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🧀 If you love… Artisanal Cheese & Rolling Rural Views: Oxford County
In the heart of Ontario's Southwest, you will find Oxford County, the Dairy Capital of Canada. Exploring this culinary region is made easy using The Oxford County Cheese Trail, a self-guided driving route visiting 30 stops celebrating Oxford’s dairy past and present. Visit local cheesemakers, breweries, chocolatiers, farms, restaurants, museums and artisans where you can taste, tour and take home a piece of Oxford County.
Oxford County is a popular destination for couples looking to escape for great food, unique hands-on experiences and relaxation. Embrace our rural routes during fall colours visiting farms and hiking trails. Go field to fork with a harvest brunch experience. Make your own 1800s baseball or charcuterie board to swap stories over at home. Make your own chocolate bark featuring local ingredients (bacon and strawberries – yes please). Slow down in the pasture with horses, alpacas or miniature highland cows. Take the plunge at one of two Nordic Spas. Visit www.TourismOxford.ca for itineraries, maps, and to request a custom itinerary from Oxford County’s concierge team.
That strong sense of pride also shines through in experiences from talented locals:
🍃 Nature & Natural Attractions
The Trillium Woods Trail is home to maple trees that put on a spectacular show each fall. Stroll the wide, well-maintained trail that loops through a mature maple sugar bush. Jakeman’s Maple Farm, located right across the road from the trail, is the perfect place to stop for a sweet treat to taste the magic that happens from within these majestic maples! Explore over 160 KM of trails for fabulous forest views, tall grass prairie and meandering waterways.
With so much to see and do, an overnight stay is a good idea for visitors looking to slow down and really take in this beautiful corner of Canada. Thoughtfully curated getaway packages offer visitors ready-to-book adventures that blend beautiful accommodation options with fun activities in the area.
💡 Locals Know Best Tip: Score vintage finds at favourite local haunts, like One Of A Kind Antique Mall, which is Canada’s largest antique mall, or smaller local shops filled with pre-loved perfection, including Groove Decor and Modern Hipster Vintage.
🌆If you love… A Big-City Dining Scene With A Side of Fresh-Air Fun: London
Affectionately referred to as “The Forest City,” London is a natural choice for road trippers looking to enjoy spectacular autumn colours in a vibrant and deliciously diverse urban setting. Thanks to its distance from other large urban centers, London has a surprisingly big city feel for a community of less than 500,000 people. London boasts a red-hot culinary scene, interesting historic sites, and outstanding live arts venues that have helped it earn its status as Canada’s first UNESCO City of Music. Food-themed trails and special food events offer a scrumptious way to explore the city.
That strong sense of pride also shines through in experiences from talented locals:
🍃 Nature & Natural Attractions
For the ultimate autumn adrenaline rush, head to Boler Mountain and explore the Treetop Adventure Park & Ziplines. This outdoor park is situated within a natural Carolinian forest, and offers three different course levels, plus a kids’ course, and a zipline-only course boasting six consecutive zips. End your adventure flying through the sky on Southern Ontario’s longest zipline, which takes riders from the top of the hill back to the chalet.
From hip, new big-brand hotels to beautifully updated heritage buildings just steps from the city’s downtown dining and music scene, London offers a diverse range of accommodation options for road trippers looking to relax for the night.
💡 Locals Know Best Tip: Westminster Ponds is a gorgeous, nearly 500-acre greenspace that is home to miles of managed trails winding past six ponds and a variety of other natural habitats. This off-the-radar, environmentally significant area is the perfect place to take in the colors on a leisurely fall stroll.
🌊If you love… Cozy & Colorful Coastal Cruising: Sarnia-Lambton
A fall drive along Ontario’s Blue Coast is an invitation to explore new flavours, meet passionate local producers, and discover the whole other world that’s waiting to welcome visitors who venture across the St. Clair River. Whether sipping on award-winning cider made from just-picked apples, biting into a bison burger with meat sourced from a farm less than five miles up the road, or chatting with passionate craft beer makers about the tricks of their trade, little moments on a Sarnia-Lambton road trip have a way of leaving a big impression.
That strong sense of pride also shines through in experiences from talented locals:
🍃 Nature & Natural Attractions
Fall colours seem even brighter alongside a sparkling Lake Huron or St. Clair River shoreline, and Sarnia-Lambton has beautiful walking and cycling trails for taking in amazing autumn views and jaw-dropping sunsets. Paved paths, like those along the downtown Sarnia waterfront and in Canatara Park, make for easy strolling, or rent a ride from Great Lakes Bicycles to cover even more ground! Those seeking a colourful vantage point that’s a little more off the beaten path can find beautiful views at Highland Glen Park and Rock Glen Conservation Area.
Calling it a night in Sarnia-Lambton allows visitors to easily match their accommodations to the vibe of their road trip. Choose from cozy motels with modern updates, and luxuriously appointed hotels just steps from the shoreline.
💡 Locals Know Best Tip: There’s no need to browse the shelves at multiple shops and galleries to find a unique handmade art piece to take home as a memory of your trip! Lake Life Studio Artisan Boutique has a carefully curated selection of handcrafted items from over 25 local and Canadian artists, including fused glass creations, pottery, jewelry, painting, woodwork, candles, and more.
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We are happy to welcome visitors to experience the beauty and memories that our home has to offer…