June 13, 2006. From Collingwood to Lake Simcoe, Barrie and Orillia.
The next morning we asked whether we could stay one more night but they could only offer the same room for $120-something so we decided we just go. We stopped first for a short walk on the small patch of land going into the lake, called Millenium Park.
And then we headed for Lake Simcoe.
Barrie is a big town when compared to what we saw in the past two days. They have a nice park laid along the lake, with a big playground. I'm note sure if the beach is really used but it looked clean.
There is an old, probably steam engine, ship on which you can take a ride to see the lake. We did not take it though.
In the afternoon we decided to go about 20km north to Orillia. This is a smaller town. As we go there, the tourist information office was already closed but we took a map with hotels and found a hotel run by an Asian lady, near the lake shore. After Cranberry Suites in Collingwood, this accommodation was questionable but we did not want to lose time. And the lake, in maybe three minutes walk, was beautiful. It was a quiet evening.
The following two pictures are shot actually on the next morning. We bought some stuff in A&P store near motel, took two cups of tea in some eatery and went to the lake to have a breakfast.
They still have some remains of the passenger railway going from Toronto to the north. I've read then they are going to revive suburban train service opening once closed track to Barrie. But in Orillia, you can see only this restaurant built from an old railway car:
Back to Part 3: Waterfalls in Grey County. Next: Part 5: Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon and back south.