MIDLAND

The town of MIDLAND is in the Southern end of the Georgian Bay. It is the economic center of the region. 

The town has a year round population of 12,000 that swells to over 100,000 in the summer!

It was a perfect place to meet guests flying into Toronto. (An easy 1.5 hour drive.)

Looper Tio: the town dock is great ... Pay for two nights and the third night is free! MIDLAND also has wonderful restaurants and everything you need to provision.

Thistle on the town dock in MIDLAND - Red Arrow.

MIDLAND - Red Star.

MIDLAND is famous for its town murals (these are only a few of many).

There is a bike trail along the waterfront, we took nice rides every day!

On our first bike ride we saw the ancient settlement of Sainte - Marie among the Hurons. It was a French settlement near modern MIDLAND, from 1639 to 1648. It was the first European settlement in what is now Ontario. 

Martyrs' Shrine is a Roman Catholic Church on the hill above MIDLAND. It opened in 1626.

One night there was a band playing right by Thistle... Very unexpected and great music! 

The following day we rode bikes to Penetanguishene, it is another nice port in the Georgian Bay. (Just really difficult to pronounce?)

The vast Georgian Bay on Lake Huron.

We rode bikes to see the SS Keewatin in Port McNicoll. The SS Keewitan was a luxury passenger ship that carried passengers between Thunder Bay, on Lake Superior to Port McNicoll, on the  Georgian Bay. She was launched in 1907 and retired in Port NcNicoll in 1966.  

The best part of our stop in MIDLAND is that Bill & Carolyn arrived late on Thursdsy evening. The four of us enjoyed Bill's pre Birthday dinner at Explorers Cafe in MIDLAND. A great restaurant and appropriately named for our special guests :)