ALONG COUNTY ROAD 45
The Red Barn Country Store (groceries, LCBO, Beer Store), Empire Butter Tart Bakery, Baltimore John's, Yorkie's BBQ (best French fries, poutine and brisket), Econo Gas Bar (gas and bait), Northumberland County Forest (hiking), Roseneath Historical Carousel (only select Sundays), Shines Bait
AROUND RICE LAKE
Muddy's BBQ pit (50-minute drive), Bellmere Winds Golf Course (50 minutes), Indian River Reptile Zoo (45 minutes), Baxter Creek Golf Club (37 minutes), Harwood Fish Culture Station (32 minutes), Doo Doo's Bakery (32 minutes), Rhino's Roadhouse and Lakeview pub-style restaurants (30 minutes), BJ Tackle boat rentals (30 minutes), Boathouse Cafe inside Golden Beach Resort (20 minutes), Harwood Convenience and Pizza (20 minutes), Lang's Marina launch (5-minute drive), the Great Trail of Canada, public boat launches
HASTINGS (15-minute drive)
Playground by the river, RBC, Valu-Mart, Home Hardware, Beer Store, LCBO, Laundromat, Subway, Square Boy Pizza, The General (gift shop), Sweet Bee's (Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream), Water Lily (Central Smith Ice Cream), Roma's Pizza and McGillicaffey's Pub for later nights or a short afternoon outing.
WARKWORTH (20-minute drive)
Playground by the river, LCBO, RBC, variety store, small mom-and-pop home and bakeware shops, art galleries, antique stores, bakery, The Golden Line (crystals) and K. Okay Roasters for coffee. Short afternoon outing.
CAMPBELLFORD (30-minute drive)
Playground by the river, Home Hardware, Canadian Tire, No Frills, Sharpe's grocery store (best priced steaks and sausages), BMO, RBC, TD Canadatrust, LCBO, Beer Store, Dollarama, Fat Bastard Burrito, Giant Tiger, Subway, Circle K, Tim Hortons, McDonald's, Capers, Dockside Bistro, Apollo's, 52 North Pub & Grille, Dooher's Bakery (best doughnuts and voted the top bakery in Canada), small mom-and-pop shops and restaurants. Go for a hike in Ferris Provincial Park with the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge. Afternoon outing.
COBOURG (30-minute drive)
Small town with all the amenities of a major urban centre. Hospital, Canadian Tire, Walmart, chain restaurants, shops and a public beach. We highly recommend the Buttermilk Cafe for breakfast. You can ride the VIA Rail train from Toronto to here, if someone needs to arrive/depart separately. Outing for a day. Ste. Anne's Spa (voted one of the best in Ontario) located in nearby Grafton.
PORT HOPE (40-minute drive)
Tranquil town with mom-and-pop shops and restaurants, art gallery and farmers' markets on select weekends. You can ride the VIA Rail train from Toronto to here, if someone needs to arrive/depart separately. Outing for a day.
PETERBOROUGH (45-minute drive)
Major urban centre. Trent University, Sir Sanford Fleming College, Riverview Zoo, mall, major chain restaurants and Costco. Outing for a day... but didn't you come here to escape the noise?
PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY (1+ hour drive)
Wine. Need we say more?