Out & About #258 | Part 1: Webers Restaurant + Kayaking In Orillia

7/31/2016

Kayaking is an amazing outdoor experience: it allows one to fully embrace being surrounded by water without having to submerge oneself inside of it. A light breeze can be felt through one's hair every now and then, while the salty aroma of the waters are consistent throughout the entire adventure.

We embarked on our drive up north on a cool, overcast morning, only stopping for lunch at Webers before continuing onwards to Orillia for the main event of the day.

Located just off Highway 11 is Webers Charcoal Barbecued Burgers, which is apparently known for their insane lineup but also equally incredible efficiency. We pull into the grey gravel parking lot just before noon; another parking lot is situated on the opposite side of the highway, where a connecting bridge allows diners to travel across to the restaurant area safely and quickly.

Weber's main food preparation area, a separate hut for Kawartha's Dairy/yogen fruz, as well as a Roots pop-up clothing booth can be found on the same terrain. Dining spots are in abundance, ranging from two indoor halls taking the form of railway cars to outdoor picnic tables shielded by large patio umbrellas. Colourful lawn chairs are also made available for lounging when sunshine is plentiful.

As we join the lineup of roughly thirty eager comfort food-goers, I notice that customers are constantly pulling in and adding to the length of the line. Similar to Starbucks during rush hour, members of staff are seen shifting down from family to family, taking orders to pass onto the kitchen to reduce the overall wait time. Our order of two Hamburgers, one Cheeseburger, soft drinks, and a small carton of Fries are clearly marked on a thin slip of paper for easy readability. While the guys are flipping burgers on the grill, the girls work the cashier, dress up burgers, and swiftly wrap them up for placement in labelled order boxes.

In under ten minutes, we proudly emerge from the grease-filled kitchen with our burgers neatly packed in the same box. The devouring process is soon initiated, providing our stomachs with the ultimate sense of satisfaction. My Hamburger is grilled well, and maintains an crisp exterior and succulent centre despite being slathered in layers of ketchup and mustard. The Fries are also an item of interest: they maintain an outward appearance almost identical to that of McDonald's but are shorter in stature. A faint dusting of orange seasoning - presumably paprika - cover the batch.

Cravings curbed, we resume our excursion.

In contrast to the gloriously warm day that marked my first dip into Lake Simcoe, the current visit was cooler and more reminiscent of West Coast weather due to the lack of humidity. Clad in full-length thermal attire, I was prepared to take on even chillier temperatures, but was rewarded with short bursts of humidity several times while paddling.

We ventured out to rougher waters this time, allowing for a closer, more detailed view of the surrounding shrubbery and a first-time encounter with a joyfully bumpy kayak ride. The dissimilar weather provided a new outlook on the water sport: a refreshing way to spend one's day while maintaining a completely cool composure in the midst of nature.
Along with a two-person Sit-On-Top Kayak, we also rented an individual kayak with a rudder. The rudder was on the slightly defective side, as it didn't quite sway left-right as it should have with the exerted applied force. Regardless, paddling in both the SOT and enclosed kayaks were amazingly fun - I'm already highly anticipating the next visit!

Sweet Dreams is a beach staple, so it only seemed right to depart after making an ice cream run. Since my previous visit, they've added Coconut Caramel and Strawberry Margarita; we took to indulging in three waffle cones of the aforementioned two flavours with the addition of a scoop of Algonguin Canoe, a creamy French Vanilla with swirls of caramel and chocolate, and Black Raspberry Cheesecake.