Travel story: A Visit to Canada’s Prettiest Town, Goderich
There must be something that attracts visitors from Toronto and further
“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” — H. Jackson Browne Jr.
I believe in every word of the above quote. ‘Regret’ is the word I don’t like, and I already have plenty of ‘missing out’ experiences that I could have if I just dared a little or stepped outside of my comfort. Or, even considered thinking, ‘Why not?’
A prelude before jumping into the place
Canada is a beautiful country, no matter how wintery, shivering, and scary feeling it gives. Even in the mundane landscape, there are places to explore that can boost your energy and present you with a good memory.
I only explored a little in the first two years. The career struggle, the financial pressure, the settlements in a new place, and the unnecessary stress all gave me a huge blow that kept me from exploring. But once I realized those elements would continue no matter how hard I tried, I started roaming around the places.
Every new place provided me with unique scenic landscapes and certain experiences that I will cherish forever.
Goderich is undoubtedly one of those places.
About Goderich
This town is located on the shoreline of Lake Huron, mainly on the West Coast side of Ontario. Founded by John Galt and William “Tiger” Dunlop of the Canada Company in 1827, the main town is approximately 5 minutes from the Lake Huron beachside. It is the county seat of Huron county.
The place includes quite spectacular scenic bluffs overlooking beautiful Lake Huron. Well-known as the Prettiest Little Town in Canada, the town is also recognized for its scenic gorgeousness by so many different organizations, such as:
One of the ten best places to live in Canada — Chatelaine magazine
One of the 20 great places to live — 50 Plus magazine
One of the 17 Canadian Cities to visit in 2017 — Expedia
One of the top 22 small towns in Canada to visit — Canadian Living
The town has three beaches: the main beach, St. Christopher’s Beach (the only beach where dogs are permitted), and Rotary Cove Beach. A newly installed 1.5-kilometer boardwalk connects the beach area.
The town is also famous for its beautiful sunsets (which we missed). Altogether, a perfect day trip spot from Toronto.
Our trip story
My in-laws, my wife, and I went to explore the beautiful town of Goderich on the 28th of August this year. It was a 3-hour trip from Toronto city.
I have a mental blockade whenever I commute towards Toronto’s West side areas because of the massive construction in between and the traffic on the 401 highways. So I was a bit irritated on the first leg of the journey.
However, once we entered more to the western side, crossing the Niff river to enter the Huron region, it slowly transformed into more scenic views.
We also saw 100+ windmills of K2 Wind Farm beside our path. It looked beautiful, spreading over the lush green fields, creating a serene ambiance.
We parked on the roadside parking spot in front of the main beach. Unfortunately, it was crowded on the main beach, so we walked towards St. Christopher’s beach and found a tree shade to sit under.
The lake looked pure blue. The sky so clearly reflected on the water that sometimes it seemed like one canvas in one color, just splitting into the sky and the lake water.
People were relaxing and doing fun stuff with their family and friends. Picnics and outings near the beach were taking place. The aroma of good food was coming from all directions.
We relaxed there for quite a time. I wanted to explore the lighthouse above the hill, and as my in-laws and wife wanted to spend time in front of the beach, I went alone.
It took approximately 5–6 minutes to reach the top of the hill by the stairs.
The lighthouse stood still on the hilly plateau. Like most lighthouses worldwide, it was painted white, with red touches on the stripe and tower head. I loved the flowers blooming in front of the lighthouse door.
There was also some seating arrangement to view the lake and enjoy the scenic Lake Huron from the top. As it was quiet, and no one was around there, I sat back under a tree and enjoyed some quiet alone time.
Afterward, once I came down, we went to the next beach, Rotary Cove Beach. This place was bigger than the other two beaches, and I saw more people than at St. Christopher’s Beach.
However, access to the water on this beach was slightly better, and the view was also good to enjoy.
The lake color inspired me to explore the water on that summer day, so I went to experience swimming in the lake.
Ah, it was refreshing indeed!
My in-laws and my wife were on the beach and enjoying the castles built by the kids.
Later, we went to the main town to explore the town center. The center is an octagonal core known as The Square, and the shops and establishments are around the circle.
We found it a charming little town, a quiet and peaceful place to roam.
It was a long day, so we returned to the beach area and had lunch in front of the main beach. After that, we went for gelatos too.
A summer day well spent with family; what else could I expect more?
A scenic drive back! Now the road back to Toronto didn’t look that bad.
Of course, there are more things to explore around the Goderich area, so I need to go back and explore. But our first visit to Canada’s prettiest town surely was a trip to remember.
You might like the place too!