Ontario, Canada: Some Places to See
It's no secret that my family LOVES Canada.
We've seen a lot, but have SO much we still want to see of the second biggest country in the world. In the future, we hope to go way out west to see Vancouver and surrounding areas and way out east to visit Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia and then everywhere in between: places like Montreal, Quebec City, The Bruce Peninsula, Water Lakes National Park in Alberta, etc, etc, etc. Canadian adventures will absolutely be a part of Hundt travel plans.
So far, we've been able to see a lot of Ontario- it's proximity makes it easy to drive to, which has been great for us.
If you live in the midwest, especially Michigan, Ontario is SO close! I wanted to take time to love all over some of my favorite parts hoping to inspire others to cross that Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron or take the bridge/tunnel in Detroit and go explore all the beauty and fun our neighboring country has to offer. Here are some of our most FAVORITE sports...
#1 Port Franks and surrounding areas: My parent's cottage is on Lake Huron in Port Franks and this area, while remote, is FANTASTICALLY beautiful. This part of Lake Huron has white sand, awesome waves, and warmer waters as it's situated in a cove between Kettle Point and Grand Bend. It also often has cottages and houses that are right on the beach without bluffs. You get to experience sunsets just as if you were on the west side of our state on Lake Michigan. It is truly special here- besides Lake Huron, there are dunes, forests, ponds, smaller lakes, and rivers. It's not crowded. I can't think of a better place to unwind and enjoy nature's beauty.
Read more about Ontario's Blue Coast here!
#2 Grand Bend: The Pinery, one of Ontario's biggest natural parks is nearby with unlimited options for camping, hiking, fishing, and enjoying Lake Huron. Canadians and Americans alike love this park so book way in advance if you want to camp! Also in Grand Bend is a beach town with bars, restaurants, and stores.
For more on Grand Bend click here!
#3 Toronto: As much as we LOVE Canada in our family, I'm not sure there are people who love Toronto more than we do. I've written and posted plenty about it. This city is magical- it's gorgeous and walkable with so much to do and see. The people are just fantastic as well. Josh and I have been there several times without children and finally took our circus last fall and my boys fell in love too. It takes about as much time to drive there as it does to get to Chicago from mid Michigan with a lot less traffic so GO! GO NOW!
Read more about our Toronto adventures here!
#4 Bayfield: Bayfield, Ontario has to be one of the most charming little villages I've ever been to. Sitting right on Lake Huron, this adorable downtown has many restaurants, art galleries, and stores. We've been there twice and I seem to fall in love deeper each time we visit. I'm looking forward to being able to go without kids as art galleries and quiet streets and restaurants aren't really our scene (I have FOUR bulls in a China shop... actually I really have five counting Josh).
Learn more about the village of Bayfield here!
#5 London: London seems to be where most people who vacation near my parent's cottage are from so we decided last year to check it out! To be fair, we were only in London, Ontario for a few hours on a rainy day so we still have more exploring to do. They had a wonderful Children's Museum where we spent most of our time. It was also the site where we first went out to dinner as a family of six (Preston was a little little guy then).
Read about all the fun things London has to offer here!
#6 Kitchener: We just day tripped in Kitchener the last time we were at my parent's cottage. We did not walk around downtown much, but spent the majority of our time at Victoria Park, which was absolutely gorgeous! Just within this park there are bridges, a river, beautiful gardens, a huge playground, splash pad, and many open spaces to play and hang. The city has a great calendar of events and a lot of things to do both indoor and outdoor.
Want more fun in Kitchener?! Read here!
#7 Niagara Falls: I've been to both the US and Canadian sides of Niagara Falls and the Canadian side wins in my opinion, hands down! The views are just incredible! When we went several years ago there was a lot to see and do- we did arcades, putt putt golf, road the Maid of the Mist, and did all kinds of exploring. We can't wait to take the kids there someday!
Fall in love with the Falls here! (that might've been too far with the puns)
The moral of the story here is get to Canada, people... Ontario, Canada specifically!
To my Michigan and Midwest readers, we are so lucky to live so close. Get that passport or get that enhanced drivers license and get exploring our wonderful neighbors.
We've seen a lot, but have SO much we still want to see of the second biggest country in the world. In the future, we hope to go way out west to see Vancouver and surrounding areas and way out east to visit Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia and then everywhere in between: places like Montreal, Quebec City, The Bruce Peninsula, Water Lakes National Park in Alberta, etc, etc, etc. Canadian adventures will absolutely be a part of Hundt travel plans.
So far, we've been able to see a lot of Ontario- it's proximity makes it easy to drive to, which has been great for us.
If you live in the midwest, especially Michigan, Ontario is SO close! I wanted to take time to love all over some of my favorite parts hoping to inspire others to cross that Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron or take the bridge/tunnel in Detroit and go explore all the beauty and fun our neighboring country has to offer. Here are some of our most FAVORITE sports...
#1 Port Franks and surrounding areas: My parent's cottage is on Lake Huron in Port Franks and this area, while remote, is FANTASTICALLY beautiful. This part of Lake Huron has white sand, awesome waves, and warmer waters as it's situated in a cove between Kettle Point and Grand Bend. It also often has cottages and houses that are right on the beach without bluffs. You get to experience sunsets just as if you were on the west side of our state on Lake Michigan. It is truly special here- besides Lake Huron, there are dunes, forests, ponds, smaller lakes, and rivers. It's not crowded. I can't think of a better place to unwind and enjoy nature's beauty.
Read more about Ontario's Blue Coast here!
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| Not a bad view for dinner! |
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| This NEVER gets old |
For more on Grand Bend click here!
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| My sisters and I at The Growling Gator right on the beach in Grand Bend |
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| An AMAZING sushi restaurant in Grand Bend |
#3 Toronto: As much as we LOVE Canada in our family, I'm not sure there are people who love Toronto more than we do. I've written and posted plenty about it. This city is magical- it's gorgeous and walkable with so much to do and see. The people are just fantastic as well. Josh and I have been there several times without children and finally took our circus last fall and my boys fell in love too. It takes about as much time to drive there as it does to get to Chicago from mid Michigan with a lot less traffic so GO! GO NOW!
Read more about our Toronto adventures here!
#4 Bayfield: Bayfield, Ontario has to be one of the most charming little villages I've ever been to. Sitting right on Lake Huron, this adorable downtown has many restaurants, art galleries, and stores. We've been there twice and I seem to fall in love deeper each time we visit. I'm looking forward to being able to go without kids as art galleries and quiet streets and restaurants aren't really our scene (I have FOUR bulls in a China shop... actually I really have five counting Josh).
Learn more about the village of Bayfield here!
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| My guys walking the pier to see the lighthouse in Bayfield |
#5 London: London seems to be where most people who vacation near my parent's cottage are from so we decided last year to check it out! To be fair, we were only in London, Ontario for a few hours on a rainy day so we still have more exploring to do. They had a wonderful Children's Museum where we spent most of our time. It was also the site where we first went out to dinner as a family of six (Preston was a little little guy then).
Read about all the fun things London has to offer here!
#6 Kitchener: We just day tripped in Kitchener the last time we were at my parent's cottage. We did not walk around downtown much, but spent the majority of our time at Victoria Park, which was absolutely gorgeous! Just within this park there are bridges, a river, beautiful gardens, a huge playground, splash pad, and many open spaces to play and hang. The city has a great calendar of events and a lot of things to do both indoor and outdoor.
Want more fun in Kitchener?! Read here!
#7 Niagara Falls: I've been to both the US and Canadian sides of Niagara Falls and the Canadian side wins in my opinion, hands down! The views are just incredible! When we went several years ago there was a lot to see and do- we did arcades, putt putt golf, road the Maid of the Mist, and did all kinds of exploring. We can't wait to take the kids there someday!
Fall in love with the Falls here! (that might've been too far with the puns)
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| My sisters and I with the falls behind us |
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| The buildings at the top are where Niagara Falls, New York is! |
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| Josh enjoying the mist |
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| My cute parents <3 |
To my Michigan and Midwest readers, we are so lucky to live so close. Get that passport or get that enhanced drivers license and get exploring our wonderful neighbors.
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