Life Was Meant for Good Friends & Great Adventures
The day of our road trip to Bayfield came around quickly and we were excited and terrified in equal measures. The journey should take a little under seven hours give or take but with a coffee stop and multiple pee breaks (because I have the bladder capacity of a gnat) in-between and the no doubt over cautious driving the journey could be a lot longer.
Road Trip Rule #1 – Never pass up an opportunity to pee!
We packed a bag that morning which took all of five minutes as all we had to do was remove some of the clothes from the suitcases we had yet to unpack and shoved them in a rucksack. Martin had still not driven the Warlock (I kid you not!), but we agreed to share the driving, I would be taking the first part of the journey with Martin taking over at around the halfway interval.
Although the morning was still chilly with ice covering the truck our relief was palpable, we gave up a silent thank you to the powers that be, there had been no surprise snow fall during the night as is common in the spring where the weather can change from balmy breezes to arctic blasts so fast it leaves you with whiplash.
We de-iced and warmed up the Warlock while we loaded our bags and road trip snacks, with our snacks taking up far more room than our clothes! We had kidded ourselves with our choice of snacks for this journey, packing cereal bars, apples, bananas, trail mix, rice cakes and water knowing full well that a pit stop at Maccas was on the cards and the snacks would no doubt be forgotten save for the random apple that would remind us of its presence by escaping the bag and rolling around the floor of the truck, fully intent on wedging itself under the brake pedal in an act of revenge.
It doesn’t matter how old you are buying snacks for a road trip should always look like an unsupervised 9-year-old was given $100.
If nothing else the snacks we packed would come in handy if we were to get stranded in a random snowstorm, the nuts could be used to entice enough squirrels and chipmunks to tie to the truck and drag us out dog sled style, the bottles of water would provide hydration and useful pee collection receptacles once empty (although my aim is not that great) and we could stick the rice cakes to our bodies for insulation, they are after all an edible version of polystyrene.
We headed off at 8am, fingers crossed we would be there by early to mid-afternoon. The first part of the drive dare I say it was enjoyable, although Martin would disagree, still getting used to the size of the truck and my perception of its width there were times when I would get a little close to the verge.
Prone to exaggeration Martin initially complained about my eagerness to drive into every ditch along the highway but my death stare and the ‘if you could do so much better why don’t you drive retort soon put paid to that! After that I relied on Martins dramatic body language cues such as screwing his eyes up, sucking in a deep breath and gripping on to the door handle until his knuckles turned white to know I was a wee bit close to the verge.
You can close your eyes if you want. Sometimes things are less scary.
We stopped at Macca’s as predicted mid-morning to get a much-needed coffee, breakfast muffin and to also give Martins knuckles a break. The journey so far had gone well with only one minor altercation with four deer running into the road on a blind corner, we stopped in plenty of time to prevent any collision, luckily it was a quiet stretch of the road so despite the minor cardiac arrest we were none the worse for it.
The first part of the journey had also afforded us a glimpse of a Canada we had not seen until that point, forests still in a winter slumber, branches dusted with lingering snow, lakes turned to ice and rugged outcrops glistening and sparkling with frost. It was beautiful.
Sufficiently replete we got back on the road; the time and the kilometres went by quickly and before we knew it, we were well past the time that we should have pulled off the road to swap drivers. The smaller highways had given way to four lanes (not to mention the million exit ramps and confusing road signs) busy with cars all exceeding the posted speed limit, I checked the speedometer several times thinking I was driving like a nana at 60kph on a major highway due to the number of vehicles over and undertaking us but nope, we were travelling at a steady 100kph! Driving at 110-115kph even in front of highway cop cars was a thing out here.
Life is like a roller coaster, scream or enjoy the ride.
Initially every time we saw roadside signage for services, we exited the highway hopeful to see those glorious golden arches or even a Tim Hortons sign and a chance to stop, gather our wits and swap drivers only to discover that the services were not nearby but down the road somewhere. So rather than run the risk of getting lost, ending up goodness knows where and delaying our journey further we got on the nearest on-ramp straight back onto the highway, there would be no stopping, I was in this for the long haul now.
I have to say that stretch of the highway became a bit of a blur, clutching the steering wheel, putting my foot down, weaving in and out of the traffic like a pro who had been living in Canada for years and even closing my eyes at some points (it’s okay, Martin didn’t notice, his eyes were closed too!).
Thankfully the highway got smaller, there were less lanes, less cars and the city landscape finally receded into the distance, the worst was over. We had successfully navigated our way from Nepean and were nearing our destination, we made a note to ask Mick and Maria when we arrived about the road tolls, we had travelled on a couple of them but had not seen any toll booths or any signage giving indication of how you pay them besides a mention about transponders, it was all very confusing. The last thing we needed was a warrant issued for our arrest for evading toll fees.
We arrived at around 3pm and right on time, being greeted with a hot cup of tea and good old English digestive biscuits was like stepping into heaven, we knew the journey was worth it for this welcome alone.
Bayfield Ontario is located on the beautiful shores of Lake Huron one of the five great lakes of North America; Bayfield has grown in both size and popularity over the years but has still managed to maintain the quaint charm of a little village. During the summer months the village is taken over by the tourists and visitors who are attracted by the historic downtown, epic coastline views and stunning beaches but in the winter the locals get to claim their village and once again enjoy the peace and beauty all to themselves.
True to form within a few hours of us arriving in Bayfield the wind began to blow, and snow began to fall but it did nothing to stop us enjoying the weekend. We walked to the lake, the view spectacular even on the coldest and greyest of days, we admired the houses and shops in the village, each property with its own individual flair. They were an array of colours, styles, and periods and not even the muted winter light could detract from their unique beauty.
There were many highlights of our trip one of which was a visit to the Cowbell Brewery in Blyth, I mean who doesn’t want to sample the local beer? The brewery was an amazing place to warm up and while away a few hours, tours around the brewery were available but we were content to sit, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the company. Stopping off in the brewery shop before we left to stock up on their Hazy Days IPA and Oatmeal and Vanilla Black Lager was a must and top of our list of recommendations.
About Us | Cowbell Brewing – Cowbell Brewing Co.
Another highlight was dinner at the Black Dog Village Pub and Bistro, we absolutely loved this pub! Popular with villagers and only a short walk or snowmobile ride to get to, the period features in the pub provided points of interest and despite its business the ambience felt warm, cosy, and intimate. The food was the showstopper, enhanced by a vast array of beverages it was an amazing meal surpassed only by the knowledgeable and friendly staff.
Home – Black Dog Village Pub & Bistro Bayfield (blackdogpubbistro.ca)
More than anything else the zenith of our experience in Bayfield was the warm welcome shown by Mick, Maria, Charlotte (their daughter) and Scout (the dog). Spending time with them had made us realise just how much we had missed the comfort and reassurance of being around like minded and familiar people since our arrival in Canada two months ago. They had been through the journey we were on, and their words of wisdom and advice, friendship and support were invaluable.
We would treasure our time spent in Bayfield; this visit had fortified us mentally for the next part of our journey. It was now time for us to hit the road again and return to Nepean where in two days we would embark on our next adventure. Martin had volunteered to drive us back to Nepean and I thanked my lucky stars he did because the weather was atrocious, if I struggled to stay in a straight line on a clear road, we had no hope in gale force winds and snow showers! This trip was better left to the professional.