Capturing the Art of Nature
Driving west of the port along the shore of Lake Erie (Day 7)
I felt like exploring the lake shore much further west than I had previously seen, so today was my opportunity.
Category
Ontario Adventures
2010
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Today was very windy, though the sun was out it made for less than ideal conditions for picture taking. I decided to head west again and visit a couple spots along the lake past the furthest point I had travelled. I started out by heading for the Pearce Park as I wanted to see the old church that was next to it. St. Peters was very old and had an historical significance to it. I then explored the associated cemetery where I found a head stone dating back to 1822. That is the oldest one I have seen so far. Once done with the cemetery, I continued along the lakeside road to Duttona Beach.
Duttona proved to be a small community of cabin like homes, most were seasonally used and at this time of year only a few seemed to be occupied. I found a place to park next to an access point to the beach. I loaded up my bag and walked out to the lake. The wind was up and the waves were crashing against the beach but it wasn’t until I rounded the point that I really felt the full strength of the wind. It was really howling out here. It was quite refreshing actually but the wind was strong enough to make walking difficult and so I didn’t travel too far along the beach. Once I had gathered a few shots I returned to the car and set off for the next place I had planned to visit - E.M. Warwick Park.
The drive to the park was enjoyable, the back roads here had a bit of hill to them and so the drive was more interesting thanks to the variations in the road. The colours were not all that good along here so I didn’t find all that much to photograph. Once I got to the park I noticed another car parked. It seems that these places close early in the year but people still drop by. I saw a path leading towards the lake so I got out and started along it. As I came to a larger clearing I was greeted by a woman with a large white poodle. They had just come up from the lake and were heading out having exercised the dog. I noticed an elevated viewing platform and made my way to it.
The platform was listed as 28 feet above ground and should have some great views over the brush of the lake. But once I got to the top I was disappointed as much of the view was blocked by trees. This problem is so common, great viewpoints are made but no one keeps them clear and soon the view is gone. I returned to ground level and set out in the direction I saw the woman coming from and there I found a set of stairs leading down towards the lake. So I started down and soon was standing on the beach once again. The wind was strong here as well and I gathered a few shots but then returned to the stairs and made my way back to the car. It was a nice park but the leaves were well past their prime and so I wasn’t all that motivated to gather many photos here. I’m sure I could have looked a bit harder but I was getting a bit worn out and decided to head back to the Inn. After reviewing the maps I picked the shortest way back and set off for the room. Generally a good day, but it was not as productive as I would have liked.