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Happy Monday, wonderful readers! Unfortunately we don't have an article this week either.

Which is why we rely on the efforts of dedicated writers such as yourselves! Exploring the Sound is primarily a submission-based magazine; we need your stories to survive!

Interested parties can email us at exploringthesound@gmail.com. No ideas? No problem! We have plenty of subjects for you to choose from.

We hope you're enjoying your summer!

The Best Waterfronts in Downtown Parry Sound: A Guide

Now that the longest day of the year, June 21st, is over and Parry Sound's Dragon Boat Festival has come and gone, we can officially declare that Summer is here! With the sunny season finally upon us, it's time to look at how best to spend a day off in Parry Sound and the surrounding area. We start with a guide on the best places to swim in downtown Parry Sound.

Waubuno Beach

The most popular (and safest) place to look for a swim is Waubuno Beach, affectionately dubbed "New Town Beach" by the locals. Waubuno Beach sits at the end of Prospect St., which runs off of Waubeek. Though the most common point of access is at the intersection of Seguin St. and Church St., there are more than a few ways to reach Waubuno. A quick internet search will tell you where you need to go.

Waubuno Beach comes highly reccommended for one strong reason: lifeguards. From July 1st to August 31st, the sands are supervised during daytime hours by certified life-savers. The waters are also clear and shallow - a perfect place to take the kids (or new swimmers!) for a summer dunk.

Waubuno Beach is Parry Sound's largest beach - plenty of room to lay down your towel and soak up the sun! The sand is bright and clear, and if you find yourself burning your feet, there is plenty of vibrant, green grass to retreat to. There is also ample parking space - no need to circle the lot looking for that one empty spot.

Kids and young-hearted folks alike love the playground equipment just up the hill - complete with a slide, a large swingset, and fun little games littered along the plastic structure. Would-be explorers can also venture into the rocks alongside the water. It was one of my favourite places to play as a child.

Being the most family-friendly waterfront in downtown Parry Sound, Waubuno Beach is the perfect place to take the kids for a sunny summer day.

Old Town Beach

Sister to the "New Town Beach", Old Town Beach is more of a (poorly kept) local secret. Found at the end of Waubuno St. (confusing, right?) the most common point of access is the aforementioned intersection of Seguin St. and Church St.. However, as with Waubuno, there are many ways to reach Old Town Beach! A quick internet search for directions will tell you where you need to go.

The most immediate difference between Old Town Beach and Waubuno Beach is the lifeguards - Old Town Beach is not supervised. The water is also deeper here, and there is a drop-off that might deter less experienced swimmers. Old Town Beach is for beach veterans only.

Old Town Beach is much smaller than its counterpart - maybe half the size. Parking is minimal, and sand is the only thing you'll find at this beach. To some (myself included), these differences hallmark a better beach. Because of the added risk and minimal convenience, Old Town Beach is often much emptier - less noise and bustle, and fewer screaming kids. The deeper water is also less frustrating for stronger swimmers who would like more space to dive in.

Old Town Beach is downtown Parry Sound's most adult-friendly beach - a perfect place to spend the day lounging with your friends.

The Salt Docks

Lacking sand (or anything else organic) the Salt Docks are good for one thing only: jumping. The Salt Docks have long been a favourite spot for thrill-seeking swimmers. The docks rise high above the water, providing ample space to fly through before splashing into the depths below.

However, do so at your own risk! The Salt Docks are unsupervised, and there are many ways that dock-jumping can go wrong. Between this and the deep, deep waters, The Salt Docks are for strong swimmers only. That being said, The Salt Docks are a great place to cool off and go for a swim - as long as you can handle the extra risk!

The Salt Docks lie at the end of Marion Ave., which is in the same neighbourhood as Waubuno Beach and Old Town Beach. Drivers may find a better access point at the intersection of Isabella St. and Church St., but a quick internet search will give you the best directions.

Your favourite waterfront will depend on what you want from a beach - family-friendliness, seclusion, or excitment. Please practive proper water safety, and don't attempt anything beyond your abilities. Enjoy the water!


- By Aimee Lynn Gleeson

Springtime Smelting

I know spring is on its way out the door in a weeks time, but I thought I should mention this interesting spring pass time that occupies the local persons.

Smelting. Smelt. It’s a very popular pass time in the spring 'round these parts. The Magnetawan river cuts through the northern section of the Parry Sound District. It’s a wide, winding river, fat with fish, rapids and spills wide against the locks in the town of Magnetawan.

Every year there's a large fish fry and the river banks are flush with fishermen dipping their nets in the water for large clusters of those fishy treats.

If you want something to do in the Spring with a group of friends, grab some nets and head up past Dunchurch and see how many you can catch! Evening is the best time.

I was asking around and it seems that there's a pretty basic recipe for making them. A warning: this isn't your five star French cooking.

Ingredients

Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Canola Oil

Shake and Bake fish Batter

Directions:

1. Prepare batter: Shake and Bake, garlic, salt, and pepper
2. Run fish under cold water
3. Cook fish in canola oil

For something a little fancier, but a little less local, try this one on for size:

Ingredients:

cooking oil for frying (I like to use olive oil)
1 cup matzo meal
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound smelt
2 tablespoons butter
handful fresh herbs, minced
1 clove garlic
minced fresh chili pepper (I used 1 whole chili)
salt and pepper
1 lemon, halved

Directions:

1. In a large saute pan, add oil to reach 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil until 350F or when you drop a few flakes of matzo meal into the oil it begins to bubble and lightly brown.

2. In a wide, shallow bowl, mix together the matzo meal, garlic powder and the salt. Have the matzo meal, the smelt, a wire rack on top of a baking sheet ready by your stove. Coat a smelt on both sides with the matzo meal then carefully slide into the hot oil to fry. Repeat with a few more smelt fish (just make sure you give the smelt enough room so that they don't touch in the oil). Fry both sides of the smelt fish for 2 minutes each side. They cook very quickly! Let the fried smelt drain its excess oil on the wire rack. Repeat with remaining batches.

3. Just before serving, heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and when hot, add in the garlic and chilies. When garlic becomes fragrant, season with salt and pepper and squeeze in the juice of one of the lemon halves. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh herbs. Pour this over the plated fried smelt and serve immediately with lemon wedges.



— Kelsey Ward
Second recipe: http://www.steamykitchen.com/15666-fried-smelt.html

Photo Walk: Rose Point Recreational Trail

A photo walk exploring Rose Point Recreational Trail — a staple of my childhood! Read Railway Lands to learn more about the history of this long standing trail.

A sign details the enormity of this trail.

It's very green this time of year.

One of the old railway tracks detailed in Aubrey's article.

Explore more of Rose Point Recreational Trail after the jump...

The Long Deep History of Parry Sound, Pt. 2

The Long Deep History of Parry Sound is a two-part series telling the geological history of our area.

The mountains that formed were not just in Parry Sound, but in the whole local region — thousands and thousands of square kilometers. A second story occurred in the same place, but deep in underground.

Perhaps before or during the great mountain building period, a hole formed deep in the crust and filled with liquid rock, called magma. Had it burst through to the surface, the lake of magma would have spewed hot lava as a terrific volcano; but it did not breach the surface. The mountain sized lake of magma cooled slowly beneath the ground. This deep landform is called a batholith, and it only becomes exposed when the rock covering it is worn away. Today, the quarry chips away at the deep formed granite, and chunks reside outside the Earth Sciences Centre at the University of Toronto.

Read more about Parry Sound's varied lands after the jump...

The Long Deep History of Parry Sound, Pt. 1

The Long Deep History of Parry Sound is a two-part series telling the geological history of our area.

The first white settlers came to this region in the 1850s – but history is more than just what is recorded by people. To some people, the unrecorded past can be just as interesting; but the reading of that history is often difficult as it requires special knowledge. I have a bit of the special knowledge, and so I want to tell you a bit of the hidden history of Parry Sound.

Everyone who lives around here knows that the area is old. We live in the Precambrian Shield, but for most people that is all they know. I would tell you that saying we live in the Precambrian Shield is like saying, “Parry Sound is in North America.” One hundred percent correct, but not very specific. I think that is a shame, because Parry Sound is located in a very interesting place.

Read more about Parry Sound's geological history after the jump...