Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Fall/Winter 2019 | Page 14

COVER STORY
PHOTO: BRÜHMÜLLER STUDIO
terrain, unrelenting granite rock and the ever-present colour
that would fuel anyone’s imagination.
The Group of Seven maintains a collective hold on the
region to this day. The Outdoor Mural Gallery features works
of art that celebrate the group and teach visitors about this
revolutionary Canadian movement. To track this gallery, we
first head to Huntsville where 30 or so of the murals have been
mounted on buildings on and around Main Street close to the
waterfront.
I begin to describe how Canadian artists across the country
were commissioned to recreate works of the famed group and
notice that our three children’s collective attention span is
waning. Then our youngest spots a mural high on the outside
wall of a local bank: “I found one!” At that point, the Group
of Seven lecture turns into a scavenger hunt and a fierce
competition that requires us to park and set out on foot.
As the children furtively walk the streets of the quaint
downtown, their cries rise above the small crowd of fellow
visitors. “The canoe on the lake is mine!” “I saw that snow
path first!” “No, me!” I’m secretly proud of this unexpected
teaching moment, but the moment doesn’t last long. We find a
bronze statue of Tom Thomson poised with a paintbrush. All
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three take turns posing in front of the statue like it’s someone
with a cell phone: “Look, he’s painting me doing the dab!”
Well, you can’t win them all.
The scavenger hunt exhausted, we take the time for a scenic
hike to the top of Lion’s Lookout. This is the perfect place to see
the beautiful Fairy Lake and the land that generations of artists
have sought to capture in all its colourful autumn glory. Later,
we visit Arrowhead Provincial Park, just north of Huntsville, a
fantastic sister to the world-famous Algonquin Park. This spot
is beloved by mountain bikers of all skill levels. In the winter,
part of the Lake Trail will be transformed into a two-kilometre
skating path that winds between the trees, reason enough to
return to Muskoka after the snow starts to fly.
Speaking of flying, there’s plenty of excitement in the air at
Tree Top Trekking in Huntsville. This destination is a must for
all adrenaline junkies over the age of 9, especially if ziplining
through a canopy of vibrant trees is your idea of a good
time. For younger adventurers, provided they weigh at
least 20 kg, there’s the Muskoka Zip Lines and Aerial
Park in Bracebridge.
For those looking for even more elevation, there’s the
option of taking a scenic float plane ride. One of the operators,