Single Older Woman- Cdn Vacations-Road Trips – Goderich 2021

July 2021

Sat July 17 – I wrapped up my short 2 day excursion in Leamington and prepared the car for my trip to Goderich and Owen Sound. I picked up some groceries and snacks yesterday. I checked out of the motel and got on the road.

First stop was in Kingsville where I stopped into the Dutch Boys Chocolate store #dutchboyschocolate. I chatted with the owner, Cor, picked up some delectable truffles and bid him “tot ziens”.

My next stop was the Pelee Island Winery, where I bought two of their local wines, to enjoy when I got to my hotel, in Goderich.

It is now almost noon and the skies are blue once again and the sun is shining.

I was relieved to have a working driver side window again, as of last weekend, it was malfunctioning and I had it repaired the day before my vacation.

The drive northeast would take about 3 hours and I was in no hurry – I had all day to enjoy the scenery and the quiet roads and the 80/hour speed limit. I stopped in Chatham for a pit stop and a mid day coffee and got back on the road. After a couple of hours of solitary and scenic driving, I arrived in Grand Bend- home to Pinery Provincial Park and a few lovely beaches. I was eager to get to the hotel, out of the drivers seat and into a swim suit. First though a sit down meal.

I arrived at the Comfort Inn Hotel and with a recommendation from the manager, headed to the waterfront for dinner at the infamous #beachstreetstation restaurant. I enjoyed a well prepared fish and chips dinner and a cocktail.

Then a stroll along St. Christopher’s Beach boardwalk. Its so nice to see so many people out and about enjoying the views, the sun and blue skies.

I returned to my hotel, donned my swim suit and headed to the hotel’s indoor pool.

I touched on this non event, in one of my other posts – Canadians being a hearty bunch when it came to tolerating the cold waters of our lakes and ocean. This was the one time I could not enjoy the water – far too cool still…..

Tomorrow’s adventures will take me on a tour of the surrounding towns of Goderich and Grand Bend.

Stay tuned

Thank you for reading and letting me share.

Joye

Single Older Woman – Cdn vacations – Outings #10 – Edmonton, AB

August 2019

With only a few days to explore Edmonton, after my beach swim at Devonshire, I spent one afternoon strolling along the downtown shops and even discovered that donairs are popular here too, not just in Nova Scotia.

As I made my way back to my hotel, I stopped into the local aircraft museum.

The next day, was cloudy and overcast, so I hopped into my SUV and decided to get my steps in at West Edmonton Mall….well then, I certainly got my steps in!!! This complex is MASSIVE. I could not have fathomed previously just how huge this place was – a full swimming/wave pool, complete with water slides, the movie theatre, on the second level, with at least 6 different screens, the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co restaurant ( Forrest Gump fame) and of course, the PIRATE Ship!!! right smack dab in the middle of the mall.

Now I’d seen everything! I picked up some souvenirs for the kids, stopped for a coffee and cinnamon bun and left the mall.

I also discovered a local community centre near by with public swimming, so I stopped in, paid $10 and enjoyed a refreshing, leisurely swim to give my tired feet a break.

Tomorrow I would head home, courtesy of Westjet Airlines.

Another beach done, along with a short interesting exploration of another beautiful province, Alberta.

Thank you for reading and letting me share.

Joye

Single Older Woman – Cdn vacations – Outings #9- Edmonton, AB

August 2019

The hotel shuttle driver collected my bags on the morning of Aug 13 and we made our way to the Via Rail Station. We even had time to grab a Tim’s coffee and a small box of timbits for him and his co-workers at the hotel.

Waiting to head to the Via Rail station
Dome Car – great for additional sightseeing opportunities

You can read more about this train experience in my earlier post entitled Via Rail Excursions #3.

En route to Edmonton, AB

I arrived in Edmonton, shortly after dinner and hailed a cab to the local hotel.

I spent only 4 days in Edmonton before my flight home on August 17.

Stay tuned as I share some of the experiences and adventures while in Alberta.

Thank you for reading and for letting me share.

Joye

Single Older Woman – Cdn Vacations – Outings #8 – Saskatchewan

August 2019

This trip would be a solo journey and as I only had one week for vacation, I flew to Saskatchewan but would take the train from there to Edmonton, AB.

As has been my commitment to support local businesses, my first nights hotel stay was at the Park Town Hotel in Saskatoon.

Park Town Hotel

The next morning, I collected my rental car and made my way to Watrous, home of Manitou Springs Resort. The waters used in the pool come from the Lake and are believed to have healing benefits due to the natural therapeutic sales and mineral contents.

Manitou Springs Resort
Lake Manitou

Over the next few days, I would relax at the resort and enjoy the indoor pools. I also completed my beach swim in Lake Manitou.

pools at Manitou Springs Resort

I took one day to drive to Regina for a tour of Stone Hall Castle. That was quite the 2 hour drive – not a Tim Horton’s around until I got into the city…. I was craving my medium sized Tim’s…..lol..

Stone Hall Castle

While researching ideas and activities to do in Saskatchewan, I came across a page about the “Crooked Bush” phenomenon -https://www.canadianbucketlist.com/experiences/crookedbush/.

Crooked Bush Sign

Thinking this would be interesting and would make for a fun story, I decided to search for this location while in the province.

I made my way to Hafford and took a short walk along the boardwalk.

And so ended my short trip to Saskatchewan – the next day I would board my Via Rail cabin for 1 for the 8 hour trip to Edmonton, AB and the swim at Devonshire Beach, Lesser Slake Lake.

Thank you for reading and for letting me share.

Joye

Single Older Woman – Cdn Vacations – Outings #7 -East Coast 2018

August 2018

I recognize that I’m bouncing back and forth with my dates and my trips from the last few years. There is a method to my madness ( one of my favourite sayings) and these posts will make more sense as I expand on my adventures. I’ll need to segue to other topics as, soon my beach swimming posts will be complete.

This post is about the trip to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI, with my BFF. I would complete the beaches in New Brunswick and PEI.

Stacey and I only had 4 full days of exploration time during this trip. We arrived by train in Moncton, NB on the Monday and would return to Ontario, via Air Canada flight on the Friday.

So with so little time available to us and so much time needed for driving, we visited the following places:

Magnetic Hill Winery, we drove backward up the Magnetic Hill (which the blue beast did all on its own!), we visited Hopewell Rocks after the tide had left, we toured Halifax and visited the Titanic Museum (which had personal significance for her), we visited the Pier 21 Immigration Museum, I swam at Singing Sands Beach and Parlee Beach and we even visited a lady in PEI who taught us how to make bracelets with sea stones. We spent an hour in Charlottetown and for dinner we tried the infamous Donair pizzas. I drove across the Confederation Bridge from Nova Scotia to PEI and then back again, while Stacey took pictures of the stunning sunset as it settled over the water on either side of the bridge.

As we made out way into Nova Scotia, we stopped in at the Visitor Centre and asked for directions to the town where Viola Desmond was born. Alas, no time to make that journey.

Pier 21 Immigration Museum
Magnetic Hill Winery New Brunswick
Hopewell Rocks, Bay of Fundy

Thank you for reading and for letting me share.

Joye

Single Older Woman – Cdn Vacations – Outings #6 – Liberation Park

July 18, 2021

I’m already halfway through my short road trip and today I’m in Goderich.

The drive to #OwenSound will only take about 1 1/2 hours, so today was a local exploration day. Then a leisurely drive north on hwy 21 to Owen Sound and my final hotel stay, at #Innon6th.

I had a continental breakfast at the hotel, checked out around 11 am and made my way to the centre of Goderich.

I discovered previously in my tourist research, a dedication park , celebrating the Liberation of the Netherlands from Germany, was located in Goderich. I had to check this out on behalf of my parents.

#LiberationMemorialPark Goderich, ON

My parents belonged to a choir, in the late 1980’s, known as the #Liberationchoir and they performed throughout Ontario and traveled to the Netherlands to perform with dozens of other choirs for this same purpose.

Just as I cherished my earlier visit to #Pier21 in Halifax, NS to see the passenger manifest of when my dad came to Canada, being able to walk through this memorial was equally important to me.

With this visit complete, it was time to get on the road.

Next stop – Owen Sound and #Innon6.

Thank you for reading and letting me share.

Joye

Single Older Woman – Life’s passion – Canadians are a hearty bunch

July 2021

After being on the road for most of the day with blue skies and sunshine, I arrived at my stop over hotel in Goderich, ON. This hotel boasted an indoor pool and I was thrilled to be able to go for a swim later that evening.

Well, as most hotel chains were just starting to re-open after many lockdowns, getting the pool water to the right temperature takes more than turning on the heater that afternoon.

I returned to my room, after dinner at the #BeachStreetStation restaurant, donned my swim suit, and headed to the pool. Well then, the temperature left a lot to be desired and I found myself unable to submerge myself in the water – it was frigid cold…..not “polar dip” lake cold, but uncomfortable enough that I could not enjoy it. So I would have to wait until my lake swim at #SaubleBeach, before I could revel in the warm, therapeutic, calming effects of the water.

I’ve spent my entire life in the water- as children, we were blessed to have an outdoor pool in our backyard, summers were spent at Bluewater Beach and/or #WasagaBeach on #GeorgianBay, indoor pools at our fitness gyms and most recently at our community centres, where I’ve been a regular lap swimmer for the last 13 years. The average temperature of these pools is usually around 85 degrees celsius….

For many years, in spring and fall, my bff’s and I would travel north to the #ScandinaveSpa to enjoy the scenery, the wooded areas, the saunas, hot tub, steam rooms and the lovely lounge areas in front of the wood burning stove.

Only two of my lovely friends, had the courage and gumption, to jump into and submerge themselves completely in the Nordic waterfall or the cold plunge bath. Nope, I could not do it – I headed to right to the Hot Baths…..lol…

Most of the lakes in Canada are not the warmest and unless our summers are super warm, the temperature rises to about 20 – 22 degrees celsius. So, we’ve all learned to cope with it……eg – those that take the plunge in Lake Ontario for the annual New Year’s Day Polar Ice dip…..not this Canadian…..sorry…

Thank you for reading and letting me share.

Joye

Single Older Woman – Point Pelee Nat’l Park – Part 2

July 16, 2021

As I made my way, in the rain, through the park, I was not bothered by the light rain fall. It felt rather serene and peaceful, surrounded by all the greenery, trees, broken tree limbs and branches, etc. There were only a few people around and not many had ventured to the “beach”.

I found a deserted spot and after removing my shoes and socks, put my feet in the water….

I returned to the trail and found myself at the “Tip”.

The “Tip” of the most southern point of mainland Canada.

As I stood there and watched the waves slam against the edge, felt the wind whipping around, strained to see through the clouds and feel the rain pelt down on me, I was awe inspired and just slightly intimidated by the sheer vastness of Lake Erie and knowing that the US was somewhere on the other side.

It was a really neat feeling to know that I, on my own, had traveled this far south in Canada…. The sheer vastness and size of our beautiful country continues to inspire me.

A memorial sign is posted at the entrance to this section, dedicated to the few young people that have attempted to swim in this water and who ultimately lost their lives.

Not surprisingly, I spent a few minutes reflecting on the realization, that I was here alone, in the rain, with waves beating around me and no one else with me.

These are the challenges I face when I venture out, on my travels to seek and pursue and accomplish my goals….

The rain fall was so cleansing and I did not mind being soaked to the skin. By the time I got back to the pick up point for the shuttle, we had a near thunderstorm. Best to get out from under all those trees.

I made my way back to the car and headed back to the motel. I picked up a lottery ticket and dinner and once I returned, I sat outside and had a glass of wine.

The next morning, I would continue my road trip -first a short side trip to Kingsville to meet the owner of a small Dutch chocolate company, #DutchBoyschocolate and a trip to Pelee Island Winery to pick up, what else – wine!.

On Saturday, I travel north to Goderich, for one night. Then on to Owen Sound to swim at Sauble Beach.

Stay tuned.

Thank you for reading and for letting me share.

Joye

Single Older Woman- Ontario Road Trips – Pelee Island or Point Pelee Nat’l Park, Part 1

July 2021

As I researched my road trip to Sauble Beach, Owen Sound, I was flipping through the pages of my “110 Nature Hot Spots” book and came across a page for Pelee Island. Well I pondered, why don’t I visit there too this summer?

Heck, I would be driving northwest to Owen Sound, I could easily drive southwest first and visit this beautiful island – it is documented as being the southernmost tip of Canada. To be exact, more on that distinction later.

So that’s how this road trip came to be…..I was surprised to learn that driving south to Leamington from my city was only about 3-4 hours away. Which is about as long a driving trip as I can tolerate…..lol.

Fast forward to June 2021, after booking a spot on the ferry to Pelee Island, do I not get a call from the ferry service to advise me that one of their ferries is non-operational. My spot has been cancelled.

So, what to do…..I’m still making the trip, but I’ll have to find other parks or things to do for those few days.

Hence, on July 16, with rain falling and overcast clouds, I ventured out to #Point PeleeNationalPark – a short 10 minute drive from Talbot Trail Inn.

So, Point Pelee National Park is known as the “southernmost tip of mainland Canada” and I was about to stand at that point and be completely intimidated.

Pelee Island is the southern most tip -on an island.

Stay tuned – more to come on my incredible achievement.

Thank you for reading and letting me share.

Joye

Single Older Woman – Life’s Passion – Ontario Touring by car

July 2021

While in the process of planning this summer’s road trip, I purchased an annual Park Pass for the 90+ parks that are all within Ontario, #ONTARIOPARKS. The pass gives me complete access to these parks, Monday to Sunday, for swimming, exploring, trail walking, cycling etc. Together with some of the locales from the “110 Nature Hot Spots in Ontario” book , it was time to explore!

The duration for this trip would be a short 5 days from Thursday to Tuesday.

That morning the sun shone bright, a slight wind coming through the open windows, the clouds were non existent and the skies were lake water blue….

After about 2 hours on the road and one coffee/leg stretch break, I arrived at my first park – Long Point Provincial Park. I stopped for a few minutes, took a few pictures and got back on the road.

I arrived in Aylmer, Ontario and stopped for lunch. By this time, the clouds were forming overhead and I still had another 2 hours of driving. My paper road map did not disappoint – the route I chose was along highway 3 and adjacent to the water of Lake Erie and it was an effortless drive. I could drive through all of the quaint and quiet towns and did not have to fight highway traffic, congestion, slowdowns, large transport trucks etc.

As rain started to pitter patter on my car, I arrived in Leamington shortly after 5 pm. I checked into my hotel – #TalbotTrailInn and took a stroll to find dinner for the evening.

Tomorrow – my day trip to Point Pelee National Park.

Thank you for reading and for letting me share.

Joye