Enjoying the summer of '07 we decide to head into the southeast part of Ontario along the shores of Lake Erie, one of the five great lakes. Ann had just returned from a fun couple of days with her girlfriends staying in a trailer in Port Bruce. We head south down Highway 25 and enter onto Highway 401 going westbound.

Our first stop is TCM Metal Art in Harrietsville which is located south of the 401 on Highway 73 or Elgin Road. This shop is about an hour and a half from Acton so it takes less time to get to this area then heading north for a cottage visit. This place makes all sorts of metal art which is sold in many locations (including Winter Wheat) and which Ann has already bought two pieces (birds) - so we had to buy another piece for our backyard (a hummingbird). The metal is not treated or painted so it is supposed to rust. We highly recommend this art and their phone number is 519-269-3509.

One of the artists pose beside the crocodile. A store owner to the left is loading a trailer and car with art to sell up north.

Our next stop was the Clovermead Bees and Honey Store in Aylmer. Besides the honey and honey related products this location also had historical bee equipment displays along with active beehives visible behind plexiglass windows. The site also had some animals, including a pig, goats and bunnies and various types of birds. We fed the bunny and some of the birds then we had fun feeding the goat. You put some food in a bowl and send it high onto a platform. The goats follow a narrow path leading up to the platform called Billy goat bridge and eats the food.

Erin has too much honey and turns into a little bumble bee. She is so cute as a bee.

The Clovermead Bees and Honey place also has a large maze that we wandered through. The maze was created in a large field of thorny plants which the bees just loved.

Our next stop was the Winter Wheat Store near Sparta. This is a very interesting store within a forest containing art installations and little houses that you can enter and have coffee, tea and cookies. It is a great place to wander around and we do enjoy the cookies and the chance to relax.

We decide to hit the shores of Lake Erie at Port Stanley. The beach there is incredibly large, both wide and long, with a number of lifeguard towers to help keep people safe. We enjoy lunch at Mackie's and explore the beach.

After Stanley we head east along the edge of Lake Erie and stop at Port Bruce and continue onto Port Burwell where we take a dip in the sandy shallow waters just perfect for enjoying a sunny day. We stop to look at the Lake Erie Windfarm along the way and admire the wind turbines - they really become an art installation all by themselves.

After Port Burwell we head to the famous Port Dover - home to the gathering of bikers on any Friday the 13th. Our visit includes a look at the lighthouse which Ann has painted in watercolour (see the painting here).

This is our second family trip to the Lake Erie area of Ontario and I am always surprised at how quiet and peaceful the area is even though it is located closer to Toronto than the Muskoka and Hailburton cottage areas north of Toronto. Along the shores of Lake Erie are small sand bluffs with the occasional Port and a lot of farms - some still with tobacco crops. We return through the City of Hamilton via Highway 6 and Highway 403 and make it back to Acton in the evening. What a great day for a holiday.