The largest collection of canoes and kayaks in the world is at the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough
Peterborough, Ontario - Located in the scenic Kawartha Lake region just 90 minutes east of Toronto is the home of the Canadian Canoe Museum, which houses the largest collection of canoes and kayaks in the world. In the days of the Voyageurs the rivers of Canada were the highways and the canoe was the most practical form of transportation. Originally made from bark, the wooden-plank canoe was invented and produced in Peterborough area, earning this town the distinction as 'canoe capital of the world’. About 600 canoes and kayaks are in the museum's archives and usually more than 100 of the watercraft are on display. It was here I learn that it's possible to paddle across Canada, coast-to-coast, with the longest portage needed - just 21 miles!
Where: The city of Peterborough is 142 km east of Toronto. It has hundreds of shops and services, more than 60 restaurants, and accommodation ranging from bed and breakfasts to hotels.
Each summer you can enjoy more than 300 festivals and events in Peterborough & the Kawarthas region (learn more at kickitupinthekawarthas.com) The region of Peterborough and the Kawarthas, which has more than 134 lakes, is the historical home of wooden canoe craftsmanship, offering everything from kayaking and canoeing to fishing, boating and swimming, and cruises on the Trent-Severn Waterway. Right from town you can hop aboard tour boats which will take on a short trip you to Lock 21 - the hightest hydraulic lift lock in the world.
In the News: This summer there are deligthful theatre productions in the region on Winslow Farm in Millbrook. July's show, called Berlin Blues, is a comedy, and one of the most enjoyable I've experience in a long time. What make 4th Line Theatre so cool is that it's performed on an open air barnyard stage with the surrounding fields incorporated as part of the setting. Also in the region, Elmhirst Resort on Rice Lake, family-run for over a century, is a comfly place to enjoy a lakeside meal or setting in for a few days and enjoy the water, spa, etc.
National Canoe Day 2011 was celebrated June 25 & 26 in Peterborough. Peterborough & Kawarthas Tourism introduced the 'Come To Our Table' Culinary Guide. It showcases 12 resorts, restaurants, etc., in the region, with each describing how they use local foods, and each provides a recipe using local ingredients. A companion online site can be found at www.visitourtable.com You can pick up a free copy at the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism Visitor Information Centre, 1400 Crawford Dr., RR5, tel: 705, 742-2201, or 1 800 461-6424. Follow Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism on twitter at @pktourism
Lucy Izon
Canada Cool is produced by award-winning Canadian travel writer & speaker Lucy Izon. Her travel stories & reports have appeared in numerous leading North American publications including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Chicken Soup for the Traveler's Soul. Bio page
Canada’s Coolest:
Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email Lucy@CanadaCool.com. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!
The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives
Here are some of my favorites...
The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.
The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.
The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.
And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...
More from Canada’s Coolest
'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:
- Golf Course Features
- Haunted Hotels
- Hotel Special Services
Send your suggestions to lucy@CanadaCool.com
Recent 'Canada's Coolest' topics:
