Yes. I was going to make one of my many boyhood dreams come true and I was the very first one at the gates at 5:30 am.

But not for long - 2 other cars showed mere minutes later - it seems they had the same idea but it looks like I called "Shotgun !" first and that was fine by me !

Waiting and chatting up with a fisherman gent in a pickup with a canoe atop, I saw the very first hint of light off to the east through a break in the trees - a mere 50 feet from the eastern shore - surf pounding on the western shore.

He said that from the entrance of the park to the tip is about 10 kms but I would have to walk the last 3 kms since there are no vehicles allowed beyond a gated point but I could park.

And time was running out - this new twist would put a crimp on my ability to catch sunrise at the very tip of Pointe Pelee park like I had planned - I would have to settle as far down south as I could to take my first sunrise shot.

The morning's attendant showed up on the button in a speedy Mustang to let me in - first. While I quickly paused 2 other cars "sped" within the park - swallowed by darkness.

I can only say "sped" lightly since we could not go faster than 50 km/h in some areas and for good reasons - I could be hitting small animals or a dear on the way in if I wasn't careful...

After a good 10 mins driving in pitch black conditions (with high beams on and ready to slam the brakes at the first sign of trouble, I had arrived at the Shuster Trail parking lot.

I was the only visitor car on this large lot beside the interpretation centre. The Shuster trail was the only path heading east - the right direction for a sunrise.

Got my gear saddled up and made my way onto a trail comprised of Carolinian Zone thick vegetation and plenty of trees - all blocking what little first light there was. And lots of mosquitos - I just had to keep moving. I'm glad I wore jeans, shirt and another oversized collared shirt and breatheable hat but the decision was going to come back and bite me later on the morning.

For now, I was hustling along the trail and then, there it was:


The eastern beach, Lake Erie, first light and someone was kind enough to have previously arranged a bonfire from a stack of dead wood.

I had made it - What a feeling. What a shot.