Midland to Beausoleil Island, Geogian Bay, Canada

 We finally ended up at Ted Horton's for breakfast on Friday since there was not a closer place. We should have gotten the scones but instead got the bagel sandwiches. The coffee was also excellent and they sell it in the local grocery stores. We left the dock and headed towards Big Dog Channel and the Beausoleil Island, Parks Canada National Park. We anchored in Beausoleil Bay off McCabe Rock dock as it already looked crowded in the protected Ojibway anchorage but we took dinghy over to the dock at Ojibway Bay. It turns out they do not allow dinghies tied to the dock so a friendly Canadian looper tied us up to a friend's boat. We got a park map, his hiking stick and walked the Masssauga trail to Chimney Bay before turning around  They were well marked but buggy so we headed back to the boat for happy hour. It was the most pleasant afternoon with a cool breeze on the fly bridge.

Ducks on board

Beautiful historic buildings in Midland

On the Midland Silos on the waterfront

On Saturday we slept in an had a leisure breakfast before taking the dinghy down to the Cedar Spring Visitor Center. We dragged the dinghy up beside the swimming beach and Glenn got us a Parks Canada beaching permit that compliments are mooring permit. We stuck the sticker on the transom and a park ranger suggested the trails to take. We hiked the Heritage Trail and then the Christian trail which went across the island to Christian Beach. We took a lunch break at the picnic table by the water before heading back and over the Lookout Trail to stop at the visitor center before returning to the boat. Glenn took a plunge off the swim platform to beat the heat. There was little wind so it was hot sitting out but we had some shade on the back bench for happy hour.

Hiking the island trails

Lookout Point

Interesting fungus

On Sunday we cooked breakfast and enjoyed a cooler morning with our coffee on the fly bridge. We took the dinghy into the dog beach and landed there and caught the Massasauga Trail to the Huron Trail and across the Island to the Georgian Trail. We spotted the Brebeuf Island Lighthouse off shore. The Georgian Trail was the most difficult with muddy stretches and downed trees and was the least maintained trail and buggy in stretches. We intersected the Christian Trail across the island and took the Huron Trail that bypassed the Visitor Center all the way back to the Massasauga Trail and to the dinghy. We ended up hiking over 8 miles and were glad to get back to the boat and relax in the breeze.