[jwreeves]

I've recently booked my flights to southern ontario for may next year and was wondering if anyone can recommend accomodation in the algonquin, pt pelee and long point areas? Not after 5* hotels, just affordable places within a short distance of the birding areas, a comfy bed and a shower are the only real requirements! Also good road maps and books that describe the best sites and directions on how to get to them would be very usefull! Thanks in advance

[wolfbirder]

Cant really help but get booked up early as in Spring migration time all accommodation is ludicrously expensive. I stayed at a lodge we rented twenty miles away outside leamington? (for Pelee). Hotel accomm is at a premium and vey quickly booked up. Some people were staying in camper vans in Pelee car park, might be a better and cheaper option? You would need to check with Pelee first but rates may be better.

[Steve Arlow]

I stayed at the Sun Parlour Motel in Leamington, about 15mins drive from Pelee. It was okay, nothing special but was a place to lay your head

www.sunparlormotel.com


In Algonquin we stayed at Algonquin East Gate Motel which is one of the few places to stay, it may have been renamed. Probably best to book something as can be booked up early.

http://www.algonquinpark.com/lodges.html

[apbarr]

I can recommend "Our House in the Woods" B&B in Leamington. Janet and Ben are great hosts and are very accommodating with early breakfasts etc. It's about a 20 min drive to Point Pelee but their house is set in around 10 acres of woodland where we had Cooper's Hawk, Great Horned Owl, Downy Woodpecker, Indigo Bunting, Northern Cardinal, Eastern Phoebe and Yellow-rumped Warbler

Link here http://www.bbcanada.com/9531.html

[jwreeves]

Thank you all for your replies! Apbarr, just checked your link and unfortunately it is booked up for when i'll be visiting but thankyou! Wolfbirder - i know what you mean about accomm being quickly booked up! When i was having a look the other day rooms where going as i was viewing the various places websites! And some of the motels/cottages i was looking at where quoting around £600 for 5 nights, which id rather not have to pay that much! Camper vans was not something i had considered but just had a look and it is good value, though have only seen the prices for the campsite at sturgeon woods just up the road but definately an option! Steve arlow - i have already downloaded your trip report from 2003, very helpfull and reading it was one of the reasons that made choose this holiday! Basically doing your itinerary in reverse! Thankyou all again!

[Steve Arlow]

Struth was it 2003, doesn't feel that long ago.

[gwatola]

Hi JW

read my trip report, might be still useful.

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/triprepor...rio-may-06.htm

cheers

George

[jwreeves]

very useful gwatola thankyou! Made a reservation for a cabin at sturgeon woods at the weekend, still waiting for confirmation, they have a very strange, almost dodgy feeling, booking system! So hopefully lodgings for pelee are sorted! If not, and as other motels and B&B's in leamington/kingsville were going fast, where is the furthest from pt pelee I could stay where it is still not too much hassle to get there early each morning? like say within a 45 min drive?

[stonechat1]

Agree, the rates during May are awfully. Visited Point Pelee a few times in the past. At the first travel we choose to stay at the Sturgeon Wood Campground in a tent. I didn´t like the walk to the shower and rest rooms. Additonaly I felt uncomfortable because I every time I had to control that my photographic and optical gear is shut in the car. Also I had sometimes noisy neighbours.
http://www.sturgeonwoods.com/campground-map.htm
2. At one travel to Pelee we rented a room in the Leamington Days Inn. Much better but also more expensive. Loved the possibility to swim indoor and looking TV during the bird free time at noon and early afternoon. http://www.peleedaysinn.com/ At another travel all rooms were occupied but after a private conversation from my wife with the manager we got the King Suite at the normal room rate, that was awesome from her.
3. Last travel I stayed at the Stonegate B&B in Wheatley. Just about 15 min away from Leamington. The way to the NP I used to do some birding along the chanels and fields. Had great hosts, liked the backyard observations from my my breakfast table in the morning. Sadly I must often interrupt the kinglike breakfast to shoot some nice photos ;-) http://murna.mnsi.net/

I guess it would be the best to talk (negotiate?) about the room rate.

Also a great help is the book "A birder´s guide to Point Pelee (and surrounding Region)" by Tom Hince. http://www.peleewings.ca/n_products....=6&type=nature Don´t hesitate to buy it if you don´t own it allready!

[jwreeves]

Thankyou stonechat1. Our cabin is booked at sturgeon woods, had to ring them up though to make sure it has been confirmed as they don't/didn't send an email confirming this! Just accommodation for algonquin and long point areas to book now and hire car then just spending money to worry about! That is one book i was looking at ordering, have gathered alot of helpfull information from several past trip reports but almost know these off by heart now so need another new read!

[apbarr]

We stayed at the Coachhouse B&B in Port Rowan which was handy for Long Point, not sure if it is still running but anything in Port Rowan would be fine. My trip report from 2007 will give you some pointers for the area, the Whip-poor-will site is a must, a bit spooky but worth it.

[wolfbirder]

In May 2008 we stayed at an excellent B & B / self-catering accommodation 10 mins drive from Long Point, called Brook Vale at Booth's Harbour. It was lovely accommodation for the price. Just checked their website and it costs about £65 per night for a double room and they have availability next May. This was a lovely place, the daughter does banding on site if she is there, and feeders attracted one or two hummers (the only ones I saw). Think they were Ruby-throated.

Their website and email are at www.bbcanada.com/8895.html.

You may also want to check my overly-lengthy report for Rondeau/ Pelee/Long Point in May 08, which highlights one or two other good spots.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread....ght=Wolfbirder

Hope the links work.

[jwreeves]

Thanks for the link to the B&B wolfbirder! Unfortunately can't afford to book anything else for a couple of weeks so hopefully there will still be space, if not there then in the immediate area! And theres nothing wrong with over-lengthy trip reports! Great read! Not sure if i can wait 9 months! I can't find a link for the coach house apbarr, it seems to have been removed/not added to bbcanada.com despite having a page? Port rowan is my preferance, largely in part to being close to the whip-poor-will site and allowing some extra birding on my last morning before heading off home, via niagra falls!

[wolfbirder]

Good luck mate, please do remember to report back.

[jwreeves]

I will do, cheers

[apbarr]

Originally Posted by jwreeves

Thanks for the link to the B&B wolfbirder! Unfortunately can't afford to book anything else for a couple of weeks so hopefully there will still be space, if not there then in the immediate area! And theres nothing wrong with over-lengthy trip reports! Great read! Not sure if i can wait 9 months! I can't find a link for the coach house apbarr, it seems to have been removed/not added to bbcanada.com despite having a page? Port rowan is my preferance, largely in part to being close to the whip-poor-will site and allowing some extra birding on my last morning before heading off home, via niagra falls!

We had our last day at Niagara before heading back to the airport, Niagara on the Lake is worth a visit and remember to leave plenty of time for the traffic around Toronto.

[jwreeves]

Now booked all but the 1st nights accomodation(in huntsville) and hire car(both due an inconvenient expirary date on the credit card!). Staying at the algonquin dream catcher motel in whitney for 1 night, and booked in for 2 nights at the seasons house bed & breakfast in port rowan. Thankyou all for your help again

[Brucew]

Enjoy Pelee. But give a nod to Wheatley Prov. Park. It often is overlooked. If you need some advice , feel free to email me. We live about 3.5 hours drive away and are regular visitors to Pelee in may. We usually sleep in our minvan at wheatley and enjoy the onion fields as well as teh park when we are down there. Algonquin in May can be extremely buggy....Black flies and Mosquitoes. Be prepared!!
Cheers,
Bruce

[jwreeves]

Was thinking of maybe giving wheatley a try 1 afternoon, what sort of species can i see there? Also, are there any sites worthy of a quick stop between algonquin and pelee(apart from the carden alvars)? Especially for species that im less likely to see at the main sites? Ive read the coldwater area can be good for brewer's blackbird and trumpeter swan, and have read about skunks misery and the glencoe area, but if time allows i think that journey will need a stop or two! Preferably as close to the main routes as possible! Thanks for the advice about the bugs! Was hoping i would be a little early to get eaten alive but il make sure i pack some repellent!

[stonechat1]

Originally Posted by jwreeves

[...]Thanks for the advice about the bugs! Was hoping i would be a little early to get eaten alive but il make sure i pack some repellent!

Don´t be afraid those aren´t vampires.
Most anoying (for me) were non-biting midges of the genus Chironomus, because of their size and they are appearing as covey (-s) and will follow you on your way through the trails.
And sure you´ll get a mouth full of them

[wolfbirder]

I found a great spot for Bobolinks (saw about a dozen) on Charing Cross Road (see me report under Vacational Trip Reports in 2008). These were the only ones we saw.

The road system was grid like, & this was on the way to Pelee. Not sure if its always profitable for this species though.