I’m ashamed to say that I’d driven past Napanee, Ontario, many, many times before visiting a few weeks ago. When I did finally get around to dropping in, my first thought was, “Why did I wait so long?”
That’s because Napanee has pretty much everything you need for a great weekend getaway destination. Nice waterfront? Check. Cute boutiques and coffee shops? Absolutely. An affordable place to stay? Yep. A scenic-yet-short country drive to yet another waterfront? Got it. Scads of free parking? For sure. And a VIA Rail station, if you’d rather leave the car at home? Yes to that, too.
Read on to find out more about all sorts of fun things to do in Napanee and nearby.
Fuel up with breakfast in a store/café
I was a bit disconcerted when I first walked into Ellena’s Café and Pantry (16 Dundas Street East, Napanee). Even though I knew from online research that it was a combination café and kitchen shop, when I walked in, the retail side was the main thing I perceived. Shelves brimmed with tea towels, pot holders, dishes, cooking utensils, jams, sauces and the like.
On closer inspection, however, I realized that the front cash doubled as a bakery case, and staff behind the counter were busily whipping up lattes and espressos for the mid-morning clientele. I ordered a bacon-cheddar scone and a pot of Earl Grey tea, which I happily enjoyed at one of the tables at the back of the shop.
As I ate, I also had ample time to suss out Ellena’s eye-catching displays. In the end, I couldn’t resist heading back to the counter with a blue apron printed with colourful birds.
Check out Napanee’s pretty downtown
One of my favourite ways to get to know a new place is by walking around. So, after breakfast, I set out on a walk to the nearby Museum of Lennox & Addington (more on the museum in a minute).
If you like well-preserved Victorian buildings, you’re going to love downtown Napanee. Churches, a post office, an old town hall, a courthouse, shops, homes—almost all of them are in a great state of repair. And many of the homes have lovely front gardens. In this case, photos really are worth thousands of words, so here are a few.
Learn a little history at the Museum of Lennox & Addington
Look, I know not everyone shares my enthusiasm for local museums. But even if you don’t, you might want to visit the Museum of Lennox & Addington (97 Thomas Street East, Napanee). It’s a very engaging civic museum—even though, when I first entered, I was as disconcerted as I had been when arriving at Ellena’s.
First off, the lobby was dim, until I stepped past a hidden sensor that activated the overhead lights. That also brought a staffer to the front desk to accept my $5 entry fee.
But secondly—and I cannot stress how much this unnerved me—this summer’s temporary exhibition celebrates the museum’s 50th anniversary. So the first set of glass cases I encountered displayed ancient artifacts … from my own childhood.
Here was a 1976 Eaton’s catalogue I clearly remembered thumbing through. There were a pair of Canadian-made North Star running shoes, a brand I’d completely forgotten but now remembered with startling clarity. (My pair were blue and yellow.) Formica coffee mugs, a paperback copy of S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, a battered copy of Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell album … how could these be in a museum?
However, I quickly recalled my mother’s dismay decades ago at encountering a museum display of Depression glassware (“For heaven’s sake, those came free in boxes of laundry soap!”), and I got over myself. Mostly.
In all honesty, the 1976 show is a hoot. Do check it out if you’re in town.
The museum’s permanent exhibitions do a good job of bringing the region’s economic and social history to life. Much of it focuses on the last 200 years or so, but the front-desk staffer noted that the museum is currently working to expand its presentations on Indigenous history as well.
I was particularly intrigued by the story of Billy Ponton, a Napanee bank teller accused of assisting in an 1897 heist. As the story goes, the locals thought he was too nice and too handsome to be involved in such a nefarious scheme. In fact, they were so sympathetic to him that his trial was transferred to Cobourg, where he was acquitted.
Shop for pickles and more
On my way up to the museum, I’d spotted a tiny-but-cool-looking shop called Harvest Brinery (128 John Street, Napanee). So on my way back downtown, I popped in.
Inside, husband-and-wife owners Colleen and Miles were hard at work—Colleen chatting with customers and offering product samples, and Miles cooking up new creations in the open kitchen.
The business began as a farmers’ market stand before moving into this little storefront. Every available surface is lined with jars of pickles, jellies, preserves and more, made with local produce whenever possible. Along with sauerkraut, sweet relish, red pepper jelly and other farmers’ market staples, the shelves held concoctions whose names alone—green tomato chow chow, mustard pickles, black currant jam—transported me once again to my childhood.
I gave the pickled beets a miss; even nostalgia has its limits. But treats that did make it into my shopping bag included pickled mushrooms, some spicy salsa and a jar of Earl Grey tea jelly.
Have tea in an old bank
Speaking of Earl Grey: By this point in the morning, I needed a reviving cuppa. Fortunately, within a block’s walk, I spotted an espresso and dessert bar called Coffee Cravings (86 John Street, Napanee). Located in a building that once housed a Bank of Canada (later Bank of Montreal) branch, it has a lovely coffered ceiling and a cozy vibe. Despite the name, it makes a lovely London Fog tea latte. And it’s also home to perhaps Napanee’s most unusual restrooms, located inside an old bank vault. There’s also a small patio.
Indulge in more retail therapy
Dundas Street is downtown Napanee’s main retail thoroughfare, and I had fun meandering in and out of a number of indie boutiques.
Among my favourites, right around the corner from Coffee Cravings, was Starlet (30 Dundas Street East, Napanee). Until recently, the shop had a satellite store in Perth, and it has recently opened a new branch in Westport. But this is the mother ship, and it’s a delightfully girlie-girl confection of chandeliers, shoes, greeting cards, flirty dresses, jewellery, handbags and so on. There’s even a corner stocked with princess outfits for pint-sized divas.
Another beautiful spot was Sweet William (3 Dundas Street East, Napanee), a home décor store filled with such goodies as oversized wall clocks, glassware emblazoned with schools of fish, cake stands with etched-glass covers, and ceramic owls. The exposed brick and stone walls make everything just pop.
If you’d like to discover more stores in downtown Napanee, here’s a good guide.
Eat at the Waterfront River Pub and Terrace
Take it from me: If you want to eat on the large patio at the Waterfront River Pub and Terrace in the summer, make a reservation or get there early. I showed up at about 12:10pm on a sunny spring Wednesday and folks savvier than I had already snagged all of the tables beside the Napanee River. It wasn’t a huge hardship; the view from my table was absolutely fine.
Unlike many restaurants with a scenic location, the Waterfront doesn’t coast on its view. My meal—a turkey-and-brie sandwich called the Champlain and a lavender lemonade—was very good, and the service was friendly and quick. I could even easily pay at my table using my phone (but more traditional payment options are available, too).
The lunch menu is quite extensive, ranging from pub classics like burgers and wings to mussels, an Asian ginger steak salad and even escargots. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-friendly options are available. The restaurant is open for dinner, too. You’ll find the Waterfront at 22 Water Street, Napanee.
Hop aboard a Napanee River cruise
From the dock in front of the Waterfront Pub, you can take a 90-minute cruise along the Napanee River aboard the Norman Paul, a 14-metre pontoon boat. Napanee River Tours offers the 16-kilometre round-trip tour from mid-May until mid-October. I wasn’t quite organized enough to do this on my recent visit, but it’s on my list of things to enjoy when I return (and I will return, hopefully with friends and/or family in tow).
Bring a picnic to Conservation Park
Across the river from the Waterfront Pub is Conservation Park (10 Pearl Street, Napanee). If a picnic is more your style than a pub lunch, bring your picnic basket or pick up nibbles from Mr. Jerry’s food truck in the park to enjoy on one of the somewhat-scuffed picnic tables beside the river. If the weather’s not great, there’s also a big pavilion and a picnic shelter.
Take a side trip from Napanee to Bath
The population of Greater Napanee, which includes a number of smaller communities, is around 17,000. So it doesn’t take long to get out of town, if you’re so inclined.
Just 20 kilometres southeast of Napanee—a drive that takes about 20 minutes—you’ll find the waterfront village of Bath. I didn’t spend a lot of time here on my recent trip, as I was just passing through en route to the Amherst Island ferry for my outing to cuddle lambs at Topsy Farms.
However, I did have time to check out two nice shops.
The Hive Studio and Gallery (363 Main Street, Bath) is an artist-run collective where you can browse for art, jewellery, cards and other items by members. The Hive also offers art workshops. I fell into conversation with artist Elizabeth Munro and ended up buying a pair of her porcelain earrings.
You may be thinking at this point that I basically shopped my way around the Napanee area. You wouldn’t be wrong.
I was running short on time to catch my ferry when I nipped into Books on Main, which shares space with the Lodge Coffee House (368 Main Street, Bath). It’s probably good for both my wallet and my overloaded bookshelves that I didn’t have more time to check the place out, as the displays of fiction and non-fiction featured some tempting titles.
After my jaunt to Amherst Island, I did have time for dinner at Welborne Commons, housed at the opposite end of the Bath building where Books on Main is located. The focus here is on local ingredients—the menu has a long list of nearby suppliers—and I enjoyed my porchetta sandwich, topped with radicchio-fennel slaw, Swiss cheese, crispy onions and truffle aioli.
Stay the night at the Fox Motor Inn
I hear you thinking, “She’s recommending a motel?” Believe me when I say the Fox Motor Inn in Napanee is definitely not one of those dingy roadside spots where no one has vacuumed under the beds in years.
On the contrary, the Fox represents some of the best value for money I’ve seen in accommodations in a while. Sure, there’s no restaurant or spa or fancy lobby, and the décor is pretty neutral and unremarkable. But the place is absolutely spotless, from the reception office to the baseboards in my room—a room that appeared to have been very recently redecorated.
I stayed on the second floor of the two-storey structure at the rear of the property, which overlooks a few one-storey buildings and bungalows. If stairs are an issue for you, note that the two-storey building doesn’t have an elevator.
I didn’t check out all of the rooms, so I can’t confirm that they had all been spruced up as recently as mine. However, given that even the motel parking lot seemed to have been freshly swept (unlikely, I know), I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole place had been recently updated.
In my room, the bed was comfortable, the air conditioning worked well, the TV had channels galore, the rooms were quite soundproof (I only heard other guests when they were in the corridor) and the water pressure in the shower was excellent. The room also had a bar fridge, a microwave and a coffee maker—again, all spotless.
If you’re travelling with a family, you’ll appreciate extra outdoor perks such as a heated saltwater pool, a small play structure, picnic tables and barbecues.
Clearly, I wasn’t the only person to have cottoned on to the Fox. On a weeknight in May, the parking lot was quite full, and two big rigs were parked out front. Still, I’d had no trouble snagging a reservation a week in advance.
Two final notes: Everyone I dealt with at the 24-hour reception desk was very kind and helpful. And the tab for my stay on a May weeknight was $145.77, including taxes. In these days of eye-watering hotel prices, that’s a good deal.
Convinced? You’ll find the Fox Motor Inn at 297 Dundas Street West in Napanee. And if you’d like to check out other places to stay in Napanee, you can use the map below. Disclosure: If you book accommodations anywhere using the Fox link above or the map below, I’ll receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting this website!
If you go to Napanee
Napanee is about 210km to 230km (depending which route you choose) southwest of Ottawa. It will take you about 2.5 hours to drive there.
If you’d prefer to travel by train, VIA Rail provides service between Ottawa (both the main and Fallowfield stations) and Napanee. Most days, two morning trains from Ottawa stop in Napanee, and two evening trains from Napanee stop in Ottawa. Service is a bit less frequent on weekends. The Napanee train station is at 301 John Street, about a 12-minute walk from downtown. (Word to the wise: VIA offers weekly discounts on its website every Tuesday.)
For more information on visiting Napanee and the surrounding Lennox & Addington County, go to the Naturally L&A tourism website.
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.
