Skootamatta Tree Farm

There is no better way to get into the Christmas spirt than spending some time outdoors in the woods picking out and chopping down that special tree for your home. This has been something I have not done since I lived back in Pennsylvania, and I really missed how much fun it was. So this year I wanted to make sure it was special. 

Picking out your own tree is a memory that will last forever. This family had three trees already loaded in their truck. 

Most all of Ontario is beautiful, but I wanted to find the perfect place to find our tree, I really wanted it to be a winter wonderland.  I began my search on the Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario website. I wanted to get into the heart of the Land O' Lakes region which is my favorite area of Canada so I decided upon the Skootamatta Tree Farm, since it was off the beaten path, a bit more remote and in an area where the terrain is just absolutely stunning.

All trees were $20. I loved the wood burning in the old oil drum,  to warm your hands over.

Skootamatta Tree farm is located north of Highway 7 between Tweed and Kaladar in the village of Flinton, population 250. My kind of town:-) When we left home it was raining, and I was a bit disappointed as its more festive when it snows. But as soon as we got to Tweed, it started snowing.

The snow gods were with me:-) 

The snow made the day perfect!

We also found some Reindeer moss in the tree. I had to look it up to see what this pretty green stuff was. Its a plant that is abundant in Arctic areas, so this was the perfect Christmas Tree farm, complete with Reindeer food and a sure sign we were getting very close to Santa Clause.

Timber!

Watch for the photos of the decorated tree and the reindeer moss on our DayTrippingOntario facebook page and please "like us" while your there. Have a Merry Christmas!

Campbellford, Ontario

As of January 2013, Campbellford, Ontario is where my husband and I now call home. Located midway between Toronto and Ottawa in Northumberland County along the banks of the Trent River, it is also known as the municipality of Trent Hills when Campbellford, Hastings and Warkworth amalgamated in 2001.

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Wanting to leave the suburban life in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and get away from the road rage, population, pollution and just enjoy the simple life, we chose Campbellford because of its many amenities, such as a Hospital, grocery stores, local businesses and the ability to feel like you are on vacation every day! Just beautiful scenery everywhere. They don't call it the rolling hills for nothing!

Campbellford Road (8) to Stirling.

Campbellford is home to the landmark 27' giant Toonie displaying the polar bear designed by local wildlife artist Brent Townsend. The toonie is what we call the $2. Canadian coin and the $1. coin is called a loonie.

When I first moved to Canada 14  years ago, I saw a child in a bank and thought how cute it was when he said he was putting his loonies and toonies in his savings account. Little did I know it is the common terminology for grown adults alike to call these coins loonies and toonies.

While researching my facts about the giant loonie, I now find that I am blown away by Brent Townsends work. While looking at  his paintings, I saw so many landscapes that looked familiar to me. Some looked like my favorite lake in Ontario and others looked like some local landscape of the countyside around Campbellford.  

Brent Townsends - Edge of the Barnyard, is so reminiscent of the landscape in Trent Hills. Photo courtesy of http://www.artcountrycanada.com/townsend.htm

I just made the connection of why I love the Campbellford country side, it reminds me so much of some the Wyeth prints that I have in my home, mostly Evening at Kuerners, which reminds me of the beautiful rolling hills of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania which was not far from the suburbs of Wilmington, Deleaware where I grew up. I also read that Brent Townsend was influenced by Andrew Wyeth, so I see a visit to his gallery in nearby Warkworth is in the future:-)

Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge

The Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge, is a must see! I love their slogan. "Get over it, EH" I made it halfway for the first visit, I know in the future I will get over it:-)

Below you will find some of the many services and businesses located in Campbellford. 

Apollos pizzeria in Campbellford is one of my favorite places for pizza delivery. Especially since they deliver to us and we are about 9 miles away. Awesome! Will give a full review on the great dining there too. The place has charm and is a local favorite.

The outside patio at Apollos

Capers Restaurant: 28 Bridge Street

We have heard many great things about Capers Restaurant, but have not tried it yet. But you can be sure when we do visit, you will get the full review. I think it will be a striploin for me and snitzel for the hubby.

Outside Patio at Capers Restaurant

The Stinking Rose Pub: 26 Bridge Street

The Stinking Rose Pub is next to Capers on Bridge Street West. Its a cute little pub owned by Church Key Brewery serving a limited selection of local microbrews. I must say I visited the pub twice and did not purchase a thing. The first time was when we were house shopping in the area and looking for some lunch. It was a Monday and Capers was closed, so I walked in to see what they had to offer. I was told they didn't really have a food menu, but usually offered a special of the day. Even a small selection of appetizers would have been enticing.

The next time I visited was with some relatives from out of town. We took a look at the bar menu on the chalkboard and could not find one beverage we were in the mood for. It was a very hot day and sometimes you just know what would satisfy your thirst. I would have been happy with a coors lite or a wine cooler. I was really disappointed, as I was hoping it would be a place that I would visit often, you know a place where everyone knows your name. Check out the photo below, when George Wendt (AKA NORM) from Cheers visited the Stinking Rose. How COOL is that? He was in town filming a documentary for the History Televisions series, Name This.

George Wendt AKA Norm from Cheers at the Stinking Rose Pub.

Photo courtesy of  Sacred Order of the Stinking Rose facebook page.

If you like microbrews then you would enjoy the Stinking Rose. I am a big fan of Church Keys Northumberland Ale and I did have a nice cider beer that I purchased at the Brewery. It would be nice to have a sampler serving, just a taste for a smaller price to see which one you really enjoy.  Gordon Biersch did that when they were located in Whitby, you paid .05 Cents and you got a taste of their four microbrews on tap. Then you were able to decide what you wanted to drink. Perhaps the nightly entertainment and the fact that the capacity of the pub is about 30 people makes it popular for the locals who live nearby.  I will give it another try, I'm just not a huge beer connoisseur but would like to see a nice little pub in Campbellford where I could take visiting friends and relatives to have a few drinks and appetizers.

Fishers nofrills: 15 Canrobert Street

Fishers Nofrills grocery store in Campbellford is the more affordable option for shopping than some of the bigger chains. The owners of this store, used to own a nofrills store in Whitby which I frequented often. Make sure you bring a quarter for the cart, and bags for your groceries.

There is also Sharpes Food Market which has great selections of meat, produce, deli, bakery and lots of cheeses.

Sharpes Food Market - 85 Front Street North

Empire Cheese & Butter Co-op: 1120 County Road 8

Campbellford is also home to Empire Cheese & Butter Co-op. Imagine being able to wake up every morning and buy fresh squeeky warm cheese curd. Yum!

If you want white curd, its available on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Bacon WARPPED chicken? at the M&M frozen meat shop.

The Aron Theatre: 54 Bridge Street East.

And for a night out, their is the Aron Theatre on Bridge Street.

Watch for more additions to this page and individual posts and reviews, upcoming soon!

Banjo's Grill - Hastings, Ontario

I must say, we have finally found a restaurant in Trent Hills that we absolutely love, Banjo's Grill in Hastings Ontario at Lock 18. I have been there three times already, and have not been disappointed once. The food is fantastic and the service is outstanding. I have always said, you can't have one without the other.

Banjo's Grill located at 3 Bridge Street in Hastings, Ontario.

My first visit was back in July when we launched our boat at the neighboring Hastings Village Marina. My brother was visiting from Pennsylvania and we had lunch there. I was thrilled that we have a great restaurant located within walking distance to our boat. When I'm at the boat I'm there to relax and let someone else do the cooking. Plus they offer take-out, which is another bonus. They do have an outside patio overlooking the Trent River, but we chose to eat inside. Even with the doors opening and closing, on hot days it was always a nice relaxing temperature inside.

The second visit was this past Friday for the kick-off of the Hastings Festival. My husband and I had to arrive early Friday morning to move our boat to another pier to make room for the antique boats that were being showcased. We visited Banjo's for lunch. My husband had the poutine, which he enjoyed very much. The fries are fresh cut and they used real Canadian cheese curd. Since I had such an awesome burger on my first visit, I had to have one once again. The first time I had the Bacon Mushroom Swiss Burger and fries and this time I opted for the Mushroom Jack Burger. Both were excellent.

Bacon Mushroom Swiss Burger with gravy on the side.

I love burgers, and I must say this is the best burger I have had in the 14 years I have been in Canada. Its made with real fresh beef, not a frozen hockey puck as my Canadian husband calls some we have tried at other places and chains. When asked what I wanted on the mushroom jack burger, I only wanted raw onion and pickle. Next time I will ask for more than once slice of pickle, it was so good.

My brother had The Canadian Grill which he was amazed that it was real roasted turkey breast and not some fake processed turkey roll. He opted for gravy on the side also.

The Canadian Grill - Canadian Turkey, Back Bacon & Canadian Cheddar on
grilled bakery sourdough bread, served with honey mustard dipping sauce. 

They also have a decent beverage menu with beer, wine and bar shots. I had a rum and diet pepsi, that was made with just the right amount of rum, ice and pepsi. Perfect! And a clean glass to boot!

On the Sunday of the festival, we had friends who did a transient stay at the marina, and we went for breakfast. They served breakfast until noon. It was very busy, but it did take a bit of a wait for a table as it was a busy weekend but was worth the wait.

Every time I visited the service has been stellar, even on the Sunday when it was extremely busy.

The menu at Banjo's is quite extensive for the small place that it is. I'm looking forward to trying the steak, and the ribs, and quite possibly everything. I won't be taking any food from home to the boat, now that Banjo's is next door:-) And we were happy to find out they are open all year round, since its only about a 20 minute drive from home.

Banjo's Grill
3 Bridge Street
Hastings, Ontario
705-696-9898
www.banjosgrill.com

Old Stockdale Mill Restaurant - Frankford, Ontario

The Old Stockdale Mill Restaurant is located north of Trenton in the town of Frankford, Ontario, just 25 minutes from Belleville in Quinte West. 08-11-13

THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED AND UP FOR SALE as of  April 2014

Formerly known as the The Old Mill Gastro Pub this past winter it was renamed the Old Stockdale Mill Restaurant.

From the outside, it looks charming, but almost uninhabited. The mill was built in 1867 along Cold Creek in the village of Stockdale, just outside of Frankford.

 There are two dining rooms on the main level, once which overlooks the Cold Creek.

Upstairs in the loft, there is also some more tables, a bar area and a restroom. Good location for a dinner party or special occasion.

Since it was my Birthday I did my research to find someplace that I thought I would enjoy and chose The Old Stockdale Mill, since it was only about a 15 minute drive from our home and had some nice seafood selections that I knew I would enjoy such as the Walleye or the petite surf & turf, which consisted of a filet mignon and jumbo garlic tiger shrimp.

We arrived at 2:30 pm on a Sunday, and were disappointed that we could not order from the dinner menu. The menu on their website stated: dinner menu and lighter fare, but failed to mention that dinner is only served after 4pm. We had assumed that the lighter fare meant a bar menu, as most restaurants have, and didn't think they would turn down two people who wanted to blow over $100. on a good Sunday Dinner. They also had many dinner options that my husband would have enjoyed, such as the ribs or smoke bacon wrapped filet mignon.

I opted for two appetizers, since I was looking for some good seafood so I choose the jumbo garlic tiger shrimp and an order of fries. (above photo) The shrimp were cooked to perfection, although I don't know why on the lunch menu you only get four and for the same price on the dinner menu their website advertises that you get 5. I could have used one more shrimp as they were very good. The fries seemed a bit pricey for $6.00 but you got a big plate of them. I was very happy when I asked for tarter sauce and the waitress and chef kindly accommodated with whipping some up for me in a few minutes.

Call me finicky, but I can't eat seafood without tarter sauce, and I love to dip my fries in it also.

My husband choose his usual grilled chicken caesar salad (above) with homemade garlic lovers dressing. The salad was huge. He said it could have used more dressing and we are used to our caesar salads having homemade croutons and shaved parmesan, not what looked like shaker parmesan. And also to his disappointment, there was only microbrews on the beer menu. I'm not a big fan of microbrews either, but at least they did have the only one I do like on the menu, which was Mill Street Organic.

We figured we would give the food a try, since its not far from home, and the restaurant choices in the Campbellford/Stirling/Belleville area are far and few between. We will definitely return, only not for lunch.  We will just make sure its after 4pm:-)

For additional photos: Click Here

The Old Stockdale Mill Restaurant
1914 Stockdale Road, Quinte West, Ontario
Reservations: 613-398-1700 or 416-699-2001
Website: http://www.stockdalemill.com/

Westport, Ontario - A hidden Gem

If there was to be one place I would have to recommend as a day-trip, it would be the enchanting little town of Westport, Ontario with a population of approximately 700. Located 40 minutes north of Kingston its a perfect destination either by car or boat on the heritage Rideau Canal.

Canada Post is housed in this beautiful location.

The town has something for everyone, history, art, artisanal shops, restaurants and charm. It has been my favorite little town for over 50 years and rarely ever changes.

I can smell the enticing aroma of Church Street Bakery 

The above store was once called Bennetts. We used to go in and buy beautiful cans of toffee to take back home for relatives. I still have one of those cans, of course the toffee is long gone. I remember the rock candy on a stick. 

I want this chair for my yard!

This chair looked so comfortable, and as my friend Linda tested it out, she agreed it was very comfortable.

The walking bridge to the man-made island.

I would love to have this boat house.

The Westport spring, was once a popular place to fill up with some fresh spring water many years ago. The spring is still there, but you are not advised to drink the water.

And do not forget to get the birds eye view of the town from Spy Rock on Foley Mountain. Its a postcard view.

WESTPORT LINKS:

Beautiful Westport - The name of this website says it all.
Westport and Rideau Lakes - Chamber of Commerce
Explore Westport 
Cove Inn Resort