New Years in Sandbanks Provincial Park
There’s a lot to be said about the seismic political, (pop) cultural and historic shifts that defined last year. However, looking back on 2016, it definitely was a year where I spent an insane amount of time wandering one of Ontario’s amazing provincial parks.
Case in point: Sandbanks Provincial Park in Prince Edward County.
Not only did I get to do some beachcombing and later held my ground and camped through a severe thunder storm this summer, I was able to return in December to mark the start of a new year exploring the calm and quiet of the park in winter.
Keep in mind, the experience of Sandbanks is totally different and unique from a more remote park like Algonquin. In the summer months, the beach and dunes are front and centre, with a mix of campers and day visitors jockeying for prime beach front. It’s fair to say that early mornings may be the only time you’ll cross paths with wildlife. In the winter months, though, everything changes. So much so, that the division between the nearby rural farm land and the park begins to blur, the winds pick up this ominous and lonely howl, and the often overlooked woodlots and neglected buildings call out to share their secrets. No matter where you wander, you cannot escape the sound of the crashing waves of Lake Ontario and its hypnotic tone.
Maybe it was the dramatic and sometimes shocking news in 2016 that forced me to seek out some beach time and plenty of star gazing… or maybe not. What’s for certain is that I can’t wait to go back to Sandbanks.
Please check the full set of images posted under The Great Lakes and Sandbanks portfolios, and be sure to let me know what you think. Better yet, head over to my Society6 page to see the full collection.
Society6 Sandbanks Collection:
