10 Summer Trips in Canada: Extend the Season in Style
If you feel like the summer of ‘24 is passing you by, don’t fast-forward to Thanksgiving just yet. Daytime highs above 20°C tend to stick around well into September in many Canadian cities, towns, parks and regions, where local libertines continue to cavort across sunny fields, sandy beaches, cosmopolitan patios, and rooftop hotel terraces. Indeed, with temperatures and humidity mellowing and summer crowds giving way to more intimate experiences, the following destinations are at their best toward the end of the third quarter.
Prince Edward County, Ontario
Just south of Belleville, where September highs average 21C, this verdant Lake Ontario peninsula is famous for a wide range of summer pursuits: beach fun, boating, windsurfing, wine tours, and patio dining included on a Taste Trail that guides visitors across PEC. Sybaritic newcomers to the 40-stop route include a stunning lakefront terrace at Wander the Resort, which also added an opulent thermal spa circuit this summer.
Mount Royal, Montreal, Quebec
September’s 20.6C average high makes the 233-metre-tall hill at Montreal’s heart all the more appealing. Its two leafy parks are home to a pair of historic belvederes that offer superb views of downtown, along with a man-made lake, an extensive network of walking trails, and a sculpture garden. The bohemian “Tam Tams” drum circle, meanwhile, forms around the George-Étienne Cartier Monument on Sundays until the end of September. Steps from the slopes, the year-old Hôtel Honeyrose is home to 143 rooms stylishly decorated with paintings by local artist Roxy Peroxyde, a flower shop selling preserved “eternal roses” in a nod to the property’s moniker, a gym with a dry sauna and indoor pool, the rooftop Muze Lounge & Terrasse, and the Commodore bistro just off the eye-catching lobby.
Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia
Set at the scenic south end of its peak-ringed namesake lake, Harrison Hot Springs is rightly renowned for outdoor diversions ranging from forest bathing and hiking to kayaking and golf. As a basecamp for experiencing all of the above (and more) in tandem with the village’s famous springs, visitors can’t do much better than the luxurious (and pet-friendly) Harrison Hot Springs Resort, which surrounds five hot mineral pools and an opulent spa with lush gardens.
St. Andrews, New Brunswick
As well as being nestled on a scenic harbour and rich in historic Maritime architecture and fiddle-music-filled pubs, this gorgeous Bay of Fundy village is home to the Tudor-style Algonquin Resort — aka the “Castle by the Sea” – where fine dining and luxurious digs combine swimmingly with indoor and outdoor pools and a decadent spa. If you’re craving the summer warmth of sandy beaches, St. Andrews can oblige there too, what with daily highs in nearby Saint John averaging exactly 20C in September.
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Alberta & Saskatchewan
Canada’s first and only interprovincial park is home to the beach-, campsite-, cottage- and resort-lined Elkwater Lake, and with September high temperatures in nearby Medicine Hat averaging 20.5 C these amenities don’t fold after Labour Day. The same goes for the Resort at Cypress Hills, which combines an outdoor volleyball court, campfires and horseshoe pits with a yoga and fitness studio, lavishly appointed hotel rooms, townhouse and cabins, Ivan’s Restaurant, the Pines Lounge, and a patio.
Mont Orford National Park, Quebec
Less than 30 minutes by car from Sherbrooke — where September highs average 20.2C — the compact park surrounding its namesake 881-metre peak features several sandy beaches, extensive hiking and mountain-biking trails, and a golf course. A 20-minute drive east of the park in North Hatley, the Manoir Hovey, an upscale Relais & Châteaux inn, helps guest soothe tired hiking muscles with an indoor-outdoor Thermal Circuit encompassing two hot tubs, a sauna, a hammam steam room, a cold pool, a cold shower with Saskatchewan pink salt exfoliation, and of course a leap into Lake Massawippi.
Bugaboo Provincial Park, British Columbia
While not something we would have thought of immediately, a recent excursion into the Canadian Rockies promptly landed Bugaboo Provincial Park on our radar, specifically thanks to the offering from CMH Summer Adventures. CMH’s claim to fame is an impressive one; their Bugaboo Lodge (one of three lodges they operate) is the birthplace of heli-skiing, and has been in operation for over 50 years. A little-known element of their operation is their Summer Adventures, which include heli-access hiking in some truly breathtaking terrain. Their trips start at 3-day bookings, with all meals and helicopter transit included. Want a break from the action? An afternoon in the lodge spa and hot tub makes for a good way to unwind ahead of dinner. OK, the weather will be a bit cooler, but this kind of outdoor adventure still screams summer in our books.
Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
The fragrant orchards and 50-plus wineries of this Great Lakes-warmed region only become more inviting as the summer wears on, as do picturesque towns such as Niagara-on-the-Lake, where upscale inns such as the Shaw Club and Pillar and Post let visitors dine, spa and snooze in comfort and style. Nearby Thorold is considered to have Canada’s best overall weather, with the city of Niagara Falls — home to the world-famous cascades, water parks, buzzing casinos and much more — boasting average daytime highs of 21.9°C in September.
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
With its namesake lake getting warmer than the Mediterranean Sea, and with its two largest cities — Penticton and Kelowna — both boasting more than 120 days above 20°C each year, it’s no wonder this winery-, beach- and patio-filled valley keeps the days of summer going well into September. Speaking of prime patios, Vanilla Pod serves tapas-style dishes such as chorizo on grilled flatbread amid the vines of Poplar Grove, one of the original five wineries on the Okanagan’s Naramata Bench.
Point Pelee National Park, Ontario
Jutting seven kilometres into Lake Erie, Canada’s southernmost point shares its latitude with Rome and northern California. And with nearby Windsor boasting a 22.9°C daily high temperature in September — the highest of any city in Canada — the summer appeal of the national park’s beaches and boardwalk nature trails remains strong as the season winds down elsewhere. Less than 9 kilometres north in the lively town of Leamington, the Seacliffe Inn is home to luxurious fireplace-equipped rooms with nautical accents and plenty of lustrous wood.
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