At MacGregor Point, the forecast called for rain, so we decided to do a road trip to Tobermory. It’s a nice drive, plus Kory wanted to sneak in some birding (we pass a few good spots for Upland Sandpipers). I like to be on the lookout for Ravens, and I did get to see one just outside of Tobermory. I think poor Kory missed out on the flycatchers he was trying for though.
By the time we made it to Tobermory and found a place to park (a challenge in the summer months!) we were all hungry. After a yummy lunch, we walked around and finally got Em the ice cream she had been promised.
Walking around Tobermory is fun! We watched the boats in the harbour for a bit… one day we’ll ride the Chi-Cheemaun to Manitoulin Island. And take a day trip to Flowerpot Island. So much to do, so little time…
We used to live in Burlington, pre-kids, and I spent a lot of time on the Bruce Trail. I would love to hike the whole thing someday, but it will be way more challenging now that we live in Southwestern Ontario. Tobermory is the northern terminus of the Bruce Trail. I have taken the typical tourist pic now with both my girls… Babywearing ftw!
We had plans to hike to the Grotto in Bruce Peninsula National Park, not knowing much about it other than that it is a popular place to go. We briefly stopped at the Visitor’s Centre to buy our park pass. The park is spread out along the highway, so we drove to the parking lot for the Grotto hike. Once there, we were informed that the lots were completely full and we would not be allowed to enter. As this was a last minute trip, we hadn’t made any plans in advance and had no idea that the park would be so packed! I understand the need to protect natural spaces from too many human tourists, but I will also admit to feeling quite frustrated. After several minutes of feeling grumpy, we drove down the highway and decided to try for a different parking lot (Halfway Log Dump) as I had to feed Lyssa. This is a LONG LONG way off the highway! Anyway, once there we all had a snack and decided to do a quick hike and make the best of things. The weather was absolutely beautiful and Em had a great time running down the trail. All of a sudden the forest ends and an absolutely stunning rock beach comes into view. The brilliant sun highlighted the the bright green Eastern White Cedars, the rocky grey shoreline, and the most incredible shades of turquoise and blue in Georgian Bay.
Our big girl did a great job hiking on the loose rocks – not an easy task!
She has actually been to this spot before, at a mere 9 weeks old! I think she slept through it though!
Bruce Peninsula National Park is stunning, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of all the places to explore in this area of the province. Helpfully we’ll be return someday!