EPISODE 126 SHELTER VALLEY ROAD TO WICKLOW BEACH TO RUTHERFORD’S FARM MARKET AND HOME
We left Mississauga at 10 a.m. and drove east with no particular goal…all self-contained with
lunch and water and Woody. Those of you in semi isolation might like to duplicate the trip
which is perfectly safe unless you have bad tires and a poor sense of direction.
The Shelter Valley Road and Shelter Valley Creek run under the 401 with access from Highway 2 just a bit east of Port Hope.
Likely you have driven overtop as these trucks are doing en route to Kingston or Montreal. We parked, had lunch and walked on a
trail to the Shelter Valley Creek…as we have always wanted to do.
the leaves are just breaking into colour…if you follow us you will even see briber colours.
Marjorie packed a lunch…Ontario peaches and salmon sandwiches.
the salmon are easy to spot at Port Hope in the Ganaraska River. They are also present yet hidden under the 401 in Shelter Valley Creek.
Big ones. Trapped there. Do not tell anyone. Promise?
Wicklow Beach is long and lovely and so accessible at any point…three strides from truck to beach.
Under the 401 and all alone
On Highway 2 just outside Colborne is Rutherford’’s farm market…
Free parking I thought until we saw this sign…but about half a mile on there is a huge free parking lot right on the beach.
the wild asters are full of honey bees right now…Sept. 23, 2020
Hiding under the shelter Valley Creek bridge are a bunch of big salmon, their backs sometimes out of the water…and
no fishermen.
The old canning factory in Brighton is now a huge antique market.
The Ganaraska River runs through the centre of Port Hope. It is one of the great salmon spawning Rivers in Ontario…and a visitor
can almost touch the salmon. No fee involved.
Woody had a good time. I know he looks forlorn…that is just one of his acts.
This picture was taken just to show you where to park on the Shelter Valley Road…room for two cars only. Nobody there today.
Wicklow Beach…now where on this planet is a beach more accessible. Free.
Next week the colours here will be orange, red, beige…etc.
Even though there will be no halloween this year we bought 3 giant pumpkins for $20 and will carve them
early with candles…why not?
INSTRUCTIONS
Drive east to Port Hope…south to centre of Port Hope…stop to look at the wild salmon struggling up the Ganaraska River…then
drive east on Highway 2 to the Hidden Valley Road…left up the road for a mile to the 401 bridge…take a 10 minute stroll
to the Hidden Valley Creek bridge…then drive back down to Highway 2 and continue east to the Wicklow Beach sign…turn right
down a charming empty rural road to Lake Ontario…turn left when you hit Lake Ontario…you will find free parking just a few steps
from the water…maybe go for a swim (we could have done so in the nude for the beach was empty…we did not do that…wish we
had)…then continue east until a rural road cuts back left to Highway 2…drive east to Rutherford’s market…spend a few dollars…giant
pumpkins at $8 each (loss leaders…who could make profit at that price?)…..then continue east to Brighton…there is a
delightful Antique store on the north side before you get to Brighton…nice man owns it…high end stuff at very reasonable prices…
and there is another giant collectibles story in the old canning factory in Brighton.
By the time we got to Brighton it was 4 p.m. so we headed home…got back at 6.30…sun still shining…trip took 8.5 hours with many
many stops.
Next visit we will try to reach Picton but if we fail then we fail…In the past we have driven to Picton and stayed
overnight with fancy suppers…but not now for the spectre of Covid 19 hangs over us all. Peaches, salmon
sandwiches and giant raw red peppers were better than some fancy dinners anyway.
You do not need to follow our trail…make up your own trail. You are unlikely to confront Covid 19 unless
you blow a tire.
My cousin Christopher lives in the County…so if we blew a tire he would put us up no doubt…as long as we
were masked and socially distant. What a weird world we live in at present. We never gave that terrible Covid 19
threat much thought today.
alan and marjorie
P.S> I had hoped to buy a six pack of Barley Days beer on the Picton Road…but failed. So there must be a next time.
Sept. 23, 2020
We really should have stopped down and waded into the lake. Marjorie was in favour. I was more modest. Kick
myself for not doing it.
