We're on the road again (finally!), heading for PEI with some stops there and back

The view on Hwy 400 heading north

Yes we're finally on the road again, trying to remember how all this van camping stuff works. It's been over a year since we last set out on more than a day trip with the van.

This was a long first half of the year for me. Starting off with knee problems in early January, which put a real crimp in our usual winter hiking. Continuing on to a diagnosis of prostate cancer in May, with radiation treatment and after-affects through June and July. 

Not pleasant, but the radiation treatment was prompt and I hope will prove successful over time.

We set off today taking what has become our sort of regular route, up to Orillia, down the east side of Lake Simcoe, and on to hwy 7. This is all to avoid going through Toronto on the 401 or 407 highways. It takes a couple of hours longer, but much more pleasant. 

A bit of fog in the distance that soon burned off

  

Along the way we stopped at the Misty Meadows country store in Conn, a small town north of Arthur. We had picked up a pint of excellent  blueberries there a few weeks ago, and got another little box today:

  This is a good Mennonite-run market with a wide range of fresh produce in season, and lots of goodies too:

 

Yummy-looking baked goods 

 

Lots of other local products

 We escaped with just our blueberries though, this time.

 As we worked our way closer to and on to Hwy 400 the idyllic rural drive ended, as in the intro picture. We had expected traffic today though, as it's a beautiful summer Saturday in vacation country. Lots of traffic heading north, on any highway.

We pressed on easterly, moving south to the 401 once we could expect to be past the heaviestToronto traffic. 

Tonight we're boondocked at a truck stop in Lancaster Ont, near the Quebec border. About 780 km today. Google rates it a 9 hour drive, but it took us about 11 1/2 elapsed. A lot of the extra time we spent stopped, at the Conn market, Kingston for gas and facilities, a good browse at the Cornwall Walmart, etc. 

I was concerned what my driving stamina would be like, but no problems. We're both tired tonight though. It sure is warm, still about 30C, and we have no AC when the van is stopped.