When you’re craving a relaxing weekend drive featuring some great places to eat and drink along the way, you don’t need to spend ages plotting your itinerary. Instead, check out these food and beverage trails for inspiration.
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Sip and Savour Lanark County
The Sip and Savour route through Lanark County, immediately southwest of Ottawa, will lead you to lots of roadtrip-worthy restaurants, food shops and beverage-makers in Carleton Place, Perth, Smiths Falls and smaller communities. Some of my favourites include Hummingbird Chocolate Maker in Almonte, C’est Tout Bakery and Bistro in Smiths Falls, and the Perth Cheese Shop. Lanark County styles itself as the Maple Capital of Ontario, so it’s an excellent place to pick up sweet treats. Fulton’s Sugar Bush and Maple Shop in Pakenham and Wheelers Pancake House, Sugar Camp and Museums in McDonalds Corners are open in summer (but check hours before heading out).
The Tap and Cork Route
Just northwest of Lanark County, the Tap and Cork Route showcases breweries, cider makers, wineries and distilleries in Renfrew County and Quebec’s Pontiac region. Within about an hour’s drive from downtown Ottawa, you can drop into Farmgate Cider in Arnprior. Alternatively, a trip of the same length will also bring you to Little Red Wagon Winery in Quyon, Que., which has a full-service restaurant and frequently hosts concerts. Further afield, O’Kenny Craft Spirits in Pembroke distills vodka, rye and more. You can also rent tubes from O’Kenny to bounce your way through the rapids on the nearby Muskrat River (before you sample the spirits, okay?).
Follow 44
The newly branded Follow 44 scenic route follows an old country road — 27 kilometres of Leeds-Grenville County Road 44, between Kemptville and Spencerville. And while it features all sorts of attractions, from a provincial park to a historic mill, many of the stops will appeal to food lovers. In Kemptville, for instance, you can fuel up with baked goodies from Grahame’s Bakery, the Crusty Baker, or Bubba & Bugs Coffee Bar. On Sundays, there’s a farmers’ market. South of town, you can drop into several farms along or near the route. Sample wines at Green Gables Vines or delight your kids with a visit to the goats and chickens at Happy Little Farmstead.
1000 Islands Rideau Canal Waterways
Follow 44 hugs the eastern edge of the 1000 Islands Rideau Canal Waterways region, which extends west as far as Gananoque and includes communities such as Westport, Merrickville and Brockville. The region has developed several themed itineraries for visitors, including Foodie Shop Adventures, Fresh Baked Adventures and Fresh Baked Cafes. Use the region’s maps to discover the way to gems such as Luke’s European Style Market in Athens, where you can buy house-made barbecue sauce and jams, and the delightfully named Pastry King’s Princess in Lyn, for Dutch-style baked goods and Canadian classics (try the butter tarts).
