It's just the way I like it.
From Niagara, follow Highway 3 West then Highway 6 South to Port Dover. Once you're at the lake hug the winding scenic shoreline road all the way to Port Stanley. The trip takes about three to four hours (who cares ... you're on vacation) depending on how many stops you make along the way.
Port Dover
(www.portdover.ca)
This resort village of 5,500 is perhaps best known for the Friday the 13th gathering of motorcyclists. But if you don't arrive on Friday 13th of this year things will be less hectic. There is a beach and a boardwalk to enjoy, summer theatre and you can even take a tug tour of Lake Erie aboard the 50 passenger Kayloe. One of my favourite pastimes is to sit on the pier that juts out into the lake and watch the fishing boats return with their catches of the day. When I visit the Port Dover Harbour Museum I come away with a tid-bit about the lake's commercial fishing history.
Port Ryerse
This is your next stop. It kind of jumps out at you at the end of a road into the port. It at one time provided in the 1860s a small thriving shallow water port for a lumber business. Today, the beach is the star attraction.
Turkey Point
This place was named for the abundance of wild turkeys in the area. Turkeys are still around. I almost had a turkey dinner when one came flying across the road in front of me. I had to settle for a hamburger at one of the concession stands found at the edge of the three-kilometre groomed sandy beach found in this tiny resort. Highlight for the summer is the Turkey Point Summer Fest held between Aug. 4 and 8 (www.turkeypoint.ca). Look out for the turkeys.
Port Rowan
For those who prefer something quieter than a baseball game and less strenuous than a white-water kayak ride, you've arrived. For those who've visited the fishing villages along the east coat of Canada, the idyllic inlet harbour here will transport you there. You can hang out along the dock wall picnicking, fishing, bird watching or simply people watching.
Port Burwell
About a half-hour drive west along Highway 42 is Port Burwell. It's a bit bigger than Port Rowan. You'll find Canada's oldest wooden lighthouse built in 1840. For a minimal fee you can climb to the top and get an excellent view. The nearby Marine Museum has both marine exhibits and artifacts depicting village life.
Port Stanley
(www.port-stanley.com)
Drive west another half hour and brake to be fascinated by Port Stanley. This village of 2,500 is situated at the mouth of meandering Kettle Creek and Lake Erie. Port Stanley in the 1930s and '40s, was known as the Coney Island of Ontario. Harry James, Guy Lombardo, Benny Goodman and other fine musicians played at Stock Club dance hall. A fire destroyed it in the 1970s. Here is one of the finest stretches of sandy beaches on the north shore of Lake Erie. And it's also one of the cleanest. Work crews arrive early each day with an old-fashioned hay loader to rake the beaches.
As the lake's largest deep-water natural harbour, it's a haven for a large fishing fleet and watercrafts of all sizes. I like to hang out close to one of the yachts and pretend I'm cooler than I really am.
Old-timers don't worry, Mackie's Restaurant, built in 1911, is still on the beachfront and still serving up their famous Mackie's Orangeade.
If you decide to stay over before heading back to Niagara, there's a number of top-notch inns to put your head down for the night.
The north shore of Lake Erie is a place of unexpected delights and summer is a thrilling time to take this trip.
Contact George Bailey at wonderful.life@sympatico.ca
For More Information
www.norfolktourism.ca or 1-800-699-9038.
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