Exploring Lindsay (and Mary Brown's chicken!)

Lindsay ON

There were many stops we were not able to make during our houseboating vacation as we only had a weekend. So, we drove to these places instead!

One of the stops was Lindsay, ON. We got there close to lunch time (as it was about a 2-hour drive from Toronto) so we looked for somewhere to eat quickly. We saw Mary Brown’s chicken so we decided to give it a try. We absolutely loved it! DD#2, the chicken-lover, said this beats Popeye’s for her! And we know that means something as she REALLY loves Popeye’s. 

Mary Brown's chicken

Anyway, we ordered chicken, taters and a side of coleslaw. The chicken was tender and crispy! The gravy was made for it! The taters were also coated in tasty batter. They were gone in a flash! The coleslaw provided some nice counter of sweet and tart to the salty-spicy goodness of the chicken.

 After the fast-food we slowed down by exploring Main St at Lindsay, about 5min from the Mary Brown’s. The public library was beautifully decorated with flowers and was right across the park. 

The main street was quite wide—apparently made wide enough to accommodate the turns of a 4-horse hitch back in the day. There were several wonderful shops along the Main St. We were super-tempted to splurge on some antiques! However, there were also quite a few which had sadly closed shop.

Main St., Lindsay

Near the Main St, you can find the locks of the Trent Severn waterway. The area was full of people enjoying a stroll at the promenade or trying to catch fish.

 

It was a nice relaxing daytrip.

Highest Hydraulic Lift Lock in the World: a visit to Peterborough lift locks

Peterborough Lift Lock

Thirty minutes away from Cobourg, Peterborough was the next destination for our group's summer trip. We went to check out the Peterborough Lift Lock, a National Historic Site, and the highest hydraulic lift lock in the world. What was more interesting about this was that it was built in the early 1900s. It was a great accomplishment even for today’s standards and still operational!

We were lucky to catch a few boats locking through that day, including the cruise boat. It allowed us to see this awesome engineering. It would have been nice to be able to get on one of the liftlock and riverboat cruises but we didn't have much time.

Lift Lock Cruises at Peterborough

 The kids engaged in one of the children’s programs set up by the Park—a role playing activity for the Tug Trent. It was nice but too hot and a tad too long for the kids. Much appreciated, though, that they had activities like these.

Tug Trent at Peterborough Lift Locks

We also checked out the visitors' centre beside the lock. It offered interactive exhibits, videos and other historical displays detailing the construction of the lift lock. There was also a gift shop and their mascot came out to hand out tattoos and pencils for the kids.

Visitor's Centre at Peterborough Lift Locks

Parka the mascot

 We got take-out burgers and sausages from the nearby Reggie’s grill and grabbed a couple of the picnic tables by the lock to have lunch. The burgers were just so-so and all our orders took almost an hour.  Maybe the staff was overheating inside the stuffy joint and not quite inspired to turn out nice, juicy burgers?

Currywurst from Reggie's, Peterborough

Sides of fries and Onion rings from Reggie's, Peterborough

All in all, it was a nice visit and a good learning experience for both kids and adults. There were other attractions and restaurants to check out in Peterborough which we no longer had a chance to see. We’ll save those for next time!

“Feeling good”: attractions and dining at Cobourg

Ontario's Feel Good Town

On our yearly summer outing, our group of friends decided to spend a night in Cobourg. As we arrived at Cobourg, we were greeted by signs that they have been dubbed (by themselves, I don’t know :) ) as Ontario’s feel good town. Well, we were all ready to feel good so bring it on!

The Waterfront Festival was underway when we arrived so parking was a mess. We checked out the Farmer’s market first which was quite small. They offered some nice baked goodies but the selection was not big.  We also decided not to go to the Arts and Crafts show as it charged an admission of $7 per person. We know it was for a good cause but it was just not that worth it for us.

Victoria Hall at Cobourg

Then, we walked to the nearby marina to start building our appetite for lunch.

Cobourg Marina

We had lunch at Buttermilk Café. They served all day breakfast and some great burgers. Grandma and DD#1 got some traditional breakfast meals—omelet and pancakes. Hubby got the "Odd Couple" Tartine-- grilled chicken breast with bacon, honey mustard sauce and melted Monterey Jack cheese on their own Country Bread. I had a small bite and it was yummy.

Odd Couple Tartine at Buttermilk Cafe, Cobourg

 DD#2 and I shared the Gourmet Canadian Burger. It was deliciously juicy and flavourful! The burger was topped with Canadian bacon, honey mustard sauce, roasted tomato, and provolone cheese. It was served on house-made grilled focaccia--one of the better burgers I had!

Gourmet Canadian Burger at Buttermilk Cafe, Cobourg

After lunch, we walked along King St. to check out the many wonderful shops. The kids pestered us for some beach time so we headed to the beach next.

Victoria Park at Cobourg

 The beach at Victoria park was wide and clean. Garbage cans were available, lifeguards were on duty, and as there was a festival, police patrolled the area. There were food trucks and stalls nearby as well as a splashpad if kids got tired of the lake and sand. The waters of Lake Ontario did leave much to be desired. I did not even dip in. The kids were oblivious to the cold and weeds though.

Beach at Cobourg

 Before we knew it, it was dinner time! We went to Corfu Mediterranean Grill, which was a smallish place for a group of 14 people. But they got us to fit and the food was fantastic! DD#1 got some of her favourite calamari. They were lightly- battered and golden brown. Beautifully fried and served with tzatziki dip, they were delightful.

Calamari at Corfu Mediterranean Grill, Cobourg

 The rest mostly had Chicken Souvlaki. The skewers of marinated chicken were charbroiled to perfection. It came with rice (or potatoes) and tzatziki sauce as well. Our other friends got Chicken Gyro dinner and they also said it was delicious!

Chicken Souvlaki at Corfu Mediterranean Grill, Cobourg

 We spent the night at a nearby inn to prepare for more adventures the next day.

It was a good day with good friends—ingredients guaranteed for any feel good moment!