Sarah Sobanski
The first official month of summer has passed, but there’s still plenty of sun left to enjoy.
Long stretches of sandy beach at the Sandbanks Provincial Park offer an ideal playground for youngsters this summer. Photo: Glenn Buckholtz, CC
As the heat settles in for the remainder of the summer, some of the best family adventures can be had cooling off at the beach, but it can be hard to find somewhere that isn’t too busy or far away.
Cobourg beach, under an hour away, is a community favourite with great swimming – their city slogan is ‘feel good together’. There is lots of room for everyone, a pier to venture out on, and a lot of great little restaurants offering fantastic food.
This Saturday is Cobourg’s 10th Annual Sandcastle Festival featuring eight master sculptors. Amateur sculptors can sign up at 9:30 a.m. with sculpting lessons starting at 10:30 a.m.,the competition itself begins at 11 a.m. For those of us who are better at running into sandcastles than building them, there will also be a live DJ, followed by the Spongebob movie showing on the beach at 8:30 p.m., and fireworks over the pier will wrap up the evening.
Cobourg Beach. Photo: Leonora Enking, CC
Travel another hour past Cobourg and the white sands that people fly thousands of miles to find can be found in our own back yard at Sandbanks Provincial Park. Known for its crystal clear water, long shallow walkouts into the surf, and extensive hiking trails, Sandbanks of Prince Edward County presents the perfect place for a stay-cation.
On the way, stop by the Ameliasburgh Heritage Village, a full-sized pioneer villagewith admission charges below $5. It is open between the Victoria Day long weekend and Labour Day long weekend Wednesday to Sunday. If you are there on August 16, stop by the Hillier Circus Day Festival which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will offer balloon sculptures, face-painting, stilt walking and circus performances.
Finally, for a trip on the water instead of in it, Emily Provincial Park is only a hop-skip-and-a-jump north. While the swimming there is a little weedy and zebra muscles deter bare feet, the park offers canoes for rent with a great opportunity for fishing for species includingwalleye, muskie, large and small-mouth bass. All you need is a fishing rod and a pair of water shoes and a license if you are 18 years or older. The park offers free young angler’s card licences with the angler’s pledge on the back if the kids want one just like Mom and Dad.
Get out there and enjoy the heat while it lasts!
