Best day trips east of Toronto
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Port Hope
Thinking about a day trip to the south east of Toronto by lake Ontario? Visit Port Hope. It’s my go to place whenever I feel like going on a drive. I reach there and grab a coffee and treat from Dreamer’s cafe.
Then I stroll the main street checking out the local stores. They have a nice assortment of vintage stores to arts and crafts stores, and a number of restaurants to choose from. Walking towards the bridge over the Ganaraska river I take in the lovely view of the river as well as the heritage reflected in the old buildings around the area. The days we are hungry we stop at Olympus Burger, a very popular delicious burger joint. Love coming during the salmon run period by the Port Hope Fish Ladder! The Port Hope conservation area is great for hikes, fishing (with permit in season) and picnics!
Cobourg
The grand Victoria Hall (it houses a concert hall and an art gallery) that sits in the centre of downtown Cobourg on King street, gives this town a very attractive look.
While this town is known for its love of arts and culture, my stops have been primarily to enjoy the ambience and the beach. Cobourg Beach with it’s boardwalk and mostly sandy shores is so inviting! In summer, grab an ice-cream from Harbourlight Delights, at the corner of Division and Charles street, a cute place for ice-cream and fastfood! Have a meal at one of the restaurants, some with lake view, walk by the marina, take a picture by the Love lock, explore the stores on and around King Street. My favourite is With All My Art. This store carries works of the owner Katherine O’Mally (her painted Birch Tree on Glass adorns my wall), an assortment of decors and is a framing store as well. I also always check out Ten Thousand Village, a fair Trade Organization for their collections from all over the world for rare finds!
Prince Edward county
Go for the scenery, the winery, the beach, the hidden gems, the food, for all and more, but do go! About 2 hours from Toronto, by the shores of Lake Ontario this place stole my heart and each time I found something new to enjoy here. I will start with the Main street in Picton, it’s largest town, where you will find a good number of restaurants and cafes to relax and enjoy their platter. For a more outdoorsy summer day, bask in the sun at Sandbanks Provincial Park on the beach among the rolling dunes and the lake or have a picnic at Lake on the Mountain Provincial Park. This lake is 60 plus metres above lake Ontario.
We had dessert and coffee at Miller House sitting out on the Patio enjoying the view of the Lake. Here you can view within walking distance the two different water levels of Lake on the Mountain and Lake Ontario (Bay of Quinte)! Next we drove 3 kms on to Glenora, took the Glenora Ferry (it's free!) to Adolphustown. You can go all the way from here to Kingston, Ontario as a scenic detour of 401 East. We just drove around a bit into Adolphustown and took the ferry back which is indeed very pleasant and picturesque in summer and fall!
Every time we come to Prince Edward County, we visit a different winery. The wineries with restaurants that I have explored so far all have excellent food! The view from Waupoos Estate Winery & Restaurant patio made this wandering soul pause.The blue sky with its puffs of white clouds were like perfectly placed embroideries on a silk scarf twinning the blue waters of the lake that graciously complimented the sprawling greenery of the vineyard! We strolled the gardens here by the lake after our delectable lunch. Worries are not welcome in such a setting! Just peace and gratitude!
A wonderful find was The Local Store, which houses collections from the local artisans, artists and producers and hosts an art gallery and antiques shop! Everything from the County under one roof! I found a lovely antique 3 tiered dessert tray and bought local jams from here! It's open for in person shopping except in the winter when it’s online.
If you enjoy finding unique things in places you go then check out the Birdhouse City, not far from downtown Picton, located in the Macaulay Mountain Conservation area. It's a small garden of hand made bird houses reflecting the culture and history of the County.
And don't forget to visit the Lavender fields! We had such a wonderful time walking in the fields of purple hues at Prince Edward County Lavender! The boutique carries a selection of their products from essential oil and soaps to their farm grown herb blends!
Greater Napanee
My trip to this area was very short but I must share about the places we went that day. After having a fabulous brunch at this amazing hideout of a place called Drake Devonshire inn, right on Lake Ontario in Wellington, Prince Edward County, we drove east to the Greater Napanee area.
We stopped at Karen Brown’s Antiques & Collectibles in Deseronto. Enjoyed browsing through its variety of collections and got some gifts from here.
Then we drove to the Napanee river falls, took pictures of the surroundings (ruins of the mill and other buildings) , walked the trails by the river working up an appetite to enjoy an early dinner at The Waterfront River Pub and Terrace.
This place is housed in a historic limestone building by the river. Loved their soup and burger, sat outside by their firepit and just chilled a bit before heading back to toronto driving through downtown Napanee. I have read there is lots more to do in and around Greater Napanee so will be seeing ya! Would appreciate suggestions for places to explore here!
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