The Traveling Yorkie: Grand Bend for Dog-owners

Yorkie @ Grand Bend 

We took our almost 7-year old Yorkie with us to Grand Bend, and while there were some limitations, I can say that you will pretty much be ok to bring your furbaby along.

Grand Bend, ON

We stayed at the pet-friendly Bonnie Doone Manor. There was a pet-fee, but that was not different from any other place we have stayed and brought our Traveling Yorkie along. There are also other pet-friendly hotels/lodges/inns in the area. 

Walking along Main St., we did not really bring her inside the stores, nor did I see other folks do that. We did a tag-team on who would stay with her just outside.

For meals, Coco’s clearly called out that they were dog-friendly, where they can stay right beside you in the patio. 

pet-friendly Coco's @ Grand Bend

The Growling Gator would allow you to have your dog tied outside by the grass but you would be separated by a fence. This arrangement might be fine for your Fido, but it would definitely stress our Yorkie.

Pizza place and Dairy Dip has outdoor seating where you can bring your pet. We grabbed some fish and chips over here. They even have a water bowl to make sure pets weres well-hydrated.

Now, the beach does not allow dogs. Grand Bend is an internationally recognized blue flag beach which has very strict standards. Dogs are only allowed in parking areas, on walkways and promenades in the back beach area. However, between May 15th to September 15th dogs are allowed on the beach before 8am and after 8pm and must be leashed. So, our cutie Yorkie managed to get close to the waters for our morning walk at 730am!

dog beach @ Pinery Provincial Park

8Km away, though, at Pinery Provincial Park, they have two dog beaches and they are awesome! So, you can go there as well!

Overall, the area is a great place to spend time with the whole fam, no matter how many legs they have!

Grand Bend: probably the best beach in Ontario!

Grand Bend, ON

Last summer, we went with another family to Grand Bend. We found one of the best beaches in Ontario about 3 hours from Toronto. Hubby would say it was the best. The waters of Lake Huron were clear and the sand was lovely (well after you hurdle the many stones at the main beach). I will say, though, that over 8Km away, at Pinery Provincial Park beaches (still Lake Huron), the sand was much better. There were less stones and the waters were shallow. The temperature of the water, as well as the strength of the waves, depends on the weather, of course. A couple of days before we arrived, another friend was at the same beach and he said the water was freezing. When we were there, the water was just perfect—strong waves the first day and calm the next.

Grand Bend

We stayed at the Bonnie Doone Manor, the only one which was right across the beach. It was a lovely place. The owners were very hospitable, rooms were clean, and we had everything we needed in our stay. It is actually one of the landmarks of the area with their pink and yellow Adirondacks on the lawn. 

Bonnie Doone Manor @ Grand Bend

It was a perfect place to watch the beautiful sunset at Grand Bend.

sunset @ Grand Bend, ON

It was also a short walk from the beach to the bustling Main St. We enjoyed walking and looking at the many shops along the way. There were many treats for kids of all ages—there were snow cones, ice cream, fudge as well as several bars for the adults. No worries if you forgot your beach wear as you can easily get a pair in one of the shops. Grandma spent over an hour browsing from store to store. There were also a few restaurants, including a Japanese place!

Sno Shack @ Main St., Grand Bend

shops at Main St., Grand Bend

There were also many other activities offered—parasailing, paddleboating, jetskiing, and even water trampoline. You can stroll along the boardwalk or catch one of the summer concerts at the main stage. There was also a splash pad area for kids. They had a clean rinse area with hot water and parking was $20 for the day.

Main Beach entrance at Grand Bend--check out the parasailer!

Wish we could have stayed for week there! We will definitely return as we have marked this as one of our favourite family destinations!

A day in Algonquin

Algonquin Park, Ontario

Coming from one of the cottages in Huntsville, my friends and I decided to make a day trip out of Algonquin Provincial Park, the first provincial park in Ontario and the largest. It was about 20 minutes from Huntsville to the West gate, where we went to get information and daily permits. 

We looked at the map and decided to check out the Logging Museum as our farthest point and make our way back along the Highway 60 corridor. As we were driving for over 15 minutes already, it dawned on me that I did not really digest the scale of the map—that the Logging Museum was actually about 50km from the West Gate. We realized how huge this park really was. And actually, looking more closely at the maps, we saw that the developed area (including the Highway 60 corridor) was only a fraction of the whole park! The backcountry is only accessible by canoe or on foot--with over 2,000km of canoe routes and about 140km of backpacking trails!

views along the way @ Algonquin Park

Anyway, we spent a good hour walking through this outdoor museum. It was the most refreshing thing to walk under the canopy of trees while the smell of pine enveloped us. There were 20 stations and a total of a 1.5km easy walking trail. The trail took us back in time through the history of logging from the early days to modern management. They had a recreated camboose camp where loggers used to sleep. They had different log transportation featured from horses, tug boats and trains. It was very interesting and worth the drive!

Camboose Camp @ Logging Museum, Algonquin Park

Tugboat @ Logging Museum, Algonquin Park

Beast of burden, one of the outdoor displays @ Logging Museum, Algonquin Park

After the museum, we had a picnic lunch at the East Beach before checking out the Algonquin Art Centre (by the KM 20 mark). The Art Centre had an indoor gallery showcasing works with varied style, medium and subject. There were paintings, backlit art, sculptures and many more.

outdoors @ Algqonquin Art Centre, Algonquin Park

Before heading home, we went on our last hike at the Hardwood Lookout Trail, a moderately difficult 0.8km trail. The trail culminated in a nice area with a couple of benches so you can enjoy the view of Smoke Lake.

Smoke Lake from Hardwood Lookout Trail @ Algonquin park

There were many, many other things to do at the park. While I would not recommend the beaches for swimming (the girls said the ground was slimy and the area for swimming was small), it would be great for kayaking and canoeing. Of course the park was perfect for what most people come to Algonquin to do—camp.

There were several signs along the way to watch out for wildlife. We actually saw a moose so we stopped the car and ogled along with others. 

Wildlife Crossing @ Algqonquin Park, Ontario

Moose sighting @ Algonquin Park, Ontario

It may seem like this was all so much wilderness but, civilization was not so far away. Within the park, there were cabins (if you are not into setting up tents), they were groceries, outfitters who rented out equipment and the public washrooms were actually clean!

Algonquin was a great park and I’m glad we were able to check it out, even for just the day.

The Traveling Yorkie: Pet-friendly places to eat in Mont Tremblant, Ottawa and the 401

Yorkie in Mont Tremblant

I had been challenging myself since last summer to find fun getaways where we can take our adopted 7-year-old Yorkie along. For our trip to Mont Tremblant, it took a while for me to lock down our pet-friendly accommodations. There were very few pet friendly hotels in the Pedestrian Village and those which accept pets also had a hefty fee. We found our pet-friendly condo at one of the units at Cap Tremblant. 

We had lunch at Crêperie Catherine where they had a nice patio out back. No need for Fido to be tied up behind the fence (which was the case for some restos).

Pet Friendly Creperie Catherine @ Mont Tremblant

At the Tremblant Resort, many dogs walked around but they were not allowed on the Cabriolet or Panoramic Gondola rides. It is not a bad walk uphill so it can be managed. Dogs are not allowed on trails as well. However, there were several restaurants with patios--Fat Mardi’s is pet friendly.

Pedestrian Village at Mont Tremblant--pets welcome along the village

Good thing our cutie prefers to stay indoors so we were able to do activities where we couldn’t take her.  Her being a Traveling Yorkie is only because she is stuck with me. What's the fun in Homebody Yorkie, right? 

Going back to Toronto, we passed by Ottawa. Byward Market is dog friendly. Most of the food stalls in the main building extended out into the street. So, your pet can stay with you as you eat. We ate at Wang’s Noodle House and there are plenty of other options if you don’t feel like Chinese or bubble tea.

Pet Friendly area at Big Apple by the 401 

At the 401, the Big Apple is also pet friendly. There are picnic tables set up outside where you can have your meal (no outside food except your pet's). Though, someone has to stay with your pet outside as you buy your food. As with most places, pets are not allowed inside. As well, OnRoute stations have grassy areas for our fur baby.

Traveling with this Yorkie was not such a big production. Thumbs up to the places which accommodate my two-legged and four-legged babies.