Pinery Provincial Park
A few weeks back we visited the Pinery which is located on Lake Huron a few kilometres south of the tourist resort town of Grand Bend. It is a large 'Carolinian' forest, complete with sand dunes and a long beach that is somewhat diminished given the high water this year. If you enjoy peace and quiet and solitude, but dislike camping and prefer fine dining, then finding a resort or cottage close to a park is a good option when travelling in the Great Lakes area. Gathered here is some information about such parks along the Lakes, on both sides of the border.
Local readers of this blog (there is one that I know of) will be familiar with "Ontario's West Coast" or, as some brochures call it, "Ontario's Blue Coast" -- the water as you come over the dunes is often very blue. The Ontario Parks web site is the place to start and The Friends of the Pinery is useful. The Lambton Heritage Museum is not far from the gates to the Park.
If you want a little history and some background about the 'Carolinian' nature of the park see these two short works by a classicist who was also a former President of what is now Western University: 'T Aint Runnin' No More: The Story of Grand Bend, The Pinery and the Old River Bed and Some Trees and Shrubs of the Carolinian Zone of Southern Ontario. Both are by Sherwood Fox.
The title of the first work refers to the Aux Sables River which was damned, detoured and tampered with, like all rivers in pioneer days (remember my recent note about the Chicago River which was made to flow in reverse). One of the 'cuts' is pictured above.
Indiana Dunes National Park
You are probably surprised that there is a U.S. NATIONAL park so close by and that the state of Indiana has a short bit of coast along Lake Michigan. Although a state park survived for years between the abandoned steel mills and new casinos, it just became an actual NATIONAL park very recently (the 61st) even though the Trump administration was opposed. Over the years many were opposed because the sand and steel were more important than a few dunes.
I became aware of the Indiana dunes last year when I began reading some of the books by Edwin Way Teale. He spent his childhood years visiting grandparents who lived close by the dunes and he describes how he became interested in nature in the book Dune Boy.
For a recent article about Indiana Dunes see: "Visiting the Nation's Newest National Park: Indiana Dunes, Michael Schroeder, Washington Post, June, 7, 2019. The park site is here and there is a Wikipedia entry. The picture of the protestors comes from a good blog piece: "The Story Behind Indiana's First National Park", REI Co-op Journal.
Other Great Lakes Parks
Ontario
The drive along Highway 17 near Batchawana Bay offers outstanding views of Lake Superior. And Batchawana Bay Provincial Park is a perfect spot to stop and immerse yourself in this stunning scenery. A plaque erected by the Ontario Motor League highlights Batchawana Bay (at Chippewa Falls) as the mid-point in the longest national highway in the world - the Trans-Canada Highway.
Prized for its sandy beach, dunes and glorious sunsets.
Includes a wetland and a young hardwood forest
Diverse habitat nurtures rare plants and protects many woodland animals and birds.
On Lake Huron north of Kincardine.
Killbear
Kilometres of rugged, rocky shoreline mixed with numerous sand beaches
Beautiful views of windswept pines on rocky islands
6 km recreational trail for hiking and biking
Visitor Centre
Excellent sailing and windsurfing conditions
Georgian Bay sunsets
Parry Sound area
Kilometres of rugged, rocky shoreline mixed with numerous sand beaches
Beautiful views of windswept pines on rocky islands
6 km recreational trail for hiking and biking
Visitor Centre
Excellent sailing and windsurfing conditions
Georgian Bay sunsets
Parry Sound area
MacGregor Point
MacGregor Point is one of the most ecologically diverse natural places along the Lake Huron shoreline. A complex ecosystem unfolds at this all-season park on a seven-kilometre stretch of coast, just south of Port Elgin.
Neys Provincial Park
Enjoy one the finest sand beaches on Lake Superior’s north shore.View a model of a former prisoner-of-war (POW) camp at the Visitor Centre and the actual remains of POW Camp 100.
See Pic Island as it was immortalized on canvas by Lawren Harris of the famous Canadian painting team, The Group of Seven.
Pancake Bay
More than 3 km of beautiful sand beach and Caribbean blue water
Panoramic view of Lake Superior from the Edmund Fitzgerald Lookout hiking trail
The United States
Michigan
Isle Royale National Park is located in the northwest corner of Lake Superior. The island contains a roadless backcountry which prohibits the use of all wheeled vehicles and devices (except wheelchairs). Visitors traveling to Isle Royale must arrive by boat or seaplane. There are a variety of transportation services available that depart from Houghton, Michigan, Copper Harbor, Michigan and Grand Portage, Minnesota. Vehicular parking is available at all departure locations.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located on the south shore of Lake Superior in Michigan's
Upper Peninsula, between the communities of Munising (west) and Grand Marais (east).
Upper Peninsula, between the communities of Munising (west) and Grand Marais (east).
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is located in Northwestern Lower Michigan along the eastern shoreline of Lake Michigan. The closest city is Traverse City, 25 miles to the east
Wisconsin
The headquarters visitor center is one block off Wisconsin Route 13 in the city of Bayfield.
Sources:
If you wish to meander around this area of the Great Lakes, see these useful Michigan web sites:
Great Lakes Circle Tours
Great Lakes Circle Tour
Pure Michigan Getaways
Post Script:
When you saw that this post was about the Pinery/Grand Bend area, you probably wondered whether Mitt Romney did actually tie his dog to the top of the car when he drove to visit the family compound which is in the area. I anticipated such a query and was fully prepared to do some thorough investigative reporting. It is not necessary. Just see this: "Mitt Romney Dog Incident".
Sources:
If you wish to meander around this area of the Great Lakes, see these useful Michigan web sites:
Great Lakes Circle Tours
Great Lakes Circle Tour
Pure Michigan Getaways
Post Script:
When you saw that this post was about the Pinery/Grand Bend area, you probably wondered whether Mitt Romney did actually tie his dog to the top of the car when he drove to visit the family compound which is in the area. I anticipated such a query and was fully prepared to do some thorough investigative reporting. It is not necessary. Just see this: "Mitt Romney Dog Incident".
Bonus: If you noticed the Pure Michigan link above you probably thought of those good Michigan ads and "Yes" there is even a Wikipedia entry about them: Pure Michigan.
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