The next destination on our tour of beautiful and note-worthy communities on Georgian Bay is the city of Owen Sound, which is found at the mouths of the Sydenham and Pottawatomi Rivers on Southern Georgian Bay. Owen Sound’s rich rail and shipping history, as well as its natural beauty draw many visitors throughout the seasons. Our visit was highlighted by amazingly welcoming locals who were invariably willing to engage us, providing information or recommendations of what to do and see in this city. Of special note, is the city’s amazing arts culture as a hub for authors, artists, musicians and makers. Owen Sound is truly one of Georgian Bay’s centres for creative expression! Join us as we spend two days in this serene and beautiful city. With all that Owen Sound has to offer, we know that we have just scratched the surface. We are sure that this will be the first of many such visits. Day 1: See, Shop, Eat! As we had planned to finish our day at the Tom Thompson Art Gallery, we parked across the road from the gallery, in front of a peaceful park that lines the Sydenham River. Before making our way across the 8th Street Bridge, we passed the Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library website (824, 1st Avenue West; 519.376.6623). This Carnegie Building, with its vaulted ceiling, is a registered, heritage building. Our first stop was the Owen Sound Farmer’s Market www.owensoundfarmersmarket.ca (88, 8th Street East; 519.371.3433). This Market is one of the oldest in Ontario and is housed in a beautiful, period, red brick building and features locally grown produce, baked goods, meat & dairy and a wide assortment of art and craft items. They also have venues for great snacks. We passed the Owen Sound City Hall www.owensound.ca (808, 2nd Avenue east) on our way to The Ginger Press & Coffee Bar www.gingerpress.com (848, 2nd Avenue East; 519.376.4233). We had been greatly looking forward to visiting The Ginger Press, as we had featured them previously and had ordered many books written by local authors, from their amazing selection. Although we love their user-friendly and informative website, there is nothing better than searching through their many collections and discovering new authors. The café is a welcoming stop for coffee and a chat. A highlight of our day, was our visit to the Artist’s Coop www.artistscoop.ca (942, 2nd Avenue East; 519.371.0479), which was founded in 1994, by area artists, who wanted a space to exhibit and sell their works. It has become a hub, not just for sale of artwork, but also for the promotion and education of the local arts community. In 2016, the Artist’s Coop, relocated to the historic McKay Building, with its polished hardwood floors and high tin ceilings, which lend a wonderful backdrop to the myriad of original and handcrafted works of art. As we toured their lovely main street, we also passed by many interesting shops and restaurants, that we took note of for a future visit. These included Foto Art www.fotoart.ca (842, 2nd Avenue East; 519.376.4592), which houses a wonderful collection of vintage cameras, Phoenix Books (980, 2nd Avenue East; 519.371.1228), a decades old, well stocked, used books store, Rocking Horse Toy Shop www.therockinghorseos.ca (856, 2nd Avenue East; 519.371.9921), Riverside Yarn www.riversideyarns.ca (928, 2nd Avenue East; 519.371.4311) and the Palette Café www.gbayarts.ca (938, 2nd Avenue East; 519.371.2200), which is located in the Georgian Bay Centre for the Arts www.gbayarts.ca (938, 2nd Avenue East; 519.371.2200). This 6,500 square feet space offers art education and open studios. As we made our way to our chosen lunch spot, we were drawn by the front windows of Intersections Wood Collaborative Gallery & Studio www.intersectionsstudio.com (299, 10th Street East), with their eye-catching displays of woodwork, created by local woodworkers. We were kindly invited inside where we were told how the collaborative was created and its mission to provide educational workshops and woodworking projects for beginners and experts, alike. When we visited, we were introduced to a very friendly and engaging group, who had created canoe paddles which they were painting with their own unique designs. Upcoming workshops include, wood turning, making wooden boxes and creating wooden jewelry. By this time, we were ready to grab a bite for lunch for which we had already chosen a Mexican restaurant called Casero Kitchen Table www.caserofood.ca (946, 3rd Avenue East; 519.416.8226). We immediately loved the cool vibe of this restaurant. As it was a beautiful day, the front door was open to an outdoor patio and interior was decorated with a mixture of bright, sunny colours with a retro feeling. From the warm staff, we ordered a selection of tacos, which were freshly made, beautifully presented and flavourful. We ordered the “Sneaky Cauliflower Tacos”, “Beetroot Tacos” and the “Shrimp Tacos” which were delicious! A thirst-quenching grapefruit, tequila based cocktail called a “Paloma”, was the perfect choice. Even if we had just eaten an amazing meal, we couldn’t help but stop at The Milk Maid www.themilkmaidcheese.com (947, 2nd Avenue East), to check out their broad selection of cheeses and cured meats. We purchased a variety of gourmet pantry items like crackers, pate and other cheese accompaniments. This shop is not to be missed and their knowledgeable staff make choosing easy. As we walked back to 2nd Avenue, we passed the Heartwood Concert Hall www.heartwoodhall.ca (939, 2nd Avenue East; 519.470.2500), an iconic concert hall and event space, which features live music from a wide variety of genres. We all love playing board games so we couldn’t resist dropping by The Scenic City Game Emporium www.sceniccitygameemporium.com (807, 2nd Avenue East; 519.416.1230). This shop didn’t disappoint with its’ range of classic and new boardgames. They also offer workshops and a very informative website and events calendar. We also dropped by Heartwood Home www.heartwoodhome.ca (939, 2nd Avenue East; 519.470.2500), a beautifully curated and welcoming antique shop, filled with a variety of antique and vintage furniture, décor, kitchen items and works by local artists. A few other worth-while stops include, Sour Cat Records www.sourcatrecords.com (279, 9th Street East; 519.416.3100), which is the perfect place to find well-curated vinyl LP’s, new or old, or to upgrade your audio system and Sugar Dust Baking www.sugardustbaking.ca (271, 9th Street East; 226.664.3878), owned by a mother and daughter create beautifully decorated and appetizing sweet treats, made from scratch. No visit to Owen Sound would be complete without a visit to the Tom Tomson Art Gallery www.owensound.ca (840, 1st Avenue West; 519-376-1932) which celebrates the life and works of this famous, enigmatic Group of Seven painter. The art gallery has a room dedicated to paintings by Tom Thomson and a fascinating display of his personal articles. In addition, the gallery also has a series of exhibit halls with works by renowned artists. At the time of our visit, these included Rae Johnson: Excuse While I Touch The Sky and Sorouja Moll: 365 Days. From July to mid October, you can view exhibits by John Sasaki and Tom Tomson: The Art of Authentication. To cap off the day, we strolled along the Sydenham River, to the Owen Sound waterfront on Georgian Bay, where we stopped by the Marine-Rail Museum www.museumsontario.ca (1155, 1st Avenue West), which celebrates Owen Sound’s history as a thriving port and its’ days of “sail and steam”. We had a predinner drink at the outdoor patio of Mudtown Station Restaurant & Brewery www.mudtownstation.ca (1198, 1st Avenue East; 519-371-3575), which offers a delicious selection of craft beer, housed in a 1946 CPR station. We then made our way, to enjoy a delicious Japanese meal from Yummy Yummy-Japanese and Thai Cuisine www.order.mrsdigi.com (251, 10th Street East; 519.370.2212). It was the perfect day! Day 2: Discover, Hike, Wine! The next morning, we had a quick coffee and purchased a selection of tempting pastries from Birgit’s Bakery Café & Patisserie www.birgitsbakerycafe.com (948, 2nd Avenue East; 519.370.2233), which we enjoyed on their street front patio, while watching the downtown come alive. Another option would be the European Bakery Café www.theeuropeanbakery.com (806, 16th Street East; 519.371.1260). Although we didn’t have time for a meal, we would certainly recommend a stop at Elsie’s Diner www.elsiesdiner.com (104 Shane Street), with its’ 1950’s décor, friendly service and classic diner menu. Then, we were off to visit Billy Bishop’s Home & Museum www.billybishopmuseum.org (948, 3rd Avenue West; 519.371.0031). This Queen Anne style, Victorian home, built in 1884, was the birthplace and home of Air Marshal William Avery “Billy” Bishop. Billy Bishop is Canada’s most celebrated World War 1 flying ace, with 72 victories to his credit. When you step through the doors, of this gracious home, you are immediately transported to a bygone era. In addition to period artifacts, the museum also offers exhibits which honour our Canadian military. We then travelled to the Grey Roots Museum & Archives and Moreston Heritage Village www.greyroots.com (102599 Grey Road 18, RR4, Owen Sound; 519.376.3690). Both of these sites offer insight into the history of Grey County. It was very interesting to walk through the collection of log cabins and homes from the 1850’s to the 1920’s and to take in their demonstrations. The historical interpreter at the Bluewater Garage really made this time period come to life. By word of mouth, we heard about the Morland Place (102645 Grey Road 18, Owen Sound) where we were kindly allowed to visit the striking gardens that surround Morland Hall. It has been the site of many special events and movies. A short drive away, is Inglis Falls Conservation Area www.greysauble.on.ca (237785 Inglis Falls Road, Georgian Bluffs), which is a 200 hectare area that features Inglis Falls, an 18 metre high waterfall, which cascades from the Niagara Escarpment. In addition to these breathtaking falls and surrounding forest, there are over 7.4 kilometres of trails that give access to the Bruce Trail and also include Weavers Creek Falls and Jones Falls. To celebrate an amazing weekend, we treated ourselves to a wine tasting and charcuterie board at the scenic and highly respected Coffin Ridge Boutique Winery www.coffinridge.ca (599448, 2nd Concession North, RR#1, Annan; 519-371-9565), which is located about 15 minutes east of Owen Sound. The beauty of the winery surroundings is matched by the quality of the wineries’ fine assortment of sparkling, red and white still wines and range of ciders. ........................................................................................................................................................................................... Grape Harvest Flatbread This delicious, easy to make and versatile recipe is perfect to enjoy with family and friends and a great accompaniment to a local Georgian Bay wine! The dough makes 5 medium sized flatbreads. Feel free to use the following pizza dough recipe, a store purchased dough or your own favourite pizza dough recipe! Ingredients For the Flatbread • 570 grams of white flour • 14 grams salt • 3.1 grams instant yeast • 375 grams warm water Toppings Choose your favourites (mix & match!) • 2-4 cups Grapes (Depending on how many flatbreads you want to create.) - A variety of deep purple, dark blue or almost black, seedless concord grapes; green Niagara seedless green or red grapes would work as well. • 300 grams of Halloumi Cheese, Goat Cheese or Smoked Gouda, grated • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped • 1-2 thinly sliced medium yellow onions, 1 red onion or 5-6 shallots (depending on size), caramelized (cooked slowly, in a few teaspoons of olive oil and butter, kosher salt for about 20-30 min; you may finish off with a splash of balsamic vinegar) or raw • 1 cup Roasted walnuts, chopped (optional) • Garnish to finish- Choose your favourites- flat leaf parsley, chopped; pine nuts, toasted; pickled red onion ; salt & pepper • ½ to 1 tablespoon olive oil per flatbread to drizzle on top when ready to serve. Directions:
1. In a large bowl, whisk flour, salt and instant yeast. Slowly add warm water and stir until a dough forms. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place dough into an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl and let dough rise, for about an hour, in a draft free spot. 2. When the dough has doubled, divide dough into 5 balls at about 200 grams weight each. 3. Flatbreads may be done in a pizza oven, regular oven on pizza stone or on the BBQ. If using your oven, preheat to 450 degrees. Place the pizza stone in oven for about 30 minutes. 4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Press and stretch dough into large circles or long oval shapes, then transfer to a lightly floured pizza peel. 5. Press grapes into the dough and top with ½ teaspoon of fresh rosemary and your other chosen ingredients…. Cheese, onions, and/or walnuts. 6. Slide flatbread into the pizza oven, BBQ or onto an oven rack or a pizza stone. Bake until crust is golden and grapes have started to release some of their juices. The time will depend on the method you choose to bake your flatbreads. 7. Remove from heat source and top with your choice of garnishes; chopped flat leaf parsley, toasted pine nuts, pickled onions (optional), a grind of pepper and a sprinkle of salt. 8. Drizzle with ½ - 1 tablespoon of good quality olive oil. Serve warm.
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