Toronto Photography Meetup Group

Details:

What: Manitoulin Island Tour (Tobermory to Little Current) Lighthouse Tour Four (also Mills, Waterfalls, etc.)
When: Fri. July 23 - Mon. July 26, 2010 (3 nights and 4 days)
Time: 11:30AM
Where: Point Clark Lighthouse http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/on/clar ... isit1.aspx or http://www.brucecoastlighthouses.com/po ... ctions.cfm
Bring: Over night bag (couple changes of clothes, long pants, jacket, toiletries, pj's, hiking boots, walking shoes, watershoes (beach), sunscreen, bug repelant, etc.), camera gear, tripod, money, breakfast foods, lunch foods, drinks (pop, juice, milk, water, etc.), etc.

This will be the 4th Lighthouse Tour -- We will also include some mills, waterfalls, nightshots, sunrise, sunset, old cars, abandoned buildings, etc.

We will meet at Point Clark Lighthouse for 11:30am or when we are all there and had a chance to see the place.
Departure time of Toronto around 7:00am or so to allow for travel time to Point Clark

Suggested Itinerary For the Weekend:
FRIDAY
1) Point Clark Lighthouse -- exterior and interior shots ($5.00 ind or $3.00 for groups of 5 or more)
2) Kincardine Lighthouse -- exterior and interior shots ($nominal/donation fee for inside)
3) McNab Lighthouse -- exterior shoots
4) Chantry Island Lighthouse -- as seen from across the bay
5) South Hampton Range Lights (2) exterior shots person - pre booked r
6) Wiarrton, Ontario -- Willie, Tim's -- last stop for it
7) Cape Crocker Lighthouse -- exterior shots (fenced in) -- optional choice
Lion's Head Lighthouse -- exterior shots
9) Knife and Lyle Lighthouses -- Stokes Bay ??? Birdhouses -- optional choice
10) Cabot Head Lightouse -- exterior and interior shots ($donations)
11) Check In -- Coach House Inn
12) Dinner -- Crows Nest or Pirate Fish & Chips, or Pizza ???
13) Sunset -- Curd Rd or Singing Sands or ???
14) Big Tub Lighthouse (in Tobermory) -- exterior shots
15) Star Trails of the sky -- optional - from Big Tub Lighthouse
16) Sleep

SATURDAY
1) Sunrise -- 4:00am get up
2) Showers / Breakfast -- Leave hotel for 9:50am for Ferry Dock
3) Park at Ferry -- wander the Little Tub Harbour till 11:00am
4) Ferry Ride (eat packed lunch), Cove Island Lighthouse from Ferry
5) Depart Ferry -- South Baymouth Range Lighths (2) exteriors - Little Schoolhouse Museum?
6) Manitowaning -- Mill, S.S. Norisle Ferry, Lighthouse. Old Church
7) Sheguiandah -- Batman Saw Mill
Little Current -- swing bridge, possible view of Strawberry Island Lighthouse *note Farquhar's Ice Cream -- comes highly recommended*
9) M'Chigeeng -- historic site here???
10) Mindemoya -- view to east Lake Manitou (Largest Lake on Island) -- possible sunrise spot???
11) Providence Bay -- Check in
12) Dinner Old Shoolhouse Restaurant
13) Sunset, walk on Board Walk in Providnece Bay
14) Sleep

SUNDAY
1) Sunrise
2) Shower/Breakfast/Pack Lunch
3) Kagawong - Bridal Veil Falls, Chocolate Works, Mill, Lighthouse (2)
4) Gore Bay - Janet Head Museam (inside viewing 1pm - 3pm), museum Old Jailhouse/Jailhouse Residence (Sun 2pm - 4pm go inside for fee)
5) Meldrum Bay -- Mississagi Lighthouse, Fog Horn Museum, Resatuant -- We wiil eat dinner hear, sunset of lighthouse, small trail, beach, rock shelf, variety fo birds, bobcat - if we're lucky (open 8am - 8pm)
6) Providence Bay - South way *South at Evansville on side road to Hwy 542
7) Stroll along Boardwalk in the moon light - night shooting???
Sleep

MONDAY
1) Sunrise
2) Shower/Breakfast/Pack Lunch/Pack Cars -- Check Out
3) Little Current -- cross the Swing Bridge (from here is is 5.5hrs approx to Toronto)
4) Whitefish Falls -- Falls, ruins of building (mill?), eat lunch
5) Espanola
6) Victoria Mines - Ghost Town (company building, separate school, possibly church, and smelter waste) north of hwy before Whitefish (Birthplace of Hockey Hall of Famer - Hector "Toe" Blake)
7A)Straight Down hwy 69 home (Wanup - rapids, French River - bridge, Parry Sound, 400, Port Severn, Barrie, dinner, sunst???,) or
7B) Stay on hwy 17 past Wahnapitae, Sturgeon Falls, Another falls near here, North Bay, connect with Hwy 11, South River, Burk's Falls, Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Orilla, 400, Barrie, Dinner,sunset???,) *note: longer drive
Passenger Drop Off
9) Home
10) Download and view images??? -- maybe tomorrow???
11) Sleep

WEBSITES
http://www.coachhouseinnresort.com/index.htm -- Coach House Inn -- Tobermory
http://www.ontarioferries.com/chi/engli ... fares.html -- Chi-Cheemaun ferry schedule
http://www.huronsandsmotel.com/index.htm -- Huron Sands Motel -- Providence Bay
http://www.brucepeninsula.org/BPTA_2010%28low%29.pdf -- Bruce Peninsula Travel Guide -- PDF
http://www.explorethebruce.com/assets/f ... nt_5MB.pdf -- map of Bruce Peninsula from Point Clark to Tobermory -- PDF
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8& ... &z=10&om=0 -- Map of upper Bruce Peninsula with the Lighthouses
http://www.manitoulintourism.com/Maps%20&%20Mileage.htm -- maps of Manitoulin Island and mileage in Kms's of most locations on the map. Click on the maps to make larger.
http://www.manitoulintourism.com/Museum ... 0Shops.htm -- some museums on the Island
http://www.visitgeorgianbay.com/lightho ... category=5 -- Info on the lighouses both in the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island and Georgian Bay
http://www.gorebay.ca/index.cfm?fuseact ... ategory=17 -- Gore Bay Museum
http://www.themississagilighthouse.com/index2.html -- The Mississiagi Lighthouse home page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walden,_Ontario -- scroll down for a few ghost towns
http://www.ghosttownpix.com/ontario/towns/victoria.html -- Victoria Mines - Ghost Town info
http://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/trails-a ... nal-trail/ -- M'Chigeeng Trail
http://www.blacksbay.com/activities/hiking.html -- hiking trails on Manitoulin Island
http://www.brucecoastlighthouses.com/ -- Bruce Peninsula Lighthouse tour and info on the Lighthouses
http://www.manitoulin-island.com/museum ... museum.htm -- Mill in Kagawong -- Also known as Edwards Art Studio inside.
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM4Q ... ng_Ontario -- Bridal Veil falls in Kagawong
http://www.manitoulinchocolate.ca/ -- Manitoulin Chocolate Works in Kagawong
http://www.lambac.org/docs/Tourist%20In ... %2007%20(3).pdf -- Manitoulin Island Tourist Package - Info -- PDF
http://manitoulinchamber.com/index.php? ... &Itemid=30 -- Towns of Manitoulin Island
http://thisismanitoulin.dgtlpub.com/201 ... 1/home.php -- Manitoulin info -- PDF

See ad-hoc section for more details of planning: http://tpmg.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15768

yay!

+1 for the birdhouses

Can we stop for a few minutes at French River? There's a junkyard/towing service there before the bridge that has a beat up blue classic that I'm hearing about

Sure that would be ok!

All that actually sounds like fun. How much is it for the hotels/motel?

Hi Alisa, this event was posted in ad-hoc to get a feeler and make arrangements. Rooms have been booked, carpools have been arranged, ferry passage has been booked for all those interested in going.

If you are looking to come you would need to drive yourself and book all your rooms and ferry crossing too. I don't have any prices for a room for one person but 2 people were around $115.00 + tax x 3 nights + ferry of $70.00 for 1 person + gas and food.

So since we have 13 people participating (last year was 9), I decided to let you all know we now only have 13 more sleeps until it is time for our trip. I'm getting excited!

Also to let everyone know as I'm not sure if you checked out the website of Huron Sands on the Island. http://www.huronsandsmotel.com/index.htm

Well good news they have:
* - Gift shop - one on location, second not to far away
* - Convience store - looks like it will carry almost anything for those who wish to wait until there to buy lunches, snacks, breakfasts, etc.
* - Cedar's - coffee, cookbook, sandwich & pastry shop
* - pop/drink machines outside - for a cold drink
* - Pay telephone booth -- what's that??? - outside

Also before boarding the ferry we have time to waunder around since we check in at least an hour before the boat departs. There is a grocery store in Tobermory you can grab some things. They are small, but they do carry a fairly good selection of foods of all types, and prices are not too bad.

I will also have a cooler in my van with ice for anyone wishing to throw any refrigerated foods inside, for either the trip or the day while out -- like cold drinks or your lunches, etc.

The Coach House Inn in Tobermory has breakfast of 3 or 4 varieties of cereal; toast with butter, peanut butter, jam & marmalade; coffee, tea, & juice. http://www.coachhouseinnresort.com/index.htm

Just some advice regarding anyone looking for a pizza on the island. Stay away from One Stop. It is possibly the worst pizza I have ever had. The English Pantry on Water Street is a quaint little place. The food's not bad. If you are looking to do something at night and want to support the local arts community check out the De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Group. They are a worthy theatre group to support.

Sorry I hit submit twice. D'ohh!

Thanks Vince for the heads up on One Stop Island Pizza -- that's in Little Current.

Also the theate group I have heard is quite good and they perform in the Summer at The Holy Cross Mission Ruins in Wiki (Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve).

Maureen

If there is another driver thinking about going I know of a passenger who would like to share the expense of the trip.

Let me know and I can hook the both of you up.

Hey Gang

Anyone in the group have any of those walkie talkie things -- 3 would be good. We could use one in each car along the trip.

The cell phone reception on the Island can be variable in places, at different times of the day and through various weather.

We will be following each other anyway, but should someone see something to stop at it would be helpful.

I have a really crappy set, but they don't work all that well. I don't think that they work well over a far distance. I was thinking though, that it might be worth it to prepare a couple of TPMG "bumper stickers" (magnetic cards of some sort?) so that we can tell if one of our cars is up ahead (assuming traffic or something) or pulled off the road. I may do some arts and crafts before the trip.

Those don't work well if you are more than a couple of kilometers apart.... Especially in rocky terrain!

true - many a good plan was ruined relying on lousy walkie-talkies

Hi,

I have often used the GMRS/FRS radios in Algonquin and on the road. The new GMRS models have more range and do a very good job on highways and such and have good reception over line of sight distances and work well even with terrain, although you won't get the same reach. The reception can be quirky at times. Just don't expect the promised distances except over flat terrain where you have line of sight.

One thing to be aware of, it is now illegal in Ontario to use a walkie talkie, CB or any other hand held two way radio while driving. If you use radios have the passenger be the communication officer.

10-4,
DG

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weathe ... _savedcity -- Tobermory weather

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weathe ... _savedcity -- Little Current weather

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/caon0270 -- Gore Bay Weather

Sunrise for 6:00am --will be fully up -- want to be there by at least 5;00am

Sunset at 21:00 (9:00pm) want to be there about an hour or so before that.

Let's hope the rain holds off.

Thanks for organizing this, Maureen! It was great to have the opportunity to see Manitoulin Island and I had a lot of fun.

Maureen, Thanks for putting this together. Lots of fun. Must do more light painting! Thanks to everyone for the great company.

Thanks Maureen, so fun, so tired.

10 of us had dinner at Fishbowl in Barrie on the way home. Add this place to the list of potentials when we're in the Barrie area.

Thanks for putting this up together maureen ..... We had so much fun ..including the trip to home hardware....
Yeshwanth

Thumbs up again on this one Maureen!

guys some picture please..

Thanks everyone.

I had a super trip. It was loads of fun. It was great with 13 people, 3 cars and we all managed to stay together.

Thanks Sue for making the magnets for the cars they were helpful, and also for the walkie talkies.

I will post a more detailed list of places we were at, so it will help with tagging your photos, as well as any details.

The Fish Bowl dinner was great -- all you can eat mussel -- yum yum! Also Radu had all you can eat surf and turn and he ate 3 helpings of crab legs! Yes Yesh and I both managed to eat 5 lbs of mussels each and then still have room for cake which was split 10 ways. Defenitely think they should start with 2 rounds of mussels first then 1 lb at a time after that. It was nice talking to our waitress Laura, throughout the dinner -- I think she helped fill the time while the 3 of us ate our fill of sea food.

I hope we didn't keep everyone to late.???

Starting to think of plans for the next road trip next year!

Dibs on the back seat Maureen

I'll join the choir and praise Maureen for putting together this beautiful trip.

Although at first it seemed Maureen has dropped the ball on the weather everything has come together just nice.

Oh, gee you caught me giving you only rain to pack the car and drive off from Toronto into the fun, delightful, wonderful weather for the rest of the trip.

After all I did the rain dance before we left for "Rainbow Country and The Promised Land". LOL -- It kept the rain away and we had super weather.

Anyone want me?

One of my dreams, to drive a souped up classic on highway 1 from Oregon to San Diego.

Very nice Randy!

Thanks Maureen. Lick a chick ohhhh so good. I'm still laughing at Sarah's fav chicken joint.

Me 2 .

It's a wonderful trip! I missed the beautiful island, beautiful sunrise and sunset views, beautiful lakes and ... Thank you Maureen!