Ontario Travel - Port Hope Farmers Market

Living in Toronto is great as the city offers so many cultural and entertainment opportunities. But every once in a while you just have to get out of the city and see what the countryside has to offer.

So on August 22, 2009 I embarked on a driving tour to explore the eastern shores of Lake Ontario. My first stop was in Port Hope, a quaint town about an hour east of Toronto which features Ontarios best preserved Victorian-era streetscape. Located on the Ganaraska River, Port Hope was originally settled by United Empire Loyalists in 1793 and grew steadily throughout the 1800s. Today, the town has more than 270 heritage designated buildings and some of them open their doors during the annual Port Hope Homes Tour in October of every year.

Less than 10 kilometres further east I stopped in Cobourg, another picturesque Ontario town. Also founded by United Empire Loyalists (in 1798), this town became a major local commercial centre by the 1830s and one of Ontarios most important harbours. A ferry even used to connect Cobourg with Rochester on the US side of Lake Ontario between 1905 and 1950. The most distinguished building is Victoria Hall, the heart of Cobourgs downtown heritage conservation district. Opened by the Prince of Wales in 1860, it is today the location of a concert hall and a gallery.

We also spent some time in the harbor of Cobourg which has been beautifully redesigned and is now surrounded by a large number of attractive condominium developments. Adjacent to the harbour is Victoria Park, a large public park with an extensive sandy beach. The park often hosts movie screenings, theatre performances and big band concerts.

Our drive continued eastwards past the villages of Grafton and Colborne through the softly rolling of the Apple Route. Brighton further east is the centre of the local apple-farming community and is close to the well-known Presqueile Provincial Park. We drove to the waterfront and had a nice picnic looking out over the waters of Brighton Bay. 10 minutes further east we stopped at the Harbourview Motel & Marina to have a coffee on the beautiful outdoor waterfront patio of this newly built restaurant.

Our final stop on our tour was Trenton, a town of more than 19,000 residents located on the Bay of Quinte. The town is also known as the Gateway of the Trent-Severn Waterway, a 386 km long canal system that connects Lake Ontario with Lake Huron via Georgian Bay. The system includes 44 locks, 39 swing bridges and 160 dams and water control structures. In addition to the Canadian Forces Base Trenton, tourism is a major revenue generator in the area.

On our way home we drove north of Highway 401 through the scenic landscapes of the Northumberland Hills, south of Rice Lake. This day trip will definitely inspire me to explore more country destinations in Ontario.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Canada
• Ontario
• Toronto
• Travel
• Eastern
• Lake
• Port
• Hope
• Cobourg
• Brighton
• Trenton