I was just curious about the North Side of the Lake.

I will spare everyone the long and boring story of how I ended up swapping Banff National Park for Point Pelee National Park as an end of summer vacation destination. I will say that I have no regrets in life making some unexpected turns. The sleepy little town of Leamington was a tranquil home base and my cottage came with a park pass. I was hoping to see some monarch clusters but the warmer weather is keeping the milkweed (their main food and nesting source) blooming longer. They follow the food.

The 1km long marsh boardwalk was my absolute favorite sunrise location. When I return I hope to kayak the marsh. "The Tip Exhibit" was beautiful at sunset. All of the beaches along the western side of the park provide amazing sunset view and the evening I was at the North Shore beach a mix of swimmers, paddleboarders, and sunset gazers basked in sunset views along the calm western side. (Fun fact depending on wind direction either the east or west side beaches will be wavy while the other will generally be calm.)

I participated in a free monarch spotting hike but we only saw a total of 8 butterflies. It was good people and sunset watching for this traveler who likes to fly under the radar and become an observer. The guide was very cheerful and informative but I was very happy with the tram ride to the tip in the sunset time frame when the generally only run until 5pm. One of my favorite shots to get in parks is distant candids of people enjoying these treasured spaces. - Keli