7 Under-the-Radar Experiences in Southern Ontario, Canada

We go to Ontario at least once a year to visit family and after the first few times in downtown Toronto, we've figured that we have more fun outside of it. So we've formed habits and end up doing a lot of the same things.

This time around, we shook it up a bit with a few coffee town stops, but for the most part, this itinerary is solid. You will notice that I use "under-the-radar" in this blog a lot because it is in fact how I like to travel. Hyper-touristy destinations have lost their appeal a long time ago after I've outgrowing taking selfies in popular places worth bragging about. I came to the realization that those experiences were hollow, that I never really leave those places knowing more about the world or myself than before I came. I learned that I had a more meaningful experience when I'm integrating with local, authentic life and staying away from the throng of tourists armed with selfie sticks.

And here are my recommendations for worthwhile cities and towns to visit while in Southern Ontario, bypassing Toronto. We've always managed to originate from Buffalo, NY where flights via Southwest are cheaper (plus we always had flyer miles to spend) and rent a car and drive all over. This itinerary starts south and goes north and then west and then back down to Niagara. The dollar is on a roll right now, so if you've had your eyes set on Canada or Niagara for a while, the time to go is now.

1. Hamilton for Coffee, Waffles, and Vintage Shopping

We did not have more than a couple of hours here and it already made an impression, thanks in huge part to the lovely Canadian brunch of poached eggs, bacon, waffles and the Canadian staple maple at The Cannon. And of course, the coffee! It's undeniable that it merits its own post here.

Hamilton had a hipsterville air to it with young artistic and youngish looking crowd out and about midday on a Saturday. A couple doors down is the beautiful vintage shop, The Edit, which had carefully curated clothing, shoes, and accessories to make you want to start wearing the same frocks your mother wore in those sepia polaroids from when you were growing up. It also happened that the owner is Dutch so of course we lingered for a conversation. What a pleasant little town!

2. St. Jacobs for Farmers Market

Now this is probably not exactly "under-the-radar" because hordes of tour buses come here on the weekends. Relatively speaking though, this is one is still undiscovered and I hold to be one of the best markets I've been to in North America. What makes it different is the sheer fact that there are a lot of Mennonites in the surrounding towns that sell their farm produce and homemade food here. (Mennonites are similar to Amish in that they subscribe to rejecting lives of excess and modernity. They are very religious, family-oriented and still carry on old school farming practices. For a long time, I had a fascination with them.) St Jacobs Market is only open on Thursdays and Saturdays, and in the summer, also on Tuesdays. More information here.

3. Waterloo for Coffee (or Whisky)

Waterloo is a university town which is home to the headquarters of Blackberry (yes, remember those?). We go for coffee at Death Valley's Little Brother and if you like whisky, you would love it here, too. The place is beautiful and the coffee is a knockout and whatever you do, don't leave without tasting their carrot cake. It is simply divine. (And I hate carrots). The whisky is pretty legendary, or so we've heard from the barista in Hamilton. If anything else, the beauty, vintage furnishings, and reclaimed wood of this place is serious.

4. Elora for the Elora Gorge

My thing for the outdoors is no secret and that's why I love it that we can sneak off to the woods of Elora Gorge in the afternoons for a little hike and a forest bath. The gorge was formed 10,000 years ago by glacial melts and the walls stand about 40 meters tall. When my sister wasn't looking, I also got up a couple feet up a wall with my seven year old nephew. There were amazing handholds on this wall and had I been a more experienced climber, I wouldn't have let reason stand in the way.

5. Niagara Falls in the Winter

Niagara Falls is a madhouse in the summer, but winter in Canada is so fearsome that the place is solemn in the winter. And it is actually very beautiful and whimsical! The gray skies, snow, and ice contrive to give the freezing waterfall a luscious teal color. The bonus is there is not a single selfie stick in sight. Bring a warm jacket!

6. Niagara Falls with Kids in the Summer

But yes, Niagara Falls is a sight to behold in the summer, much so if you have kids. There are limitless activities, distractions, rides, wax museums, arcades, and so on, and so forth. Lucky for me, my seven year old nephew was content to run amuck around Queen Victoria Park, which parts of the north end reminded me of the trees in Jardin de Tuileries in Paris! For more information about Niagara To Do's, including family friendly activities that don't cost a dime, click on their official website here.

7. Niagara Falls Farm-to-Table

Did you know that they grew grapes in Niagara? In fact, Niagara is bordered by agriculture and that simply translates to good, fresh food. We didn't have time to go winetasting, but on the stroll back to the hotel, we stopped on our tracks at the sight of a curious looking boutique hotel called Old Stone Inn. I know from experience that most of these places often have great cellars and farm to table food.

I was not mistaken! The hotel's restaurant, Flour Mill Restuarant was elegant and beautifully restored. It was a hot day out so what started out to be an ice cream break (the housemade banana is a killer) turned into a wine and cheese aperitivo. I sampled a Canadian white and while I don't usually drink white wine, the weather (and the ice cream) made it perfect for one.

#travel #canada