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Remember the beach during the 60’s & 70’s? Simple and unhurried, colorful snack shacks, and a day of family fun. It’s all still here in Canada!
Heading west about 80 miles from Niagara Falls, we traveled Route 3 along Lake Erie to Norfolk County. It was a superb day for a drive – blue skies and no traffic, because Monday was Civic Day (similar to Labor Day).
We crossed through the comely farm country of South Ontario, dotted with tidy homesteads and neatly planted fields of corn, squash, strawberries, and even tobacco. Most of the little towns we passed through were quiet, the shops closed for the holiday. But a lively festival and doings was happening in Dover, a central party point in this region that also hosts an annual motorcycle rally.
Turkey Point is a popular beach town located on Canada’s Gold Coast of Lake Erie. Folks we met have fond childhood memories of this area. We camped at Turkey Point Provincial Park – where hundreds of campsites are nestled in deep woods. Our campsite was triple wide, the biggest we’ve ever encountered. But the power pole was planted 49 feet into the woods (huh?). Given that we have 50 feet of power cord if we string two together, it took a bit a maneuvering to park the coach close enough to plug in. Jet black squirrels eyeballed us from the trees and seemed to get a good laugh at our choreography.
We drove through the little town of Turkey Point late in the afternoon for a look around. Charming place, right on the sandy shores of Lake Erie. Had a pleasant supper and local pints on the terrace of Turkey Point Hotel overlooking the water.
The next day we spent an easygoing afternoon at Turkey Point Beach. The sand was soft and warm, just enough breeze to cool you down, and the water in Long Point Bay was nicely brisk. The swimming area is a sand dune, and the water was never more than waist high. This was a swell beach to hang around for the day, only a mile or so from the campground. Our camping pass gave us free parking and beach access for the day, one of the Provincial Park System perks.
Strolling down the strip adjacent to the beach there’s just the right number of local shops followed by cute summer homes and old-fashioned motels. You really feel like you’re back in time, and it’s a pleasant relief not to be overpowered by the noise and commercialism that overruns most shore towns these days.
Don’t have an RV? Not a problem! Whispering Pines offers vintage campers as cottage rentals – you rent the camper as your room.
So come on over to Canada’s South Coast and enjoy the unhurried tempo of this sweet little beach town. Just like you remember from way back when.
Websites:
www.ontarioparks.com/park/turkeypoint
April 5, 2023
