2023 Trip 5: The County never disappoints

Once again our Sandbanks trip never fails to be a great time. We were able to snag two weeks at the park, although we did have to move sites mid-weeks.

First time in the West Lake campground in the park. This new campground was opened in 2017, and although quite nice, it could have been a lot better with a tad bit of forethought on the part of Ontario Parks. Seems the Park has owned this land for many decades before it opened, when it was formerly farmland, so it was barren of trees and foliage. Given the immense popularity of Sandbanks, if someone within the government Ministry had taken the initiative to have planted a bunch of trees, decades later on opening day the campground would have had mature trees providing campers some shade. Guessing that would have made too much sense to do.

Damn it was hot. The little scrub trees and grasses provided zero shade. There was no escaping the sun beating down. We faced directly west, and the setting sun poured waves of heat under the awning. Attempting to further extend the awning created an enclosed little oven area. The only relief was the short walk to the Dunes beach, this campground’s best feature. We made this little trek a lot that first week, soaking in those cool waters.

Our friend Mark was with us in the same campground with his Alto 2114, and being an avid cyclist, early mornings saw a number of tours around the County. He knows the County roads like the back of his hand, and I saw a lot of areas that one would not normally see unless you were doing some serious back road exploring with your car. 

never saw this colourful house before

love the contrast line

One of our tours was particularly long, when while having a coffee pit stop at the Saylor Cafe, Dale texted that she wanted me to pick up some butter, a mandatory spread (with jam) for the Fosterholm Market’s fresh pan rolls. This meant a tour extension into Picton, and by the time we battled the headwinds on County Rd 11, my legs were pretty much done. Great ride though!

No visit to the County is complete without getting together with Lee & Howard, and some dry stone rock wall building. Once again I joined Howard and the team for a build session, and the progress they made since May was very impressive. This particular wall is almost completed. 

Lee & Dale wandered the fields

Afterwards, Lee and Howard served up a fabulous fry of local fresh pickerel fillets…a real treat.

some shenanigans by the Q

so very tasty

On Thursday evening we went with Lee & Howard to an illuminated art installation called ‘Night Watch’. This art exhibit is located at Base 31, a former Royal Canadian Air Force WWII air training base. The current owners of this 70 acre plot of land have big plans for the future, the overall design is themed around reusing most of the air base buildings and some artifacts, and for it to become a cultural destination.

Viewed in the evening, eleven installation stops take you on a light and sound journey around the base buildings. Some very creative minds were at work putting this together, and it was interactive and very interesting to explore. Well worth seeing.

we are in there if you look closely

got a little strange in there...

just odd

casting shadows...Lee expands the interaction

follow the signs...illuminated of course

Our first week we had hot humid weather, which was then followed by a number of storms, some bringing heavy rainfall. On our second week we had moved to the Woodlands campground, on to a rather dark and damp site, but such is camping life. Tough to choose whether you prefer camping in the Gobi Desert or in the Brazilian rain forest???

dark and dank

Dale is quite enamoured with the Ford Bronco

found in our fave antique shop
played many a game on one of these guys

Later in the second week our friends Helen & Paul arrived in the County, and we did our usual exploring. Lunches at the Bloomfield Public House and then the Norman Hardie Winery for wine tastings, wood-fired pizzas and salads. Both lunches were excellent!  

Norman Hardie...a going concern

In Bloomfield we always check out one of our favourite County destinations ‘Handworks’. We search out the owner Tammy, who we so enjoy seeing every year. She is a hoot, a creative lady, who has multi shops on her property with an eclectic collection of artsy goods, new and found items. Her shops and overnight rental accommodations are a must see stop.

The County is fun, lots of meals back and forth with friends, and always lots to do and see. This year was no exception.