First Ontario Shrimp Farm - Campbellford, Ontario

We have dairy farms, sheep farms, goat farms, and all kinds of grain and produce farms in the municipality of Trent Hills, but something new will be arriving in 2015. Ontario's first crop of Pacific White shrimp. Paul Cocchio and his wife Tracy, daughter Jill a marine insurance broker, and Brad a cheesemaker at nearby Empire Cheese are expected to harvest their first crop of shrimp in 5 months.

For the full story from the Globe and Mail, click here.

For more information and how to order check out First Ontario Shrimp

This is a pound and a half. 

Above photo,  I finally purchased some shrimp. Will post more photos after they are cooked to Day Tripping Ontario's facebook page.

Brighton Speedway - Eve of Destruction

Workman's OK Tire & Auto - School Bus race was one of the main attractions. 

Sunday September 28, 2014 was a beautiful warm autumn day to get out and enjoy the scenery and take in some good ole dirt track racing at Brighton Speedway.  The Sunday event was named the Eve of Destruction, and consisted of  9 different races ending with the demolition derby. Destruction and mayham was more than plentiful and also a whole ton of fun.

The first race was the Junior 25 lap enduro for ages 14-18 with no race experience, which was followed by the Ladies 35 lap enduro.

Ladies 35 lap Enduro.

Next came two segments of qualifiers or a practice session for the Workman's OK Tire & Auto Repair School bus race, which was a real blast to watch, and we loved the noise and power of the school buses. So much fun!

Oops, on its roof. 

Driver is out and ok, that is all that matters.

Next was the long race of the day, the Hotch's Autoparts 100 lap Enduro. There was quite a few entries in this race, but it didn't take too long until the cars thinned out. Every race here was like a demolition derby. So cool!

Lining up for the 100 lap Enduro.

Our friend Brody in the black #66

Brody's  patience paid off for a while.

There was also a 10 lap flag pole race where a flag pole was set up on the front straight away and all cars had to circle the flag pole each and every lap. That flag pole sure got congested, unfortunately I didn't get photos.

Next race was the Gauntlet, which was a big old limo. 5 cars called the "Bad Guys" had to eliminate the good guys in the Gauntlet in 6 laps. Unfortunately the bad guys won. But it was fun to watch.

Then came the Workman's OK Tire & Auto Repair School bus race. Man could these things go! Even with flat tires. One bus had built his rad inside the bus, as my husband noticed that he didn't see a radiator but then notice the pipes running inside so it wouldn't get hit from the front, cool idea.

Now for the total mayham and my favorite, the 15 lap Trailer race. To be declared a winner your trailer must still be attached to your vehicle crossing at the 15th lap. If you lose your trailer you can remain in the race and try to remove your competitors trailers. What a HOOT!

I didn't notice it at first but this camper is filled with balloons.

Sweet! A pop-up tent camper with Granny on her rocking chair on the roof.

Carnage is starting:-)

 Now I know what the balloons were for in the camper. Click on the photo to enlarge it, and you will see balloons on the track and going up in the air on the right once the camper got smashed.

Notice this camper on the #68 van, it says We are the Champions. Wishful thinking or not?

Red van rolls over

But hes back on four wheels, but no trailer:-)

Carnage, looks like a tornado rolled through.

When one of these crashes happened a tire went flying through the fence. You can see it on the above photo, but a better shot on the below photo, look for the hole in the fence toward the left. From what I hear, it hit a car parked behind it and then continued on to the highway and hit another parked car.

Hope no one was hurt when the tire flew through the fence. 

#68 the winner and only trailer left, minus the camper that was on top of the trailer.

Last race before the demolition derby was the long jump.

We both regret not staying for the demolition derby, only because we had a long drive home and didn't want to extend that any longer with traffic leaving the speedway. But I must say we had more fun at the Eve of Destruction then we have had at any NASCAR race that we attended in the past. We forgot how much fun a good hometown dirt track can be.

The hospitality suites. 

Our seats in the Hospitality Suite (above photo 2nd level) were fantastic! Compliments of Workman's OK Tire and Auto Repair Quinte West. Thanks Mike!

The stands were jam packed, it was a great day.

So for a great day or evening out with the family or a date, get out and enjoy your local dirt track. Its tons of fun. For $12.00 for an adult or $35. for a family of four, you can't beat the price at Brighton Speedway. Check out their schedule and pricing at Brighton Speedway.

For a complete collection of all 70 photos and a short video of the school bus race be sure to click here to visit our facebook page.

Brighton Speedway
County Road 64
Brighton, Ontario K0K 1H0
1-866-681-1102

Campbellford Fair August 8-10, 2014

Post by Day Tripping Ontario.

Boathouse Seafood Restaurant - Belleville, Ontario

Located in Victoria Harbour in Belleville, Ontario, the Boathouse Seafood Restaurant is a welcoming fix for seafood lovers alike in the Bay of Quinte Region. There is an outside patio where you can enjoy lunch, dinner or drinks and watch the boats cruise by. Or if you have a boat, docking is available. 

Charming atmosphere and nautical decor. 

Fresh chives growing outside makes good use of an abandoned boat. 

A fantastic bar selection with local favorites such as Church Key Brews and Waupoos Cider on tap.

All of my favorites, lobster, fried shrimp, and scallops. OK, well I didn't see any fried clams on menu, but there is so much to choose from I didn't miss them. Click here for their menu.

 It don't have to be summer to enjoy waterfront dining and dream of summer. With at least two fireplaces inside you can be sure to have a cozy and intimate dining experience. Click here for winter hours. 

Be sure to check out their website to sign up for a birthday gift. Best birthday offer, beats everyone else hands down. 

The Boathouse Seafood Restaurant 
32 South Front Street
Belleville, ON  K8N 2Y3
613-969-2211

Mama's Place - Campbellford, Ontario UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP now Antonia's Bistro

Officially opened in October 2013, Mama's Place features all freshly made down home cooking and breakfast all day long. I only eat breakfast on the rare occasion, but I will stop in soon and give it a try. But I have ordered take-out a few times and must say they do make a good burger and my husband enjoyed the western sandwich. With soups made fresh daily, I'm looking forward to trying the french onion.

Located on Doxsee Avenue South, Mama's Place is bright and relaxing adorned with photos of motorcycle icons such as James Dean and Easy Rider and a juke box that Fonzie would give a thumbs up to.

Mama's Place is now under new ownership and is now Antonia's Bistro.

Antonia's Bistro
28 Doxsee Avenue South
Campbellford, Ontario
705-632-0505

For more to see and do around Campbellford and all of Ontario, visit DayTrippingOntario on Facebook and like our page:-)

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.

View Larger Map

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!