A large part of who I am today is a result of my days as a camp girl. For nearly a decade, my friend Cristina and I attended summer camp anywhere from 2 weeks to a month when we were kids. It was the highlight of my summer. Sleeping in an old school cabin with bunk beds (some with no electricity), polar bear dipping at 7am, sharing meals in the dining hall, learning all about “ODLS” (outdoor living skills), exploring Algonquin Park with 7 other campers for a few nights away from camp…I seriously wish I could have stayed a kid forever if only to continue going to camp.

Since then, Cristina and I make every effort to go on a canoe trip every summer. Escaping the busyness of the city for a few nights, we pack up some freeze-dried goodies, some GORP (good ‘ol raisins and peanuts, and almonds, and mango, and banana chips, and m&ms…), our sleeping bags and a tent, and away we go! This year, we somehow managed to make it through the entire trip with no hiccups whatsoever. Year 1 – we incorrectly read the map which took us down the river of doom. I got a blister on my foot the size of my head which somehow managed to have a leach in it at the end of the day. Yes, a leach! And we somehow thought we could manage a 3km portage…no big deal. Another year, we (I) brought my camera with no battery in it. This may have also been the year that we did not properly hang our food pack, away from bears and sneaky chipmunks. In the morning, we woke up to see our pack had been destroyed by god knows what, our food practically ALL eaten, with nothing but GORP and a few crackers to eat. The last year we went, it rained, and I mean RAINED the entire time. We were soaked, cold, and really unable to paddle much of what we had planned but somehow, we still managed to have a great time.

This year, we wanted nothing more than to chill, enjoy ourselves and catch some rays. ALL of our campsites were fabulous – a beach, a private lake to ourselves, and our very own patio (as we called it) overlooking the water where we sipped wine in the sunshine, went for swims, and read our books. Pure heaven.

Sexy right? Yes, those are crocks. I wear these NOWHERE but on canoe trips…promise.

Our patio.

Big thank you to Algonquin Park for providing some much needed peace, love and sunshine. Know anyone looking to do an engagement session or wedding in Algonquin Park? Would LOVE to collaborate! Drop me a line – ashley@ashleynotley.com