Summer Vacations - Carnival of Genealogy

With two carnivals with due dates close to each other talking about summer vacations, I will focus this posting for the Carnival of Genealogy, on vacations at Sauble Beach and the other will be about vacations on Manitoulin Island.

From the time, I was a little girl, our family went to Sauble Beach on short holidays. We rented until we purchased a cottage in 1955 on the south end of Sauble Beach on leased land.

One of the advantages of Sauble Beach was the closeness to home. With about a half-hour drive you could get from home to the cottage. With a quick unload of the car, you could be on the beach in just over an hour. Our own cottage had a view of the beach as it perched up on the dune area. There was a cottage in front of us but it didn't block the view from the porch, deck or the living room window.

The cottage was not large but had three bedrooms off the living room/dining area. Two of the bedrooms had 3/4 bed bunk beds that were home made. There was a small kitchen. That was it. Now where was the bathroom? You had to leave the cottage and go out to the veranda and turn right. At first it was only a once piece facility with the motor for the pump inside the room. Later a sink and shower were added. For many years, the veranda was not enclosed and you always feared that you might meet a skunk during evening or night time visits.

When my parents purchased the cottage, it had a small porch with an entrance to the cottage that faced the water. This was later enlarged. One summer, either 1968 or 1969, my dad decided that an addition should be added to expand the living area. This meant the end of the front porch and entryway. Needless to say, my mother was not happy.

In front of cottage, Bob, Janet Marion, Ted and Nancy Iles ca 1958.

Sauble Beach is a beautiful sandy beach that stretches for about seven miles. It has spectacular sunsets over Lake Huron.

When we were teenagers, we would walk to what was called the entrance about two miles away where the stores were located and the roller rink. I tried roller skating once but it was fun to see who was there, to watch the skaters and to listen to the music. Sauble Beach also had a dance pavilion. The one I remember was from the sixties. Most nights there was something going on - movies, teen dances, barn dances, bingo and other dances with popular bands.

The cottage next to us to the south, had friends from town. On rainy days, we'd gather in one of the cottages to read, chat, play games or to colour.

Some summers, we'd spent many days there with my dad commuting back and forth to work.

To see some examples of the spectacular sunsets check these postings Sunset 1, Sunset 2, Sunset 3

A walk before sunset to get an ice-cream was always a favourite. You'd sit on a log or just walk slowly back, licking the ice-cream while you watched the sun set. If you were lucky, there was a beautiful afterglow.

We enjoyed many happy summers at the cottage.

Other postings about Sauble Beach -- Bathing Beauties? and Swimsuit edition 2009

To read about and see photos of the pavilion Sauble Beach pavilion in book Let's Dance

Summer Vacations - Canadian Carnival of Genealogy

With two carnivals with due dates close to each other talking about summer vacations, I will focus this posting for the Canadian Carnival of Genealogy on vacations at Manitoulin Island and the other will be about vacations at Sauble Beach.

My mother came from Manitoulin Island. Born a "haweater" she was, so it was natural that summer vacation trips were to Manitoulin Island. We started to travel there when we were young. I imagine after our family had its own car.

I can recall that the trip to Tobermory from Owen Sound was an adventure. To catch the 7 o'clock ferry meant an early departure time from home. The children would leave home in our pajamas. My dad rigged up "a bed" in the back seat with crates and likely blankets to make it like a "double" bed. This, of course, was before the days of seat belts.

The roads were quite windy in the early years with lots of twists and turns through forested areas. As we got closer to Tobermory, my parents would be hoping that we would get in the line for the ferry with enough time to get us in to our clothes before it was time to load the boat. As I remember it, you had to be there before 6 a.m. to keep your guarantee of a reservation.

The next part of the adventure was the crossing on the ferry. Passengers walked up the stairs, while the drivers drove the vehicles on. During the years we travelled back and forth as a family, there were several that travelled this route -- the Normac, Norgoma and Norisle. Most of our trips were on the Norisle. When these ferries were retired, the Chi-cheemaun became a faster way to travel between the mainland and the island.

The Norisle had state rooms. We often booked one. Once my sister and I went up with our great aunt Grace and her husband to attend a cousin's wedding. We went up the night before the sailing and slept on the boat overnight. That was fun!

Sometimes the waters of Lake Huron were rough. The trip was longer than it is now.

When we arrived at South Bay Mouth, an announcement called for the drivers to go down to the car deck to prepare for the arrival at South Bay Mouth. The passengers walked off and waited to be picked up.

We were almost there. We travelled the windy roads to Mindemoya. Now my memory is foggy on where we stayed each time we went. I recall most often staying with my Aunt Winnie, but a visit there would include time spent with my grandparents while they were still living and at my Uncle Ross' farm. I have lots of cousins who are around our age.

The Iles and Cox families at the Cox farm. Of all the children only my brother Ted and I are facing the camera.
L to R in back Ted Iles in the arms of Bob Iles, Marion Iles, Art Cox and Winnie Cox
front row Tom Cox, Janet Iles, Nancy Iles and Valerie Cox.


First Cousins - Hal Love and Janet Iles

It has been 13 years since I last visited the Manitoulin Island. I wonder what changes I would find if I returned to visit?