|
||
| International Plowing Match & Farm Machinery
Show- Part 3 Exploring Lake Huron's Coast |
|
|
| It was going to be difficult to
top our day at the Plowing Match, but we decided to take the next day and explore some of
the eastern coast of "bluewater" Lake Huron. Our wonderful hosts at Brentwood on
the Beach, Joan and Peter, provided yet another breakfast feast, and armed with our
brochures from the Southwestern Ontario Travel Association we set out for the day’s
adventure. Heading north on Route 21 from St. Josephs, we decided to bypass Bayfield and stop on the way back; it was quite early and most of the shops wouldn’t be open yet. That’s no fun! Our first stop was in the town of Goderich. The town dates back to 1827, when development of the "Huron Tract", a million acres of land extending from Goderich to Guelph necessitated development of a harbor. This was an ideal location for a large harbor, where the Maitland River meets Lake Huron. You can find huge Lake and Ocean going vessels in abundance; the freighters come in for grain and salt and this is the only "seaway-depth" harbor on the east side of Lake Huron. We saw truck after truck loaded with grain and beans heading into and out of the port. The fishing is also excellent, and we watched a local fisherman land a huge one from his wee boat! Downtown Goderich has a lovely collection of historic buildings surrounding an octagon shaped "town square" which was filled with stately shade trees. They’ve done a superb job developing lake front parks and beaches, which are all connected by a boardwalk. There’s a flight of stairs that ascend a high cliff, and the view of the Lake and its beautiful beaches from the top is breathtaking. It also takes your breath away walking up all those stairs! It was a clear sunny day, and the sparkling blue water was a truly special sight. Continuing our adventure north, we spotted a sign "Point Clark Lighthouse" and just had to investigate. We came across a lakeside community, about ½ mile off the main road. Homes and yards were meticulously maintained, all adorned with hanging baskets full of flowers and thriving gardens. The Lighthouse is a national historic site, and was opened to the public in 1990 after having been closed for nearly 30 years. It’s a round, stone tower that’s 115 feet tall. Unfortunately, it was after Labor Day and it was closed for the season. We did get some really nice photos (view them on our web site!). We discovered later that there are four nature trails in Point Clark, each with its own special characteristics of vegetation and animal habitats. We’ll definitely put this on the agenda when we’re back in the area. A short distance back up Highway 21, we came across the Pine River Cheese Factory, which began production back in 1885. There’s an observation gallery where you can view the cheese making process, and they have a great retail store featuring their 13 varieties of cheese as well as an outstanding selection of other specialty foods…breads, crackers, locally made jams, honey, and other "yummies". We picked up some excellent goat cheese, some sharp cheddar, and fancy Canadian wafer-crackers to accompany it. |
Next stop,
Kincardine…another exquisite shore-side town at the intersection of Route 9. They
boast the largest bagpipe band in the province, with more than 60 members. Each Saturday
evening during July and August the pipe band parades through the streets to Victoria Park,
where they give a concert. They also have a "Gathering of the Bands" event each
summer. Thousands of people come to town for the event, which draws pipe bands from
Toronto, London, and other parts of Western Ontario. We could have easily spent a couple
of days exploring the town. There’s a shipwreck that’s visible from shore –
the Ann Maria, a 242 ton schooner that sunk in 1902 carrying a cargo of large blocks of
coal. She’s only one of a dozen shipwrecks off Kincardine’s shore. There’s
a public rock garden, and an 1880’s lighthouse that’s now a museum (sounds like
Sodus Point!). A boardwalk runs along a beautiful beach, a "Heritage Walk" which
provides a tour of some of the town’s elegant historic homes and commercial
buildings, and there are SO many shops and restaurants! From here, we headed east on Route 9, passing through a number of picturesque hamlets…Bervie, Kinloss, Riversdale, then headed south on Route 4, our destination being the town of Bluevale. One of our brochures had listed an "event" that really caught my eye, the Shayrina Sheep Farm. The write-up also said "we’re a working sheep farm…come to our presentation to learn about different breeds of sheep, feed our pet lambs, view our other animals, make a sheep craft, and meander through our corn maze". Sounded right up my alley! They also have a gift shop that "boasts of sheep items". It doesn’t get much better than that! We found the farm, but unfortunately, they had closed that weekend in order to participate in an exhibit at the Plowing Match. Undaunted, we proceeded south in search of the Old Tyme Radio Centre, in the town of Belgrave. They restore and sell antique radios and victrolas. Ethan’s a real radio buff and it sounded like a great place to visit. We pulled up in front of the store only to find a note on the door that they were closed. Bummer! We headed back toward the shore on Route 15, a lovely road winding through the farmland. We took a drive into the Falls Reserve Conservation area. Ontario’s Conservation Areas are similar to our State Parks, and this one had a campground along side a stream, with hiking trails and canoeing available. We ended up back on Route 21, and headed south to Bayfield. This little village was a real highlight of our trip. Its wide main street is lined with majestic old trees, and lovingly restored buildings from the early 1800’s house a myriad of shops, cafes, and elegant restaurants. Ethan decided to take a nap in the truck in the sun while I explored the shops. I stopped in the King’s Bakery and Tea Room, departing with two delicious butter and nut tarts. The deal of the day, though, was at The Wardrobe…I ended up with two dresses with long jackets made in Bali. I couldn’t resist them…on sale at 70% off, then with the currency exchange rate, they were almost giving them away. The best part is, I’ll never see duplicates on anyone back here!!! It was another great day. It’s just amazing how much fun you can have driving around and spending some time exploring all the little towns along with way. This was a really outstanding trip…new places, new friends, and memories we’ll treasure forever. Take a ride and visit our Canadian friends sometime; it’s worth the trip! Please visit us at http://irwinhome.freeservers.com. I’m still working on getting our Guestbook working, but you can e-mail us for more information at irwins@rochester.rr.com.
|
|
