Victory Lap in the Sugar Bush
I finished the Idita-walk challenge today! Hooray! Whoo! Though if I ever decide to take on a walking challenge again I am -not- going to do it in the middle of a move! Now I just have to mail off my time sheet tomorrow to get them to send me my t-shirt.
Being that the weather was so beautiful today, John and I decided to go hiking for my final challenge walk. We went up to Bruce's Mill, a conservation area just a bit north of us. We arrived at the park to find massive crowds of people. Turns out the park was having its annual Maple Sugar Festival, a time where the trees are tapped for their sap. Great timing on our part to decide to drive up on this weekend.
We had a wonderful couple of hours wandering around the events. There was a pancake breakfast in process and a small cider company was doing demonstrations on how to make apple cider in an old press. We took a wagon ride through the woods and checked out the craft sale. We took the "maple sugar walk", learning the process of tapping the trees and making maple products. I sang "I've Been Working on The Railroad" at a campfire with an older guitarist wearing a goofy St. Patrick's Day hat. We walked out to the Mill itself and were able to go in and look around (every other time we've been to the park the Mill itself has been closed).
The most popular building of the day, of course, was the Sugar Shack, where they sold Maple syrup and butter and drops and suckers and sugar candy. I bought a handful of maple sugar leaves because I just can't resist them.
Great day. Glad we stumbled across the festival. You can't get much more Canadiana than finishing your walking challenge in a maple sugar bush.
Being that the weather was so beautiful today, John and I decided to go hiking for my final challenge walk. We went up to Bruce's Mill, a conservation area just a bit north of us. We arrived at the park to find massive crowds of people. Turns out the park was having its annual Maple Sugar Festival, a time where the trees are tapped for their sap. Great timing on our part to decide to drive up on this weekend.
We had a wonderful couple of hours wandering around the events. There was a pancake breakfast in process and a small cider company was doing demonstrations on how to make apple cider in an old press. We took a wagon ride through the woods and checked out the craft sale. We took the "maple sugar walk", learning the process of tapping the trees and making maple products. I sang "I've Been Working on The Railroad" at a campfire with an older guitarist wearing a goofy St. Patrick's Day hat. We walked out to the Mill itself and were able to go in and look around (every other time we've been to the park the Mill itself has been closed).
The most popular building of the day, of course, was the Sugar Shack, where they sold Maple syrup and butter and drops and suckers and sugar candy. I bought a handful of maple sugar leaves because I just can't resist them.
Great day. Glad we stumbled across the festival. You can't get much more Canadiana than finishing your walking challenge in a maple sugar bush.