Highway 69 used to run through Nobel until the Highway 400 extension in 2010 cut it off, disrupting the town and most of the businesses located there. The town is named after Alfred Nobel the inventor of Dynamite! During both WW1 and WW2, dynamite was produced at factories in Nobel.

Canadian aircraft engine manufacturer and parts supplier Orenda Engines also had their testing facility in Nobel – the Orenda Iroquois turbojet engine used for the Avro Arrow was tested here. The closest exit to Nobel from the 400 is now named Avro Arrow Road.

To get to Nobel we accessed the Toyota Press Fleet and tested the Toyota Rav4 Trail Edition. We were renting a cottage in a wooded area with a few friends so wanted something that had space for passengers as well as cargo and something that was prepared for off-roading, if we needed it. We also had golf clubs and a dog to transport while there. The low rear loading height and rubberized luggage tray made it perfect for this.

Every time we visit this area, we see an abundance of wildlife. Each morning, along the beach, many animal tracks can be seen including deer, skunks, raccoons and black bears. During this trip we had two deer run across the lawn while we were fixing bikes and preparing the BB. Behind them came the neighbours dog who passed us with a smile on his face.

Just five minutes from the place we rented lies Parry Sound Golf Course. It features a full 18 holes as well as a driving range and a putting practice area. The course is right next to the waters of Georgian Bay and has some awesome aerial views. The Thomas McBroom course design was completed in 1982 and replaced the original 9-hole facility established in 1929. We spent a few hours on the driving range while one of our party members did 9 holes on a second day.

If golf is not your thing, then maybe some time on the water is more up your alley. The coast of Georgian Bay allows for tons of fun activities including boating, kayaking and canoeing. If you want to take a boat trip from this area, try visiting the “Hole in the Wall”, a small break in an island that was dredged to allow cruise ships to pass through two cliff faces. This is one of the most popular cliff jumping areas in Southern Georgian Bay with jump heights ranging from 2 metres to roughly 10 metres.

Killbear Provincial Park is also just a few minutes away from Nobel. The park features kilometres of rocky shoreline mixed with several sandy beaches. If you are into hiking or biking, there are 6 km of recreational trails. They also boast great conditions for both sailing and windsurfing.

Killbear is also a great place to camp if you want to break out the tent before cooking some food over the fire. Many options for guests are available including group camping and sheltered cabins.

Parry Sound is very close to Nobel so if you want to visit that area, you can check out our previous post from a trip we took there.

The post Road trip to Nobel for a little bit of history and Georgian Bay appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Parry Sound

Parry Sound is located 2.5 hours north of Toronto along highway 400. The town is situated on the mouth of a river that flows into Georgian Bay. The town itself has less than 6000 permanent residents but the area is very popular for cottage goers and seasonal guests. It was when I was almost arriving in Parry Sound that I got a glimpse of the future of cars and how amazing semi-automated driving is going to be. While on the highway, another vehicle 3-4 chevrons ahead made a sudden change of speed prior to a lane exit. Our vehicle immediately detected the 40km/h speed change and applied the breaks to our Escape. My guest and I both had a “Whoa” moment.

After the first leg of our drive, we arrived in Parry Sound. There are several attractions that you can visit while passing through Parry Sound. For the most part, I just programmed in all of our destinations in our travel order into the Escape’s SYNC® 3 navigation system. With this, we could go through the list as we finished at each destination. If your car can not do this, you can use your smartphone to make it easier to navigate all the towns and rural attractions.

Here are the Parry Sound Attractions we visited.

Museum

The Museum on Tower Hill or the West Parry Sound Museum was started by local historians who nurtured it to its current state. The museum holds several artifacts that were involved in trading and settlement in the region. The museum’s goal is to preserve and interpret the core cultural themes that carved the West Parry Sound District out of a rugged Canadian landscape and explores contemporary topics relevant to today’s communities. 

Here are shots of the museum and an old logging sled.

Tower

The tower on Tower Hill is a several storey steel structure at the top of Tower Hill that gives a great view of Parry Sound, the train trellis and the surrounding bays and rivers. As it is an open air tower, it can get a bit freaky as you climb to the top. Watch for any loose items that may fall through the cracks or off the edge!

Bobby Orr Hall of Fame

The Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts houses a large performing arts centre as well as the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame. The HOF is an interactive hockey museum showcasing photos, memorabilia and artifacts from the life of Bobby Orr, a Parry Sound native. One can find Orr’s NHL rings, some of his trophies and awards, NHL and Amateur jerseys, the history of his career and a variety of interactive games related to hockey. One can also find memorabilia from other athletes related to Parry Sound.

Inside the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame. #bobbyorr #hhof #parrysound #hockey

A video posted by Joel Levy (@joelfromtoronto) on Aug 28, 2016 at 10:51am PDT

Killbear Provincial Park is also close to Parry Sound but we did not get a chance to visit it this summer, yet.

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Grundy Lake Provincial Park

I visited Grundy Lake Provincial Park for our Georgian Bay 4-day Camping Trip and wanted to go back to it again. It has some very nice plots to set up as well as some lake adjacent plots. Our location had a short path that led to the waterfront, a great spot to catch the stars on a clear night. The park also has a nice sandy beach and swimming area. Get in touch with them to find out what their availability is and try and secure a good spot.

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Sudbury

Sudbury is a pretty big city with a population of over 150,000. The city was founded as a nickel mining town in the late 1800s. The town has moved away from mining and forestry to focus on being the retail, economic, health and educational centre for Northeastern Ontario.

Big Nickel

The Big Nickel is located alongside Dynamic Earth, a mining heritage museum. It is 9 metres in diameter and replicates the 1951 Canadian nickel. It was finished in 1964 at a cost of $35,000.

At the giant nickel in #Sudbury. #TeamBlue moving on to the grotto next in our #FordEscape. #EscapeAndDiscover pic.twitter.com/p4QUZntheR

— Toronto Guardian (@TORGuardian) June 11, 2016

Lake Laurentian Conservation Area

With 2400 acres worth exploring the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area is a must see on your trip. It includes wetland areas, hiking trails, bird watching areas, as well as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winer time.

#LakeLaurentian Conservation Area just outside #Sudbury, #Ontario, #Canada. ——————————————————————————- Follow me for photos from my adventures. Feel free to share with a tag. ——————————————————————————- #instapassport #awesupply #wanderlust #instatravel #travelingram #traveling #letsgoeverywhere #instagood #photooftheday #igtravel #instagoodmyphoto #worldtravelbook #justgoshoot #exploretocreate #streetdreamsmag #hypebeast #highsnobiety #createexplore #peoplescreatives #travelphotography #mytravelgram @discoverearth #explorecanada #discoveron #travelblogger #travelgram

A photo posted by Joel Levy (@stedyphoto) on Jun 18, 2016 at 10:38am PDT

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North Bay

After Sudbury it is about an hour and a half drive to North Bay. Along the way, and within North Bay, several attractions can be discovered. It was at this point I noticed the car had the lane assist warning that is becoming popular in vehicles. An alert is given when you cross a lane without signalling to warn you about drifting lanes. I thought this would be helpful on either a multi-lane highway or on single lane roads with a solid line in the middle.

Duchesnay Falls

Duchesnay Falls is located along the Trans-Canada Highway at the West entrance to the town of North Bay. It has many vantage points as the riverbank can be hiked to catch a glimpse of the many levels of waterfalls.

Looking for adventures in Ontario? Arrived at Duchesnay Falls w/ #TeamBlue outside #NorthBay. #EscapeAndDiscover pic.twitter.com/OxTpbMpzIn

— Toronto Guardian (@TORGuardian) June 11, 2016

Lee Park Airplane

In Lee Park there is this Air Force plane mounted on a stand. It makes for a great spot to take photos. There is a big reason why military planes are so big here.

22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay is located in North Bay. The air force base is the centre of the air defence system for the entire country. It works alongside the United States through NORAD and provides air defence for the Canada-U.S. portion of the North American continent.

There is also a shopping plaza sized bunker here 60 storeys beneath the surface!

Churchill’s Restaurant

We ate at a very nice restaurant for dinner while in North Bay. A 30-year institution, Churchill’s boasts being one of the top 50 restaurants in Canada. The fine dining restaurant is elegant with a classic cottage feel. The rustic feel goes great with their specialties of meat and comfort foods. Steak with potatoes and seafood dishes are complimented by their collection of great wines.

Do check this place out if you are visiting the town.

Air BnB Rentals

North Bay has some great Air BnB places like this 3 bedroom house we rented while we were there. It was situated right on the beach and very close to the restaurant and the centre of the town.

Huntsville

From North Bay, you can head along highway 11 to Toronto. Along the way, you will pass the town of Huntsville, Ontario, the epicentre of prime cottage country. Huntsville is the largest town in the popular cottage region of Muskoka. It is also situated right beside Algonquin Park, a National treasure for Canada.

While passing through the town, be sure to check out its small town charm and even stay the night at one of its AirBnB listings. Many lakeside properties are available.

For more Ontario road trip ideas, visit our Ontario travel column.

The post 3-Day Ontario Road Trip through Parry Sound, Sudbury and North Bay appeared first on Toronto Guardian.