“Are we doing anything this weekend?” Charlene asked me.
We were just sitting on the couch watching something on TV. Having her ask me if we are doing anything is code for her wanting to do something.
I looked outside and noticed that it was still winter. Remembering that we enjoyed our first-ever winter waterfalling in Grey-Bruce, I asked her if she wanted to do waterfalling again. With a smile and a nod, I pried myself off the couch, hopped onto the computer, and began planning the upcoming weekend.
I checked the weather, and it was not too cold. I began planning our second winter excursion into waterfall country.
With an itinerary made, a map created and loaded onto my Google Maps, a hotel booked and a printout of our packing list. All that needed to be done was wake up in the morning, and we were all set to go.
One of the great things about winter and waterfalls is that it is always a unique experience. The ice and snow are never the same; each visit will reveal something new. Falls we have visited in the summer differ from the winter, which we learned on the Grey-Bruce Waterfall Tour.
We woke bright and early, car loaded, ate breakfast, drove, and began our weekend.
Our first stop was Hanna Chute. I do not know how I have missed bringing Charlene here before. It is spectacular in the sheer volume and violence of the water flow. The rage of the water being forced through a small opening was scary. It is fenced off on one side – rightly so. There is a portage trail for those wishing to canoe. I could not find it, but we found a better vantage point than one offered from the roadside. In the opposite direction is South Falls. We could see it from Hanna Chute but did not visit it on this trip.
The second stop was in the centre of Bracebridge. It has a walkway that allows people to see the falls from different angles. The downtown core is located here, but it was still too early for the shops to open. One of the nice things about getting there early is that you miss all the others going out and about, and we did have the town to ourselves.
Stop three was Wilson Falls. Located on the edge of Bracebridge, this was our first successful visit to this location. Our first try was a couple of years earlier, and the falls were visible from the road as we approached. We were excited to visit one, but the mosquitoes were too thick. The falls dried up for our second attempt. This third time, there was ample water nor any swarms of biting insects. It was worth the stop and exploration.
Stop four is just north of Bracebridge and has one powerful waterfall called High Falls with two smaller ones. This is a very popular attraction and even inspired a couple to get their engagement pictures on the day we were there. Charlene and I are all bundled up, wearing crampons, and these two are dressed as if they were inside. We took pictures of falls, and they took pictures of themselves.
Huntsville downtown was our fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth…stop. An entire series of murals is based on the Group of Seven, especially Tom Thompson. Also, Huntsville Downtown is my favourite of all the downtowns we have visited.
Brook’s Falls takes the position of the actual sixth stop. We had shared the site with another group that was rather enthusiastic but seriously ill-equipped to explore icy conditions. Proper footwear, proper clothes and a proper sense of safety are vital for a trip to remain enjoyable.
Stirling Falls is a place that holds our seventh stop. It is a site that frustrated me. When you look for waterfalls, this one thing happens so often; roads are built over them. It is not a coincidence. Many falls have a roadway hiding their existence. So many are lost to view because of this. Being unfamiliar with the location, I did not try to venture down for a better look.
I made a mistake on my map and forgot to visit Crystal Cave Mineral Exhibit and Crystal Shoppe. This small store with a large display of rocks and minerals is a must-stop every time we pass it. I cannot believe that I missed going to quite possibly the best shop for crystals we have ever been to.
And another miss, which is literally up the road, is South River Cascade. I have no idea why I keep missing this place, but when I finally remembered to go in the summer, Charlene did kick me on how I kept forgetting this location. It has a lot of character and is one of those falls that allows people to walk on it.
I remembered Wasi Falls/Rapids. We have been here so often since it is on the central route north. Well worth the repeat visit.
Stop number nine was the pièce de résistance . Duchesnay Falls was a visit we first did in the previous summer, and this time, we were back for the winter show. We were impressed, and it was well worth the drive.
Stop ten would lead to a tour of Sturgeon Falls. So many towns and cities are now placing murals, and these pieces of artwork can fill the entire side of a building. We would come back in warmer weather to do a proper tour of this town.
Sudbury was our eleventh stop, and this was a formal mural tour that we found enlightening and heartbreaking. We would find a hotel using the Hotel app, and because we have used it so many times, we earned a free night’s stay.
Day two was a much more relaxed journey. It would not have as many stops, and we needed to be home by supper time. Still, we were going to explore a few places on the way home.
Meshaw Falls is more of a rapid connecting the French River around an island. Depending on the water level, this is a falls that you can walk on or have to stay well back. It is a little out of the way, but the drive is excellent.
Thirteen was one of our most visited falls. Again, being on the main road and very accessible, Upper Rosseau Falls is a beauty most of the year. Lower Rosseau Falls is incredible, but I would NOT recommend going to it in the winter. The road is steep and narrow, and I question how well winter maintenance is, and I wasn’t about to find out.
Regretfully I had not learned about Minnehaha Falls just five minutes away, and I would know its location in the spring. That is a stop that is very much worth going to visit, and did so on a separate trip in the area during winter.
We would stop at Bala for their falls, making it the fourteenth location we visited that weekend. Bala Falls is just not the same since they improved the dam. Too bad.
We had seriously considered stopping at Mrs. H’s Fish and Chips in Wahta Mohawk Territory, but the lineup was too long; we were impatient. Because of this impatience, we would never know if they have the “Best halibut north of the South Pole.” My parents had been there and recommended it and were very impressed with the quantity and quality of the meal they received.
McCrae Lake Bridge and Waterfalls was a much more successful visit than the last. We were able to find the turn and spent far less time trying to find it than during our first trip. This was stop fifteen.
Sweet sixteen, and our final stop was Whites Falls. In the summer very popular with swimmers, not so much so in the winter.
After that, we went home. A good weekend and home in time to do laundry and have a homemade supper before another work week. In all, a great weekend trip with the two of us together. It is great that we can spend so much time together travelling from one place to another.
To view a map on Google of this weekend trip with locations and parking, Frozen Falls Weekend Road Trip. Although we did this in the winter, this trip can easily be done anytime of the year.
Also, check out Featured Map. This shows many worthy locations and if you are planning your own trip, a look at this map will give many suggestions.
