Ontario (1)

After the crowds in Toronto and Niagara Falls, It’s now that we follow quiet country roads. We drive to Fort Erie on the lake of the same name, take a look at the International Peace Bridge and at Buffalo vis-à-vis in the USA, and then follow the shore of the lake. In Port Colbourne we visit Lock 8 on the Welland Canal, Dunnville proudly presents Muddy the Mudcat, and Port Dover has a small lighthouse with a sandy beach.

We turn north. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, once lived in Brantford; there are even two memorials. Kitchener used to be called Berlin and has the second largest Oktoberfest in the world; St. Jacobs and Elmira are two cities characterized by the life of the Mennonites. It’s strange to see horse-drawn carriages with people wearing 19th century clothing on busy streets. West Montrose is home to Ontario’s only covered wooden bridge. Before we spend the night in Owen Sound, we visit the monument of the loyal dog “Beautiful Joe” in Meaford.

In the morning we take the ferry to Manitoulin Island. The island is a hiker’s paradise; at Ten Mile Point Outlook, be sure to enjoy the great view. Further north in Sudbury, the largest city in northern Ontario, “Inco Superstack” is the tallest chimney in the western world, and 9-meter-tall “Big Nickel” towers high above the mining and industrial city. In the days to follow we enjoy a lot of nature. Killarney Provincial Park is considered to be Ontario’s jewel among the parks, here you can easily spend several days. Killbear Provincial Park also has lots of beautiful trails.

Actually, we could turn west at Parry Sound now, but we still have to collect a few sights further south. The open-air museum Sainte-Marie among the Hurons near Midland vividly tells the story of a Jesuit mission. Nearby Wasaga Beach is the longest freshwater beach in the world.

A special attraction is Webers right on Highway 11. The cult restaurant sells several thousand freshly prepared burgers every day – anyone passing by here definitely shouldn’t miss the unusual ambience. Bass Lake Provincial Park near Orillia is perfect for another hike. In Gravenhurst you can find “The World’s Largest Muskoka Chair”, and in Bracebridge a pencil about 10 meters high.

One last highlight is Algonquin Provincial Park. It’s the largest park in Ontario and attracts visitors from all over the world. All major trails and the logging museum are located on Highway 60, which runs along the southern edge of the park. Via Gatineau in Québec, separated from the capital only by the Ottawa River, we finally reach Ottawa again.