Take A Day Trip to Lake Huron on Highway 21 #PowerONroadtrip

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There is nothing better than a day trip to Lake Huron. Whether you are coming from London, Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo or Toronto, you are likely no more than 2.5 hours away. Part of the Great Lakes region, these interconnected lakes begin with Lake Ontario which connects to Lake Erie via locks. As you continue west, you will encounter Lake Huron.

Day Trip to Lake Huron and Bruce Power @DownshiftingPRO

From London, you can easily drive to both Lake Erie and Lake Huron, but my favourite is the latter. Along the lake you will find the sandiest beaches, prettiest towns and most beautiful sunsets in south-western Ontario.

We decided to take a day trip from the cottage in Grand Bend for another multigenerational adventure with the family.  We are all about travelling together and making fun memories for our children and the grandmas (as well as keeping it interesting for mom & dad).  With four straight days of ‘being together at the cottage’ we were looking for something fun to do on a day trip to Lake Huron.

Day Trips on the Shores of Lake Huron @DownshiftingPRO 2

There is no question, you can always find something interesting to see and do in Bruce County.  The highlight of the day trip  was the stop at the  Bruce Power Visitors’ Centre and Bus Tour for an afternoon of education and fun!

On this roadtrip, you can visit villages, small towns and bigger hubs on the shores of Lake Huron by taking scenic King’s Highway 21. Easily accessible from the US border in Port Huron, Michigan, this Canadian highway begins in Sarnia  at the 402 Highway and ends in Owen Sound on Georgian Bay (a large bay in Lake Huron). Here are a few suggestions for day trips to Lake Huron as we headed to Tiverton to visit Bruce Power.

Grand Bend

We begin our journey in the beach town of Grand Bend.  It is the beginning of summer cottage country for many families from London, Sarnia, Windsor, KW and Michigan.  You will find a lively main street with a number of bars, restaurants, boutiques and ice cream shops. At the base of the street you will see the Main beach with plenty of amenities including washrooms, concession stands and a playground.

The small town of Grand Bend has an LCBO (liquor store), a few grocery stores, a large chain drug store and any professional service you may need.  There a few places of note: one of my favourite places is Jimmy’s Scottish Bakery.  Need a fix of scones or meat pies? This is your place.  Or maybe you have a sweet tooth: look no further than the Grand Bend Sweet Shoppe. Lastly, no visit to ‘The Bend’ would be complete without a stop at Archie’s – beach fashion at it’s coolest.

Day Trip to Lake Huron and Bruce Power @DownshiftingPRO

Bayfield

We drove from Grand Bend and headed north on highway 21.  This is a beautiful drive if you enjoy scenic landscapes filled with farm land, corn fields and quaint  towns.  Our first stop was the city park and main street in Bayfield.  This lakeside town is famous for its downtown street chock full of cute stores and  restaurants. Keep an eye out for the Antique and Collectables Show the week after the Civic long weekend in August.  Located in the arena, you will surely find a treasure but come early as it gets very busy.

Bayfield Ontario - Quaint lakeside town on Lake Huron, Ontario (36)

If coming from afar you can certainly spend the night at the Little Inn of Bayfield, as my brother and his wife love to do.  They are consistently drawn to the charm of this hotel and I understand the restaurant is top notch.  Otherwise, you can walk around and do a bit of shopping. You can find the usual beach decor as well as quite a few boutiques.  One of my favourite stores is the eclectic Hive because it has chic clothing and chocolates too!

Bayfield Ontario @DownshiftingPRO

Goderich

About 20 minutes further north is Canada’s “prettiest town” –  Goderich. We often stopped in Goderich on our way home from the Bruce Peninsula.  This is one of the largest towns on the shores of Lake Huron with a population just over 7,600.  It is known for two things: the 2011 Tornado which destroyed just about every tree in the main square and it is also home to the largest salt mine in the world.  Extending 7 km under Lake Huron, it produces most of the salt that we put on our icy Canadian roads. The silos on the waterfront hold salt and not grain in this busy port town.

Head down to the waterfront just before you exit the town and have a bite to eat at the Beach Street Station Restaurant.  We had a lovely lunch there when it first opened a few years ago. Directly across the street from the main beach, it’s a great place to people watch from the outdoor patio.

Beach Street Restaurant Goderich Ontario

Speaking of beach … Goderich has invested in its beach area connecting all three beaches with a 1.5 km boardwalk.  You can also ascend from to the beach to Lighthouse Park on the brand new wooden staircase.  Once you get to the Main beach, you will find bathrooms, a playground and a concession stand.  Midway, is the dog-friendly St. Christopher’s Beach.

This beach is family friendly and close to the brand new outdoor Fitness Trail (workout equipment/stations by the boardwalk).  It’s nice to know you don’t need a gym membership to access this equipment.   With plenty of places to park along the way, you can spend the day walking the beach or watching the ships come into port.  In the evening, take a leisurely walk from Main beach right to the end of Rotary Cove and watch one of the best sunsets in SW Ontario. If the kids get restless, let them play on the huge playground.  That will tucker them out, I promise.

Bayfield Ontario @DownshiftingPRO (1)

Kincardine

Continuing north on Highway 21, duck in for a quick tour of Station Beach in Kincardine.  It’s a simple beach with a pier at the end to watch the boats go by.  I can just imagine watching a thunderstorm roll in off Lake Huron to make this a prime lookout.  Kincardine is a small residential town with a short main street. You will likely find a Bruce Power employee living in Kincardine, as it is the closest town to the plant.

Kincardine is an ideal location for small town living without missing out on any amenities.  We were amused as we found fresh corn in a box meant for free maps by the beach. Generous people – no doubt.  I’m certain this is not a common occurrence but we couldn’t resist taking a picture (although we left the corn right where we found it).

Station Beach, Kincardine in Bruce County @DownshiftingPRO

Every Wednesday in Dunsmoor Park, you can hear a live concert or take in the  Lighthouse Swing Band Dance at the beach pavilion. There are plenty of festivals through the months of July and August and  fall fairs in September and October.  There are many attractions luring tourists to Lake Huron from a fishing derby in May to  the Kincardine Scottish Festival and Highland Games in July and surfing off Station Beach in the fall.  No longer a well kept secret, it is considered one of the premier surfing spots in all of Canada.  With best surfing conditions in spring and fall, I may have to make a trip in September to see what this is all about.

Tiverton

There are two reasons to visit this area: Inverhuron Provincial Park (for overnight camping and day-use) and Bruce Power to the north of the park.  If you wanted a well maintained campsite with a sandy beach and spectacular views, you need look no further than Inverhuron.  Open since 1956 for public use until 1976 when it was closed, it re-opened in 2005 and has become a popular site for outdoor enthusiasts.

We have finally arrived to our destination on our day trip on Lake Huron.  The focal point of our tour was our visit to Bruce Power.  We allotted a few hours to perusing the Visitors’ Centre and then taking a guided bus tour of Bruce Power.  As I discussed on my previous post, Fact Finding Road Trip to Bruce Power, we were looking forward to finding out more about nuclear energy and how it fits into the Ontario power supply.

1 thought on “Take A Day Trip to Lake Huron on Highway 21 #PowerONroadtrip”

  1. I and my family thought to spend a day trip this weekend to Lake Huron with some friends but confused about places to visit. Landed over this marvelous blog and going to bookmark this blog for must seen places. Thanks for sharing.

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