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uninhabited pine-covered islands, all with fresh herbs, her homemade beer GETTING TO TEMAGAMI: There are
perfectly misty like a watercolor paint- biscuits with local raw milk cheddar, short flights from Toronto to North Bay
ing. and her hearty homemade breads. via Air Jazz; Temagami is 1 hour north
of North Bay and ground transporta-
Another day we wandered over to Co- Our last night’s feast featured Caryn’s tion to Smoothwater can be arranged.
balt, the silver mining capital of North Poutine, which isn’t really the classic
America in its heyday, where ruins of poutine known throughout Ontario Ontario Northland offers two daily
old mines and character-filled buildings that consists of French fries covered buses to and from Toronto to Temag-
of an Old West town offered a different with gravy and cheese, but instead is a ami; Smoothwater will pick you up
kind of landscape. healthier version combining caramel- in Temagami. It is a 4.5-hour drive to
ized Jerusalem artichokes and wild Temagami/Smoothwater from Toronto,
We would gather back at the lodge (also mushrooms with homemade chicken 2.5 hours from Sudbury, 3 hours from
the home of Caryn, her husband, Fran- gravy and local Swiss cheese curds. Cochrane and 6 hours from Ottawa.
cis Boyes, and their daughter, Emily) to
enjoy one amazing meal after another. Caryn and Francis created a labyrinth Smoothwater of Temagami, Box 40,
on their property that she calls a med- Temagami, ON P0H 2H0, Canada;
We quickly dubbed Caryn the Alice itative walk to help one focus. 1-705-569-3539; 888-569-4539; www.
Waters of Temagami. Like the famed smoothwater.com.
Chez Panisse chef who revolutionized As we meandered through its maze of a
U.S. restaurants 40+ years ago when trail, we understood the greatest lesson Visitors come from all over the world in
she championed using local ingredients, we learned from Caryn: “It’s the pro- summer and winter for canoeing, hik-
Caryn has led the way in Temagami cess that’s important, not the finished ing, mountain biking, cross-country ski
by using local producers of vegetables, product,” she told us. “At the end of the and snowshoe adventures and group
fruits, honey, maple syrup, cheeses, week, you’ll have something you want trips, as well as art, photography, music
meat and fish. to frame just because you’ll enjoy it.” and writing retreats. Smoothwater is a
complete outfitter for your adventures.
She even grows a lot of her own organic
produce and leads culinary workshops She was right. I, for one, have never This wilderness lodge has five private
in foraging for and cooking local wild painted before. I am not good at it. But rooms and two bunkhouses. It also has
edibles. I really enjoyed trying to paint the beau- two backcountry cabins each about
ties of what I saw in Temagami. And I 3.7 miles from the main lodge, tucked
Breakfast, lunch and dinner at Smooth- discovered that I want to keep pursuing away on the 25 miles of trails that take
water were invariably as splendid as the it. off from the lodge. You may also pitch
surroundings. a tent. Rates range from $15 a night to
IF YOU GO pitch a tent to $1,460 per couple for
Some of our favorite dishes were Caryn’s five nights and 15 meals.
Temagami Wild Blueberry Kuchen, her McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Above: The rural surroundings of Ontario’s northern
fritters of carrots in chickpea flour 10365 Islington Ave, Vaughan, ON L0J
served with homemade spruce jelly, 1C0, Canada; 1-905-893-1121; www. lake region seen from the air near Deerhurst Resort,
Lake Temiskaming whitefish encrusted mcmichael.com. another classic and historic lakefront Canadian
getaway offering boating, canoeing, golf, tennis,
horseback riding, hiking and live entertainment.
56 Wine Dine & Travel Summer 2014

