Apple Pie Trail – Things to do in Collingwood

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If you’re looking for fun things to do in Collingwood, Ontario, the year-round Apple Pie Trail is a delicious way to explore the Blue Mountains region and Southern Georgian Bay. For a review of this self-guided driving tour read on. For essential travel tips scroll down.

Following the Apple Pie Trail

I’m fantasizing about a Red Prince apple as if it’s a fist-sized ruby. That’s because the royal-sounding Red Prince, which originally hails from the Netherlands, is a one-of-a-kind variety in North America. This cross between a Red Jonathan and a Golden Delicious, with brilliant red skin, is only grown in at one orchard in North America. It’s in Thornbury, Ontario, in Southern Georgian Bay – a region called the Blue Mountains.

And I want to eat one. (An apple, not a blue mountain.)

Evil apple temptress

Then I want to offer a bite to my husband, Mark, in a sort of Adam-and-Eve scenario, because ever since Renaissance artists started painting pictures of Eve holding an apple, this humble fruit has been a symbol for the expulsion from the Garden of Eden. (Even though it was more likely a pomegranate that led them astray.)

That’s a bad rap for such a wholesome-looking fruit, and I want to determine once and for all if the apple is truly an evil temptress or simply the apple next door. The Red Prince seems like a fine place to start. Of course it could be an excuse to drive one of the most fun foodie trails in Ontario, the Blue Mountains Apple Pie Trail.

Blue Mountain Village, a top stop on the trail

What is the Apple Pie Trail?

The trail is a self-guided culinary tour, a network of 40 restaurants, orchards, markets, wineries, attractions and bakeries in Grey County, Ontario. It’s a great way to highlight the many apple varieties grown in Ontario’s apple country, such as Cortland, Ginger Gold, Ambrosia, Empire, Russet, McIntosh and, of course, the sought after Red Prince.

Apple Pie Trail Map

Where is the Apple Pie Trail Blue Mountain?

The trail is about a 2-hour drive north of Toronto (though on the weekends, traffic can drastically up the time). It’s worth it. With the natural beauty of the Niagara Escarpment and sparkling Georgian Bay, not to mention orchards, woodlands and hiking trails, it makes a great Ontario getaway.

The trail spiderwebs through the Blue Mountains region, reaching from Creemore up to Collingwood and west to Owen Sound. It includes popular destinations such as Blue Mountain Village, Meaford, Thornbury and Beaver Valley. If you’re interested in eating local, you won’t get more local than this.

Apple anxiety

We haven’t even started yet and I’m already having apple anxiety because there are so many options. While I’m salivating over a Sweet & Bitter Greens with Apple at the upscale Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill in the Westin Trillium hotel at Blue Mountain Village, we’ve eaten there many times. So in the name of trying something new, we seek out Blue Mountain Resort’s Pottery Restaurant instead.

Pottery Restaurant, Blue Mountain Resort

The Pottery Restaurant

The Pottery Restaurant isn’t on the main square of the Village, but a five-minute walk away so it’s a bit of an insider secret. Located at 110 Jozo Weider Blvd, in the Blue Mountain Inn, this casual restaurant is the place to go for a decadent Baked Cheesecake. And yes, of course apples are involved. This dreamy cheesecake is baked in phyllo pastry and accompanied by roasted spiced apples, whipped cream and Jack Daniel’s caramel sauce. Both Mark and I are trying to limit our sugar intake – clearly not the ideal time to follow a trail named after a pie – but the apple-dressed cheesecake is irresistible and we devour every flaky crumb.

Score one for apple as evil temptress.

Apple cider in Thornbury

Our next stop is Thornbury. On the shores of Georgian Bay, Thornbury has a vibrant small-town feel and a friendly foodie edge. Our destination? The Thornbury Village Craft Cider and Brew House. The brewery is housed in a monstrous brick building that dates back to the 1800s. It’s impossible to miss, which is why it’s such a surprise that neither of us have ever noticed it before. In our defence, this is the first year a tasting room and retail shop has been open to the public.

The Thornbury Village Cidery has been producing apple cider here since 2006 using 100% Ontario apples, so it’s the perfect thirst-quenching accompaniment to the trail. Mark and I share a tasting flight of four apple ciders, and enjoy arguing over which is better: the award-winning Cranberry Apple, the Honey or the limited edition Elderflower. Then Mark decides he prefers beer anyway, but I’m Elderflower all the way.

Cider flight – which would you like better?

Thornbury Bakery

If you’re doing the Applie Pie Trail it’s practically a rite of passage to stop in at Thornbury Bakery on Thornbury’s main drag of Bruce Street South. We swing through the doors and my heart overflows when I see a Red Prince Apple Pie. Finally, my quest is complete.

“Bite?” I say, offering a forkful to Mark.

He leans forward and takes the fated bite. It’s a moment of rosy gratification, tangy sweet flavours combined with rich flaky crust. Just a few minutes later we’re on the highway leaving the Blue Mountains behind, our expulsion from apple paradise complete.

So, is the apple an evil temptress? Of course! With her come-hither plate appeal, glossy red cheeks and melt-in-your-mouth pastry and cream wardrobe, she’s the siren song of fruit. Strip away the trappings, however, and you’ll find antioxidants, vitamins and a cheerful crisp personality, proving that deep down, she’s still the girl-next-door.