French River, ON
Our final stop on this fall road-trip was French River. Unknowingly, we’d saved the nicest accommodation for last. The Lodge at Pine Cove is nestled right on the edge of French River in its own private cove, consisting of an assortment of cottages connected to the main lodge via a cute wooden bridge. Upon arrival, Paige checked us in and transported our luggage via ATV to Hopkins Cottage. Our one bed studio cottage was named after Francis Anne Hopkins, an Englishwoman who spent a large proportion of her life in the mid-1800s exploring the Canadian wilderness via canoe with her husband, as he travelled to conduct business. She accurately depicted these quests via sketches, which she would turn into oil painting upon arriving home.
Our cottage had marvellous views over the lake, which could be savoured from our very own balcony. However, as the temperatures were dropping, I enjoyed staying inside snuggled up to the wood burning stove, for which firewood was waiting for me. There was no phone service, and WiFi was accessible only in the main lodge, which made my stay even more relaxing and rejuvenating. I particularly liked the available meal service; guests could order their dinner to be delivered to our cottage, allowing them to heat it up when desired in their own kitchen. I tried the vegetarian shepherd’s pie; it was delicious. Breakfast was delivered similarly.
The property also boasts hiking trails, kayaks are ready for guests to use, the owner Alex runs boat trips and for Thanksgiving weekend they were running special events in the lodge. We admired the outcome of the pumpkin carving contest on Friday night. On our final day, after checking out, we explored the Moira’s Lake trail. Other guests had told me they had spotted beavers on two consecutive days. We had no such luck, but it was a pretty, peaceful trail.
French River Trading Post does not allow dogs, but is certainly worth stopping at, if Fido can patiently wait outside. It holds a vast selection of indigenous handicrafts, fresh fudge, souvenir t-shirts and games for those raining days whilst camping. There was even a pet corner with towels and water bottles.
The main recreational activities in the area are at the nearby provincial parks. French River attracts many kayakers and canoeists, but there is a 3km hiking trail, at the end of which you are rewarded with a pretty waterfall. Recollect Falls is a collection of rapids, creating a smooth but powerful fall of water. It’s a great spot for a picnic. I then left Rita in the car to check out the award-winning visitor centre with expansive gift shop.
Grundy Lake was not short of hiking trails. We tackled both the 3.5km Gut Lake and the 1.5 Swan Lake trails. Both took us across expanses of rock, so sparse that the trail markers had to be painted on the ground rather than relying on a nearby tree. We got great views of the respective lakes, interspersed with ventures through forest. The park also has a pet exercise area at the far north-west end.
