The plan was to start with a hike at the Normandy Tract on Concession 12 Ayton, a place described as “extensive plantation and wetlands…fishing” as the start of my daytripping experience in West Grey.

Thing is, I couldn’t find it. Despite GPS and maps, I could not find a sign or even lane leading to this tract. “I’m probably stunned but honestly, where is the entrance?

“Fine”, I thought. I’ll head into Ayton to explore the river there, as part of the “nature” element of this day trip. Nope. Could not easily find access to the river there either though the view from the bridge is outstanding. The town is also super cute.

Honestly, the trip was going downhill fast (literally as these roads are hilly and gorgeous)  so I decided to abandon all my plans and head to Neustadt as the start of the West Grey day trip.

Neustadt is a delight. I stopped at the Granny's General Store and bought a pie to take home to the girls then walked across the street to It’s My Pleasure for a gourmet salted-caramel cupcake. Owner Jamie Callan says she “loves to bake” and has been offering cupcakes and other baked goods for 13 years at this location. The cupcake was cold so she encouraged me to let it sit in my warm van so the inside would be warm and creamy.

That meant I needed to eat lunch first. I could have chosen Noah’s Inn Fish and Chips and be like my father who orders fish and chips at every restaurant, unless they have crispy chicken. But I was drawn to Atelier 522 across the street where I met Elizabeth MacKenzie, an eclectic painter who grew up in Palmerston and then spent 30 years living and working as an artist in Toronto. The beauty of Grey County pulled her back to a farm property they owned nearby and she moved back and opened Atelier 522, a gift shop featuring beautiful and practical items from Europe.

“I work super hard at curating products from all over to find timeless elements for your home and to gift to others,” explained MacKenzie. You can also visit her studio at the back where it’s any guess what you’ll see as she is currently finding a “theme to explore”. On this day, there was a lady in a kimono with flowers for her head, a beautiful painting of a dead bird amongst flowers, a pair of boobies on a nude and more florals. “I'm at a bit of a crossroads,” she laughs. I loved the colours, the freedom and the beauty of her paintings…she may be trying to find her new muse but what fun she’s having along the way.

Up the street, I stopped to taste test four little beers while enjoying the Mush Lush (mushrooms, garlic, parmesan, yum) at Neustadt Springs Brewery.  I had a great chat with two teachers beside me on the patio who inspired me to attend more theatre plays as a method to teach my children about culture and history and be inspired by references to things unknown. Very enjoyable, all of it.

I was served by Wesley Weber, son of the owners, Mike and Anita Weber. This is a family business with a huge history as stated on the website: 

The history of our brewery began in the year of 1857, when Henry Huether came from Germany to the town of Neustadt, Ontario. He founded the Crystal Springs Brewery in 1859 which was built over a natural spring.  In the early 1860s, a fire destroyed much of the wooden structure. Forty stone masons were then brought over from Germany to rebuild the brewery. Local fieldstone was brought in by farmers in exchange for beer. By 1869 it was ready to begin brewing again.

For 57 years, the brewery continued serving local needs. Villagers skimmed yeast from the vats for their baking and malt residue was used by farmers to feed their cattle. This spirit of sustainability lives on today, as our used malt is reused by local farmers to feed their cattle.

You can also book tours of this historic building.

After lunch, I took a quick drive to see the house where John Diefenbaker, the 13th prime minister of Canada, was born. It’s a private residence now and you can’t tour it but hey, still good to pull in some history on a day trip.

I still hadn’t seen much water or rocks (something Grey is famous for) so I headed to McGowan Falls in Durham. If you want waterfalls, you have numerous options including Hogg’s Falls, Inglis Falls and Eugenie Falls, all of which I’ve visited at other times. Check out Grey County Waterfall Tour online for a comprehensive list. Today, I wanted to keep my driving time to under two hours so I went to McGowan. 

To get there I travelled on Concession Road 16 and as I was driving, I thought there seemed to be an unusually high number of scenic barns. So I doubled back and ended up taking over a dozen landscapes featuring cool barns just on this short stretch of road. Worth the drive, I say. Some had beef cattle, others were old and falling apart, some restored and some framed by farm machinery. 

As luck would have it, the road was closed heading to Durham so I had to take a detour on Concession Road 2 sideroad which took me to the Allan Park Conservation Area. Beautiful! This placid lake had three families fishing and one couple, Bill and Christine Bester of Kitchener, had caught four trout! Rainbow, speckled or brown trout? They said rainbow but I’m not sure. This pond is stocked by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and admission is free, though you do need a fishing license of course.

I didn’t walk far as the deer-flies were frightful, to be honest. But this is a park I will revisit with my fishing pole and a can of serious bug spray.

On the road again, I picked up a $10 bouquet from one of many roadside stands I saw along the way. This bouquet was from the farm of Ken Martin, an Ontario Dairy Goat member and it was stunning. Thank you!

Finally, I made it to McGowan Falls in Durham. This dam offers a view of powerfully streaming water, forest, cool rock formations and natural beauty. Here I sat for a while, reflecting on the day. Enjoying the scenery. Admiring the beauty of West Grey and thinking, “there are worse jobs in the world” as I ended this daytripping tour for The Rural Voice. ◊