My Trip To Owen Sound!

By Essence Aikman, Queen’s University, Canada

Hello all! This will be my final post discussing the amazing trip I took at the end of my studies abroad in Canada. This trip was taken in the hometown of my lovely housemate. I left Kingston and made my way to Owen Sound to explore the woods and chase waterfalls with her.

The trip started very early in the morning where I packed all my things and caught a coach from Kingston to Toronto, this is where my friend picked me up with her car before driving us to her house. The drive was really fun, it was weird sitting on the other side in the car, and we listened to music and talked about the fun we were going to have.

We started exploring the wilderness before we went to her home, first stopping at the Hogg’s Falls Provincial Crown Land. It had started to rain at the beginning of our hike but it didn’t disrupt our fun. The river was called the Boyne River and the area was managed by the Minestry of Natural Resources and Forestry Midhurst District. As we approached the river, the clouds separated even if only for a few moments, allowing the sun to shine briefly onto the rushing water.

We stopped by many rivers and waterfalls, notable mentions being the Eugenia Falls which was one of my favourite spots, Inglis Falls which had one of the most powerful waterfalls we saw, and Weaver’s Creek Natural Trail which had a lot of wildlife and woodlands to explore. The fresh waters and misty air was so refreshing, the cold wasn’t too bad either. Just make sure to mind your feet when climbing the damp rocks if you decide to go on your trip abroad.

We made sure to take an array of photos as we explored further and further into the woodland areas. The waterfalls continued to steal the show as their powerful rushes of water and enchanting sounds kept us in high spirits for the entire day. I love exploring parks and different wilderness reserves where ever I visit and these locations in Owen Sound truly lived up to my expectations.

We ended the day back home, eating a warm cooked meal her mum prepared and watching a film with her family. The next day we went out to get lunch at the winery Coffin Ridge where we tried their unique collection of ciders along with a platter of crackers, meat and home made chutneys. We chatted, laughed, and ate before going to different supermarkets to get some snacks for our last night together. We watched Entergalactic on Netflix and ate her mum’s homemade ice cream before we called it a night.

The trip was filled with so much fun, exploring all over her home town and exploring the wildlife in surrounding areas. It was my last big trip before coming home and was extremely enjoyable. I am so glad i got to experience such a different area of Canada, to get out of the city for a moment and meet her welcoming family. This trip was definitely a highlight of my semester abroad. Thank you so much for reading! I wish you the best on your semester abroad, make sure to put yourself out there, try new thing and make the most of it because it will be over before you know it. Have a great day!