My family's no-labouring plan for this year's Labour Day long weekend, included some cool & quality time at the warm Sauble beach, overnight stay in traditionally Scottish town of Kincardine as well as a trip to the majestic lakeside town called Tobermory. It was a short (two days only) plan for a long weekend. We intentionally made it two days only, so that we could return back home on Monday and finish any last minute, left behind preparation for a new school year starting from Tuesday.
Tips:
After spending almost three and half hours on the beach, we drove to the hotel (Sutton Park Inn). The check-in process was smooth and the hotel was nice. After taking shower and having a fresh cup of coffee, we went out for a tour to downtown Kincardine. We parked our car, in the harbour street, near the lighthouse and went on a walk along Queen street. Kincardine is a small town located on the shores of Lake Huron in Bruce County and has strong Scottish heritage. I was told that during summer, every Saturday night, people in Kincardine celebrate and take part in Scottish Pipe Band Parades.
If you have a sweet tooth, you should visit this little chocolate shop (Mill Creek Chocolates) located at 813 Queen street. They Offer the handmade chocolates in very personalized packaging finished with colourful wraps and ribbons. You can enjoy the chocolates yourself or bring as a gift. You'll love them.
We also had chance to have some friendly conversation with the sales lady. She told us a little history of Kincardine, the Mill Creek Chocolates as well as how she ended up living in Kincardine. Originally from Brampton Ontario, she once visited Kincardine, liked the town and since then has been living in Kincardine.
I had read that Station beach had one of the most beautiful sunsets. But unfortunately the evening became cloudy around 6:30 PM and looked like it was going to rain. Frustrated a little bit, we instead went to see the lighthouse which we found very fitting to the aesthetic of the small town. Around 7:00 pm, we were about to head back to the hotel, it started raining. It rained all night long but we were prepared for this. We had brought board game <<Monopoly>> with us. We played until about 11:00 pm and had tons of fun while snacking the Mill Creek chocolates.
It's no secret that when I initially booked my hotel in Kincardine, the purpose was to use it just as a transit point. However, now, I have no regrets whatsoever. We enjoyed it fully.
The next day (Sunday) we got up on time to have a complimentary breakfast at the hotel, and after packing our bags we started driving to Tobermory. It was around a two hours drive. We reached Tobermory at around 11:00 AM. We purchased our tickets (be prepared to spend time in ticket queue. Even if you have pre-purchased your ticket online, you still have to stay in line to check-in and to get a parking permit for your car. They do have a separate window to serve the holders of pre-purchased tickets) for cruise (Bruce Anchor company - 7468 HWY 6).
Notes:
We booked the Tobermory Explorer option and enjoyed the view (while staying aboard) of shipwrecks lighthouses, and several beautiful islands in the Fathom Five National Marine Park.
As seen from Ferry Terminal - Lake Huron and Islands nearby
Originally, our plan was to visit Tobermory for the full duration of the weekend, and soak in the beauty of the place, however because of an unsuccessful attempt to book a hotel (Expedia and hotels.com only showed listings that famously said - we are sold out), we shifted our attention to next near by town called Owen Sound. However I found myself in a similar situation and had no luck in finding a hotel in that city as well. At one point I was even thinking about giving up on the long weekend idea, but one of my friends gave me the brilliant idea of booking a hotel in Kincardine, Ontario and I did. Early Saturday morning, we were to drive about 2 hours and 50 minutes from Markham to Sauble beach. However, thanks to my daughters' research of Kincardine, we changed the plan at the last minute. They found very good reviews about Station beach in Kincardine and convinced us to head directly there, rather than going to Sauble beach. The fact that we had been to Sauble beach before also helped to make that decision.
On Saturday morning, we left home around 7:50 am. The first few hours of our morning was foggy, but the scene began to look better as it slowly lifted. Sometimes even few hours of driving (it is about two and half hours of drive from Toronto to Kincardine) can be boring. However, if you have cheerful kids in the car, it's sure be a lot of fun. We enjoyed watching countryside while driving. We even played "I spy with my little eyes ... Even though my kids are teenagers now, they love playing this game on trips ,which keeps us all engaged so we don’t miss out on the little things."
Conquering Kincardine
We were at Station beach by 11:30 am. I immediately fell in love with the beach because of it's clean pristine water, and long sandy shoreline. It is so conveniently located just in walking distance from the downtown and parking is free. As soon as I touched the water, I felt a deep need to submerge myself in it immediately. It was amazing to swim there. The beach wasn’t too crowded, which made it the perfect place to relax and take a breather. No matter what your idea of relaxing is, you can achieve there. You can swim, sleep, read, or maybe play beach volleyball. We had brought food from home, so we enjoyed little picnic there. I even had a good nap while sunbathing. My kids went for a walk along the boardwalk (a great place to walk, jog and enjoy the view) and took beautiful pictures and videos. The boardwalk became a walk & learn experience for them as it had interpretive signs with information about local marine history and shipwrecks.
Station Beach - even birds are sunbathing here!!!
Marina at Station beach
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Interpretive sign
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- Station beach is located at 151 Station Beach Road, Kincardine ON
- As per www.canoe.ca, this water is listed as one of the top 9 destinations for surfing.
- For those with mobility issues, there are 'MOBI-Mats' at Station Beach. The mats stretch right to the waters edge.
- If you enjoy playing beach volleyball, then there is co-ed beach volleyball every Friday at 7 p.m
- The park has a bouncy castle for kids to enjoy
- The lighthouse and museum are just a 2 to 3 minute walk way and lakeside downtown Kincardine is just nearby.
After spending almost three and half hours on the beach, we drove to the hotel (Sutton Park Inn). The check-in process was smooth and the hotel was nice. After taking shower and having a fresh cup of coffee, we went out for a tour to downtown Kincardine. We parked our car, in the harbour street, near the lighthouse and went on a walk along Queen street. Kincardine is a small town located on the shores of Lake Huron in Bruce County and has strong Scottish heritage. I was told that during summer, every Saturday night, people in Kincardine celebrate and take part in Scottish Pipe Band Parades.
Queen Street, downtown Kincardine
If you have a sweet tooth, you should visit this little chocolate shop (Mill Creek Chocolates) located at 813 Queen street. They Offer the handmade chocolates in very personalized packaging finished with colourful wraps and ribbons. You can enjoy the chocolates yourself or bring as a gift. You'll love them.
Mill Creek Chocolates Shop at Queen street.
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Mill Creek Chocolates showroom
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We also had chance to have some friendly conversation with the sales lady. She told us a little history of Kincardine, the Mill Creek Chocolates as well as how she ended up living in Kincardine. Originally from Brampton Ontario, she once visited Kincardine, liked the town and since then has been living in Kincardine.
I had read that Station beach had one of the most beautiful sunsets. But unfortunately the evening became cloudy around 6:30 PM and looked like it was going to rain. Frustrated a little bit, we instead went to see the lighthouse which we found very fitting to the aesthetic of the small town. Around 7:00 pm, we were about to head back to the hotel, it started raining. It rained all night long but we were prepared for this. We had brought board game <<Monopoly>> with us. We played until about 11:00 pm and had tons of fun while snacking the Mill Creek chocolates.
It's no secret that when I initially booked my hotel in Kincardine, the purpose was to use it just as a transit point. However, now, I have no regrets whatsoever. We enjoyed it fully.
Trip to Tobermory
The next day (Sunday) we got up on time to have a complimentary breakfast at the hotel, and after packing our bags we started driving to Tobermory. It was around a two hours drive. We reached Tobermory at around 11:00 AM. We purchased our tickets (be prepared to spend time in ticket queue. Even if you have pre-purchased your ticket online, you still have to stay in line to check-in and to get a parking permit for your car. They do have a separate window to serve the holders of pre-purchased tickets) for cruise (Bruce Anchor company - 7468 HWY 6).
Notes:
- The Bruce Anchor company offers few options. See their web site for more details.
- Ticket price also includes the parking fee and they have free shuttle from the parking spot to the Ferry Terminal and back.
- There are other boat and cruise services as well. Check the following:
- Big Tub Harbour Resort Boat Rental
- Blue Heron Cruises
- Blue Anchor Cruises etc.
Bruce Anchor boat cruise
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Big Tub Lighthouse
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It was around 75 minutes of fun-filled cruising. The cruise moves at a slow speed around the "Little Tub Harbour", where you can see the sunken ships (Note: Tobermory is home to over 20 historic shipwrecks) through the glass window or glass bottom. Speed bumps up once it is out of Little Tub Harbour, water comes flying through the window and you'll get taste of fresh of water Lake Huron.
Sunken ship as seen from glass window of cruise.
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One of the flower pot rock pillars in Flowerpot island
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If you choose the drop off option to Flowerpot island, you need to follow few rules in order not to damage natural environment (see instruction in picture below). Looks like the name - Flowerpot comes from two rock pillars on it's shore, which exactly look like flower pots. The island itself is about about two square kilometres in area and is a popular tourist destination. Activities like swimming, hiking and camping are allowed there.
Flowerpot island - visitor information
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One of the flower pot rock pillars in Flowerpot island
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After returning from the cruise, we went for a walk on a trail in the woods, which eventually led us to the lake. We stayed there for about an hour - swimming and watching the waves of blue water continuously hitting the big rocks on the shore. My kids didn't want to return and asked if we could stay to stay for another day or so. But I had to refuse as we didn't have a hotel booked for another night.
So, we started driving back home. We drove a good three hours and made a stop along the way for some food and drinks. It was around 10:30 PM, when we arrived home.
For us, it turned out to be a perfect getaway within driving distance of Toronto. I would definitely recommend a trip to Tobermory for anyone! It is an amazing escape that fits the budget and time.
