Featuring 15 New Destinations.

[The author] has the gift of finding lots of things interesting and of them being able to write beautifully about those things.
Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay)

Ontario is full of hidden treasures. Down village streets, in city lanes and along quiet country roads lie the province's most unusual sites -- a river that disappears, log cabins in the centre of a major city, even a high-rise privy. All await the curious explorer. In his relentless quest to discover the unusual, Ron Brown has traveled nearly every road in Ontario. This book features 115 of his very best trips.

Thoroughly researched and written in an inviting style, each description offers a fascinating story with background, location and accompanying color photograph. Most places are easy to reach from Ontario's major population centers, but there are a few for more adventurous explorers. Among the all-new locations featured in this edition are:

• Peterborough's canoe museum
• Ontario's longest small-town train station
• A ghost town worth visiting
• Camp 30 and the Battle of Bowmanville
• The Mimico Asylum, with its new lease on life
• The Little Current railway swing bridge

In Top 115 Unusual Things to See in Ontario, existing entries have been updated and all places are now grouped by location (Eastern Ontario, Southwestern Ontario, Central Ontario and Toronto Area, Cottage Country and Northern Ontario). As well, detailed maps pinpoint every location in this engaging, informative book.

 

Ron Brown is a freelance travel writer and photographer. He has published twenty books on the visual heritage of Ontario, including The Lake Erie Shore: Ontario's Forgotten South Coast; Behind Bars: Inside Ontario's Heritage Gaols; The Train Doesn't Stop Here Any More: An Illustrated History of Railway Stations in Canada; Ontario's Ghost Town Heritage; and Top 100 Unusual Things to See in Ontario. He is past chair of the Writers Union of Canada, and is active with the Travel Media Association of Canada, Access Copyright, where he sits on the board of directors, and the Book and Periodical Council. He lectures and directs bus tours based on his book topics. He lives in Toronto.

Ron Brown's profile page

[Review for previous edition:] Most locations are easy to reach from Ontario's major population centres, and a few are for more adventurous explorers.

Northern Life

[Review for previous edition:] [Brown] has the gift of finding lots of things interesting and of them being able to write beautifully about those things.

Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay)

The sights stand out for their splendor or quirkiness. Some are natural wonders, others are man-made. They might be tricky to find, or perched so close that you'll wonder how you missed them.... If your holidays are over and the budget is maxed out, the dog days of summer may be a perfect time to go exploring unusual spots close by.

Toronto Star

[Review for previous edition:] Few people know more about Ontario's oddities than Toronto-based author Ron Brown...[and] they're almost all here in this new revised edition.

The Toronto Sun

The table of contents alone will make you curious to see such places as Ontario's Taj Mahal.

Guelph Mercury

[Review for previous edition:] We can hope that [Brown's] efforts to celebrate Ontario's past and present wonders will attract a new generation of readers and travellers.

Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal

[Review for previous edition:] [For] travellers who want to stay close to home but still enjoy an adventure.

The Ottawa Citizen

Thoroughly researched and written in an inviting style.

Midland Mirror

[Review for previous edition:] Brown's books are always interesting and bring to mind adventures.

Muskoka Today

[Review for previous edition:] With 100 places to see, along with facts, figures, and photos, this would definitely offer a great gift for the traveller who wants to see impressive sights close to home.

Shelf Life

[Review for previous edition:] [Brown] collects the very best trips from the most unexpected and surprising sights in the province.

The Sun Times (Owen Sound, ON)