Travel | Places | Photography
A Trip to Canada's Most Road 'Trippable' Town and the Hiding Ground of Stephen King's IT
Only an hour's drive from the City of Toronto, Canada
It was another weekend!
Another place to explore and to be amazed by its unique views! And we found Elora, often referred to as one of the beautiful towns in Canada.
Well-known for its 19th-century limestone architecture, this place is under the Wellington county of Ontario province, Canada. Not only is the site famous because of its charming vibe but also because of its geographically significant Elora Gorge.
So, we went to explore.
Riverfest Elora
We saw crowds just before the Elora main town when we reached there. We learned it was because of the 'Riverfest Elora,' happening between August 18 and 20. As it was the last day, there was more crowd than regular weekend traffic.
We might have explored, but the ticket costs seemed too much (approximately $150 per person, but it was a three-day pass). We missed Alicia Karra's performance, though.
A failed attempt at Elora Quarry
Then we went on to explore Elora Quarry. Unfortunately, we couldn't enter, as there was no ticket for the day.
So, we went towards the Elora downtown place.
Elora downtown
We parked our car near the downtown and started exploring the beautiful location. Along with the limestone architecture, the incredible 'Elora Mill Hotel and Spa' stood tall with its stunning elegance. Although we couldn't enter inside (private space, hotel/spa reservations required to enter), we could see the exterior architecture of the beautiful mill.
The sawmill (established in 1832) defined Elora as a central agricultural hub in the 1850s and 1860s. The converted hotel and spa turned the community into a vibrant tourism and wedding destination in Ontario.
The historic downtown breathes with the artists and musicians. We saw one street artist performing at the time of our visit. Plus, the local shops showcase the souvenirs and artworks in their marketplace. We bought a wooden framed wall clock from one shop.
Of course, we took a bunch of snapshots to capture a bit of the charming essence of the place.
Then, we walked towards the Gorge area.
Elora Gorge & IT Movie
The winding Grand River indeed added a natural layer of beauty. It also added more fun activities for the locals (and tourists).
We entered Victoria Park and then descended into the gorge area. It was beautiful indeed.
Limestones, a dry-river bed under the bridge, while the Grand River's main branch flowed onto the other side of the gorge with its forceful wave. Spectacular views overall!
And it is a family-friendly area too. We saw families with kids and seniors visiting the place. People were walking on the river bed to explore the other sides of the gorge or just sitting on the rocks and having a good time.
By the way, the area was one of the video shooting spots for the 2017 IT movie (and its 2019 sequel). So perhaps when you are exploring the site, you might come across Pennywise, the Dancing Clown in the gorge (if so, run away, and let us know!).
We couldn't see him, but who knows, perhaps he was lurking just behind the rocks or quarry!
Afterward, we returned downtown and had gelatos in the scorching summer heat. It tasted good; it felt even better!
That was our trip to Elora and the Gorge.
It is just an hour's away from Toronto city, a more accessible gateway point for Torontonians.
If you are near Toronto and want to explore a unique taste of Ontario's beauty, I recommend visiting Elora and the Gorge area. Here goes video footage, compiling some clips we took during our Elora trip.
I guess the charm calls for more and more tourists in this town. It was recognized as Canada's most road-trippable town and did justice to that recognition.
Suntonu Bhadra 2022
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