A Visit To Rockwood

In 2008 Peter and I met a group of people on a hiking trip to Corfu Greece. We have been holding a yearly reunion ever since. Our numbers have dwindled and our bodies are older, but our Corfu spirit still lives on!

Last week we went to a new spot – Rockwood Conservation Area, north of Guelph. It is one of the prettiest places for hiking that we have seen. OK, it’s not really hiking any more – its more of a walk. But it’s a beautiful one. The trail passes through a forest filled with natural surprises. It follows the Eramosa River as the river travels along from the north, down picturesque waterfalls, past gorges. It widens into a body of water that resembles a small lake, before it continues on towards Guelph.

The walking trail passes steep rockfaces with persistent clumps of greenery peeking out from every crevice. It curves around deep potholes, dug by tumbling boulders during the ice age. It rises to a lookout, where we spotted kayaks and canoes stopped while their paddlers had a rest in the sun. The trail ends at some caves, perfect for picture-taking.

After about 4 kilometers and lots of stops for pictures, we drove to the town of Rockford for lunch at Chompin’ At the Bit. The horse-theme was evident on the walls – with art work, and on the menu – with burger choices like the Thoroughbred Burger or the Clydesdale. The food was lip smackin’ good! But we needed something else, like maybe dessert…

So we wandered along the main street to the Bearded Baristas. Two young entrepreneurial women (without beards) served coffee and tea, and some delectable sweets. They chose their name to accompany the Christmas-themed gifts available for purchase. The gift shop/coffee shop is made of up small rooms, each filled with intimate groups of chairs. We sat to enjoy our drinks and admire the decor. I spotted the perfect gift for a man I know – a huge bar of soap called MEN DON’T STINK.

Finally it was afternoon and our day was coming to a close. But Peter suggested we needed one more stop – a visit to Peter’s Produce and Wine Bar, aka our back yard. The seating was precarious, since our swing still suffers from having no seat. But we managed to spend a couple more hours reminiscing about all our past reunions. With several of us working on it, we came up with a list of 16 places we have visited together; not only in southern Ontario, but also North Bay, Quebec, the Adirondacks. Our walks grow shorter, but the memory-making carries on.

Sue