ONTARIO AWESOME
With the narrow window closing on fall colours, it’s time for a road trip,
Sadly, the sun-kissed days of summer are in the rear-view mirror. Along with the turn of the calendar page there comes a gasp: How did it pass so quickly? But into October, the chill in the autumn air produces a not-too-shabby consolation prize — a blast of fall colour as forests of green hardwoods transform to red, yellow and orange.
With a small window to see fall colours at their peak, this is the time to think “road trip.” There are serious leaf peepers who plan their routes with military precision (ontariotravel.net). Then there are those who casually meander with a hit-andmiss approach. Time and place are everything — find the intersection and it’s hard to go wrong.
In eastern Ontario the chances of criss-crossing a colour-drenched landscape are excellent. The rugged Canadian Shield in this part of the province is cloaked with forests of maples, poplars and birch, all candidates for lush colour change. The best displays last until the middle of October — the Thousand Islands lag about two weeks behind because the water keeps the surrounding air just a bit warmer.
Travelling along the Rideau Heritage Route (bordering the UNESCO Rideau Canal) from Kingston to Ottawa is the perfect backdrop to the autumn palette — lakes and forests peppered with small villages and historic lock stations, cheesemakers, bakeries and pick-your-own farms.
In the early 1800s, Lt. Col. John By built his engineering masterpiece, the 202-kilometre system of 49 gated chambers that work like a set of balancing scales, raising or lowering water levels to allow boats to navigate around obstacles such as waterfalls or rapids. Initially built for military use to keep troops and supplies away from the powers to the south, the canal has morphed into a popular recreational waterway. Historic villages sprang up along the Rideau — townsites such as Merrickville, Perth and Westport — all grew and flourished near the lockstations.
There are all sorts of ways to explore the flush of colour along the Rideau and in eastern Ontario: by canoe or kayak, on foot along trails through one of the parks, from above by sightseeing helicopter or from the water. Here are five ways to wade into the fall foliage (before it disappears):
Indulge in a foodie break Every road trip needs a built-in calorie recharge, something this part of the province takes very seriously. Local growers display their harvest at Kingston Public Market, Ontario’s oldest and longest-running farmers market. At Ottawa’s downtown ByWard Market vendors display in-season produce, cheeses and meats from Ontario and Quebec farmers. The century-old Forfar Dairy is one place en route to pick up cheese curds so fresh they squeak (forfar.com).
Stop at a historic lockstation Along the Rideau Canal, vessels rise 85 metres from the Ottawa River to the canal’s summit at Westport, and then descend 50 metres to Lake Ontario at Kingston through a series of locks that level out the transition between lakes, rivers and canals. It’s the ultimate getaway explored from the water by houseboat, powerboat, canoe or kayak or with a lockstation visit as part of a driving road trip. In continuous service since 1832, lockmasters traditionally hand-crank the 47 locks at most of the 24 lockstations. The must-do stop is at Jones Falls, with three interconnected locks, a blacksmith shop, spectacular keystone arch dam and hiking trails (pc.gc.ca).
Explore the small towns Top of the list is Westport with a postcard setting on the shoreline of Upper Rideau Lake. The town has gone from sleepy to funky with family-owned bakeries and boutique shops selling pottery, clothing and home decor doodads. In late fall, it’s a magnet for holiday shoppers. Besides drop-dead gorgeous architecture, Perth has shopping, a getaway spa and bragging rights to a mammoth 9,979-kilogram cheddar cheese. Merrickville’s artisans create leatherwork, gourmet mustards and preserves, pottery and antiques. Bakeries, pubs and restaurants are spots to rest weary feet.
Immerse yourself in some arts-fused tones In October, it’s possible to expand your canvas of arts-inspired colours against the backdrop of nature’s splash across the forests. The Westport Fall Colours Studio Tour includes juried high-quality original work at galleries and studios that showcase fabric art, jewelry, pottery, glassware, painting and letterpress stationary (westportstudiotour.com). In Gananoque, the annual Jammin’ In The1000 Islands combines music — with a menu of jazz, swing, folk, pop and rock — with cabaret performances by local artists ( jamminintheislands.com).
Commune with the forest There’s no reason not to insert a woodlands hike into a driving itinerary. If you don’t mind breaking a sweat, a climb up Spy Rock in Foley Mountain Conservation Area gives a birds-eye view of Westport. The forests surrounding the Rideau Heritage Route are sprinkled with parks: Charleston Lake — a part of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve — is known for rocky outcrops and forest hiking trails. The annual Frontenac Challenge encourages hikers to complete each of Frontenac Park’s 11 trail loops within the months of September and October (ontarioparks.ca). Josephine Matyas is a freelance writer based in Kingston, Ont. She can be followed at writerwithoutborders.com and at travelswithrigby.com.