The Village Squire, 1981-08, Page 12Cooling off at the beach
Warm sand, cool water, a gentle
breeze blowing while you bake your body
or build castles in the sun.
Probably, the best free summer family
outing of them all, especially for the lazy,-
is
azy.is a trip to one of Lake Huron's beaches.
Herewith an opinionated guide to a few of
the best.
Goderich beaches are good for people
who like to combine a day at the water
with something else. They are active
beaches, as opposed to the just -lie -there
kind. Take the fork to your right on a
drive down to the harbour and you'll find
a perfectly adequate. big sandy beach.
But you'll also find a Targe and very
well equipped kids' playground; a place
to buy fish and eat fish; a beach snack bar
with all the traditional offerings; nice
clean public washrooms and changing
facilities; picnic tables and benches.
And there's lots to see, from the salt
mine manouvers across the harbour,
sailboats moving in and out of their area
and if you feel ambitious enough for a
short walk, the fishermen at the end of
the pier. A busy but happy beach, with
something for all ages.
Take the left fork on the harbour road
to Goderich's slightly more secluded
beach, St. Christopher's. If you leave
your car and walk further south, it gets
even less busy. Nice trees, beach grass
and dunes here and there's a picnic
pavilion, barbecues, picnic tables and a
few things for the kids at one end too.
The beaches are within easy walking
distance of each other and you could
spend a day viewing and sampling both.
(You might even get in time for a swim).
Bayfield, ah Bayfield. Memories of a
childhood when four children and two
adults would move most of their worldly
possessions out of a rented cottage and
walk down interminable steps. Destina-
tion?
An afternoon at the beach. I was
fourteen years old before I learned that it
was possible to find beaches with easier
access, and cottages actually right on the
beach. Seemed a little sinful somehow to
get to all that beautiful water and sand
without the long climb down.
Anyway, since those days our favourite
beach for privacy (any beach lover knows
that you pick different beaches for
different moods) was called the Stone
Steps, at the end of a tree Tined lane, just
south of Pioneer Park, off Tuyll Street.
Alas, the stone steps have been replaced
(likely 20 years ago by the look of them)
by wooden ones. The leafy lane isn't lined
with cars and a quick trip down the stairs
illustrates why.
There's virtually no beach left, just a
few rocky feet of land at the water's edge.
However, if you've come for walking,
rather than basking and swimming. then
there are some lovely sculptural pieces of
driftwood around. They're too large for
anyone to carry home so the tiny outdoor
gallery should be around all summer.
From the stone steps "beach" you
could walk south (if you don't mind a few
boulders and the occasional wet foot) to
Bayfield's big beach. the public one at
the corner of Howard and Twill Sts.
The public beach is smaller than it used
PG. 10 VILLAGE SQUIRE/AUGUST 1981