That's why, on an end-of-May weekend that felt more like mid-July, I was plopped on a deck chair transfixed by a seemingly limitless expanse of blue.
The deck was at Upper Beach House, a new rental property near St. Joseph built by Joan and Peter Karsten. Their nearby B&B, Brentwood on the Beach, is a rarity, having a virtually unobstructed view of the lake.
I could take root in a place like that, but there were back roads to explore and menus to taste-test.
In Bayfield, just minutes away, village archivist Ralph Laviolette dons a black bowler on Saturday mornings in July and August and does a guided walking tour. He focuses on Main St., a Provincial Historic District. There are three others in Huron - Seaforth's main street, and two in Goderich - the eight-sided Courthouse Square and West St. from the Square to the harbour.
Another sightseeing option is renting a pedal-powered cart at Cryart Studio - $15 an hour, proceeds to the historical society.
Take a picnic to Pioneer Park, which overlooks the lake, and check out the sailboat-filled harbour, the largest recreational one on the Canadian side of Huron.
Falls Reserve Conservation Area, on the Maitland River, is another gem, with camping, a fishing pond, and hiking/biking trails. Call 1-877-325-5722.
County Road 31 crosses the Maitland, via the Menesetung Bridge, into a town that has long claimed to be Canada's prettiest.
Goderich's lakefront is certainly something to brag about. There's a 1.5-km boardwalk, three sand beaches, washrooms, changing facilities and free parking.
TOURISM INFORMATION
For getaway suggestions, contact the Huron Tourism Association at ontarioswestcoast.ca or 1-888-524-8394.
I ate at the Black Dog Pub & Bistro in Bayfield and Hessenland Country Inn near St. Joseph. Black Dog is owned by cookbook author Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh and husband Ted, an expert on wine, beer and scotch.
Hessenland has been in the Ihrig family for more than 25 years. The cuisine is German with typical dishes including rolladen and four kinds of schnitzel. Thyme on 21 in Goderich and Eddington's in Exeter were also recommended.
Look for yellow perch on menus, "Lake Huron candy," as one fan calls it.
Perch, plus pickerel and whitefish, are often available as daily specials.
The patio at Park House in Goderich is a good spot to hoist a cold one. It's beside Harbour Park, home of the Celtic Roots Festival in August.
Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend, and Blyth Festival, Blyth, are in the county, and it's an easy drive to Stratford.
ACCOMMODATIONS
- Brentwood on the Beach. Nine guest rooms and an indoor saltwater pool and sauna. It hosts quilting, needlework, knitting, and scrapbooking weekends, and spa getaways in winter. The sign at the front, "Enter with a happy heart,'' hints at what to expect.
"It's like coming home again,'' said a Michigan woman who visits regularly.
Contact brentwoodonthebeach.com or 519-236-7137.
- Astoria B&B, Goderich. An attractive, high-ceilinged house built in 1890.
Rates for the three guestrooms include a full hot breakfast. Contact astoria-bed-n-breakfast.com or 1-877-943-6969.
- The Red Pump, Little Inn and Robson Suites, all in Bayfield, were also recommended.
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