Category: Central Ontario

The Bowmanville Zoo has the claim to being the oldest private zoo in North America, starting in 1919 with the unscientific name of “Cream of Barley Park”. The last time I was there was when I was a child and thus my ability to compare visits is non-existent. However, one should be prepared for a difference between zoos of this sort and ones like the Calgary or Toronto Zoos. This zoo is in the business of education but also of providing animals for use in television and film. This makes some people uneasy but for others provides an opportunity to […]

Read more

Tucked away at the end of Peterborough Ontario is a park with a zoo. It’s not a gigantic zoo like Toronto’s but it has its own charm. Tortoises, wallabies, lemurs, meerkats, monkeys, camels, otters, bobcats and a couple of sloths that I’m told came from the Calgary Zoo when it was hit with a flood. The park itself has other really good features. The playground for kids is not lame. There’s lots of structures to play on and there’s a cool slide that’s a tube downhill, through a hill that is long. The kids and their adult supervisors love it. […]

Read more

Driving north from Toronto along highway 400 is more often than not a challenge particularly on summer weekends when it seems as if the entire population of Canada’s largest city is on the move to vacationland – the rocky Canadian shield with its many lakes and fresh air. Just past Barrie you will turn onto highway 11 for the short trip to Gravenhurst. Swing into this town which is the gateway to cottage country. Here you can enjoy a traditional Muskoka experience. Go down to the docks and buy a ticket for a cruise on the lake aboard either the […]

Read more

At Collingwood‘s Scenic Caves Natural Adventures, you can take an eco-adventure with zip lines, trekking through the treetops, and more; or, you can walk across the suspension bridge, which at 126 metres, is Ontario‘s longest. During the winter months, a fantastic trail system offers snowshoeing and cross country skiing; these are just a few examples of all that awaits adventurers of all ages at this magnificent natural getaway. Let’s take a closer look. Self-Guided Walking Tours: Caves and More One of the best ways to take in the natural beauty Scenic Caves Adventures offers is to take the self-guided walking […]

Read more

Wasaga Beach, located in Simcoe County, is not only a lovely town to visit, it also boasts the longest freshwater beach in the world. With an intriguing history that dates back to the days of fur trading, when it served as the gateway to the great Northwest, this lovely town served as a strategic location during the War of 1812; during the rest of the 19th century, lumber was the main industry, as the sandy soil here is unsuitable for farming. It was during the 1900s that families began to visit the area for its beauty. Wasaga Beach gradually became […]

Read more

Standing on the ground, far below the treetops, you might have often wondered just what it would be like to make your way through the trees, above the forest floor. Maybe you believe that you’ll have to travel all the way to a tropical jungle for a tree top trek, but there are actually some great places to explore the forest’s canopy, right here in Ontario. Horseshoe Resort At Horseshoe Resort, which is just outside of Barrie, you can don a harness and experience an unforgettable trip through the treetops. The resort offers a number of fun and challenging courses […]

Read more

Georgian Bay Islands National Park of Canada is located in the 30,000 islands area, which just happens to be the world’s largest freshwater archipelago. Here, you will discover diverse wildlife, spectacular landscapes, and the singular beauty of the rugged Canadian Shield; not to mention a cultural history that dates back to more than five thousand years ago. This group of magnificent islands is only accessible by boat, with the largest, Beausoleil, offering tent camping, hiking and biking trails, geocaching, boat slips for private vessels, and more. Let’s take a closer look at some of the wonders that await here, in […]

Read more

In Peterborough and the surrounding area, you’ll find enough attractions to keep you busy for weeks, or even months, on end. With splendid natural features, plenty of cultural activities, and wonderful dining and entertainment opportunities, the region offers something for everyone. Let’s take a closer look at just a few of the many destinations around Peterborough. Lang Pioneer Village What better way to learn more about a place, than by stepping right into its history? Lang Pioneer Village, located a quick 10 km east of Peterborough, offers a trip back in time to the 19th century. Created as an interactive […]

Read more

Beer was first introduced to Canada by seventeenth century European settlers, and until Prohibition reared its tea-totalling head, Canadian citizens enjoyed delicious frothy brew with meals and at celebrations, and exported it for other nations to savour. Despite a number of laws that forbade citizens from drinking, the government did allow several exceptions, with wineries being exempted from closure, and with a number of distilleries and breweries remaining open to support the export market. A few of these survived until Prohibition ended, and during the late twentieth century, a number of new breweries began producing quality beers of all kinds. […]

Read more

Bowmanville Zoological Park, which is also known as Bowmanville Zoo, was established in 1919. Not only is this beautiful forty-two acre zoological park home to just over three hundred incredible animals, the animals that live here are often used in Hollywood productions. When you visit, you just might come face to face with someone amazing! Let’s take a closer look at the park’s history as well as its residents, plus some additional attractions which have been added in recent years. If you remember visiting Bowmanville Zoo when you were a child, you’ll be surprised at the way things have changed. […]

Read more