Modern Travel: A Wonderful One Tank Trip to Peterborough

Presented in paid partnership with Peterborough Tourism
All photography and videography by Jay Kana

Less than two hours east of Mississauga, Peterborough is one of Ontario’s delightful destinations that is quickly rising in popularity. It’s graced by wondrous waterways, has a fabulous food scene and is home to amazing attractions, including the world-famous Canadian Canoe Museum, Artspace and more.
It’s a great place to spend a few days and with it being so close, multiple visits are easy to do since you’ll need them to truly experience what they have to offer.

Follow my Peterborough path or use it as an inspiration to choose your own adventures in this vibrant, artistic and culture-rich city.

Lift Lock Cruise

Spending time on the water is an excellent way to appreciate Peterborough, especially with Lift Lock Cruises jovial Captain Jody.
Through the two-hour tour, he’ll splash tidbits of information about Peterborough and his silky smooth voice makes it that much better.
Sit on the upper deck for the views or enjoy the main deck to be closer to the water; there’s no bad seat on board.

The tour includes going through two lock systems, including the world-famous hydraulic Lock 21 where you’re lifted 65 feet.
There are snacks and drinks for sale and it’s a must-do activity.
When you go, tell Captain Jody that Jay says hi!

The Canadian Canoe Museum

One of Canada’s shining gems, the Canadian Canoe Museum is a majestic building on the shores of Little Lake. Hundreds of canoes, a plethora of information and there’s a sense of serenity in this beautiful building.
Paddle, err, walk slowly as you soak in all the elements the museum has for you.
From the history of the canoe, to its importance to our history to canoes used/owned by famous Canadians, there are waves of information waiting for you.

Farmers’ Markets

There are two fun Farmers Markets in Peterborough. The Peterborough & District Farmers’ Market and the Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market.
I’d been to the Regional one last year and to share the love, I sent to the District one this year.
There’s plenty of free parking and the vendors include food, baked goods, artisans, sweet treats, meat/poultry, eggs, dairy and more.
There was live music as well, which made the musician in me quite happy.
Since it’s a short drive to Mississauga, you can bring almost anything you buy back home to enjoy. 

Artspace Peterborough

This artist-run non-profit centre hosts three exhibitions yearly and also features a retail component in partnership with Art Factory.
Freshly renovated, the moveable walls make it a versatile space. Plus, there’s a Members’ Studio with equipment available, including paint, printmaking ink, vinyl and more.

Take a few minutes and watch this interview I did with their Executive Director, Leslie Menagh.

Kayak and Bicycle Rentals from Wild Rock Outfitters

With the greatest of plans made to cycle in Peterborough, Mother Nature said “maybe next time, Jay.” And that’s ok. I spent some time wandering through the store, which features a wide variety of bikes, apparel, camping gear, accessories and more. If you need gear for outdoor adventure, Wild Rock has you covered.

I did get a chance to spend time with co-owner Jeff Faulds and I invite you to watch it here.

What are some great restaurants in Peterborough?

An excellent question and one I’ll happily answer below, complete with first-hand experience!
Let’s go in alphabetical order, shall we?

Capra Toro

An upscale and approachable Italian restaurant with fantastic Italian fare.
If you can, get one of the two booths at the back where the pizza maker and oven is. No, it doesn’t get too hot. What you do get is an up-close view of hand-tossed pizzas. Paolo was my pizzaiolo, well, not mine personally but the one who was crafting pizzas during my visit.
Aside from the food being grand, the service was great and if Paolo is there when you go, tell him Jay said hi!
(Seriously, the pizzas are so, so good!)

McThirsty’s Pint

A local hotspot and home to some of the best wings I’ve had, this community staple has a patio for open air dining. There’s plenty of cool decor inside and I’m thankful their menu isn’t overwhelming; there’s the right amount of wing flavours and other pub fare.

One Fine Food Italian Restaurant and Market

This elegant Italian restaurant features a cool retail market attached to the restaurant for those who want to make their own meals and culinary creations. Think Toronto’s Eataly. Concept-wise. There’s also pre-made items ready to heat and enjoy at home.
The restaurant portion, One Fine Food features fine dining with authentic Italian delights made by hand, complete with handmade pasta.
The service is impeccable, the menu is concise and keeps the essentials in place and the arancini is in my top-five ever. Ever.
They’ve removed the intimidation factor that some fine dining places have and kept the high-end side in tact. Certainly a challenging task and one that’s very well done here.

Sam’s Place

Another Peterborough staple, they’ve got some spectacular sandwiches, with their bread and meats sourced from the Peterborough and surrounding areas.
This alone makes them worth the visit, as proudly seen on their website: “All meat is in-house cured, smoked, and prepared. All breads are preservative free. All sides are made daily, and every sandwich is freshly made to order.”
If smoked meat is your thing, the Mike Taylor is where it’s at. I should’ve gotten three.

Where to stay in Peterborough

If you want a peaceful porch view of the Otonabee River, stay at the Best Western Plus Otonabee Inn.
It’s centrally located, my bed in room 204 was delightfully comfortable and their breakfast buffet is pretty good.
Fast wifi and a spacious desk/work area made it easy to stay connected and up to date on work. 

To learn more about what this delightful city has to offer, head to the Visit Peterborough website!