Vacation
We spent a few days on Manitoulin Island this week, fishing, hiking, and sightseeing. I had never been there and found it beautiful in the late summer season. Manitoulin literally means “den of the great spirit” in the Ojibwe language, in reference to their deity Gitche Manitou. It is the largest fresh water island in the world and also contains the largest lake within a fresh water island. We stayed at a camp on this lake, Lake Manitou. The weather was cool and breezy making it a little rough on the water.

These were the clothes I was wearing when I lost my equilibrium and went head first out of the boat…no injuries…lifejacket on…water surprisingly warm…a good laugh was had by all.

The island is part of the Niagara Escarpment, which runs from New York state to Niagara Falls, north through the Bruce Peninsula, into Lake Huron forming Manitoulin Island, and west to Michigan. White limestone cliffs, with caves and unique vegetation are found along the escarpment.
At the west end of Lake Manitou is an interesting land formation called the Cup and Saucer. The escarpment drops vertically twice creating the saucer effect. There is a fabulous Cup and Saucer hiking trail which I will describe in another post. The island has a number of dairy farms, and split rail fences line the picturesque roads. The town of Manitowaning was the first European settlement on the island and the old Anglican church and lighthouse are still in use today. The museum in this hamlet is well worth the two dollar admission and gives a visual history of the native, European and marine history of Manitoulin. We only explored the eastern part of the island, and hopefully a return trip in the future will give time to see other interesting natural and historical sites.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts...Ecclesiastes 3:11