Day Trip

We've been hittin' the road a lot this summer. I love climbing into a packed car and heading out for a day trip with my favourite people. This past weekend, we decided to search for Westmeath Provincial Park. The secluded sandy beach is open to the public, free and only an hour and a half drive from Ottawa. The park is located on Westmeath Road, but you have to watch carefully for the entrance because there aren't any visible signs from the road.

Getting to the beach involved quite a hike with two young children. I wore Rosemary in the baby carrier, Mike carried all our picnic gear and Henry was in charge of sunscreen and bug spray. The trail is wide and the terrain is easy, but I wouldn't consider it stroller friendly. It took us fifty minutes (each way) to hike the trail at a brisk pace.

We saw a lot of frogs, birds and chipmunks along the way. Thankfully, I didn't forget the bug spray!

We finally emerged from the forest to find this beautiful beach.

The water was nice too. The river bottom was sandy and Henry had the time of his life collecting clam shells. Meanwhile, Rosie was happy to fill her pink pail with the warm soft sand.

If you're looking for an active adventure this summer, I definitely recommend Westmeath Provincial Park. Keep in mind there are no bathrooms, lifeguards or even trash cans on site. This was a perfect outing for our family and we enjoyed having our own private beach for a day.

Ah! Summer love!

Summer Bucketlist 2016 Update:

Visit Westmeath Provincial Park. Check.

Take the kids to a chip truck. Check. We took a wrong turn on the way home, but stumbled across a cute and clean chip wagon in the middle of nowhere. Who knew getting lost could be so fun and delicious!?!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more summer adventures to organize!