Port of Call: Grand Bend & Bayfi eld, Ontario

Lake Huron

Bayfi eld

United States Ontario

Grand Bend

Port Franks

Pinery Provincial Park

As my wife and I watch from our vantage-point high above the wave-lashed shores of Lake Huron at Bayfi eld, Ontario’s Pioneer Park, the sun glows incandescent orange then fi re-engine red as it falls toward the horizon. We’ve seen sunsets across the globe, from Jamaica to the Greek islands, but this one is something special — so beautiful it could bring tears to a landlubber.

It’s a magical moment in our exploration of a delightful waypoint encompassing a roughly 30-nautical-mile stretch of Ontario coastline hugging Huron’s eastern shores, a swathe of paradise that includes the neighboring municipalities of Lambton Shores and Bluewater, and their communities of Grand Bend and Bayfi eld.

But when it comes to highlights, this fi ery spectacle’s got plenty of competition. Think hiking or history, lakeside concerts or live theater. Play a round of golf or watch a drag race. Visit a winery, embark on a beer tour or learn to wakeboard.

Or simply enjoy another perfect sunset on Ontario’s Sunset Coast.

Bluewater Marina

Ship’s log While that’s the name local tourist boards use to describe this port of call, a more seaworthy name might be “The Lee Shore.”

The towns along this coast face due-west into prevailing winds across a fetch that’s better than 100 miles. Case in point: During the storm of 1913, waves were clocked at more than 35 feet. That can make for both big beam or following seas depending on your course and some occasionally tricky harbor entrances, though entry channels are well-marked with lateral buoys. And once you do make landfall, there’s a wealth of great spots for snugging down.

Bluewater Marina (AKA the Village of Bayfi eld Marina) hugs the shore of the Bayfi eld River. A small fl eet of commercial fi shing boats line the shore on the opposite bank. Here, in the shade of weeping willows, gazebos and

Harbour Lights Marina

Grand Bend Yacht Club

picnic tables are scattered beside the fi nger docks of this designated Blue Flag marina.

“Deep water right to the end,” says Harbormaster and Marina Manager Fred Ramsay. “We’ve got 14 transient docks.”

But it’s not just the docks that make for a great haven. “If you stay here, we offer complimentary kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and bikes. And Bayfi eld,” he says, pointing to a nearby path climbing a forested slope, “is a really appealing little village.”

Boaters can also tie up at Harbour Lights Marina, also along the Bayfi eld River. This marina can accommodate up to 250 boats and has limited space for transients.

If you’re looking for more nightlife snug down at Grand Bend, roughly 16 nautical miles south.

The Grand Bend Marina, maintained by the municipality of Lambton Shores, boasts up to 30 transient berths.

Clan Gregor Square

“We’re as laid-back as you want,” says Josh Majerle, harbormaster and marina manager. “Lots of places to eat here, plenty of bars.”

As you navigate Grand Bend’s Parkhill Creek, you may notice a sweet little lighthouse, which marks your arrival at the Grand Bend Yacht Club. The yacht club has 52 slips, plenty of amenities and an active sail racing program.

Should your boat need repairs or a part while in the area, Grand Bend’s Southwest Marine Services offers a wide range of services. Its experienced technicians can even come to your boat to make life easier for you, and its marine store is a must-stop for all your boating supplies.

Captain Henry’s namesake If you book an overnight berth at Bayfi eld you might learn some nautical history.

Grand Bend Beach

Captain Harry

Captain Henry Bayfi eld was a Royal Navy surveyor assigned the job of sounding and charting the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence. After a Dutch baron later enlisted Bayfi eld’s help in choosing settlement sites, he honored Bayfi eld by naming this village for him.

It’s a steep if short stroll to the village from the marina but it’s worth it. Main Street is a wide thoroughfare with historic stores and homes beneath towering oaks, maples, elms and weeping willows that offer welcome shade on sunny days. The entire village is a designated historic district. Pick up a brochure at the library for a mile-anda-half historic walking tour beginning at Clan Gregor Square, passing those mid-1800s shops and stately Victorian homes.

Or maybe you’re just seeking retail therapy or a shoreside meal.

If you’ve tired of reading charts, visit the Village Book Store, a lime-painted boardand-batten cottage nestled in an emerald garden, for the latest best-seller.

The Pink Flamingo Bakery & Boutique down the street (look for the pink fl amingo statue) will satisfy the most demanding sweet tooth.

Marten Arts Gallery offers a Garden of Artists outside, replete with water features, while inside the multilevel gallery you can purchase anything from kitsch to serious art to First Nation masterpieces.

Check the cool offerings at Nab It Eclectic Oddities. This place boasts such fun wares and gag gifts you’ll fi nd it tough to tear yourself away.

But then you might miss lunch or dinner at The Little Inn of Bayfi eld. Here fl ower baskets festoon a two-story wraparound porch sheltering a buff brick façade of this circa 1850s former stagecoach stop; here you can do drinks in Four-in-Hand taproom or book a pre-sunset dinner and go haute

cuisine in the Willow Room. Tip: Don’t miss the truffl e fries.

Maybe you seek a more liquid repast. Stroll past the painted carving of a fi sherman (his offi cial name is Captain Harry) and make your way to the Black Dog Village Pub & Bistro near Clan Gregor. Housed in a circa 1850s general store, this establishment, done up like an English pub, boasts 20 different draft beers, making it the perfect place to toast Captain Bayfi eld.

The big turn Long, long ago sand dunes once blocked the fl ow of the Ausable River into Lake Huron. The river, not to be dissuaded, took a big turn to the south, fi nally entering Huron at Port Franks.

That river bend gave Grand Bend, one of Ontario’s most popular beach resorts, its name. This is no ordinary beach.

PHOTO BY SHARON MATTHEWS-STEVENS

Willie’s Beach Bar

Grand Bend Beach is one of only 27 Blue Flag beaches in all of Canada. A children’s playground with a whimsical splash pad is positioned beside a pavilion boasting huge murals and a second-story deck offering great lake views. The beach itself offers volleyball pitches and lifeguards and is wheelchair accessible.

Grand Bend’s main street rises gently from the amber sands, populated by the usual suspects of fast food joints and T-shirt shops, though there’s also some great shopping. “Great places to eat and drink too,” Majerle says.

Grand Bend Clothing Company, a longtime family run local feature, offers men’s and women’s casual wear, while Archie’s, another local institution, sells everything from T-shirts to gag gifts. Iron Barn sells unique metal sculptures from custom signage to fi replace circles, offering beautiful additions to any

home — or boat. Just down from the marina you’ll fi nd Sunset Arts, a co-op gallery.

“We feature the work of 15 artists,” says proprietor Janette Baillie. “Every piece here is either local or has a local connection.”

If you’re looking for respite for the galley crew, snug down at Midori Sushi Bar & Restaurant, where you can dine on the elegant patio. They call themselves a sushi place but the menu is extensive and delicious, and the drink menu features a wealth of local craft beer.

If you want that beach vibe, check out Willie’s Beach Bar (one of the town’s newest establishments), sip a cold one at the Tipsy Pelican or head across the street to peoplewatch on the (almost) lakeshore patio of the Growling Gator.

Looking for more upscale fare? Then check out F.I.N.E. a Restaurant offering casual décor and haute cuisine. Want to hang with locals in the know? Do dinner at The Lake Hound.

Dark Horse Winery

Here at The Lake Hound, in this local tradition that shows like a cross between a cottage and a summer camp dining hall, I experience an epiphany.

“There’s no shortage of great places to eat,” I say to my wife. “Grand Bend’s got something for everyone.”

Something for everyone Berth here on a summer Wednesday night and be serenaded by the sound of music emanating from the Rotary Community Stage during the Wednesdays’ Familiar Favorites Concert Series, joining hundreds of other locals and visitors who plunk their lawn chairs right on the sand for an evening of entertainment.

Musical tastes a bit edgier? Stroll up main street and check out the playlist at Gables in the Bend, the Huron Coast’s premier rock venue.

Soak up some culture at The Huron

Marine Services

Grand Bend Marina Grand Bend, Ontario • 519-238-2000

Southwest Marine Services Grand Bend, Ontario • 519-238-2887

Harbour Light Marina Bayfi eld, Ontario • 519-565-5150

Port Franks Marina Port Franks, Ontario • 519-243-2354 (Due to high water levels, docks will not be launched during the 2020 season.)

Bluewater Marina (Village of Bayfi eld Marina) Bayfi eld, Ontario • 519-565-2233

Resources

Ontario Travel ONTARIOTRAVEL .NET

Grand Bend & Area Chamber of Commerce ITSTARTSATTHEBEACH.CA

Tourism Sarnia-Lambton ONTBLUECOAST.COM

Municipality of Bluewater MUNICIPALITYOFBLUEWATER .CA

Ontario’s Southwest ONTARIOSSOUTHWEST.COM Pinery Provencial Park

County Playhouse just outside town, which offers seasonal live theater productions. You could even book a matinee and add a tour and wine-tasting next door at Dark Horse Winery to complete your culture quest.

Channel your inner Van Gogh. The Kiwanis Club in Bayfi eld offers free summer sunset painting sessions.

Or channel instead your inner Richard Petty at Grand Bend Motorplex, where they offer weekly drag races and national race events over three different tracks.

If peace and solitude is more your thing, head over to the Pinery Provincial Park a few miles outside Grand Bend. Go to enjoy your own stretch of sand, or work out on one of the park’s 10 nature trails. Inhale the scent of those signature pines as you march beachward, climbing steep dunes or listening to the call of cicadas in one of the most northerly Carolinian forests in existence.

If your taste runs to the adrenaline rush, Windmill Lake Wake and Eco Park just outside Bayfi eld offers a unique wakeboarding facility where the rope tows traditionally powered by runabouts are actually fueled by eco-friendly electrical pulley systems.

It’s a great practice facility for experienced wakeboarders, it offers periodic competitions, and it also offers lessons and rentals for those who are strong of heart.

Up the adrenaline at Xtreme Watersports, just across the channel from the Grand Bend

Marina. Think jet-skis, parasailing and the newest thrill-seekers’ must-do: Flyboarding.

Take things up a lot of notches by jumping out of a plane with the Grand Bend Sport Parachuting Centre.

Or maybe go for saner pursuits.

Play the 18-hole, par-70 golf course at Oakwood Resort at Grand Bend or slip into Bluewater Golf Course for nine holes if you’re staying in Bayfi eld.

Grand Bend offers a collection of kidfriendly activities from mini golf and axe throwing to three different escape room activities at Grand Bend Escape.

The Sunset Coast Having heard about the pastries and coffee roasted on-site at Shop Bike Coffee in Bayfi eld, we decide to make that our fi rst waypoint once we make landfall. During a chat with owner Leanne Kavanaugh, we get a sunset insider’s tip.

“Watch it fi rst at Pioneer Park way above the lake,” Kavanaugh says, “then go down the stairway as quickly as you can — sunset part two.”

We take her advice that night, first admiring the view from the heights, then making our way down to the pier far below, where the river meets the lake.

National Geographic magazine once rated these Sunset Coast spectacles among the 10 best in the world. They’re even better the second time around. ★