Father's Day has to start off perfectly and that means dad sleeps in while mom (and maybe some willing kids?) make him breakfast with market fresh eggs and bread from a local farmers' market. This is a fantastic time of year to shop for local food - Farmers' Markets are plentiful on Saturday mornings in Cobourg, Port Hope, Hastings, Codrington and Campbellford. Sunny side up with whole grain toast sounds like a great way to start the day.
The next question is, what will dad be opening as a special gift on Father's Day? We definitely want something unique (just like him) but useful and memorable too. A little research on unique places to shop in Northumberland County brings up plenty of options to start the search:
- Kirkpatrick Leather Shop in Port Hope (formerly the sporting goods store at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto) creates men's belts, briefcases and wallets - each one beautiful and unique.
- Primitive Designs, also in Port Hope, is wall-to-wall eye candy with musical instruments, garden sculptures and home decor. Get a picture of dad outside beside a gigantic t-rex, dragon, transformer, or crocodile made from recycled parts.
- It's that time of year when we need to get dad some new golf shirts and summer dress clothes too - we could pop into Brocanier's in downtown Cobourg to check out their summer line.
Add to that some local craft beer from Church-Key Brewing in Campbellford, William Street Beer in Cobourg or just take your pick using our Cheers Tour Google map.
There's also the option of giving him an experience - with kids or without, it's up to him. What dad wouldn't want to:
- zip through the trees of the Ganaraska Forest thanks to Treetop Trekking? Get him to take the ultra-challenging Timberwolf course.
- go for an exhilarating mountain bike ride in the Northumberland Forest.
- take a gorgeous short, looped hike through Peter's Woods, one of Northumberland County's true sweet spots. A few kms east is Schoolhouse Gardens with 4 acres to stroll through for free from 12-4pm. At this time, 400 varieties of peonies should be in bloom.
- experience fishing at it's finest with a gift certificate from Mike McNaught Fishing. Mike teaches fly fishing enthusiasts to tie their own flies and shows them some of the best places to fish in Northumberland County.
- overnight at Golden Beach Resort on Rice Lake and spend a day swimming in the outdoor pool or in the lake, then a meal at the Boat House Cafe.
There really are so many options, but our guaranteed "ace in the hole" (no pun intended) is a day of golfing. The question is - which course to send him to?
- The Cobourg Creek Golf Course in Cobourg is a beautiful 9-hole course with The Mill Restaurant and Pub on site serving local brews that can be enjoyed after the game.
- The Shelter Valley Pines Golf Club in Grafton features 18 holes at a reasonable rate.
- There's also the Port Hope Golf Club with lake views and a challenging design.
- Brighton is the home of Timber Ridge Golf Club and the Keystroke Golf Academy - a few lessons might make a great Father's Day gift.
Whatever option we go with, when the day is done we will definitely want to regroup and enjoy a family meal. Some great options are:
- The Whistling Duck in Brighton with a great selection of burgers, some seafood and local, craft, domestic and imported draught beers.
- The Railside in Port Hope is perfect for the "steak guy" in your life but they also offer a delicious selection of Greek food.
- Rhino's Restaurant in Bewdley is an any-mealtime popular spot to enjoy anything from wraps to ribs. Get a window seat for a view of Rice Lake.
- Olympus Burger in Port Hope is our "go-to" for a delicious, fresh, one-of-a-kind burger - it's a good bet we'll be there enjoying a hamburger - Greek style - and some fabulous fries.
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