The Bold and the Beautiful: Self-Guided Driving Adventures Along the Waterways

Warning: Going on the self-guided driving tours of 1000 Islands Rideau Canal Waterways may cause you to fall in love with the region over and over again.

Every stop is remarkable, with friendly faces, delicious food and unforgettable experiences guiding you to discover sides of the region that foster a deeper connection to life here. Not only is the 1000 Islands Rideau Canal Waterways a foodie paradise, but it’s set amongst beautiful blooms, creative art experiences and intriguing local producers. 

We started by picking up the new Self-guided Driving Adventure map, featuring five different tours: Gardens, Bottle & Barrel, Fresh Baked, Cafes and Foodie Shops. It was handy to have it all on one brochure! I loved that while you can access and download the maps online, you can follow along from a physical paper brochure too. There’s something about holding the routes in your hands that makes the road trip feel like an adventure!

With tunes drifting from the speakers and windows down, we hit the road to start taking in blooms and farm life at Wendy’s County Market in Rideau Lakes. Wendy’s is a place to unwind and take a minute to enjoy life, an ice cream, and local produce. You can cuddle a coche hen, tour through the beautiful greenhouses, see the animals and simply slow down. Wendy’s Country Market is housed in a historic schoolhouse and brings together more than 60 local producers under one roof, while also roasting their own coffee and growing a lot of veggies.

After buying a colourful hanging basket of wave petunias and verbena (because you can never have too many plants…), it was off to continue the morning in the best way - with coffee and a treat from two great shops in Athens.

Driving into Athens, you know this village is unique. The murals on the sides of the buildings are larger than life reminders of the power of small communities to really do things in a big way. One of my favourites depicts working horses, colourful and strong. Luckily, it’s near to Luke’s European Style Market, so we ducked inside to be greeted warmly by Luke himself.

Luke is an artisan when it comes to masterfully creating the perfect pour of caffeine. He is known for personally remembering customers and carefully crafting everything on the espresso menu at the market-style cafe, from in-house gourmet food products to coffee syrups, sauces and more. Maple syrup vanilla latte for me, please! Of course, we had to buy Luke’s popular blueberry compote, which another customer recommended as we were looking around the historic shop. With a low tin ceiling and rustic, cozy vibe, Luke’s is one of those places that you casually roam into but then quickly turns into a Sunday morning obsession. 

I saunter down the street and peek into Big Waters Bakery. It’s early in the morning, but the place is already serving a steady stream of friendly folks. The owner and baker, Angie, seems to know almost everyone, cheerfully greeting them while multitasking between baking, packaging and restocking the display cases. At Big Waters, they make everything fresh, in-house, on the daily. I decide on a cinnamon pinwheel, brioche with pastry cream and jam, and a chocolate almond croissant with a loaf of sesame sourdough bread. I hardly make it back to the car before ripping open my bag of treats! What a great start to the day. 

Fully sated and ready for anything, we decided that while it was still cool in the early morning sun, we would head over the AOG Art Trail at “the fork in the road” near Frankville, where there is literally a gigantic fork sculpture alongside the road. This trail proved to be an awesome surprise! More than 40 pieces of sculpture, photography, murals and other art from local and international artists are installed along 4 km of trails through an enchanting maple forest, a pine plantation and fields. It was an engaging stroll, with new art pieces to gaze upon around every bend. An absolutely delightful and thought-provoking cultural addition to the morning. And it was free! 

We started the car again and off we went to Mallorytown, with some drinks at BUSL Cider calling our names. This family-owned cidery is tucked away on Quabbin Road and known for its artisanal and innovative ciders. We were immediately taken with the upscale country charm of this place: a cider house and production facility in a heritage barn, tractors as decor, and a beautiful vista to enjoy while sitting in Adirondack chairs overlooking the orchard, fields and sipping bevies. Their ciders are created on the 280-acre property, which has a few acres of lavender and Haskap berries in addition to the orchard. This has hidden gem written all over it, and we vowed to be back again soon.

Next, it was a quick drive near North Augusta to take in the beauty of Adair Gardens. Open by appointment on Fridays, this flower garden is unassuming from the road and stunning close up. Owner Amy was in the barn creating beautiful and thoughtful bouquets for flower subscriptions when we arrived, and she guided us to the gardens. A stroll among the flowers was so peaceful, with bachelor buttons, dahlias, cosmos, and more seemingly floating in the breeze. The smell of peonies was intoxicating. 

Before long, it was time to hit the road again to carry on to Hall’s Apple Market. This place rivals and bests the old adage, an apple a day. Freshly-baked on site, the apple pies, tarts, and cookies are out of this world. While we were there, we tasted the Hall’s hard cider and left with apple bread and an apple print apron to add to my collection of quirky cooking attire. We heard that Hall’s Apple Market is the perfect place for apple picking in late summer and early fall, too!

Next, we continued along the scenic Highway 2 to Prescott. If you’ve never been to Prescott in the summer, you are missing out. The harbour is a wonderful place to spend the day, with crystal blue water as your backdrop as you explore an outdoor amphitheatre, Shakespeare Gardens, ice cream at the Rotary Lighthouse and the fun Pop-up Promenade! It also plays host to Arbru On the River, which brings quality craft beer to the Prescott waterfront, patio style. It’s Canada’s first solar-powered beer garden located on the banks of the stunning St. Lawrence River. We grabbed a seat at a picnic table under an umbrella and shared a refreshing flight before heading over to Johnstown to King’s Lock Craft Distillery.

This is a great experience at a renowned distillery. Not only is King’s Lock an award-winning distiller of organic and Kosher spirits, but it’s known across the globe for quality and creativity. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour here with tastings! The staff is happy to chat about the process of crafting their organic moonshine, vodka, rye and gin from scratch. Just down the road is the Healing Circle Labyrinth, a circular meditation garden for intentional walking and a unique experience. Featuring woodland walkways, gardens bursting with foliage and flowers and spots for contemplation. Find fountains, a medicine wheel, reflexology path, a copper pyramid and a sense of peace here. This was the perfect way to end the day - on a note of calm and reflection. 

It certainly made us introspective, and we chatted on the way home about how grateful we are as locals to live in this beautiful area. Visitors will truly appreciate the sparkling water, lush forest, wide open spaces, and vibrant communities, with so much variety and adventure on top of a welcoming vibe. We might have even finished off our treats from the bakery on the way home. We can’t wait to explore the rest of the self-driving tour adventures!

Looking for more adventures in the 1000 Islands Rideau Canal Waterway? There’s so much more to discover, from county fairs and music festivals to cruises and historic sites. Stay up to date by following along on Facebook and Instagram @1000islandsRideauCanalWaterways or find more guides at 1000IslandsRideauCanalWaterways.com.