivered!
- Price - $32.55 for a full service site
Not so good:
- Sites - Mostly full exposure, little privacy. Full-service sites are small. Several flood (ours didn't).
- Seasonals - Some are a little run-down.
Our stay on PEI was wonderful. Our days were split between rain and sun and we did a lot of touring and sightseeing. Island highlights included Avonlea village, Thunder Cove, Cabot Beach and tours. Personal highlights included the presence of John's aunt and uncle from Alberta, east on a big trip. Their friends, travelling with them for the most part, were there too, and they became our friends. And we met two other families with whom we've exchanged contact information and hope to stay in touch.
The three of us enjoyed the trip so much that we're talking about repeating it next year. Linkletter is a great park in a great location and when the tides go out it's possible to walk out several hundred meters on the ocean floor - lots to see.
|
|
|
Riverside RV Park (Saint-Basile, NB) |
Park | Map | This location: 9/10 | Our experience: 7/10
August 3 to 4, site 50: water, sewer, electric (voltage untested). Same place on the way back. This was an overnight in the truest sense - we didn't unhitch or lower the stabilizers and we had dinner delivered.
Good:
- Staff - Friendly, helpful and grateful for our business.
- Atmosphere - Quiet.
- Location - Conveniently close to the Trans-Canada, but far enough away not to hear it.
- Sites - Large, well maintained grass with gravel pads.
Not so good:
- Sites - Mostly full exposure, little privacy.
- WiFi - Out. Apparently damaged by lightning.
Not sure why we picked a three service site when we only hooked up to power. Edmundston seems to be a nice city but the smell of the pulp and paper mill can be obtrusive at times. We think we'll stay in Grand Falls next trip.
|
|
|
Quebec City KOA (St-Nicolas, QC) |
Park | Map | This location: 7/10 | Our experience: 8/10
August 4 to 7, site H1: water, sewer, electric @ 120V. This KOA was recommended to us by a neighbour as a convenient stop for touring Quebec City. It's also a nice break between Edmundston and home.
Good:
- Staff - Friendly and helpful, even with John's limited French.
- Atmosphere - Packed but respectful - and friendly.
- Location - Conveniently close to Autoroute 20 and Quebec City.
- Sites - Well maintained grass with gravel pads.
- WiFi - Free and consistent (if somewhat slow)
- Facilities - The pool was nice and very welcome on a hot day.
Not so good:
- Sites - Mostly full exposure, small, little privacy. Of course, it is a KOA.
- Noise - Even though the bulk of the sites are down a large hill, the sounds of the highway were still instrusive.
For a KOA this is a nice campground. Ours was a "super site" on the end of the row with a concrete patio and patio furniture - a touch of luxury that made hanging around the site all the more enjoyable. The park is large with a lot of sites - about 200 - but very well run. And there are a number of tours that can be booked through the KOA... the buses stop at the front office. Old Quebec is very beautiful.
|
|
|
Fitzroy Provincial Park (Fitzroy Harbour, ON) |
Park | Map | This location: 8/10 | Our experience: 10/10
August 12 to 14, Two Rivers Campground, Site 252: 30A Electric @ 119V. We returned to Fitzroy with some old friends. The last time we camped together it was the four of us in two tents on one site. This time it was the four adults, five kids, two travel trailers and two sites, both with a view of the small beach. We had a great time!
Good:
- Staff - Friendly and helpful.
- Beach - We didn't go to the main beach last time through - there's excellent sand and swimming.
- Location - Nice and close to home for Ottawans - and in a beautiful setting for everyone.
- Food - Wes' fries in nearby Arnprior, touted as the best in the region when I was in high school, are still in operation - and still living up to that reputation.
- Wood - just outside the park - a large wheelbarrow of good, dry wood for $10. Park approved, apparently.
Not so good:
- Vegetation - There's plenty of poison ivy about.
This park continues to impress. We really like Murphys Point near Perth but it is not nearly as friendly to larger RVs... and we are at Fitzroy in half the time. Time spent at the main beach this weekend made our stay all the better.
|
|
|
Sandbanks Provincial Park (Picton, ON) |
Park | Map | Photos | This location: 10/10 | Our experience: 10/10
September 2 to 5, Woodlands Campground, Site 719: 30A electric @ 105V. The camping season wouldn't be complete without a trip to Sandbanks. John's folks spent their nights at a B&B in nearby Bloomfield, and their days with us. A good time was had by all.
Good:
- Staff - Friendly and helpful.
- Beach - On the one really sunny day the five of us spent some time at the beach and in the water. Both were excellent - fine, hot sand and cool, refreshing water. The Sandbanks beach is hard to beat.
- Touring - Dawn went with John's Dad on a wine tour one afternoon and had a great time. We are particularly partial to the fine products of the Sandbanks Winery.
- Lakeshore Lodge - located at the southwest point of the Sandbanks Bay, this site of a former resort hotel is a great place to check out big waves on a windy day.
- Wood - Continue along county road 12 past the entrance to the Woodlands CG to where the road veers right away from the shore. Excellent dry wood - $5.00 for a fair-sized bundle.
- Site 719 - At first glance it was a letdown - wide open with almost all of the usable space - fire pit included - behind and on the road side of the trailer. However, the late afternoon sun put most of that space in shade and it was an excellent place to relax and chat. Additional shade was provided by a mature poplar. We would certainly have this site again.
Not so good:
- Wood - in previous years we bought wood from the establishment just outside the park gates, which has changed hands and is now known as the Outerbanks Deli. It used to be excellent wood for a great price. Now it is neither.
Sandbanks has always been one of our favourites, despite the fact that it's always busy and can be overcrowded. It's worth the four hour drive.
|
|
|
Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary (Ingleside, ON) |
Park | Map | Photos | This location: 9/10 | Our experience: 9/10
September 16 to 18, Nairne Island Campground, Site 48: water, 30A electric @ 117V. We liked it so much this spring that we returned with friends. Excellent fall camping weather - cool mornings and evenings, warm days. Hours spent around the campfire... good times.
Good:
- Staff - Friendly and helpful.
- Atmosphere - Quiet and respectful - perfect for families.
- Beach - Fine sand is perfect for kids.
- Sites - Spacious and well maintained on gently rolling, grassy hills.
- Comfort station - Clean and well maintained.
Not so good:
- Sites - Little privacy.
- Geese - There were a hundred or so on our sites when we arrived. Their presence was very noticeable even after they left. Luckily, goose poop is mostly grass and not stinky.
This place is rapidly becoming one of our favourites. The ship watching is great too.
|
|
|
Sandbanks Provincial Park (Picton, ON) |
Park | Map | Photos | This location: 9/10 | Our experience: 9/10
October 7 to 10, Woodlands Campground, site 605: 30A electric, voltage unchecked. Thanksgiving at Sandbanks - this is turning into a family tradition! Dawn's mother and father were on the site next to us, along with her sister and brother-in-law and our niece. The sites were great and the weather really could not have been better - low 20s and cloudless blue skies every day with cool nights perfect for campfires. On Sunday night we enjoyed a great turkey dinner with all of the trimmings, and for the first time John brought his radio controlled plane along.
We didn't get around to checking the voltage because we had no plans to use the AC.
Good:
- Sites - Open and large.
- Atmosphere - Quiet and respectful - perfect for families.
- Beach - Fine sand is perfect for kids - and it was warm enough for swimming!
Not so good:
- Infestations - The wasps were out in force, as were the Asian Lady Beetles.
Another fall trip to Sandbanks is in the books - and another camping year has come and gone. Great times, excellent memories and plenty of photographs will stay with us. Soon we'll start booking for 2012!
