Episode 03 | Best things to do in Tobermory, Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada
Tobermory isn’t one of the first vacation spots that come to mind when thinking of vacationing in Ontario, but it has been on our bucket list for a while. It turned out to be one of our favourite places in Ontario.
Actual expenses
Restaurants $160
Parking $11
National Park Fees $63
Gas $85
Glass-bottom Boat Tour $190
Camping $100
Groceries $75
Total $684
Itinerary
Thursday, July 23, 2020
We departed at 3:30 for Tobermory, planning for a detour through Owen Sound for dinner. the trip took longer than expected due to, what we believe was some trip anomaly that Google maps, and Apple Maps both trip-up on (we don’t believe this was user error).
We stopped for dinner at the highly reviewed Ted and Grace’s Drive-through Restaurant, which did NOT disappoint. the food was a 10/10. We had burgers and fries with milkshakes. they only take cash to plan accordingly.
We arrive at around 8pm, which gave us enough time to setup our gear and start a fire.
Friday, July 24, 2020
Breakfast was a mash of pre-cut potatoes and eggs on the camp stove mmmmmm…. Once we tidied up, we headed to The Grotto, which was the highlight of our trip. the Grotto was created by thousands of years of erosion chipping away at rock that eventually formed a grotto you can now swim into. This ranks among our most favourite places in Ontario, along with Niagara Falls, Sandbanks, and Sleeping Giant.
Watch the full uncut footage of the grotto swim
Cypress Lake is a lake in the park that forbids motorboats, it’s extremely clear water allows you to see the bottom of the sandy lake from anywhere. The boys loved playing in the warm water.
Dinner was a hash-brown poutine, cooked on the camp fire
Saturday, July 25, 2020
We awoke to oatmeal by Kristine. Once we cleaned up breakfast, we locked up the trailer and headed to Tobermory to explore the town. There is a candy shop that is a must visit for your kids, and if you are looking for a bumper sticker for your car or trailer, the only place that sells them is the book store. We visited during COVID-19, and car traffic was about a 7 and sometimes an 8/10. We could only imagine how bad it could be with 2x the volume of people during a non-COVID-19 summer.
The town is small and worth taking a lap by foot. you’ll want plans, as the town is small and you’ll be looking for things to do after an hour.
We had rented a glass bottom boat tour with Bruce Anchor Boat Tours. They took us first to Big Tub Harbour to view two shipwrecks.
The Sweepstakes was a cargo Schooner that was built in Burlington Ontario and sunk in 1885. it was brought to Tobermory to be repaid but they decided that it was beyond repair, and they let it sink in Big Tub harbour.
The City of Grand Rapids was a double decker passenger ferry that sank in 1905. the boiler is all that is still recognizable today. The water is too shallow where it is located, so you will be viewing this one from a distance, but in the cler water of Tobermory, this isn’t an issue
The tour then took us to Flowerpot Island where we swam with the Flowerpot ricks that resemble the Hopewell rocks in New Brunswick
We ate dinner at the Tobermory brewing company. The food was good brewery food, the service was ok. The hand-sanitizer at the front door sprayed all over my shorts. The hostess saw this and said nothing. At least my shorts were now sanitized!
Sunday, July 26, 2020
We needed to check out from the campsite by 11am. We encountered the same Google and Apple maps issue on the way home.
Tips
Google Maps and Apple Maps arrival times are inaccurate at the time of writing this blog. Both platforms quoted 3:30 hours from our home in Toronto to our campsite at Bruce Peninsula national Park, but it was closer to 4:15 hours. We timed our departing and arriving trips and encountered the issue both times. If you are using either of these tools to plan your trip, you should allow for an additional 45 mins.
If you are stopping at Ted and Grace’s for food on your way through Owen Sound, make sure to call ahead for pickup, the wait and lineup can be quite long on a hot day
Prepare your meals at home, so you don’t have to bring extra kitchen-wear like cutting boards with you
If you visit Flowerpot island vis tour boat, you will be tired by the end of the day, so book one of the small boats for your return trip. They are about 30% faster and will get you home sooner
