I feel like it's going to be a bit difficult to write an entire post about travel to Lake Restoule. Usually these types of posts are filled with things like "5 Ways to Cool off in London, Ontario this Summer," or "87 of the Best Ice Cream Spots in Toronto", etc etc. I tried to write one of those lists for Restoule. It went like this:
- Five of the Different Types of Insects that Will Suck your Blood at Lake Restoule!
- The Top 3 People to Call when your Tiny Cottage with Styrofoam Insulation is Struck by Lighting!
- The 2 Best Wines you can get at Gerry's General Store! (Just kidding, there are only 2 kinds!)
- The 4 Different Types of Weird Jokes the Ice Cream Guy Makes
- 18 "Cocktail" Recipes from Mr. Minnow
And that's it.
Despite (or maybe because of) this rather...uninspiring list, Lake Restoule has been part of the Campbell Family Stomping Grounds for generations. My grandfather used to come up here on fishing trips, and so did my dad. My mom even came up once when she was little (her and dad may have even crossed paths! How romantic!) As a teenager/young adult I wasn't particularly predisposed to driving six hours just to show up and be devoured in a swarm of deer flies, but hey, a free trip is a free trip.
However, as I have matured, I've come to appreciate not only the characters on the lake, but the lake itself. Nothing ever changes there. Ever. I honestly have no idea how long Gerry's General Store has been there, but since the dawn of time seems like a reasonable guess. There are some newer cottages at the lake, but we've been assured that there no others are to be built. The cell reception sucks, wifi is non-existent.
So I guess you have to focus on other things. Like family time. Which is not an issue in our family at all, as we are border-line obsessed with each other. Luckily, our family time usually consists of excessive drinking, which does make you mostly forget about the deer flies.
Another thing to do: fishing. I personally am not really into it. Especially since this year we got leeches as bait. As in you have to hook a vampire worm on the end of your line. By touching it with your fingers. I'm good thanks. I did enjoy going out on the boat and reading, while simultaneously watching as my mom and both sisters demanded that dad be the one to bait their hooks, lose the leech on the bottom of the boat, and then try to not step on it. The results of said activity can only be described as "meh".
Probably the best part of about Restoule Lake though, is the stargazing. I'm not going to lie, it's pretty hard to resist a Northern Ontario sky in August. One night we were all two sheets to the wind (we all includes: Me, my husband Greg, my dad, my mom, sister Karly and fiance Zee, Krista and boyfriend Sus), and marched down to the dock. We draped ourselves on the boat and oohed and ahhed over the shooting stars and the milky way. We blasted Tragically Hip in time with the loons on the lake (sorry neighbours). We commented that there had perhaps never been a more Canadian moment in the history of time.
And then of course we had to go swimming. Which we did, with relish. Greg, who is by far the most responsible person I have ever met did not partake. Neither did mom, who can't stand water temperatures below 87 degrees Fahrenheit.
The lake is so calm at night. We were not calm at all. But it was really, really fun. It is definitely not recommended at all. I kept going off on my own, swimming underwater (at one point I think I made it halfway across the lake), and my sisters would be yelling my name.
"SHE KEEPS GOING 'EARS-UNDER' WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE" Karly screamed at my mom, as if she were going to dive in and save me. Lol.
Regardless, it was exactly one of those Ontario moments that I keep collecting this summer. I've got more than a few in my back-pocket now, and I'm grateful for every single one of them. I'm keeping them in a quiet part of me, taking them out when I get overwhelmed with the thought of leaving my family, my home, and the life I love.
And uh, sorry neighbours. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but there may be more 2am Tragically Hip parties in the near future.
Because the Campbell's may have just bought a cottage on the lake.
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Hi, I'm Cara! I'm a food writer, journalist, and recipe developer. I'm obsessed good food, good wine, good cocktails and entertaining. I've picked up a few tips over the years, and love sharing them with others.
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