Weekend in Peterborough & The Kawarthas

What do you love most about fall?  Is it apple picking, pumpkin spice lattes or the cooler temps? Our favourite thing are the colours and scenic drives that make you appreciate the new season.  The scenic drive to and around the area is exactly what we experienced during our first fall weekend in Peterborough & The Kawarthas.  We were pleasantly surprised to also experience the food, entertainment, arts & history that the area has to offer.  We tried to experience as much as we could during our weekend so here is our quick recap.

So Much To See & Do

• Visit the Canadian Canoe Museum and you’ll leave with an appreciation for our waterways and the role they played in the history and development of Canada.  They have artifacts from around Canada and all over the world as well, each piece specifically designed for different types of water conditions and uses.  We learned that this building actually houses the LARGEST collection of paddled-watercraft in the entire world.  We ended our tour of the museum by stopping into the in-house workshop.  There we met Russ who was showing us the latest canoe that he built by hand and was just about to seal the outside of his watercraft.

• See the Peterborough Lift Lock, lock 21 in the Trent Severn Waterway, in action and you’ll be amazed at the world’s highest hydraulic lift lock.  It’s one of the ‘must-do’ things in the area, and it’s a popular spot for visitors.  There’s special events here during the year like an exclusive dining experience UNDER the lock, as well ‘Lock and Paddle’ that fills the space with as many canoes and kayaks as humanly possible.  It’s free to pedestrian visitors, and you can witness this amazing feat of engineering from below, behind an on top!

Check out the local brewing scene. Smithaven’s Brewing Company specializes in German and Belgian style beers.  They have a taproom as well as bottleshop so you can take your beers to go.

Enjoy a tasting or two at Black’s Distillery.  This brand new craft distillery, started by Peterborough’s own Robert Black, produces a variety of spirits from the locally grown red fife wheat.  David Fife (pictured below), originally from Scotland is credited with developing ‘red fife wheat’ in the Peterborough area and it was quite popular until the turn of the century. 

Walk through Riverview Park & Zoo. The best part is the park & zoo are FREE to the public however donations are appreciated and can be made through the donation boxes available at the front entrance.

Peterborough & The Kawarthas are a truly special place because of the various attractions and amenities to please every visitor.  For example, anyone who enjoys fishing and boating  there are hundreds of waterways such as rivers and lakes.  For the foodie there are several local restaurants and craft breweries and for the art lover there are several galleries and studios to choose from. Whether you visit by car, bus or motorcycle, your drive throughout the area and along the river to other small towns to enjoy the beautiful fall colours will have you fall-ing for Peterborough & The Kawarthas!

Our visit was sponsored by Peterborough & The Kawarthas and Attractions Ontario, however all opinions, recommendations & reviews are our own.

Have any photos or videos of your visit that you would like to share with us?  Send them over to @LetsDiscoverON.

Thanks for reading & watching.  Remember to subscribe to our Blog & YouTube Channel and follow us along as we Discover ON!