Ontario Travel – A
Visit to Belfountain and a Sunset Dinner by the
Pond at the Millcroft Inn
After visiting the
Millcroft Inn and the
Alton Mill, two of the premier tourist destination
in the Hills of Headwaters travel area, I also wanted
to explore some of the lovely nature areas that
this region is known for. Through rolling hills
and forests I drove southwards to the picturesque
Belfountain Conservation Area. This protected nature
area is part of the Credit Valley Conservation organization
and a popular destination for travelers who enjoy
hiking on the Niagara Escarpment. Anglers also enjoy
it here because of the great fishing opportunities
for brook and brown trout.
Serene vistas at the Belfountain Conservation Area
To learn more about this place I met with Kelly
Bowman who works for the Belfountain Conservation
Area. She filled me in on the interesting history
of this area: in 1908 Charles Mack, a wealthy industrialist
and inventor of the cushion rubber stamp, bought
a property here on the West Credit River to build
his summer home. As a tribute to Niagara Falls,
Mack had a waterfall built on the property which
is still one of the main attractions today. He also
added many stone walls, footpaths, scenic lookouts
and a guesthouse.
My expert guide: Kelly Bowman
Another interesting place is the so-called Yellowstone
Cave, a man-made cave with artificial stalactites,
another project initiated by James Mack. Owls and
fish were carved into some of the stones, but some
of the details have already eroded. The cave certainly
has a somewhat mysterious feel to it and is testimony
to the sometimes eclectic tastes of wealthy business
magnates.
Interior of the mysterious Yellowstone Cave
Kelly and I went for a walk on a trail that took
us across the Credit River on a suspension bridge
and into some very rocky limestone terrain, all
part of the Niagara Escarpment, the famous limestone
formation that stretches through southwestern Ontario.
Further down the river we crossed the river again
and returned to the tamer side of this nature area.
Due to its picturesque setting, the Belfountain
Conservation Area has long been a favourite destination
for wedding photos and special events. Many families
and large groups also come here for picnics.
The fountain that may have inspired the name for
the Belfountain Conservation Area
After my visit to the conservation area, I did
not have to go far to see the next interesting place.
First settled in the 1820s, Belfountain is one of
the oldest villages in Ontario and full of heritage
properties. Just a bit up the street from the conservation
area I dropped by at the Belfountain Inn, housed
in a stately country home that overlooks the Credit
River. There has been a restaurant in this location
for over 30 years now. Today’s Belfountain
Inn offers casual fine dining from Wednesday to
Sunday. The large dining room on the main floor
is joined by a large outside deck where guests can
go to admire the Credit River.
The Belfountain Inn offers hospitality with a view
over the Credit River
From here I continued my way up the hill into the
main part of the village of Belfountain which is
anchored by a pleasant main street with various
businesses. The Ascot Room is an attractive boutique
that sells women’s apparel; various patrons
were enjoying their cups of java on the patio of
the Shed Coffee Bar; and the Belfountain Village
Church has been serving the community since 1835.
Hollyhocks, roses and various types of summer flowers
were just overflowing from many of the front gardens
of Belfountain’s historic homes.
Belfountain has many beautiful homes and gardens
Always curious, I stopped in at the former Belfountain
Village Store, built in 1888, which is now called
the Tammeron Centres for Wellbeing. Owner Tammeron
Karaim explained that her mission is to provide
education about Mother Nature’s Medicine.
She runs a self-development company that focuses
on well-being by providing better nutrition and
self-esteem coaching.
Tammeron Karaim shows some of her organic dishes
We went on a tour of her store and had a look at
a wide variety of healthy, natural and raw foods:
from quinoa chili, to zucchini hummus, mango dip,
raw pizza made with sunflower seeds, zucchini noodles
and many other healthy choices, the emphasis here
is on raw foods that are still alive. Tammeron also
teaches her clients on how to use herbs and how
to create some of these fresh, uncooked dishes at
home. The enzymes in these foods aid digestion and
all the dishes are uncooked, unprocessed and organic.
The Belfountain Village Church, since 1835
It was now early evening and the sun was steadily
moving lower on the horizon. I decided to make my
way back to the Millcroft Inn for a nice relaxing
evening. Rather than sitting inside in the attractive
dining room, I decided to stay outside, on the west-facing
terrace to enjoy the sunset over the Mill Pond.
The only thing I heard was the singing of the birds
and the rushing water of the waterfall. The evening
sun had created just the perfect temperature for
a nice dinner outdoors.
A serene dinner next to the Mill Pond at the Millcroft
Inn
The Millcroft Inn is renowned for its cuisine and
Executive Chef Roberto Fracchioni had already given
me a tour of his kitchen earlier today. I knew that
only high-quality local ingredients were going to
be part of my dinner. I started off with delicious
freshly baked breads with various types of herbed
butter. The amuse-bouche consisted of sundried tomatoes,
pesto and garlic purée on a brioche ball
with candied orange zest and was absolutely delicious.
The amuse-bouche was a great start to a nice dinner
After teasing my tastebuds like this, I continued
with a delicious sweet potato soup and a squash
risotto that thoroughly enchanted my (mostly) vegetarian
tastebuds. The crowning touch to this exquisite
meal was a watermelon and rosewater sorbet that
provided just a touch of sweetness to end this very
enjoyable meal.
A sweet touch to end a pleasant meal
The sun had now sunk behind the Mill Pond and I
was getting tired from a long day of explorations.
I retreated to my comfortable room at the Manor
House and was pondering what Day
2 of my adventures in the Hills of Headwaters area
would hold.
Ready to retreat to my cozy room at the Manor House
at the Millcroft Inn
