Have you ever had the urge to set out on a road trip on a sunny summer day but just weren’t sure where to go? Should that situation strike this summer, we’ve got your trip planned! Spend the day touring around to check out some of these ten very unique spots that you’ll only find right here in Ontario.
Road Trip Stop:
Canada’s First Tim Hortons
The Tim Hortons chain was founded in 1964 in Hamilton when the very first coffee shop opened at 65 Ottawa Street North. Today, Tim Hortons’ first location features a small museum and a replica of the original 1964 sign that once marked the location of this iconic Canadian brand. Ottawa Street is also known as one of Hamilton’s best shopping neighbourhoods, specializing in stores for home décor and do-it-yourself enthusiasts. After your donut, browse for fabric, furniture, antiques and art.
Tim Hortons chain was founded in 1964 and now it is Canada’s largest fast food service.
Road Trip Stop:
A Very Cool Velodrome
The Mattamy National Cycling Centre is the only velodrome of its kind in Canada and only the second in North America that meets top international standards. The facility features a 250-metre timber track and has the same designation velodromes must attain to hold Olympic, Paralympic and elite world championships. The Centre offers “Try the Track” and “Intro to Track Cycling” programs that cater to riders of all ages who want to learn to ride specialty track bikes.
Road Trip Stop:
Canada’s Only Mediterranean Greenhouse
The spectacular Mediterranean Garden at Burlington’s Royal Botanical Gardens is home to Canada’s only Mediterranean greenhouse filled with countless cacti, sensational succulents, and exotic plants of all kinds hailing from far-flung places like Australia, Chile and South Africa.
Road Trip Stop:
One Very Old Pump Engine
The 150-year-old historic Hamilton Waterworks is a civil and power engineering landmark that houses two 70-ton steam-powered water pumping engines, thought to be the oldest surviving Canadian-built engines. The building is home to the Museum of Steam and Technology, where you can take a tour and observe these full-scale steam water pumps in working condition.
Road Trip Stop:
The Home Of The World’s First Long Distance Phone Call
Inventor Alexander Graham Bell brought fame to Brantford when he unveiled the telephone here on July 26th, 1874, and made the first-ever long-distance call on August 10th, 1876. The Bell Homestead, which provided the stage for this invention, is a National Historic Site, restored to appear exactly as it was in Bell’s day. The site has welcomed visitors from around the world – including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – since 1910.
Road Trip Stop:
Ontario’s First and Largest Electric Railway Museum
The Halton County Radial Railway’s collection of railcars, work equipment and buses from the late nineteenth century to the mid-1990s and its historic railway station have appeared in a number of films, TV shows, music videos and commercials over the years. All aboard for unlimited historic streetcar rides on two kilometres of scenic track, with stops at its famous ice cream shop.
Road Trip Stop:
The Waterfall Capital of the World
Niagara Falls may get all the glory, but there’s strength in diversity and sheer numbers. With well over 130 falls and cascades to brag about within its city limits, Hamilton is known as the Waterfall Capital of the World. The Niagara Escarpment cutting through the middle of the city provides the best possible setting for falls of all shapes and sizes, from the crashing waters of Webster Falls, to the 120-foot pour into the Devil’s Punchbowl, to the steady tiered cascade of Princess Falls. Waterfalls are found all along the Niagara Escarpment in Hamilton, including the communities of Dundas, Ancaster and Stoney Creek.
Road Trip Stop:
Canada’s Most Decorated Warship
Canada’s proud history of wartime naval service is vividly on display aboard the legendary HMCS Haida, a Tribal class destroyer that served in the Second World War, the Korean Conflict and the Cold War. Dubbed ‘Canada’s most fightingest ship’ because she sank more enemy naval and merchant vessels than any other Allied warship, this famous Royal Canadian Navy ship now proudly rests in Hamilton, where visitors can explore its historic decks on guided tours.
Road Trip Stop:
The Only Operational Lancaster in North America
The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton is the only place in the world where you can fly in a Lancaster. At this living museum featuring the aircraft used by Canada’s Military, a flight in one of the most famous Allied bombers of the Second World War offers history buffs the thrill of a lifetime. In addition to the Avro Lancaster, the museum offers flights in the B-25 Mitchell, Fairey Firefly and PBY Canso.
Road Trip Stop:
One of North America’s Largest Pow Wows
The Six Nations Champion of Champions Pow Wow, near Brantford, includes traditional regalia, drumming, singing, a dance competition with over 400 participants, and crafts and food booths. About 15,000 people get a taste of native culture at the annual two-day Pow Wow event, held the last weekend of July at Ohsweken Speedway. Dancers come from across North America to compete for the title ‘Champion of Champion.’ Can’t time your trip with the Pow Wow? Consider one of these other ways to discover First Nations culture.
