One this episode of Walk with Zeke, I share with you an adventure in Port Burwell Provincial Park https://www.ontarioparks.com/park/portburwell. I will let the pictures do most of the talking but I gotta tell some campfire tales to make the experience truly immersive.
I have been to dozens of provincial parks for camping and canoeing but I have a hundred yet to visit before I am done. This is the Pickleman's first time visiting Port Burwell so pull up a marshmallow stick and discover it with me.
Port Burwell https://www.ontarioparks.com/park/portburwell is one of 9 provincial parks on the north shore of Lake Erie. Like every other one I have visited, it boasts a broad sandy beach and hearty brush crawling right up to the sand.
Before we get to all that, I am responsible for erecting the domicile which will house us for our stay. This is a side plot to this story as the old tent with the repaired pole, aging fly and questionable zippers. It is a miracle I have convinced the chicks to hang onto it this long. Still a great old tent that was rather inexpensive a few years ago.
Still, when the rain comes down, and it always seems to, it is best when drips don't form through the seams, you don't have to put a tarp over the tent, and it is not necessary to stick-poke the water off the places it gathers.
It took me many years of camping to realize how much I love to sit beside the fire and look straight up. When I started to point my camera up to share the view, I found myself transported back to that moment when reviewing the pics.
This one is a little thicker than others with less sky peaking in but I am backing in the hardwood canopy and overcast sky while I lounge by the firepit.
Speaking of camp fires, hang quite often with @davedickeyyall and end up taking pictures of the fire. He was with me in spirit this time as I erected the minimalist teepee for a nice warm, conservative fire the first night.
I think I may have scored the perfect beer to bring along for a camping trip. Take a Hike Double Dry Hopped Ale https://upperthamesbrewing.ca/our-beer/ was a nice treat beside the fire as we considered supper.
This time, we remembered to bring the hammock which is an absolute must. It takes up no space, and becomes the perfect alternate seat on which to recline and enjoy a book while nature does its thing all around you.
The beach is obviously the attraction for this park. As you approach the long and shallow Lake Erie, you know you are going to get a nice sandy, shallow beach as you look southward to the USA.
While I prefer a nice small northern rocky secluded lake, a great lake like Erie is much more conducive to relaxing and soaking in the sheer size of the sky to the south. You have to imagine the clouds on the horizon, parked on the western shore, maybe just south of Detroit.
One of the current beach pastimes is fetching pails of water from the shore, and painstakingly creating these mini citadels of sedimentary microscopic rock. When I am hardcore relaxing and enjoying my gummies, it is rather entertaining!
Pancakes on the camp stove is a popular comfort food the little ones seem to enjoy quite a but. All you need is a little mix, some milk/water, a hot surface and some butter and syrup and you are good to go. Especially fun over a game of cards on the picnic table.
One unexpected surprise with this park is the beach office and its supply of Kawartha Ice Cream https://kawarthadairy.com/ Not only was it a nice treat for the family as we headed back to the tent for dinner, this portion is a single scoop which is as big a single scoop as I can recall ever seeing. Good value here for sure.
All in all, this was the perfect family camping adventure with plenty of beach, nice camp sites, and only an hour away from home. Not crowded, a quaint little town right next door, and a little cellular reception so that I could keep in touch with my peeps.
The sun went down on this adventure during the drive home and I leave you with my view as the chicks dozed off for a nap while Zeke took the wheel. I am not sure what this farmer was burning in the foreground as the mid-summer sun sets on the horizon. Enough perhaps to distract you from the felony I am committing as I take a picture while driving, just to close out an adventure in style.
Thanks for joining me on this camping adventure. Maybe we can do this in person next time you are in my part of the world? Bring Beer!
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