Sat 2 Jul 2005
Saturday morning we broke out the cereal and soy milk and had breakfast together. The kids were excited to head out to the beach. They took a break reading books while the grown-ups packed the cooler for lunch. We planned to have fresh food that we packed ahead of time and brought with us for the first couple of days. This turned out to be a great idea. Fresh healthy food that your family is used to is a great way to bring something familiar along to an unfamiliar location. Our lunch included some foods that are versatile and keep well, here are some examples:
- humus, peanut butter, almond butter and other spreads
- flat breads like pita and tortilla as well as bagels and the usual sandwich bread
- precut veggies like baby carrots, broccolli and snow peas
- non-lethal snacks like corn chips and dried peas
Think of things that will work well for a couple of different meals. Don’t forget to pack the vitamins to help make up for the inevitable times when meals just don’t work out as planned. (There’s lot’s more to read - click more to read on)
After packing lunch, we all piled in to the van and cruised out to beach area 1 in Wasaga Beach. Beach area 1 is most often packed with the younger crowds. It was a big weekend for visitors, so we cruised through and took in the view but when it came to setting up for the day, we chose the less-crowded beach area 2.
Parking at the Ontario Provincial Park lot wasn’t cheap at $15 for the day, but a pass for the season was $70 so frequent visitors can save a lot. Don’t quote me on it though, check the details. For what it’s worth, all-day parking in area 1 can be found for $2/hour (municipal lots) or $10/day at a couple of other choice lots near the west end of the beach.
One thing about vacations, and camping in particular, is that things seem to take a little longer. After each meal at the camp site, we cleaned our dishes. Every time someone had to go to the washroom (which can be an emergency depending on the age of your young ones), it’s a hike. So by the time we were parked, changed into swimsuits, and sufficiently sunscreened, it was just about lunch time already.
We set up near the boardwalk, laid out the picnic blanket and opened up the cooler. The kids came and went, ate a bit and played a lot.
Sitting on the beach soaking up sun is a great pass-time, but I can’t be idle for long. I did a little people-watching. I saw the usual women in bikinis and muscle-bound dudes in their swim trunks all showing off for each other.