Not long ago, our children went on a school trip to Ottawa to view the sights of our Nation’s Capital.  Our daughter, who shares my sense of humour, brought back Marvin so that he could share in some of the shenanigans of our travels.  Today marked his first foray into the great unknown.

And what a grand way to enter the parade!  Marvin took his spot graciously, between Karin and I, as Izzy had to miss the trip due to the severe heat and our not knowing exactly how the cards would be played.  We knew Izzy would be comfy at home with lots of water and his favourite toys out.

Target today was Swift Canoe & Kayak, in Gravenhurst,  as a new patch kit had landed to be shared between a Nova Craft Prospector and a Scott Prospector that I’d just picked up.  OK, anyone interested in customer service?  I send Sarah Walker (Swift, South River) an email with photos about the repair and she just TOOK CONTROL!  End of that story is the kit landed a week ahead of expectation!  Thanks, Sarah!

On the way up, Marvin antlered his way into the conversation and suggested we stop at the Paddle Shack…..just to keep the options open.  So we did and spoke with Jeff, who provided some great  tech info to keep us abreast of things.  H2O has some very progressive canoes available and very appealing to the eye, but we’ll paddle and carry to test their mettle.

A short jump up the road and we cut into a familiar parking lot and we were greeted by Tyler.  The very best part about coming back to a place is to have someone say, “Hey, we were just talking about….., and I look up and see you walking up the walkway!”  That’s the special part about coming back!  Knowing the door is open and the WELCOME mat is out.

We talked and looked at 2 models, in particular, the Chicot 17 and the Keewaydin 16 and after much discussion at the store, Karin and I are looking at how to build a Keewaydin 17 with the cherry outers and decks within a carbon kevlar hull.  I’m pretty sure the canoe has been found; she just needs to be built, pushed, and tickled into reality.

While colours and designs, they danced in our heads, our bellies they growled, they needed to be fed, so off we went into Gravenhurst in search of some delectable vittles.  Holy Smokes!  What a void on the water front.  Off we went back into town and a thought came to mind to drive by the home of a couple who had purchased a canoe from me. Neil and Sammy were on the front porch enjoying the day so in the driveway I pulled while Karin was amazed at my actions.

They gave us a recommendation and we were off to the Grillicious Gourmet Food Truck at the corner of Muskoka Rd. N. and Peter St., ……just a few blocks north of 169.  WOW!!!

Elk sausage, grilled veggie sandwiches, salads that scream “YOU NEED ME” and poutine that defies comparison.  Oh ya, Tripadvisor  ranks them as #2 out of how many hundreds……!  Cast your own vote, it’s your lunch!

What a great fathers day outing and I hope your day was just as great for you!