Parry Sound, ON, CA
We ended up spending four nights in Parry Sound, the last night because of high winds and very choppy seas forecast for Georgian Bay.
A Canadian local had told us there was nothing in Parry Sound, and we couldn’t believe how wrong he was. Parry Sound has plenty to offer for more than an overnight stay. First, there’s plenty of action on the marina. We met lots of other boaters, many who were loopers, and everyone we met seemed to want to get to know us, and swap stories about the area and their travels. Second, Parry Sound has a nice walking trail extending along the water and to several local sites, with beautiful views of the sound, including deer running across the trail right in front of you. Third, several good restaurant choices within a 15-minute walk and some boutique shops selling home goods, local clothing, and lots of used books. Fourth, the Charles Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts houses not only the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame (He was a hall of fame hockey player born in Parry Sound) , but also has something going all the time, including a great free concert while we were there. Finally, there is a floatplane operator that gives tours of part of the 30,000 islands, which of course was a must for Will.
Will just had to take a floatplane ride, having never taken off or landed from the water. Luckily he was the only passenger on his flight so he got to sit in the front seat with the pilot and take the controls for part of the flight - so that was awesome. Although he had certainly been on aircraft carriers as a pilot in the Navy, and taken off from a carrier deck in a plane, thankfully, he had never landed on the water! He thoroughly enjoyed the flight, took in some great views of where we had been on the boat, and was able to see other spots where we are planning to go. Ann stayed safely on the dock by choice, filming all the highlights.
We took the electric bikes up Tower Hill and climbed a lookout tower for a fantastic 360-degree view of the area. The best part of Tower Hill though was the Heritage Garden at the bottom that has been planted and maintained by volunteers for years. Clearly this is a passionate project for the town, because the informal gardens were so quaint, whimsical and lovingly curated, providing visitors with a beautiful respite for just wandering around and appreciating the natural plants that grow and thrive in the area. We had a nice breeze with plenty of shade and just took our time wander through it, enjoy the sights. Unfortunately, the Museum was closed, so maybe we will catch it next time. If we have learned one thing on our travels in Canada, Mondays seem to be the day when most things are closed (restaurants, shops, museums) - so plan accordingly.
We also found a tiny Caribbean barbecue restaurant (or shack is a better description) tucked into the corner of a parking lot and based not the number of people sitting at the picnic tables outside, we just had to give it a try. We gathered up a few friends at the marina who were also adventurous eaters, headed over to the parking lot, got in the line and enjoyed some delicious and very spicy curry and jerked chicken hot off the grill. Everyone agreed, it just doesn’t get any better than that!
So, with that, we enjoyed our time in Parry Sound alot. We met some really fun people, enjoyed some docktails and great meals, explored the town and its surrounding area, and are really glad we stopped.
