Detourist Guide Blog

Gallery: Credit River Valley

Detourist Guide — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 01:51:40 +0000

Cheltenham Badlands - Cheltenham, ON

Downey's Farm Pumpkin Patch - Campbell's Cross, ON

Airport Road at Dusk - Mono Mills, ON

Hockley Valley - Hockley, ON

Red Maple - Alton, ON

A potter's workshop - Alton, ON

Alton Arts Centre - Alton, ON

Mill pond waterfall - Alton, ON

Alton Art Centre - Alton, ON

Mill ruin waterfalls, Credit River - Cataract, ON

Devil's Pulpit/Bruce Trail - Belfountain, ON

Cheltenham Brickworks Ruins - Cheltenham, ON

Autumn Colours: Running Ontario’s Credit River Valley

Detourist Guide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:50:51 +0000

With Fall Colours in the Greater Toronto Area likely amping up to full volume this weekend, it will be a great opportunity to take a break from the inanimate grey surroundings of our cities and investigate Mother Nature’s brilliance. Shooting through the rolling hills of the Credit River valley, here are three route suggestions presenting the best of the season, combining sinuous drives, scenic hiking, spectacular art and not to mention a bevy of markets, dining and shopping options. The day trips will leave your mind, body and soul refreshed and ready for the onslaught of a not-too-distant winter. Get out and enjoy (in our opinion) Ontario’s best season!

View Autumn Colours: Credit River Valley in a larger map

Highlights

Route #1: By Car

Morning:

View: Alton Mill Arts Centre
Caffeine: With The Grain’s Shaw’s Creek Cafe

Afternoon:

Dine: Hockely Valley Resort’s Babbo or Restaurant 85
Drive: Hockley Valley Road Self-Guided Scenic Tour
Hike: Mono Cliffs Provincial Park and Bruce Trail

Evening:

Dine+Drink: Mono Cliffs Inn

Route #2: By Car

Morning:

Caffeine: Glen Oven Cafe
View: Williams Mill Visual Arts Centre
Visit: Cheltenham Badlands and Brickworks Ruins

Afternoon:

Eat+Drink: Spirit Tree Estate Cidery
Drive: Forks of the Credit Road
Caffeine: The Shed Coffee Bar
Hike: Forks of the Credit Provincial Park & Bruce Trail

Evening:

Dine+Drink: Belfountain Inn (Belfountain, ON), Terra Cotta Inn (Terra Cotta, ON) or Copper Kettle Inn (Glen Williams, ON)

Route #3: By Train

Leave the hassles of driving roadside and climb aboard the Credit Valley Explorer as it winds its way through the Hills of the Headwaters on a 74 km journey from Orangeville to Brampton along a 130 year old rail line that skirts the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. The large picture windows of the coach offer purview of some of Ontario’s most splendid landscapes while audio commentary highlights the intriguing stories of the area’s history and geography. Meals and refreshments are also included in the price of your tour. Assigned seating fills quickly, so be sure to book yours well in advance.

The Explorer operates May to October with special ‘Twilight Dinners’ on Saturday evenings from June through September.

Worth A Visit: Ontario’s Best Small Towns

Detourist Guide — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:23:38 +0000

The votes are counted. At least 154 of them through email and Facebook, with a few still trickling in. We asked you which Ontario small town was your favourite to visit. There were no asserted criteria on size of town or attractions within it – the question was word association in its purest form. Which town evoked your fondest memories of local, rural travel?

Best Small Town: Picton

The Top 5 most popular results of the survey included tourist magnets like Niagara-on-the-Lake and Stratford (along with a complete surprise in Port Perry), but by a confident margin the top choice was Picton.

Known for its varied, lake-side geography, a collection of nearby up-and-coming wineries, a rich culinary pedigree, and picturesque ‘main street’, Picton and the surrounding Prince Edward County rise out of the crowd.

All Over The Map

Your responses were thoughtful (we could almost see the smiles creep across your face as your minds revisited the quaint corners of our province) and were, quite literally, all over the map, reaching to Ontario’s furthest boundaries.

View Ontario’s Best Small Towns in a larger map

(Red: Top 5; Yellow: Top 25; Blue: On the radar)

Top 5
Picton
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Elora
Stratford
Port Perry

Top 25
Bala
Bayfield
Bloomfield
Creemore
Goderich
Haliburton
Kleinburg
Kincardine
Meaford
Merrickville
Paris
Penetanguishine
Port Dover
Port Stanley
St. Marys
St. Jacobs
Tobermory
Unionville
Uxbridge

On The Radar
Ancaster
Bobcaygeon
Brussels
Collingwood
Crystal Beach
Dundas
Elmira
Fenelon Falls
Fergus
Glen Williams
Gore Bay
Grand Bend
Jacksons Point
Jordan
Kettleby
Kimberley
Kingsville
Lakefield
Marathon

On The Radar
Mono Centre
Neustadt
Owen Sound
Perth
Port Burwell
Port Carling
Port Colborne
Port Dalhousie
Port Elgin
Sauble Beach
Smiths Falls
Snowball
Southampton
St. George
Thornbury
Tweed
Warkworth

Go For A Drive

With Autumn officially arriving three days ago, roadtrip season is here. Embarking on a day’s drive out to Picton or many of Ontario’s best small towns is a great way to indulge in the crisp temperatures, harvest bounty and changing colours.

This survey marks the start of a new project for Detourist Guide. Stay tuned in the weeks and months to come as we examine more closely the best small towns and roadtrip destinations across Ontario’s backcountry.

Think me missed something? Post your suggestions or critiques in the comments section below.

Happy Detouring!

Rouge Park: A Park Apart

Detourist Guide — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:13:20 +0000

Rouge Park’s recent designation for National Park status puts it alongside peers like Jasper, Nahanni or Wood Buffalo. Although some raise an eyebrow over its inclusion (there are no soaring mountains, carved canyons or ancient forests here to protect) the Park’s history, location and cultural significance make it peerless in geographically rich Canada.

This article has been archived on our sister project Toronto Ultimate Summer. To read more, follow this link.

Mitsubishi CityChase: A Race With Stories To Tell

Detourist Guide — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:15:06 +0000

You could rappel from the top of an office tower, masquerade as a firefighter, sketch a naked model, slalom kayak at Ontario Place and slow dance at Yonge and Bloor all in one day and still only be half done. That is the challenge of the Mitsubishi CityChase, as the popular urban adventure series makes its first of two summer stops in Toronto this Saturday and fourth of eight stops on its 2011 cross-Canada tour.

This article has been archived on our sister project Toronto Ultimate Summer. To read more, follow this link.