Silent Lake- Fall Colors 2021!

               On Friday when the End of The Week went up on the site here I was up North for the day since I finished up Operation Overdrive. Now the leaves, well some of them or most of them were all down on the ground as we went up a little too late. We should of done that a week or so before but we know for next year. Anyways we started our adventure down at the Day Beach with Lunch which consisted of Kielbassa, Cheese and crackers and grapes and water. Then we went to our old stomping grounds where we actually camped aka Camp ground # 127 at Silent Lake which we booked every year for 5 years or more but always great memories from there. We drove around the loop took some pictures as we went around and we parked and walked down to the dock and looked out then we got hiking to our other old stompin grounds Pincer Bay Beach & the rock which we spent a ton of time swimming and when I was younger making sand castles. 

We then had our Gatorades and went back on our way to the car. We stopped at our little rocky place we spent time at when we were in Granite Ridge Campgrounds and we headed our way home. However we went through Haliburton on the way home and the colors were spectacular but the problem there with that the leaves were mostly down by then so it wasn't as great as we thought but we have to go a bit earlier then usual instead of what we did on this trip. However it was a fun trip either way and yes it was a trip down memory lane once again for me and I am so glad to see people camping there and goes to show that camping is indeed very safe especially during this pandemic there is nothing unsafe about it whatsoever. That is my post for today, hope you enjoyed it and tomorrow will be about Halton County Radial Museum. 

Chris

South Simcoe Railway & Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

               Today I got to go to the South Simcoe Railway on this really odd day with the weather we have been having lately. Anyways we left around 945 am this morning as we had to be there for 1120 - 1130 EST so we can get tickets and get onto the train for the noon train. I pretty well slept the majority of the way and I am completely bushed now after a long day and a rough night as my sleep was completely messed up after 2 or 3 days of straight sleep, the streak went to nothing. I want to have a solid sleep for a very long time, each and everyday but nope, didn't have it that way apparently. We arrived around 20 after 11 am which is good timing and we got our tickets and we were on Car 74, the one car I don't like as the seats are hard but you gotta remember back in the 1920's they aren't going to be comfy and that's OK if it isn't. We got a drink and a chocolate bar as a snack for the time being then headed back took some pictures and got on the train and rode the South Simcoe Railway with Steam Engine 136 doing the pushing and pulling of the passenger train. Engine # 136 built in 1883. We went several miles down the track to the town of Beeton, of course passed the sign, Nowhere which technically we are in the middle of nowhere, just trees around and fields. 


                      So we got off and looked around the yard at what was there, the mural and timeline of what the railway was from the current time to the beginning on this railway. We also checked out the 1057 steamer that is currently under a bit of restoration and so far looks really good and looks like it's gotten new paint added which makes her look amazing.  Hopefully very soon she will be up and running once again and maybe they will be swamping back and forth between the steamers. I want to do another blog about the difference between the two and how I know for both these two steamers and the ones on York Durham Railway.

              
                       We started to head back home with going through the Holland Marsh which is our tradition each and every year that we do this, we stopped at a local farmers market and got some gourds for the front of the house for Halloween and also we got some Marmalade that I can put onto toast for breakfast. To the most important part of this blog is I'm sorry if I am late but Happy Belated Thanksgiving to my other fellow Canadians out there, I hope you had a great Canadian Thanksgiving and a well rested holiday from your normal daily lives. I sure had a great holiday even though it was partially busy but also quiet with the dinner. I wish I had this blog up sooner but least it is up and I know 2 days later but better late then never right? So hope all had a good holiday and a safe one if you were traveling to see family. I will be back later on with another blog around 12 Noon EST and it actually was pre-written a few days ago so it put me at ease, I did that in case I fell behind like I have just tonight. Have a great rest of your night and I be back later for another blog post.

Chris

Halton Radial Museum 2017

              Today's blog post is a 2 in 1 blog post today and I want to first of all talk about the Halton Radial Museum. We paid for our ticket for our time at the museum and we had to wait for our lunch as they were warming up more wieners for us... So we ended up going to peak from the opening of the maintenance when one of the volunteers invited us in to take a peak. Saw a old Diesel that is being fixed up and will be static which means it will not be used for the line for rides. Also a TTC Service vehicle was in the maintenance barn and I don't think it was there for repairs, just there in case they need it as it looked in great condition.

Next it had the # 4 London and Port Stanley just like # 8 which that one was built in 1915.  One of the big projects they were working on was a TTC # 416 which was a cottage like streetcar built in 1923. We then got 2424 which is a Peter Witt built in 1921 and was in a movie, now do not ask me what movie, because I do not have a complete clue. Originally had wooden seats, wood replaced on the frame of the streetcar. This also had a coal stove at one point back in the day and now has electrical heating under the seats. The following cars I believe are able to run or close to be running, 4611 (PCC), 327 (Outdoor Streetcar), 2984 (Needs repairs) Also the plow which I know runs in the winter season, 4000 the presidents conference car , 497, a bus I think if I am correct, 23 outdoor car, 792 Ford bus and the list goes on and on, including the 2 original streetcars 1326 & 55 streetcars and I believe I was on 1326 when we first started going there way back in the mid 2000's maybe earlier then that. Also our local work car that use to run up and down the line here back in the 50's and 60's # 45 that did the wiring for streetcars was on the railway. There was 5098 - 5099 Gloucester cars from England 1953 and 5300 - 5301 Hawker Siddley built in 1962 and trust me I have and probably been on these two trains in the 90's at some point of my life growing up. 


                I had ice cream on the second trip out on the 2424 once again and was an ice cream I have never tried in my life time Peanut Butter and Chocolate which honestly was sooo good and I really did enjoy it! I actually would have it again in the future and who thought peanut butter and chocolate would really mesh together but I actually did enjoy it and think it was fairly new on the 4618 a PCC Streetcar which is now converted as a Ice Cream shop with a majority of the seats still in so you can sit down. Afterwards we went to the frog pond which there was no frogs visible but there are frogs when they are in mating season but had to take a picture of myself up on the rock with the sign behind me of course and I took a picture of myself last year at the exact same spot last fall on the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend.

We then got onto the 4600 PCC Streetcar which suddenly replaced the other Peter Witt Streetcar and went back to were we started. We got onto the # 8 Streetcar which is another London and Port Stanley Streetcar built in 1915, which this streetcar is now 102 years old and was shipped in parts just like 4618 was which was neat, it had something to do with they couldn't ship it fully built due to taxes apparently. So that was my day and I apologize for the lengthy post and I will talk about Canadian Thanksgiving on top of the South Simcoe Railway post later on and I'm sorry its 2 days late as I got home and I was really tired to do a post and I procrastinated too long to post but back up on schedule for today and the podcast is caught up so today is going to be a great day and a great day for another blog post! 



Chris

Silent Lake/Haliburton Trip 2017

               So back on Tuesday, I got to go up north and leave everything behind and not worry about anything here at the studio and it was a break to get my head back into game mode as Survivor: Heroes Vs Healers Vs Hustlers was a day away at the time this day trip was worth it and as you read on I will explain more.

               My dad and I left around 10 am EST for those who aren't in the EST timezone but we headed up to Silent Lake Provincial Park with the only stop to fill up with gas and a stop at Country Style for a drink and a treat. We got there in pretty good timing it was about 45 mins from the coffee shop and gas station. We got our day pass and went to our old camp ground site # 127 which for many years we use to reserve each and every year not including one year where we were in a different campsite, if I remember correctly, campsite # 124. After that we went down to the water to the dock and our favorite rock we use to hang out on in the evenings.

             
               Following that we went to our Rock for a quick swim and you probably thinking are you nuts Chris? No I did put my feet in the water at the dock and it was warmer then it would be in the summer, so yes it was cool but felt really nice and didn't take me long to put my full body in the water.  I found it hard to tread water as I forgot to bring the flippers I usually have when I go swimming, I didn't think about bringing them out then before or the night before the trip. However, I managed I had to go back to the edge if I needed to because I did struggle quite a lot of tread and probably because I haven't done that in about 4 years. Anyways we went to the day beach walked about for a few minutes and the day beach before we left to head south west down to Haliburton for lunch at Mckecks which is a gastro pub. In the way of the fall colors, it is starting to change, however the problem was because of the hot weather so that is what delayed the fall colors actually turning into the beautiful yellow, orange, red bright colors you normally see. I can say it now it has been a temper mental weather with the temperatures and rain we have had this summer and mother nature gave us a longer extended summer weather but the purpose of the trip was to see the color.  

                 

            We traveled through some what of nice colors  on the windy roads of on our way to Haliburton not much to talk about but we saw some really old cars and I am talking about cars from the 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's which was really cool. Once we got to Mckecks if you don't know who Walt McKechnie is he was a former Toronto Maple Leaf back in the day,. like in the 60's and 70's. Anyways I got a Cody Burger which consist of a hamburger, obviously, peameal bacon, lettuce, onions and tomato, but I gave my tomato to my dad as I am not a big tomato fan but i will eat it but not too often. We then traveled home and I was tired as heck and slept pretty good until obviously as you know I am writing this in the middle of the night. Anyways I had a good time and I hope you enjoyed reading this blog and sorry for a very late post 3 or 4 days later after the trip. I will be posting up a second blog up later on.


Chris