Goderich, ON

The trip from Sarnia to Goderich is flat with a very light SW wind. We have the mainsail up but it does very little.  Goderich has a main harbour where Sifto has its docks for loading salt onto bulk freighters like the Algoma Transfer and there's a recreational harbour next door behind a concrete wall.  So the the view from the visitors' slips is not so pretty.

Brian and Sandi (friends from QCYC) arrive from King City.  After some evening cocktails, we pack 4 into the Smart car and drive up the hill, taking the back streets to avoid police, to Goderich to West Street Willie's Eatery, a very popular eatery.  It had been damaged by the tornado last August and only recently re-opened.  Apparently the tornado lasted 12 seconds and did some incredible damage, most of which is still visible.  Buildings are being re-built but it will take years before the trees grow back.

There's a small bakery across the street from West Street Willie's.  There's a hand written sign on the door declaring that there will be doughnuts Saturday morning.  Brian is usually up early so he goes off in the morning to get some doughnuts.  The bakery opens at 8am and he is 64th in line. At 9am he finally arrives back at the boat with a dozen doughnuts. Pretty good; apparently the thing to do around theses parts.

I discover that there are stairs from the waterfront up the hill, leaving a short walk to the town square, rather than walking around along the road. There's a farmers' market along the town square (actually a circle). Usual stuff except for a guy with a BBQ in the shape of a locomotive that serves peameal bacon, pulled pork, chicken and roast beef sandwiches.  We watched him serve a peameal bacon sandwich, which is about an inch slab of bacon on a bun.  Brian and I go for the pulled pork, Sandi, roast beef and Belinda chicken. The pulled pork is good, not too goopy with BBQ sauce. Worth the walk to town.

We have to walk by the bakery again so that Brian could see if they sold out of doughnuts.  Not one in sight so Brian feels that he has done good.  We walk done to one of the walking trails, this one goes along an abandoned CPR line.  It goes to a bridge that goes over the Maitland River.

We then walked through the woods to get to the marina's private beach.

We should have launched the dinghy and motor around to the beach.  It was a good walk but it was hot out and we did not pack enough water.

We make it back to the boat.  Dinner tonight is a BBQ in the marina and trailer park.  Brian is now onto buying a trailer for QCYC road trips.  Why sail across Lake Ontario to sit at marina looking back towards Lake Ontario, when you could sit at a trailer park looking out onto Lake Huron?

At dusk we go out to the end of the marina to watch the fireworks.  Pretty good show over the Sifto Salt loading elevators.

Happy Canada Day!!

Brian and Sandi leave to head back to King City.  Belinda and I hop on the bikes to go into town and watch the Canada Day parade.  It was supposed to start at 2pm but we got there and the firetruck had already gone by, followed by the first band.  There was a very good display of classic and vintage cars, plus the usual Shriners and other service clubs.

The parade was quite long but the route was short so that the parade was finished before the last part started. It went from the harbour to the town square (which is a circle remember). We made our way to the to the town square to find a pub to watch the Euro Cup final. It was good to get out of the scorching heat, watch some football, have some wings and a few cold pints. All in all, a very Canadian Canada Day.