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About Expectations and the Family Vacation
It’s that time of year again: Time for the family vacation. It’s a good time to rethink some things like perfectionism, expectations, and the meaning of the word “vacation.” First of all, we call it a “vacation,” but if you’re the parent, it isn’t...
Is Adventure Travel For YOu
Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com interviews adventure travel expert and founder of Adventure Travel Meldia Source, Nancy Pfeiffer. Nancy is proud to say she is a 58 year old grandmother and still an active adventure traveler.
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Make Alaska Your Next Vacation Getaway
If you are tired of traveling to the same old destinations for
your annual vacation, try something new by visiting the largest
state in the Union: Alaska. With more than half a million square
miles, 39 mountain ranges, and 3,000 rivers, this...
Small Town - Big Fishing Problem
Port Renfrew is a small Canadian town with a major fishing
problem. The problem is the sport fishing is great and only
a few people know that.
We arrive in Port Renfrew in late afternoon. Port Captain
Quigley greets us at the entrance to Osprey...
What you need to know about - Camping Vacations
Camping is a delightful and adventurous way to spend your vacations. Camping basically means living in tents that are pitched on specific grounds. The biggest advantage of camping is the cost saving. You can have a good vacation within your budget....
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Hello from Caledon, Elora & Guelph: Fall Colours, Ghosts and Ghouls
Fall is one of the most beautiful seasons in Ontario, and after
last weeks early fall colour tour through the Kawarthas east of
Toronto, it was time yesterday to check out the areas west of
Toronto. My husband and I set off on the highway, left the 401
at Mississauga Road and drove north into rolling agricultural
farmland. Our first interesting village along the way was Glen
Williams, a little hamlet outside of Georgetown, whose former
sawmill now houses more than 30 artists and artisans. We headed
north along the scenic Credit River and drove up onto the
Niagara Escarpment and literally stumbled over the Cheltenham
Brickworks, a now abandoned brickmaking factory dating back to
1930 that utilized the area's clay soil to manufacture bricks
for Toronto's housing boom. Abandoned industrial buildings
always hold a strange fascination for me, and they offer great
opportunities for curious photographers.
Not far away is another very unique area, the Cheltenham
Badlands, a unique geological formation of weathered terra cotta
hued rock, that originated as a result of deforestation and
overgrazing during the early 1900s. It's a fascinating landscape
of undulating hills of red clay with greenish stripes, due to
the soil's red and gray iron oxide content.
The 800-kilometre-long Bruce Trail that goes all the way from
Niagara Falls to the tip of the Bruce Peninsula snakes through
this region, and there are several entry points close by. The
Niagara Escarpment is a truly unique habitat and home to 300
bird species, 53 mammals, 36 reptiles and amphibians, 90 fish
and 100 varieties of special interest flora including 37 types
of wild orchids. UNESCO named Ontario's Niagara Escarpment a
World Biosphere Reserve in 1990. It's a popular spot among
hikers and naturalists.
We headed east and down the Niagara Escarpment again and drove
north in its shadow to the Forks of the Credit area and the
quaint little village of Belfountain. This popular excursion
destination was founded in the 1820 by Scottish and Irish
immigrants, many of whom worked in local quarries, railroads,
mills and tanneries. Today the village has souvenir shops, a
beautiful country store, a spa, and an ice cream parlour.
From Belfountain we drove westwards through the town of Erin
into Wellington County, an area of fertile farmland, punctuated
by rivers, gorges, small lakes, and golf courses. Our next stop
on this country drive was the little town of Fergus, a town
known for its Scottish Heritage which Fergus celebrates every
year, usually during the second week of August, with the Fergus
Scottish Festival. During this three-day event, visitors from
all over the world enjoy all aspects of traditional Highland
Games with a wee bit of modern flare tossed in.
Fergus has a number of historic buildings in the downtown area,
and a major draw in this little town is the Fergus Market,
housed in the historic Beatty Brothers Farm Implement
Manufacturing building which overlooks the Beatty Dam and dates
back to the 1830s. The foundry was the first industrial location
in Fergus and today houses a diverse collection of merchants,
food retailers, and artisans.
Just outside Fergus is the Wellington County Museum and
Archives. The museum stands majestically overlooking the once
mill-laden Grand River. Built of locally quarried limestone in
1877 as the House of Industry and Refuge, this landmark
structure then provided shelter for the "deserving poor", the
aged and the homeless for almost a century. The museum now gives
visitors an opportunity to experience the cultural legacy left
by the intrepid settlers to this vast county of rolling hills,
stony fields, deep gorges and quaint villages.
Another few kilometres down the road is the country town of
Elora, one of Ontario's favourite weekend
excursion
destinations. Elora is situated in a beautiful nature area with
glacial rock formations, and its most stunning geological
feature is the Elora River which plunges over a number of rapids
into the spectacular Elora Gorge. The mill sitting at the top of
the gorge, aptly called the Elora Mill, has been turned into an
upscale fine dining restaurant and country inn with 32 guest
rooms.
The Elora Gorge features several kilometres of 80-foot cliffs,
caverns, rapids and quiet pools. During the summer, hiking along
the cliffs and inner-tubing through the gorge are favourite
pastimes. Hiking trails start right at the Elora Mill. During
the winter months visitors indulge in cross-country skiing and
scenic nature walks through the area. The Grand River also
provides excellent opportunities for fly-fishing, canoeing and
kayaking.
The Elora-Cataract trail crosses 47 kilometres of scenic
countryside. Between Fergus and Elora the trail passes by the
Elora Quarry Conservation Area, an abandoned quarry that is a
favourite spot for a refreshing dip. The quiet farmland around
Elora is perfect for long country bike rides, and numerous golf
courses round out the activities on offer.
During our visit yesterday, Elora was nicely dressed up for
Halloween - a variety of ghouls, ghosts, spiders, monsters and
witches adorned the buildings, balconies and lamp posts along
the town's main streets.The town also offers a variety of shops,
antique stories, galleries and diverse dining establishments.
Horse-drawn coach rides throughout town are also a popular
activity for tourists.
Not far from Elora you can visit Ontario's last remaining
covered bridge in Montrose, and you'll have a chance to explore
Old Order Mennonite Country. Summer brings a variety of
festivals to this area, including the Elora Festival which is a
one-month musical showcase of internationally acclaimed
musicians and singers.
About 15 minutes south of Elora is the major city of this area:
Guelph is a university and manufacturing city with a population
of more than 100,000. Its diverse economy also includes high
technology enterprises and today Guelph is one of the fastest
growing economic regions in all of Canada. Similar to Fergus and
Elora, Guelph was founded by Scottish settlers in the 1820s at
the junction of the Eramosa and Speed Rivers. The University of
Guelph Department of Scottish Studies links academic research to
the community of those with Scottish ancestry.The city features
many trails for hiking, biking, skiing and horseback riding and
a variety of riverside dining establishments.
Guelph's most stunning architectural feature is the impressive
Church of Our Lady Immaculate, a Gothic-Revival structure begun
in 1877 and completed in 1888. The twin towers, more than 200
feet high, were not completed until 1926. The Church of Our Lady
Immaculate is one of Ontario's largest and most impressive
churches.
This time we didn't have a chance to explore Guelph in detail as
it was getting late afternoon and we had to head back. But there
will be another time for exploring this beautiful, historic city
and other surrounding communities. But our little excursion out
of the city was a perfect Saturday getaway for exploring the
history and countryside just outside of Toronto.
About the author:
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of
http://www.travelandtransitions.com. It deals with travel to
foreign countries and is chock full of advice, tips, real life
travel experiences, interviews with travellers, insights,
cross-cultural issues, and many other features. Participate in
our travel story contest
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm and win great
prizes, a fabulous cruise to the Amazon. Life is a Journey -
Explore New Horizons.
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