Travel Ontario: Exploring Port Perry by Bicycle

Title:
Travel Ontario: Exploring Port Perry by Bicycle

Description:
After my interesting visit on September 18, 2009 to Lake Ridge Farm, Koi Nursery and Water Gardens, I drove about 15 minutes south to Port Perry, an extremely charming, Victorian-era town that is just about an hour north east of Toronto. Port Perry is a very popular getaway for local city folk due to its proximity to Toronto, its beautiful Victorian main street which features dozens of quaint stores, and its scenic location on Lake Scugog. During the warm months lake cruises are offered by the MV Woodman, a vessel that was designed in 2002 along the lines of a steamship from the 1800s. The Woodman offers sightseeing, lunch, dinner and special event cruises on Lake Scugog. The town of about 8,500 people was originally settled in 1821 and a village was laid out in 1848. The railway arrived in 1872, where goods from northern Ontario that had arrived via boat on Lake Scugog were loaded onto trains to be transported to Whitby on Lake Ontario. Most of Port Perrys heritage architecture stems from the late 1800s, including the 1873 Town Hall that is now a centre for the performing arts. The Scugog Shores Historical Museum just outside Port Perry showcases twelve restored heritage buildings that illustrate life during the second half of the 19th century. Another important tourism attraction near Port Perry is the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino which is owned and operated by the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. Casino profits are distributed to various charitable organizations. My rather brief visit in Port Perry was a chance to get on my bicycle and explore this quaint town on two wheels. Port Perry has built a very attractive waterfront trail along the western shores of Lake Scugog that is shaded by a thick canopy of leafy trees and provides occasional scenic lookout points over the lake. The town and the surrounding country roads are great destinations for avid cyclists.

Author:
travelandtransitions

Tags:
Ontario, Canada, Toronto, Port, Perry, Lake, Scugog,