Often in our world of tourism weather is used as an excuse for a slow tourism year or for people staying indoors instead of venturing outside. Why is that? I admit that on some days this may be true for some – but here at EH TOURISM those are just seasons. It is a time in Canada when spring and summer activities go on the shelf and the fall and winter activities come out of the garage or vice versa. It is also the time when the weather changes. And sadly enough some people use weather as an excuse for non adventure, non activity and non socializing.
Singing in the rain.. do da da.. singing in the rain
Often, I tell myself that as locals we often look at our own country with blinders on. We look and listen for the bad and ignore the good missing the unexpected. We listen too much into what the media and others have to say about anything, let alone on what to do with our own free time. I think some people are still waiting for the media to tell them what to do with their own free time.
All weather, all seasons, all the time is the best time to explore the outdoors in a neighboring community or in your own community. Visiting a different park, trail or beach can do wonders to the Psyche. With a little preparation – a simple walk in the rain in a new environment can change attitudes. And on some days a change of attitude is very welcoming.
Wye Marsh
This brings me to an adventure I really enjoyed when I was researching in Midland, Ontario, Canada – on what most would call – not so ideal conditions. We had just finished enjoying a whole lot of warm sunshine when the clouds started to roll in and the sky started falling. It was good rain though. The off and on type rain – the soft at times sprinkle rain and the unleashed “hail of bullets” rain. It kept you guessing.
I suited up in my rain gear, packed the camera equipment and visited a marsh just outside of Midland, Ontario. I have a soft place in my heart for marshes. One is that they are home to a wide variety of wildlife and two, wetlands are important for our environment. I arrived in the parking lot and there was one car – typical on a rainy day. Still it boogles my mind as to why as a marsh is a great destination to explore in the rain.
The Wye Marsh in Midland was no exception. I had the marsh to myself. Lucky me! The marsh is a hiking, birdwatching, education centre destination in the summer and in the winter the marsh is a cross country ski destination. On site there are picnic shelters and picnic tables. Near the main entrance there is a wildflower garden and interpretation centre. Behind the entrance walls are a network of interpretive trails exploring a forest and a wetland marsh.
Wye Marsh Lookout Tower
There were numerous trails to explore. Some were forested dirt trails and others wetland boardwalk trails. There were interpretive signs and directional areas pointing me in the right direction throughout the park at every junction. My first destination was the big,long loop trail which circled the wetland following a boardwalk trail. Most of the boardwalk trail was raised above the marsh and there were some that were floating – all were zig zagging through fields of cat tails and tall grasses.
Along the boardwalk trail there were sheltered viewpoints. They came in handy when the rain kicked it up a notch or two. Besides hanging out under the shelter they were also viewpoint platforms for watching the ducks paddle around in the reeds. The shelters were also information booths. So, as the rain fell I schooled myself on the wildlife trying to match duck with information board.
Fully dry in my rain gear I proceeded, rain drops falling on my head, to explore many of the other trails on that day. I visited a lookout tower and an observation blind overlooking the wetland marsh. I came across a tipi, a bee house and a ski shelter while exploring on the forest trails. Each worth a visit indoors when raining – and yet again, we see another perk of rain – the visiting of exhibits with shelter that you might otherwise pass by on a nicer day.
The Wye Marsh in Midland provided me with a great day on a rainy day that in many households would of been a couch day. Thank you.