A Tiny Road Trip — St Thomas to Port Stanley

August Monthly Challenge — Road Trips — A Tiny Travel Story

The definition of a road trip can be open to interpretation. A road trip involves wheels and a sense of discovery, freedom, and wonder. It doesn’t have to be a certain length of time or a quota of places, cities, towns, or attractions to check off a list. My most recent solo road trip was tiny in the distance but still involved unique and memorable moments. I saw several simple but delightful summer views, all within a short time frame led to by magically uncrowded roads. I didn’t have an extensive checklist, though I did some last-minute searches to help guide me in a loose direction.

My road trip started in St Thomas, Ontario — Railway City. I arrived in the late afternoon on a Thursday after making a spontaneous hotel booking that morning when I found a decent deal just before the weekend crowds would head into the city and the beach town nearby. This way, I had a chance for a comfortable stay at the Comfort Inn, a quick drive away from Port Stanley — and the opportunity to explore both towns and any stops in between quickly. St Thomas is an underrated city (close to London, Ontario) worth visiting for several attractions, including its railway history, Jumbo the Elephant (the star of P.T. Barnum’s Circus in the 1880s) memorial, an elevated park, antique shops, and beautiful murals. It is worth a separate article to explain these highlights in a little more detail. But for now, here are some highlights of my little road trip from St Thomas to Port Stanley, a pretty town in Elgin County, on Lake Erie.

“Sometimes the most scenic roads in life are the detours you didn’t mean to make.”

Angela N Blount

The trip between the two destinations is only about 20 minutes. But plenty of detours and distractions can veer you off in a slightly new direction. For the very early evening Thursday trip, I intended to spend a little bit of time walking around Port Stanley before nightfall. I wondered if I had enough time to make a quick stop at Railway City Brewing on my way out to the country-like road that led to the beach. A brief stop at this award-winning craft brewery was worth it. It was quiet at this location, and it matched my mood for solitude. The outdoor picnic tables were rustic and relaxing to sit at for a half hour or so as I watched a casual baseball game diagonally across the road, enjoying my refreshing brew.

A week into July, the still long nights left plenty of time to check out Port Stanley. I was getting excited to finally get there and was on my way, after picking up a few cans of different flavors to try at home, including the enticing Cherry Creamsicle. The journey was relaxing with next to no traffic to deal with and an accessible route. I noticed the eye-catching large sign for Shaw’s Ice Cream along the country highway, a place I noted I would stop at the following day as I love exploring ice cream in as many towns as possible!

Within ten minutes, I made my way to Port Stanley’s entrance and parked near the harbourside, close to Little Beach. I immediately felt the cozy and relaxed vibe of this part of Port Stanley. I walked along the street and noticed several charming shops, restaurants, and the lovely and well-located Inn on the Harbour (a place I am adding to my list of places to stay). I basked in the pleasant water views as I walked along the promenade.

The night was approaching but not just yet; the timing was perfect for my quick scouting trip into this pretty town. I was getting hungry and thrilled to see an authentic pizza shop called Papa Joe’s open and not too busy. I strolled a little longer while I waited for my pizza and then enjoyed a slice immediately (highly recommended), planning to take the rest of it to my hotel room in St Thomas. On the drive back to the hotel, I felt settled and happy about experiencing some new scenery in such a relaxed way.

The next day, I explored St Thomas and planned on going back to see the main beach at Port Stanley. This busier part of town had a different type of character too, and I imagined going back there with company next time. Last night’s experience by the harbour was ideal for a small solo escape. Other detours on this part of the road trip included:

• The Quai du Vin winery (finding out about this winery’s proximity was a nice surprise)
• The Village of Sparta (An adorable tea room restaurant and Peter Robson Art studio were highlights)
• The stop for delicious ice cream at the legendary (since 1948) Shaw’s.

The weather was cloudy but warm as I sat at a picnic table with my delicious, refreshing cone (after a photo in front of the great sign). After this, it was time to head home after my 24-hour escape.

The rest of this road trip involved returning to the moderately busy 401 highway for the additional hour-long ride home. I was grateful that this road trip only briefly involved country roads, as it was on the day of a massive cell network outage in a vast area of Ontario. Not the best timing to be on any road trip without a map!

But navigating the road for stops within a 20-minute drive of each other during daylight was something I figured I could handle, and I am glad I just relaxed and enjoyed these beautiful summer moments on my little road trip to a place I look forward to returning.

Copyright 2022 Nella DiCarlo