Life In Pleasantville
Food, Travel, Life
The first time I went white water rafting I was 43. If you had told me then that I would still be doing it at 56, and voluntarily, I would have laughed in your face and gone back to my sangria. But here we are. It turns out white water rafting for beginners in Ontario …
There are small towns and then there is Merrickville. In 1998, Communities in Bloom named it Canada’s Most Beautiful Village, and the designation is not doing any heavy lifting on its behalf. It genuinely earns it. Victorian stone buildings lining streets that feel untouched by the last hundred years, a UNESCO World Heritage canal running …
I’ve lived in Ottawa for over twenty years and I have taken every single visitor I’ve ever had to Parliament Hill. Every one. It’s the Eiffel Tower problem. Parisians have been rolling their eyes at tourists with selfie sticks in front of an iron tower since 1889, and Ottawans have been doing the same quiet …
I don’t get out much in Ottawa, but when Parks Canada invited me to experience high tea at Laurier House Ottawa, I made an exception. Not because there’s nothing to do close to home, there’s plenty, but because when I embarrass myself here I risk running into those people again. My dad jokes have a …
There is a specific kind of town that gets under your skin. Not the flashy kind, not the Instagram-famous kind, but the kind where you park the car, start walking, and forty-five minutes later realize you have completely forgotten what you were worried about before you got here. Perth, Ontario is that kind of town. …
Exploring Toronto with teens was, for me, like seeing this cosmopolitan city with new eyes. Toronto had become so familiar to me over the years, having lived, worked, and played there, that I had become complacent about it as a tourist destination. On a recent trip with my teenager and her best friend though, I …
Winters in Canada are long, and as such, our thoughts naturally turn to beach escapes to make life more bearable. I’m no exception to that rule, except I’ve learned over the years that the beach doesn’t need to be far and the time away doesn’t need to be long to break the monotony. Call it …
If you are hunting for Westport Ontario things to do, this guide covers my favourite spots for views, food, shopping, and easy weekend stays. Westport is one of those Ontario small towns that honestly doesn’t get enough attention. Truth be told, I hesitate to share it because it’s such a gem I’d rather keep it …
