7-6-24 Parry Sound, ON

The Pearl Mist is anchored offshore in beautiful Georgian Bay.  Here in this area exists 30,000 islands and rocks made of shale, sediment and silt.  The islands are covered with forests and plants.  This area used to be a mountainous region, formed by volcanoes.  The ice age brought the glaciers and they scraped the mountains away and left water behind to fill the faults, fissures and cracks and created the islands that we see today.  That’s the Reader’s Digest version of billions of years of geology.

 

Pearl Mist's tender

The tender brought guests ashore for a day of fun.  I was on a mission:  Find the float plane on the pier and sign up for a flight.  We located Georgian Bay Airways to that end but the three pilots, Jim, Jake and Samantha were pessimistic about our chances of going up.  Storm clouds were moving in.  The clouds were forecasted to clear but the pilots just shook their heads doubtfully.  I gave them my phone number and they agreed to give us a call if anything changed and a window opened up for a flight.

 

We headed off to the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame.  He was born in 1948, a good year for superstars, apparently!  He lived here with his family and lived and breathed hockey.  He was a wonderchild and played his first hockey game at the age of 5.  He skated his way up the hockey ladder and signed with the Boston Bruins Junior League at the tender age of 14.  He was legendary with his skills and after going pro, skated for the Bruins for 10 years, then 2 years for the Chicago Blackhawks.  His trophies and medals are numerous and on display at the Hall of Fame.  Leg injuries finally took him down and he underwent 17 knee surgeries.  The Hall of Fame features Bobby’s most famous moment when he went airborne on the ice, chasing the puck to victory.  It’s printed everywhere, on posters, cards and shirts and there is a model of it suspended from the ceiling.  We found the makeshift ice rink and goal and spent some time practicing slapshots when suddenly, my phone rang!

Practicing slapshots!  Rob hit the
goal a few times.  

Bobby Orr flying through the air.
Note that they didn't wear helmets
back then.  

 

The weather had cleared and there was a window for taking the float plane up!  “Hurry!” they said.  And the rest was glorious fun!  After a brief safety routine, Rob boarded the back seat and I sat next to our pilot, Captain Jake.  Georgian Bay is known as the Land of 30,000 Islands.  I didn’t count them but it’s possible that the number is correct.  The locals delineate between islands and rocks.  An island has significant growth on it, such as blueberry bushes, which love to grow here, and trees.  A rock is bare so they don’t count.  Captain Jake pointed out many different islands and points, all of which I don’t remember, now.  Also, I thought we would see seals and sea lions but they don’t live up here.  Maybe it’s too cold.  Or it could be that there is not enough to eat, since fish are not so plentiful, here.  The major industry here is not fish but lumber.  There are deer, bear and moose but we didn’t see any.  One point of interest I do remember is this one:  Some really rich people built a great big mansion on an island (which maybe they own) and then, carved out a hole in the rock and it is filled with lake water.  Their own personal Georgian Bay-fed swimming pool, which looks as big as the floor plan of their mansion.  Yes, wealthy people actually own whole islands.  I’m guessing they visit seasonally.  The population of Parry Sound is 6,800 year-round and in the Summer, it burgeons to 40,000.  We had to do a go-around waiting to land while a boat got out of our way, then the captain did a fine job with a smooth landing. 

Rob in the back seat

The captain and Rob and me with
the Cessna 180

Flying the plane

The swimming pool is almost as big
as the house!

Don't disturb the captain!

Jake, our pilot

The trees look like broccoli

Yup!  30,000 islands, all right!

 

The float plane was docked right next to Tailwinds Restaurant where cold local brews are served along with duck wings!  Of course, I had to try those!  They were wonderful! 

Duck wings!  Yum!

 

We were tired and exhilarated as we headed back to the Pearl Mist for a departure to Midland, ON.