Daytripping Fall 2023

Lake Huron
The
Daytripper
This entire area is fantastic and ST. JACOBS is at the heart of it.
MI
ONTARIO SHOP
NY
LOCAL
&
A Perfect Christmas Combination - See page 7
The Canadian Transportation Museum & Heritage Village wins a prize for having
the longest name of any destination in Daytripping. It’s also a pretty cool spot,
located in the countryside between Harrow, Kingsville and Essex. The museum has
many classic cars and is home to a great diner as well, but it’s the Heritage Village
that has our attention this time. The recreated 19th century village will be open on
weekends 4 pm to 9 pm from Nov. 17th to Dec. 23rd, lit up for the holidays and
featuring a Christmas Vendor Market, outdoor campfires
and s’mores, a Peppermint Forest, entertainment
and of course activities with Santa & Mrs.
Claus. Admission is by donation. There is
also a Holiday Market & Craft Show at the
museum on Dec. 2nd & 3rd. See our Events
Calendar on page 64-66 for many more
holiday events.
...but you don’t have to call me Dale. See page 26
Another landmark, this time south of Grand Bend on Hwy. #21, is Dale’s Antique
Market & Mennonite Furniture, and if you can’t find their ad on page 26 it’s because
they’ve changed the name. There are a ton of antiques to be found here, but there’s
also a great deal more than that including handmade Mennonite furniture and a lot
of very unique home accents. Owner Todd Hayter wanted to find a name that would
better refect what this destination offers now, and that is “Rustic to Refined.”
...Murals, Murals and more Murals.
We love towns that showcase their history and beautify their streets and buildings
with art, and there are some great examples in SW Ontario. The town of Essex
boasts a large number of murals and St. Thomas is going like a runaway train with
murals, street art and large steel sculptures. Petrolia has a number of new ones
and is looking to add more. We’ve had a few captivating ones in recent issues that
are by Blazeworks, a young man named Blaze Wiradharma who has an enormous
talent. Now there are new and existing murals in Clinton and Central Huron that will
apparently come to life on your smart phone (see pages 30-31). These will include
at least one mural by Allen Hilgendorf who passed away in 2013 but left a legacy
of his art on many buildings in Huron, Grey & Bruce Counties and elsewhere. Also
see page 50 for an example of how Port Stanley (among other towns) is using art to
disguise otherwise unsightly public utilities.
Rest in Peace Boomer. See page 61
Little toy trains, little toy tracks... Tom
Villeneuve, much better known as Boomer,
loved toys and became synonymous with
them over a lifetime of collecting and selling. I
interviewed him at Alice Street Antique Market
a few years ago, which is also the home of
Boomer’s Old Tin Toys. He and his wife Sheila
have welcomed countless people in over the
many years in Waterford and the shop hosts
numerous vendors, but it’s pretty hard to top
the old wind up metal gems that Boomer fell
in love with. He said it was a Marx battery
operated tin chicken that would start clucking
and scooting across the floor that first got
him hooked. Alas, we’ve never known many antique dealers to retire... it’s in
their blood. Boomer left us on Sept. 6th and there is a Celebration of Life at the
Waterford Royal Canadian Legion on Oct. 22nd. Alice Street Antiques will keep
going strong in his memory.
Speaking of Antiques. See page 68
We just want to remind you that all the antique shops in Daytripping are shown
together in one place, always on a back page and in this issue that’s page 68. We
used to have different tours showing the various shops in different regions together,
but changed it so that their large ads are placed with the towns they’re in, and all
the shops are mentioned on the back cover for your convenience. You can’t do the
whole tour in a day, or even two for that matter, but
have fun trying!
While you’re in the neighbourhood!
See page 53
Shaw’s Ice Cream, a landmark for 75 years on
Hwy. #4 between St. Thomas and Port Stanley has
a treat for serving members of the Canadian Forces
as well as us veterans. Throughout the month of
November we can stop by for a free ice cream as a
token of their appreciation. What a great idea!
Tom “Boomer” Villeneuve
Both murals by
Blaze Wiradharma
(“Blazeworks”)
Page 40
“Don’t give me a weapon to kill, but teach me how to call for peace.” -Ali Farhad Talahi
FALL/WINTER
2023-2024