My purpose for this short trip was primarily just to get away, after all it's been all of four months since Nunavut. I also hoped but knew we were a little late, to see some fall colour. There is virtually none at home. A lot of leaves down.
The continued lack of colour on the drive was astounding. It got a little better as we stopped to eat our lunch in a church parking lot in Shallow Lake, a small village just west of Owen Sound. Some pretty orange but still nothing close to what I had expected.
From there we turned north through
Wiarton. You absolutely have to stop for a photo op with Willie at
the welcome sign. Only in Canada could a waving rodent prove so
adorable and welcoming.
Karen and I have been to Tobermory once before...in 1976. Just a short while ago. We did our SCUBA diving certification open water dive there. Lots of wrecks and clear, freezing cold water in August. Perfect.
The 15th was our 48th anniversary. The weather forecast for the upcoming weekend is for rain, all three days, the three days we'll be on Manitoulin Island. Therefore, we decided we better get some hiking in while the weather is good. With that in mind we headed out to explore Tobermory. The Big Tub lighthouse was our destination involving about a 10 kilometre trek through cottage country and back roads.
The lighthouse itself was off a short wooded path at the end of the road and stood right on the rocks at the opening of the harbour. It took a bit of maneuvering to get the whole thing in one photo from so close a vantage point.
I was determined to have fish and chips for dinner and there was quite a selection...if it had still been summer. The town is in its last week of activity so a lot of places were closed. Fortunately we still had a couple places to choose from.
All in all it was a great day. Well except for that inhaling the burning, acidic juices from a lemon but that's another story.
Today, the 16th, was a gorgeous day. Being in Tobermory the first thing that comes to mind when you think about hiking is the Bruce Trail. It all sounds so simple but is far from it. All the "good" trails, the ones you've heard of, the most interesting like The Grotto, Lion's Head and Overhanging Rock are in the proper Bruce Peninsula National Park. They are therefore governed by the Federal Government and as I have seen so many times in the past, carry an absolutely obscene entry fee. $33! and everything is still open so the rangers are very visible everywhere, no chance to skip by.
I will not pay that ransom to take a hike so we found a few smaller trails, known by no one. Having said that, all were fairly busy given the time of year. The Little Cove trail was a little shorter than we wanted but worthy nonetheless.
The reward was just as the cove was very pretty. The water looks so clear and inviting but I, for one, know that is not even close to a reality this time of year.
The Cape Hurd Reserves Nature Trail was difficult to find and had not much to offer when we did. The beautiful day and solitude made it well worthwhile.
The best part of the day was most certainly the drive in to the Halfway Log Dump (obviously whoever named this one failed Marketing epically) only to find it was another $33 attempted robbery. A 13 kilometre dirt road pothole it was a wonderful trip. Finally saw what autumn should look like!
Tomorrow we board the 2 hour Chi-Cheemaun cruise to Manitoulin Island. The forecast promises 3 days of rain so we can only hope for a break. Stay with us - we'll be in touch in a few days.
Stay well and keep smiling.
😎
