Wingham
Start your day off in Wingham, the home of Canadian short story writer (and Noble Prize in Literature winner!) by swinging by Buck and Jo’s for a morning pick-me-up – a steaming cup of coffee and a hearty western omelet. As you meander throughout Wingham’s downtown core, drop into Lone Wolf Antiques to find a piece of Huron County home with you, The Gift Chest for a book or toy for a little one in your life, or House of Bloom for a seasonal floral arrangement.
Once at the North Huron Museum pick up a copy of the “Self-Guided Tour of Points of Interest in the Town of Wingham Relating to Alice Munro”, to use in the latter part of your journey. Beyond Alice, at the museum you will also learn the history of the local Wingham police force, the development of one of Canada’s smallest radio and television stations and about those who left the area to fight in World War I. Once done at the museum, visit the next door Alice Munro Literary Garden. Stroll through the garden, taking in the beauty of not only the well-maintained flowers and plants, but some of her most well-known book titles along the pathway. For library lovers, cross the street and visit the Alice Munro Public Library (formerly the Wingham Library).
Once your hunger for all things Alice Munro-related has been satiated, it’s time to focus on your stomach. For those looking for a little snack to grab and go, drop by Homegrown Food Basket for some of their delectable baked goods from Anna Mae’s, some Mapleton’s Organic Ice Cream, or some cheese curds from Millbank Cheese & Butter, or to Pandora’s Pantry Natural Food Store for one of their dozens of healthy and organic bagged and boxed options! For those looking for heartier and hotter options, pop on over to Frosty Queen & Frosty’s Pita Place for one of their grilled meat pitas, burgers, or pizza rolls or to Riverview Drive In Restaurant for their Reuben sandwich, fish burger or their battered mushrooms! Enjoyed some of the flavours of Wingham so much so that you’d like to take some home with you? Head over to Annette’s Treasures Galore/ A Touch of Dutch for some frozen soup, sausage, or wedge of cheese!
If after all of that food you are finding that your pants are a bit snugger than when you first stepped foot into Wingham, drop into Chameleons of Wingham Fashion Boutique for a stretchy pair of jeans, Christine’s Clothes Closet for an all-season flowy dress, or The Workshop for a casual pair of pants that are still professional enough for work! Since you already started to deck yourself out, you might as well finish off your newfound fashion, by heading over to The 2 Step and picking yourself out a new pair of shoes or boots!
Before you head out on your last leg of your journey, hop into the car and head to the north end of town, swinging by Sweets N’ Treats to pick up some of their favourite fudge, chocolate covered licorice, or gelato or the Wingham Sales Arena, to find the best deals on home essentials and odds and ends. Once you are loaded up on enough treats to last you long after your visit to Wingham, hop back in the car and head off to The Book Barn on 86 – a restored 19th century barn that is brimming with over 35,000 used, out of print and antiquarian titles. Once you have taken in as many titles as you thought ever possible, wrap up your Wingham experience by taking a short hike through the Wawanosh Park Conservation Area!
