Time plays tricks with the mind. Among other things, it changes ones perspective. Driving through the lush Ontario countryside, my eyes openned wide. I had seen this scenery many times before, and in my mind I still had a picture of it. But after a few years on the other side of the continent, everything looked different and I looked about with fresh eyes. The greeness of summer, the open, slightly rolling fields with the occassional tall silos, the red brick houses with the distinctive white edges... all these I had seen a thousand times before and deemed somewhat mundane, now seem almost exotic. I even exclaimed with surprise at the rain -- it had not rained a drop in the Bay Area since what, May?
We were driving towards Tobermory on the Bruce peninsula. It had been a long time since I last dipped my toes in the crystal clear waters of the Georgian Bay, whose beauty I still remembered as a concept. We had made this trip a few times before and I was looking forward to seeing it again. As an added bonus, this time we actually know someone who lives in the area.
The featured destination of our trip is Aunt Ruth's Coach House Inn at Tobermory, just minutes from the ferry. She runs a quite impressive operation, often hosting large groups. It was fun to watch her at work.
Tobermory itself did not change much, but it was more beautiful than my memory -- time playing its tricks again. We hiked along the rugged coast, where rocks were engraved rings by the elements, and the water was so clear that when you look into it, it was almost invisible. I was seriously tempted to go for a swim. And the white cliffs standing by the blue bay just begs to be climbed! Surprisingly, there was a huge crowd at the national park, many families trekking up and down the trails, hopping about the rocks, and sunning on the beach. We were here a few times before, but never saw a fraction of a crowd like this.
We walked around the town itself as well -- browsed the sourvenir stores, dive shops, and galleries featuring local artist. At a local eatery we had some delicious fish tacos. The weather god was smiling upon us with plenty of sunshine (we heard that this was an exceptionally wet and cool summer). It was good to be tourists. :)