Day Trip: Paris Ontario
A day trip, to keep the wandering soul appeased in the midst of a busy work season.
The reality of working in the wedding industry in the summer (aka “wedding season”): any free time is rare, precious, and should be spent wisely. With my busiest year yet, I’m realizing that it is crucial to find time to focus on the other activities that fulfill my life.
It has been no easy task trying to balance between my industry’s high season and bringing travel content to my creative space. In spite of this, when something gives you joy and passion you find time for it!
On that note, travel doesn’t always have to be a remote experience. One of my favourite things to do in my own province is day trip.
Photo by Veronica Racanelli | Rental Car
A new town. A new restaurant. A new trail. A new experience.
Paris (known as the “Prettiest Town in Canada”) is a town that I had wanted to visit for a while. I met a kind lady at a health food store a few years back, who told me that she opened up a “Louisiana style” restaurant in Paris. She told me about how beautiful the little town was, and since then I had been eager to visit. Surprisingly, it took this long.
Paris is about an hour from Toronto, in Brant County. It makes for the perfect summer day trip.
Veronica and I started the day by driving down the country roads in Hamilton. We stopped at a little market (which unfortunately did not have too much) and then found ‘The Tiny Shop Bakery’ shortly after, which was a cute little bakery/shop attached to a farm on the side of the road (right across from Christie Lake Conservation Area). The bakery is essentially held in a little red barn, which made it that much more charming. We bought a Belgian cookie to try later (which ended up being delicious) and found some great spots in front of the vibrant red walls for a few photos.
We then headed straight to Paris - there weren’t any particular points of interest that caught our eye the rest of the way.
Upon arrival, the town greets you in a magical way. The Grand River actually runs right through Paris and meets with the Nith River. Because of this, cars enter on a lovely little bridge with old European accents. The walls were lined with stunning pink flower baskets, creating a beautiful contrast with the neutral grays nearby. The true highlight is what lies beyond the bridge on either side. On one side, a large steel bridge suspends over a little waterfall that pushes the river forward. The other side is lined with a strip of historical cobblestone buildings that hold restaurants, shops, and cafes - right along the river. I’ve seen so many photos, though they do not do it justice. Once you drive past the bridge into town, it suddenly feels as though you are taken back in time. The town is welcoming, quaint, and lush in the summer.
Photo by Veronica Racanelli
The most fascinating aspect of this town is the origin of the name. It can be mistaken that the name comes from the European charm that seems to exude from the buildings, yet it was named ‘Paris’ because in its uprising there was a mass mining of gypsum in the area, and this gypsum was used to make plaster of Paris for buildings! - Brant.ca
We parked our car beside one of the historical churches up the street and decided to walk around downtown. The downtown area is quite small and consists of Victorian, Edwardian, Gothic, and Post Modern architectural styles. The cobblestone buildings (created with stones from the rivers nearby) are the most prominent and praised - Paris is apparently also known as the “Cobblestone Capital of Canada.”
The streets are lined with all sorts of goods and services: cafes, restaurants, gift shops, bakeries, jewelry shops, financial services, travel agencies, hardware shops, convenience stores, etc. There are apparently a few accommodations in town. One that stands out is the historical Arlington Hotel (built in the 1850s) - a boutique hotel with a restaurant that holds a lovely outdoor patio (pictured below).
The hotel (and their sister property: the ‘Dominion Telegraph Event Centre’) also hosts weddings!
The Arlington Hotel (beautiful canopy covered restaurant patio on the side).
The Arlington Hotel (lobby)
As we strolled around town, our first stop was the ‘The Peddlar and Company’ tea and gift shop. It is a little shop along the strip by the river. The store is full of life - with various trinkets, candles, jewelry, food items, decorations, and everything else you can imagine. One of the prominent features is their large wall of tea selections to try and buy in loose form. Veronica bought an interesting variation of Earl Grey and it was wonderful! The owner Cindy is very welcoming and wonderful to talk to as well! She gave us some recommendations on what to do in town and we had some great small talk with her.
We decided to walk around a bit more to map out all of the dinner options. We saw a cool white brick building called ‘Paris Surf’. We peeked inside and realized it was a restaurant (also a clothing store, coffee bar, and juice bar). With an axe for a door handle, we knew this was definitely a place worth checking out. Compared to the historic atmosphere in the majority of the town, this restaurant has more of an edgy and rustic feel to it. A giant suspended canoe greets you as you enter, along with various vintage chairs surrounding wooden tables of all sizes. You will also find a set of shelves along the wall, holding a plethora of “country inspired” trinkets. Every corner of this restaurant seems to display something unique. There is even a giant buffalo wearing a trucker hat hanging from a wall behind one of the bars. We didn’t stay too long, but it’s one to come back to - particularly for the pizza because that is what they are seemingly most known for!
Afterwards, we noticed a giant building that looked like a factory. Turns out it was a big market called ‘Wincey Mills Market’, which hosts a variety of different vendors. Unfortunately, we were there on a Tuesday and it wasn’t open for us to explore.
At this point, after a lot of strolling around for a while, we got hungry. We decided to choose the most touristic option, and head to the three-level restaurant that overlooks the river: ‘Stillwaters Plate and Pour.’ With reassurance from Cindy earlier, we were sold on an early dinner with a great view. The building itself is interesting because on the ground floor there is a cafe, the second floor holds the main restaurant, and the rooftop level consists of the restaurant’s large outdoor patio. We opted for the patio, of course. The two level rooftop patio basically loops around a wooden bar and opens up to a panorama of the Grand River.
There are umbrella-covered tables and booths scattered along the patio, overlooking the water. For a little more coverage, they do have tables scattered under a canopy on the second level beside the bar. With the sun shining, it was the perfect summer ambiance we were looking for. All of the items on this patio were crafted with wood - the bar shack, the tables, the chairs, and the floors. Nothing screams “laid back patio atmosphere” more than wooden features and hanging Edison lights.
I was a little skeptical about the food because I know a lot of these restaurants are all view and less flavour. We were pleasantly surprised. I ordered the vegan butternut squash and bean medley tofu quesadillas. They were made with local squash, forest mushrooms, julienne vegetables, red lentils, herbs, artisan beans, rice, tofu cheese, vegetable slaw, and salsa. Verdict: absolutely delicious and affordable! Veronica got the crab cakes, which were lovely as well.
A major bonus: they try to source out all of their ingredients locally.
Afterward, we headed to the chocolate store ‘Chocolate Sensations’ for some ice cream, and it was delicious! Definitely worth a dessert stop here.
After a great dinner, we opted for a nice walk to enjoy the scenery and digest all of the food we ate! With another recommendation by Cindy, we headed over to a local park named ‘Lion’s park’. Across a tree-covered bridge that stands above the Nith River, lies a large park with a playground, picnic areas, a pool, a splash pad, and baseball diamonds. We walked down the trail that ran along the park for a bit, until it was time to head back to the car for a little more exploring. This park is great for families with kids, or even for a group of friends to hang out and have a picnic.
As you drive out of town and up the nearby hill, there is actually a little groove off the road where there is a scenic view of the entire town from above. It’s a fun little discovery whilst driving around the surrounding streets. After a lovely day in a beautiful town, it was time to head back.
We were lucky to visit Paris during the first full bloom of peony season. Along with the beautiful cluster of peonies we found in a little nook beside a building, there were also other types of vibrant flowers brightening up the already charming town.
Photo by Veronica Racanelli