Algonquin Park in Google Street View

What a world we live in!

The Google Street View camera car went to Algonquin Park (and a lot of other places). While it did pass through Oxtongue Lake, it did not drive up our road, so you can't see the Oxtongue Lake store.

Check out the view of our Opeongo Store and water taxi. You can "drive" down the Opeongo Road, Highway 60 and about halfway to Rock Lake (why didn't they go all the way?).

If you have not not seen this before, and you have Google Earth on your computer, here is what to do:

- open Google Earth
- check the Street View check box in the Layers menu (lower left of your screen)
- go to some area you know (like your street address)
- if you see little camera icons, double click on one of them
- this will open the street view, then click on full screen
- play with the arrows in upper right to see the 360 degree view
- see what people were doing on that day!

If you have yet to discover Google Earth,  this is what it is, according to Google:

Google Earth streams the world over wired and wireless networks enabling users to virtually go anywhere on the planet and see places in photographic detail.  This is not like any map you have ever seen.  This is a 3D model of the real world, based on real satellite images combined with maps, guides to restaurants, hotels, entertainment, businesses and more.  You can zoom from space to street level instantly and then pan or jump from place to place, city to city, even country to country.

Get Google Earth.  Put the world in perspective.

Winter Fun Day is coming up!

Winter fun in the great outdoors is always the theme of the annual Winter Fun Day, hosted by Algonquin Outfitters, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010. This free, family-oriented, event takes place at the Oxtongue Lake location, just west of Algonquin Park, on Hwy. 60, about 30 km east of Huntsville. Click here for Google Maps directions.

Winter Fun Day is designed to introduce people to self-propelled (or at least non-motorized) winter activities like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, skate skiing, winter camping and dog sledding, as well as provide a host of opportunities to simply have fun in the snow.

This year’s event will pack a host of activities into a single day. You could drive a dog team, learn how to build a snow shelter, try skate skiing, go on a snowshoe hike, learn about winter camping, enter a snowshoe race (and hopefully finish!), play snow games and more! Representatives from MSR snowshoes will be here to talk about their latest models and let you try out a range of snowshoes and demonstrate new winter products. Lunch is always a highlight of any winter activity and barbeque fare, like hotdogs and sausages, will be available.

Equipment for all activities will be provided free of charge for Winter Fun Day participants and a heap of door prizes will be given away throughout the event.

For more information, please call the Oxtongue Lake store, 1-800-4694948 (705-635-2243).

Please note that there is a charge for dog sled rides and a family rate is available.

Here is a general overview of the day:

Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010:

9 am: Algonquin Outfitters opens

10 - 4 pm: dog sled rides - please sign up  at the dog truck to make sure you get a ride!

10 -12: morning program (x-c ski lesson, ski and snowshoes demos, snowshoe hike, quinzee building, dog sled rides, etc.)

12 - 2: lunch

1 - 5: afternoon program (skate ski lessons, ski and snowshoe demos, winter camping demo, etc.)

Sunday, Feb. 21:

10 - noon: 16th annual Ragged Falls Snowshoe Adventure Hike. This is a three-hour guided exploration of the Ragged Falls area. About half the trek is on packed trails and the rest is on unmarked, unpacked trails.

Advance registration is not required - simply show up! All events take place in the immediate area of our Oxtongue Lake store (except the Ragged Falls hike - car pooling req'd).

Dog sled rides are provided by Winterdance Dog Sled Tours.

Ski lessons are provided by Ski for Life.