Fairfield Museum & Tecumseh Monument Trail, Between Thamesville and Bothwell ON

      

         While figuring out where we should enjoy our family hike today I came across one named “Fairfield Museum and Tecumseh Monument Trail”.  As I read that this trail is the only part of the Trans Canada Trail that is directly connected to the War of 1812 I knew it would be a great day to explore this hidden gem.

         

         I will be the first to admit that both my husband and I are history ‘geeks’. We both got our B.Ed in History and well, we have a cat named Napoleon, another named Trudeau, and our dog is named Mackenzie (after Mackenzie-King). I would be lying if I told you our three year old didn’t know who some of the Prime Ministers are and where they are from. We just love history and are only too happy to have it go on to the next generation.  

  
        The history of Chatham-Kent is something that I am getting more and more interested in. My interest started when I learned some surprising historical facts about Chatham while I was in school that other friends from here also did not know about. The most shocking part to me was that it was not while I lived in Chatham-Kent when I learned these facts, but was at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo during a Canadian history course. I felt cheated out of not knowing our own history at home, so since that moment I have tried to pay more attention to our local history.  

        This segment of the Trans Canada Trail is on Longwoods Road between Thamesville and Bothwell. The trailhead is at the Fairfield Museum. I will also admit that we may have driven by the trailhead four and a half times. To the man that was working at the museum I am sure we amused and confused you. While the museum is very nicely located on the Thames River, and there are plaques and signs all around we finally realized that you aren’t able to see the trailhead until you actually get out of the car, thus our drive by’s.

 

       There is plenty of parking here and as we packed our boys in the wagon we were off! Before you get to the start of the trail you are welcomed with a replicated house of the 1812 era and told of the settlement of Fairfield that lived on this land. There were even markers in the ground with names on them which showed where the residents specifically had a house before it was burned down by the Americans during the War of 1812. I thought this part was so neat. Such a way to personalize history and become suddenly attached to a person you never knew existed until that moment.  As we headed to start the actual trail we came to the quick realization that this trail is not at all wagon appropriate. It is barely walking appropriate, but we decided to give it a go with each of us carrying a boy. 

        While it goes down into a heavily treed area along the river the steps are rather dangerous as the wood is falling apart. The trail itself had beautiful views of the river. The sun highlighted the beauty all around us as it shone through the greenery of trees, and flowers. However, it also highlighted the fact that this trail had not been cleared in a very long time.  There were branches, and tree trunks we had to try and move around as well as just the usual tall plants and sticks in the midst of the trail. Now, this wouldn’t be so much a problem if we didn’t have the boys with us, but as we did it made it very hard to walk through.

  

What blocked our path

       We didn’t get too far in (maybe 10 minutes or so) the trail as it was blocked off by a giant tree that had fallen over and there was no way we would be able to go around it, especially with the boys. 

      The three year old was quite happy to turn back around on the trail as it meant we got to go by his favourite part- the mud patches. Now these mud patches are by no means the trails fault just the beauty of nature and how it has a great way to make people laugh. My boys thought it was hilarious to see their Dad stuck in the mud. Not just a bit stuck, but a good few inches deep stuck. I was no help as I held the one year old while holding back my laughter while watching my husband holding the three year old trying his best to get unstuck. I am sure the fact I stopped to take a picture instead of stopping to help only highlights how supportive of a wife I can be at times like these.

            On our way back up to where we left the wagon we braved the wooden stairs once again and headed to the car. Once again I would like to say to the gentleman working at the museum that we did notice that you opened the museum and we would have loved to go inside however, we were covered with mud and figured you would not want to clean up after us- sorry, definitely another time though!

        As we headed back towards Thamesville we stopped at the Tecumseh Monument. There is no actual nature trail here but I would highly recommend it to travellers passing by that need to stretch their legs, or that have a few extra minutes they can add on to their drive.  Here you can either stay in your car and drive down a dead end road while reading the many beautiful new signs about the history of the War of 1812 in the area, or better yet, you can get out and walk and read them. There is plenty of space for kids or pets to run and for a picnic. Much like the Fairfield Museum Trail it is a beautiful location just full of history.

       I suppose this is where my dilemma is. For such a trail at Fairfield Museum that is in not only a historical location but a beautiful one I was so very disappointed in the trail itself. I am so glad we came and saw the grounds at Fairfeild and highly recommend to everyone to take a few minutes to look around at the history that surrounds us. But at the same time, I am so saddened that what could be a spectacular nature trail is not kept up and looked after. I could honestly say this spot would be an easy favourite of mine if the time and money would be able to go into it that it needs. Perhaps there is a plan to upgrade it that I am unaware of but with so much emphasis at the moment in Chatham-Kent about the anniversary of the War of 1812, I just can’t understand why this trail is in the condition it is in. We should be promoting it as the only direct connection to 1812 battles along the Trans Canada Trail so everyone can walk in the same paths as those that lived and fought there 200 years ago. I’m sure even 200 years ago they had to carry their kids in the mud.

Mitchell's Bay Lake Shore Trail, Mitchell's Bay, ON

Bikes- check. Helmets- check. Snacks for boys so they will want to stay in bike trailer- check. Stretching before exercise- as long as trying to pack the bikes into the van counted, check. Stock up on water intake (coffee counts as water intake right?)- check. We were finally ready to hit up the newly officially opened Mitchell’s Bay Lakeshore Trail.

          The original plan was to go in the early morning when it would be cooler outside, but, as most of the parents out there know, there is no such thing as a ‘plan’.  You have to just go by the ‘we will go with the plan that happens as it happens plan’. Needless to say we got there at 10:30am.  With the temperature at 30˚C, that was definitely not part of the original plan but luckily there was a great breeze coming off of the lake so it didn’t feel too warm. We parked in the parking lot off of Park Street in Mitchell’s Bay.  There is a lot of parking there and a lot of room to set up if needed. We spent a good time there trying to organize getting our boys in the bike trailer with their little helmet heads clunking against each other as comfortable as possible, while chatting to another couple with two children about how much effort it takes to get ready to go somewhere compared to actually doing something.

      

       I knew that this trail allowed bikers but as we approached the opening of the trail I was a bit hesitant if it would actually be possible with the trailer. I was amazed at how many people were out and walking on the trail. I kind of figured that since the “official opening” for the trail was Saturday that it would have little or no interest on a Monday, I was wrong, there was definitely a lot of interest still. Then came the next worry- will I be a bother on a bike when everyone else is walking? The answer was a surprising no. The trail is long enough and wide enough and there are enough places to stop along the way that it didn’t seem as though everyone was walking (or biking) together at the same pace. I am sure some people were relieved that we could bike past them while both boys vocalized their unhappiness with the fact that they were strapped in the bike trailer. This trail is packed with many things to look at. There are benches throughout, beautiful wood carvings, signs placed in different areas about the types of nature that you may be able to spot and some great viewing spots. If I had known there was so much to look at, I probably would have not brought the bikes. However, for a not very experienced biker it was a welcome excuse to stop to look at all of the nature points…not that I needed a break because I was sweaty and my legs ached…no definitely just had to look at a possible bird or turtle or even a frog.

         There is one point of the trail that has a bit of green space with picnic tables and then a boardwalk out onto the water. You get a view of marshes and the lake and a lot of greenery. It was a great place to let the boys out to run and take a look at what Mitchell’s Bay had to offer. The water was extremely clear so the boys were able to watch small fish and big fish swim around close by as swans swam in the distance. We took some time to admire the wood carvings and the amount of time it must have taken to do them. Make sure you take a good look at all of the detail and hidden animals in them.  They are just amazing.

          

          While Mitchell’s Bay Lakeshore Trail is a great place to jog, walk, walk a dog or even bike, I would suggest doing something where you can slow down and just check everything out and chat to everyone else on the trail. I don’t think we passed one person that didn’t smile and say hi to us. One lady even offered to take a family picture of us in all of our sweaty glory that we took her up on as we don’t get many family shots. I will probably be back soon just to fulfill the stay-at-home mom need of “I need to talk to another adult or I will go crazy” moments.

  
         As I was walking the trail, I was reminded of the Erieau Marsh Trail since again all of the nature seemed to be just on one side of the trail. The other side was once again farm fields. At the same time I was trying to get my bike going in hopes of calming the boys after a small battle while trying to get them back into the bike trailer so we could go to the car, I noticed a sign.  It mentioned something along the lines of ‘where nature meets agriculture’. I am not sure if that is a direct quote as I was just hoping  my boys wouldn’t start yelling until after we bypassed a few more people, but it really struck a chord with me. The idea of nature meeting agriculture is something I have noticed now at a few of the trails, and it hit me that these two things are a large part of what assembles Chatham-Kent into who we are as a municipality. It is something we should embrace. Perhaps I won’t look too harshly at fields the next trail I go on where I see a lot of farm land.
     
      I really did love this trail. I was actually disappointed when we came to the end of it, but maybe it is a good thing it leaves you wanting more. Not only did it give me a chance to learn about the different parts of nature in the Mitchell’s Bay area, but it also taught me that bike riding is not my sport anymore, especially with sweaty kids who like to run who are confined in close quarters in the bike trailer. I will definitely be back again very soon… but maybe not on bike.

Crothers Conservation Area, Wallaceburg, ON

        Today we took an early morning walk at Crothers Conservation Area. I have been to this area before to set off in a canoe, but other than that I have never really taken the time to explore what this area has to offer. Crothers Conservation Area is located just on the outskirts of Wallaceburg, specifically on Mount Pleasant Street (I guess the conservation area makes it extra pleasant). I was happy to see there was a very large parking area- please remember this if you need to think of somewhere to host a family reunion! The path itself starts next to the river, remember this also so you don’t park on the opposite side of the parking lot as me and my dad (who I was meeting there) did.

       This was another walk with my boys in the wagon. I was pretty happy I had the wagon again today as the path is pebble-based so the wagon handled pretty well on it. It didn’t really matter though since as soon as we got onto the actual path both boys wanted out right away as there was a river, and things had to be thrown into this river! There is a nice little dock as I mentioned earlier for a canoe or kayak or small boat to be boarded on. I have been on it a couple of times and always felt very safe and secure. This feeling has since changed while holding a 1 year old wanting down and having a 3 year old wanting to go up and down the dock to find new stones or sticks to throw into the water. Needless to say we didn’t stay on the dock for long.

       Back on the pathway it was a nice walk. There was the river on one side sparkling as the sun shined on it, and grass and trees on the other side. Birds flew around chasing each other while squirrels ran around the park. The three year old pointed out the current direction in the water (Successful science lesson from Mudd Creek Loop!) as the one year old picked up handfuls of pebbles and ran to chase down my dad who was pulling the wagon, so he could throw the stones in it.

       This area has tonnes of running room and I personally am a fan of the fact that there is enough distance between the path and the water for me to quickly re-direct a kid before they get too close (or in) the river. I came to the realization today that walking with two kids out of a wagon or stroller is getting more difficult as one is like me and likes to keep moving while the other one would be happy just to stay in one area and really soak everything in.  Sometimes I feel like a crossing guard with an imaginary stop sign pointing at one kid while giving the other the pointed finger of “come this way now” then blowing a whistle and giving the go ahead to the other.  There are quite a few benches along this path way which are also a good spot for Grandad to sit with his grandson while I try to persuade the other one to stop throwing stuff into the water so we can continue our walk.

        As a family that usually brings picnics it was also nice to see that there was a covered picnic area as well as just a lot of green space and big trees for shade for any future picnics. There is 26 acres of this conservation area, so that leads to a lot of picnic areas!

       While the grass and tree side of the path is full of great shade areas. Sadly the path itself has no shade. So when you do come to visit make sure you bring sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses. The path also tricked us a bit. When we parked on the other side of the parking lot we thought we would end up near our cars (and some play equipment for the boys to play with at the end of the walk) however, the path apparently does not loop around. It seemed to just go from one side of the conservation area to the other. This wouldn’t be a big deal if you were walking on your own or with bigger kids as you can just walk on the grass to loop yourself around. But, with a big wagon with reluctant kids thrown back into it kicking each other, and you yourself feeling sweaty as you question your choice of a long-sleeved shirt and pants on a hot day, it just doesn’t seem practical or worth it, so we turned back around. 

        We didn’t see much wildlife as we have on our other walks but we did see a crane high at the top of a tree, which I didn’t even know that was possible, so that was neat. There was also a lot of people out and about jogging, walking their dog, or just going out for a walk. It is always great to see people taking advantage of the many trails that Chatham-Kent has to offer.

        I didn’t have the three year old make a prediction list today but instead asked him his favourite and least favourite thing about today’s walk. Here they are:

Favourite: “I liked throwing stuff in the river” (I hope you aren’t surprised by this answer by now)

Least Favourite: “I didn’t like going down the hill in the wagon” (So if your child is not a thrill-seeker like my oldest is, please refrain from doing a little run while going down a bit of a hill while they are in the wagon- apparently it is not any fun and slightly terrifying)

       I wouldn’t say Crothers Conservation Area is perfect, but it is definitely a great spot to check out if you are in Wallaceburg, especially if you are in a small water craft, wanting a picnic place to meet with friends and family, or to just go for a little walk and enjoy the view along the way.

Mudd Creek Loop, Chatham, ON

      We had a great weekend up at my oldest brother’s cottage in Michigan. I was really hoping to be able to do a travel trail but unfortunately the weather got in the way. It was pretty cold and raining (or hailing) most of the time. Being back and [mostly] unpacked I thought it might be a good idea to go explore a local trail today with the boys. It was very cold still but at least the sun was out, that was a good sign. As the boys (and myself) were still recovering from our busy weekend I thought it best to stay somewhat close by so nap times wouldn’t be disturbed too much.

     Mudd Creek Loop was our destination. This is a place I have walked many, many, times. In fact, if you asked me before I started this blog I would have told you it was the only place in Chatham to go for a nature walk. It is 3.15 km total but you can break it up in many different ways which is one of the great things about this place.  While there is a parking lot at Mudd Creek, today, I parked on the end of a road on the opposite side of the park. My reason was so I could bypass the play equipment at the parking lot. I know that sounds mean, but I did want to walk, and if we went to a park first we wouldn’t have left it at all.

      This trail as I mentioned before is a beautiful trail that is looped around a creek. There is a lot of green space, trees and benches. This is usually the go-to picnic area for our house for those reasons. To be honest, the Mudd Creek Loop is also a great balance of running space for the kids, and being able to look at all the beautiful backyards that back onto the greenbelt for the adults that like to look at landscaping.  The pathways are paved so it is a great path for bikes, strollers, and dog walking.

    
       Even though today was a cold day it at least looked like and sounded like spring. The flowers were out, trees were green or full of flowers, birds sang throughout our walk and ducks and geese laid by the water.  The three year old had a blast running up and down and around the path and all the green areas while the one year old happily ate Timbits while in the stroller (I am starting to really notice a trend of one kid liking our ‘hikes’ a lot more than the other).

       Now, maybe I can’t control the teacher inside of me, but I have a blast introducing my boys to new ideas and understandings with how this wonderful world works. Today’s lesson was about water currents. The oldest can’t resist a stick that is near the water. Sorry stick, but you will be thrown into whatever water can be found. As there was a good breeze today every stick that was thrown would quickly float away. I kept asking my little guy to throw the sticks so they would float the opposite way. Now perhaps comes the mean person inside of me, but I found his frustrations hilarious. It didn’t take too long before he realized there was no use, the sticks would always float the same way. So today’s walk also introduced a great science experiment for a three year old on water currents, one that he will probably pay more attention to with all future sticks that get thrown into water. 

Canadian Goose

      We did get to see some wildlife today as well. There were many ducks and Canadian Geese about. There was also a turtle for a small glimpse trying to catch some sun on a rock. However, we did not see any whales which was something my three year old was hoping to see (I guess that leaves us for another science lesson of creeks vs. oceans)

       We ended up walking for one and a half hours and only covered about half of the loop. I am sure it wouldn’t take many people that long, but when you have one child crying because his Timbits are done and another one constantly going into ‘vehicle mode’ (sometimes the oldest realizes that he is actually “Awesome-us Prime” which requires him to make the “Transformers” sound, then lays down on the pathways and army crawls) you don’t walk too quickly.

       The Mudd Creek Loop is a great place for a little escape while still being in town. You can go for a picnic, bike ride, a stroller walk or dog walk, or even for science lessons. I know it is somewhere I will continue to going with these boys. I am glad it is so close. 

Prediction List for today's walk