Ontario Travel: Lindsay, Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon

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One of my favourite getaway regions from Toronto is the Kawartha Lakes area -- it's just a gorgeous region with tons of pristine blue lakes and rivers, green forests, fertile agricultural fields and rugged Canadian Shield rocks. On July 30, 2010 I set off with a friend for a day of explorations from Toronto and within less than an hour and half I had arrived at my first stop: downtown Lindsay.
I had never been to Lindsay, a country town with a population of about 33,000 residents, but the minute we parked our car on Kent Street, the town's main artery, I was impressed by the attractive townscape that surrounded us. Wide sidewalks, attractive stores with a wide assortment of merchandise, street cafes and restaurants were all nestled along the widest Main Street in Ontario.
From here we headed out into the rolling farmlands north of Lindsay and caught occasional glimpses of Sturgeon Lake glistening to our right. We stopped briefly in the small village of Coboconk which is located at the northern tip of Balsam Lake, the highest point on the Trent-Severn Waterway, a 386 kilometre canal system connects Lake Ontario with Georgian Bay and features 44 locks.
From Coboconk we drove south to Fenelon Falls, a picturesque village between Sturgeon Lake and Cameron Lake, home to lock 34 of the Trent-Severn Waterway. Dozens of travelers were watching the operation of the liftlock as recreational boats and even the Spirit of the Kawarthas, a large sightseeing boat, got lifted up by the lock to continue their journey. We capped off a nice morning with a tasty late lunch at The Lake House, a nice patio restaurant that overlooks the waterway and park system.
After a nice drive through rolling countryside we arrived in Bobcaygeon, another community along the Trent-Severn Waterway. This village was the location of the first lock of the Trent-Severn Waterway, and the unique feature of the Bobcaygeon lock is the blue swing bridge which swivels to let taller vessels pass.
We ended our visit of Bobcaygeon with a stroll down the village's main street which is full of shoe stores, antique shops, boutiques and various patio restaurants. Then we headed south past the historic village of Omemee, birthplace of famous singer Neil Young. Past the rolling hills of the Oak Ridges Moraine our last stop was in Port Perry, another pretty historic town on Lake Scugog. There I had a chance to photograph many of the large historic mansions which are testimony to the wealth that was created in this area during the Victorian times. This route is one of my favourite drives for exploring the Ontario countryside.