Myriah Saulnier

Wiarton

This town is known for its famous albino groundhog who hints to us each year how long we must wait for spring.

There is one main street with a Tim Horton’s and a Mac’s, with all other shops owned by locals. Definitely check out the Wiarton video store which still offers movie rentals (they still do this?!), the Wiarton Emporium and the Painted Turtle and Balloon Headquarters. On Fridays from 10 am to 2 pm, their local Farmers Market gathers in the center of the mainstreet while on Saturdays the local artisans come together to sell their hard worked crafts. I got myself a fairy door and have been in love with it ever since.

 

The town’s only grocery store, Foodland, is around the corner from the main street and is available for you to stock up on your groceries for the week if you haven’t already. On your way out from Foodland, check out the cork board where all the local events and news is displayed. Keep your eye out for horseshoe matches, local music gatherings and church dinners.

 

The cottage we stayed at came from vrbo.com and was the ultimate getaway, with a spot next to the water for bonfires and hot coffees in the morning sunset, a winding patio surrounding the house with chairs for sneaking away to read, a hot tub under the stars and just an overall cozy environment. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tobermory

The tiny ferry town of Tobermory boasts its main attractions in a business section that wraps itself around its marina (from here a ferry will take you to the nearby islands, most notably Manatoulin Island).

 

Before entering the business section however, you can’t miss the bright rainbow colours of the two-story shop A Mermaid’s Secret, on your left. Cotton, flowy dresses dangle from the trees and statues of mermaids and pirates sneak out from behind them. A Mermaid’s Secret indeed offers plenty of mermaid memorabilia including colourful tye dye “scale” leggings, mermaid shirts, necklaces, purses, figurines, wine stoppers, and anything else you can think of that would work with a mermaid on it…as well as regular light summer clothing, handmade jewelry, shoes, stitched handbags and scarves. I personally love mermaids (I know every single line to every single Little Mermaid song, don’t judge me), so this shop was definitely a hit for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once in the marina, make sure to visit the KuKu Hut, the African store which imports their goods straight from Kenya, where the owner Amanda lives part of the year. If you ever wanted to visit Kenya but didn’t get the chance, or like me, are about to embark on a Kenyan trip and have strict luggage weight restrictions, this is a great place for authentic fair trade Kenyan souvenirs. All of their items are handcrafted with materials made and found in Africa and they are gorgeous, most often depicting African wildlife or way of life. We picked up a giant orange hippo door stopper with painted giraffes on each of its side, a set of glass coasters with brightly painted lions, giraffes, buffalo and hippos on them, some painted candle holders and my favourite: a beaded blue necklace heavy with recycled African beads entwined with cow’s bone. Where the heck else am I going to find something like that around here in Ontario?

 

Right above the KuKu hut, is the Crowsnest, the most popular restaurant in the business section presumably because of their expansive second floor patio overlooking the entire marina and all its shops. Order the fish and chips which is the local favourite or the nachos because once you smell them you can’t get them out of your head.

The trading post was another one of our favourite shops as it seemed to go on forever, with at least 6 different rooms, one of them located outside under a covered canopy. They have clothing imported from Italy, printed and bamboo leggings, headband “princess” hats, shawls, sandals, baby dresses, you name it – you’ll find it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sauble Beach

On its off season, Sauble Beach looked like an abandoned beach town. One that was once full of life and teenage wonder. An amusement park that must have been the town’s glory welcomed us into the town, now covered in graffiti and garbage. This begun the apocalyptic feel of the town, once full of life and then abandoned again for the summer.

 

The stores on the main street revolve around beach wear, sandals and name brands. It was like exploring the ruins of a 60s beach town and by that effect it was cool. I imagined the bonfires on the beach every Saturday night, the outdoor movie gatherings, old hippies coming together to try their hand at some yoga on the sand, and the numerous flirtatious make out sessions by teenagers hidden by the darkness, slightly illuminated by stars. It must have been a romantic dream town.

 

The entrance to the beach itself still greeted guests with the wooden cutout of 60th century women in swimsuits, heads removed for picture posing, and the Sauble Beach sign made famous by decades of postcards and beloved, dusty family albums.

 

Sauble beach was almost white, the sand soft and the water a clear light blue – no doubt creating a tourist trap of visitors reeking of sunscreen, squeezed into their tight bathing suits and oversized sunglasses in the summer. Even in late September, tourists and locals played in the water, made their sandcastles on the beach and walked around downtown in bikinis.

This beach town a thing of the past? Not in their eyes. Try to imagine what they remember and Sauble Beach will be one memorable experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other nearby adventures:

Sauble Falls in the provincial park

Bruce Caves hike 

Tobermory’s Adventure Park featuring high and low ropes courses – no experience needed, rates vary from course with group options available and are around $23-$42

Flowerpot cruises, glass bottom cruises, anything your heart desires cruises in Tobermory