I would be lying if I told you we were not disappointed about our international travel plans being cancelled this spring. As, I am sure, were many of you. But the true spirit of travel never really dies. This year it has just remained closer to home. And I do mean close, as travel to the United States and even the next province over is restricted. 
In a recent conversation with close friends they told us about taking a drive from their home near Toronto to the north shore of Lake Erie in Norfolk County. They enjoyed stopping at a beach for some time in the sun, foraged at a roadside farm market and finished off their day with a wine tasting and a gourmet dinner cooked in a food truck and served on the patio of a local winery. It sounded amazing, especially when I found out that they were only a few miles from where we have our cottage.
But wait. How can they have enjoyed a true travel experience in my neighbourhood? Why haven’t I? The answer is a simple one, but an answer we have not had to face until presented with a global pandemic. Sometimes we just don’t see what is right in front of us.
My son-in-laws’ parents came to visit a year ago from the southern states. Confronted with what to do to keep them busy my daughter put together a week’s worth of daily excursions that to us seemed tame. But if you have never seen Niagara Falls or picked apples in an orchard or ridden a steam train through the countryside then they become exciting travel experiences.
So as I write this I have ventured out. I stopped at that winery, I found not just one, but dozens of road side farmer’s markets. We drove through small villages and stopped at a century old inn and store.
We are spending more time at our cottage and our family joins us regularly. Our granddaughter was introduced to fishing and loves it nearly as much as her grandfather does, even if she won’t touch them yet. We have spent time boating and barbequing and just being together.
Even though the stage is dark this year I have discovered a number of summer theaters nearby which I will most definitely support when I can. I am also surprised by how many festivals and fairs are being cancelled that I would not have paid attention to if they were on.
So despite this being one of the most disappointing travel years, it has also become one of the most inspiring. I will still look forward to the ruins of Rome, the art of Paris and the natural beauty of the Aegean Sea. But now I will also look forward to fishing in Long Point Bay, the theatre in Port Stanley and apple picking at Great Lakes Farms.