The Most Alluring Place In Canada I've Been To As A Child

A little bit about Gananoque and why I recommend you visit after the pandemic!

This small Ontario town in the Leeds and Grenville vicinity is one of the most popular places for summer tourists! Gananoque is the entry to the Thousand Islands and is internationally acknowledged as one of the most enchanting waterfront communities. Gananoque, also known as the Noq, the Gan and the Gateway to the Thousand Islands is a phenomenal destination for people from all walks of life, including business professionals and residents, not just tourists. Just like in urban cities like Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto, Gananoque has tons of restaurants for people to dine in, all kinds of indoor and outdoor activities to enjoy with friends and family, stores to shop in as well as places to stay in. If you prefer towns and villages over major cities, Gananoque is a perfect place to escape from the city and give yourselves a pleasant vacation in the beauty of nature! You can make many beautiful memories during your stay in Gananoque, Ontario!

What I remember from my trip to Gananoque

Around July-August 2007, my mom, brother and I decided to rent a cottage for a week. My mom rented a spacious, large and wooden cottage for my brother, herself and I to stay in for a week. The cottage included three cozy, immaculate and vibrant bedrooms, a big kitchen, a lounge area, a lake for us to swim in, lots of land and a beautiful washroom. I remember getting a bedroom with a king size bed, which was quite luxurious for a nine-year-old child to sleep in for a week! I would spend most of my days going on local trips with my brother, my mom and other family members who would come to visit us, swimming and frolicking in the lake and pool next door to the cottage, lounging in the living area and eating all kinds of junk food! We would eat out at various pubs and restaurants, but my mom also cooked homemade food for the family to eat.

My favourite things to do in Gananoque were swimming in the lake and pool next door, going out to eat, hanging out with family, shopping at local stores in the community and of course sleeping with my collection of stuffed animals! Although I may have felt homesick from time to time, I also tried to appreciate being away from the city, since it was something that my mom, brother and I never really did during the summer holidays, except for a trip to Montreal in 2006. At least, I was not attending sleepaway camp and being with people I didn't know and rather with family for a week! No matter what emotions I may have felt some days, I remember really loving Gananoque and being sad to come home to Toronto once the trip was over!

Why do I want to return to Gananoque someday in the future?

As I got older, I began to favour spending time in nature and different towns and suburban spots, as opposed to more chaotic areas of Downtown Toronto such as the Entertainment District. I still and will always love Toronto, other neighbourhoods and cities within the Greater Toronto Area, however there is something about exploring towns and villages that I find fulfilling: the beauty of nature and quietude! I also believe that it is more welcoming and hospitable in smaller towns, because there are less people, security is higher and people tend to be friendlier in smaller towns than in other Toronto communities like Bloor and Bathurst. For a sociable and friendly person such as myself, I always get along with Islanders and "small towners"! I'm also quite introverted, so being around nature 24/7 is a blessing! Gananoque has many things for me to do and is able to cater to my personality and unique recreation and leisure needs!

Travelling to Gananoque won't happen anytime soon, especially since the world is still trying to heal from the Coronavirus pandemic. I also don't drive and don't plan to obtain my drivers license anytime soon, so it would be more challenging to travel to Gananoque alone. Unless a group of friends want to tag along with me, I don't plan to travel to Gananoque for quite some time. If I were to travel to Gananoque with a group of friends who have access to a car, I would want to visit in the summer where my friends and I can rent a cottage that includes a lake, a kitchen, immaculate bedrooms with comfy beds, a lounge area and a backyard for us to spend time in! I would typically want to spend a week with my friends in Gananoque and then return home to Toronto for the remainder of the summer. The other activities that I would recommend my friends and I do are visit Boldt Castle, visit some of the stores that I've been to during my first trip, go for ice cream in the village and watch some films in our lounge room, just to name a few of them!

Thank you so much for reading this lovely story about Gananoque! If you enjoyed this story, please click the heart button, share this story with others and don't hesitate to send a tip! If you enjoy reading my other travel related stories, please visit my public profile! For more exciting stories and quizzes, please stay tuned! To connect with me, please follow me on Instagram @naturalbibliophile22!

Accentuate the positive and have a great week!