Disney World

I think I've read or heard that Disney World is the #1 vacation spot for Americans; its one place I have never been. Today was my kind of Disney World. A fine boat tour in the morning, a poutine snack at a small cafe, a visit to the Leacock Museum and all topped off by live music in the campground amphitheater.

Stuart McLean says that in the early 1900's, Stephen Leacock was more widely known than Canada itself was. Leacock has been compared to Mark Twain. Both were humorists and social commentators, but while Twain strikes me as a misanthrope, Leacock was a man who lived life to the hilt and enjoyed the company of others. The Leacock Museum is in his craftsman style house on the shore of Lake Couchiching. His early writings had established him throughout the english speaking world as both an economist and humorist and apparently had made him financially set for life. He wanted a summer retreat and bought a 20 acre tract on a little point of land in 1908. His camp started out rustic and it wasn't until 1928 that he built his house. It is a house meant for living and he really did live. He went fishing every day, often featuring his catch on the daily menu. He had a small fleet of sailboats, skiffs and canoes and spent much of his days on the water. He had frequents guests, there are any number of letters inviting friends to visit him in Orillia. His biographer said Leacock “... knew good food, and he served good food”. Much of the food came from his vegetable gardens and his daily fishing trips. His handwritten menus were a feature of dinners at his home. All in all, a man who loved life and lived it to the fullest. His home is one of the best preserved examples of early 20th century living I've seen. His study and library look like he just left the room, the living room could easily be used today for a party. We spent a little over an hour touring the house after first having a drink at the lovely small restaurant on the grounds. We walked the Lightfoot trail around the property and took in the views. It was a great experience. Side note, Lightfoot does refer to Gordon. He was born in Orillia, but we didn't see him here either.

We are spending the next 2 nites in Awenda PP on the shores of Georgian Bay. As I was checking in I noticed that the evening program was a concert by a French Canadian singer. There was no chance we weren't going to see live music and it turned out to be a good call. Turns out it was a quartet, 2 guitars and 2 fiddles. There is a strong french presence in this area. Seems that this area is where the french in America came to when they were on the losing side of the war of 1812. Most of the tunes were in french but it was very entertaining and a good way to end up a Disney day.