A great little summer spot on Lake Huron, Grand Bend is good to while away some time on the beach or wander through the shops on Main Street down to the beach. I have been here at various times of the year, winter and summer, but the summertime is the best time to see it bustling with people. As you drive in on Highway 21, you will turn right from the north or left from the south onto Main Street to get to the beach. There is pay and display parking along the street and in the lot behind the beach – note the parking lot is twice as costly as the street parking but the street parking has a two hour limit. If you get there early there are some free parking lots on Gill Road, Municipal Drive and Ontario Street. There is a large building with facilities for changing, showering, and washrooms between the parking lot and the beach. Adjacent to the building is a childrens’ water and play area. The waves off Lake Huron can be quite high. Safety is paramount so pay attention to the flags and stay out of the surf when it is too choppy. On Sundays evenings in July and August there are free concerts by the beach building.
In my younger years I remember spending time on the beach. Now we walk along the short boardwalk and try to stay out of the sun!
It was a showery day on our most recent visit. Even so, in-between the showers we were able to take a walk along the boardwalk to the lighthouse and the end of the cement pier. There is a storyboard by the pier explaining the history of the pier and the channel built in 1887 to prevent flooding upstream. The channel leading to the lake reminds me of Le Havre, France, though on a much smaller scale as the channel is only six feet deep.
There are various restaurants and ice cream shops along Main Street and Village Green Mini Golf that is fun. We always manage to find something shopping on Main Street. There are lots of beach related clothing shops, a great hardware shop with everything imaginable, gift shops and jewelry shops, not to mention the fresh fudge. On our last visit my aunt found some lovely ear rings to buy.
On a blustery day, the wind cuts right through you as it blows in off Lake Huron. Some of the pictures I have attached are from a sunnier day in 2012.
“Grand Bend Tourism”:http://www.grandbendtourism.com/
