Get to the highway: Conestoga College hospitality expert Keith Muller offers summer road trip ideas

A great summer vacation may just be a road trip away.

Keith Muller is chair of the Conestoga College school of business and hospitality and he suggested a few unique destinations within Canada.

Here's a list of some great road trips that start here in Waterloo Region or Wellington County.

Close to home

Just about an hour's drive away, there's the Lake Erie shore. Dubbed Ontario's South Coast, the area around Turkey Point and Long Point has something for everyone, including former tobacco farms that have been converted to wineries and the Long Point Eco Adventures, which offers activities such as zip line tours and kayaking at reasonable rates.

Go a bit further

A little further down the coast, there's Cooper's Hawk Vineyards in Harrow, Ont., located about 45 km south of Windsor. Named for the birds who frequent the area, the restaurant at the winery has southern BBQ weekends throughout the summer along with several special events.

Going north in Ontario, there is an agri-tourism guest house in Creemore called Mad Maple Country Inn.

"Amazing food, absolutely great stuff to do, you can see what they do on the farm," Muller said.

And if you like dogs, head to Kingston for the sheepdog trials August 5-7.

Fun for the whole family

Montreal is the place for families, Muller said.

"Montreal is a party city, it's a festival city and it's great for kids," he said.

La Fête des Mascottes takes place July 20 to 24 and includes favourite mascots from TV shows and Disney.

Every weekend in July there's the Weekends du Monde, which has fun and free activities highlighting different countries while every weekend all summer, there's the Marché des Possibles, which is a free event with music and socio-cultural programming.

On August 12-14, the Lego imagination tour will be in the city.

"All kids love Lego," Muller said.

On July 23, there is a twins parade and in August, the International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu takes flight with hot air balloons, food trucks, rides and music.

Too hot for Disney

Heading to Florida may not be your idea of fun with the low Canadian dollar and the high temperatures, but Muller said there are quite a few theme parks within a short drive.

It includes Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, African Lion Safari between Cambridge and Hamilton as well as Canada's Wonderland, which boasts some great rides and a splash pad.

"You can almost get lost there for a whole day," Muller said of Wonderland.

Head out of Ontario

Want to head out of the province? Go to Winnipeg.

"Most people don't think of Winnipeg as a holiday destination, but in the summer it's a great city to be in," Muller said.

The Assiniboine Park and Zoo has a great polar bear exhibit while the Canadian Museum for Human Rights is an opportunity to teach children about the past and what more can be done for human rights.

From July 31 to Aug. 13, Folklorama takes over the city and offers up cultural displays and authentic food from around the globe. Or get lost in the corn maze at St. Adolphe, just south of Winnipeg, or take a zipline over the crops.

And, there is plenty for foodies looking for the next great meal.

"If you're looking for great food, Winnipeg is absolutely a food city," Muller said. He lived in the city for two years ands aid some of the meals he had featured the best food in the country. The Exchange District in Winnipeg's downtown area has a number of great restaurants.

By plane, train or automobile

You could fly to Salt Spring Island off the coast of Vancouver Island for unique craft fairs and markets and accommodations that feature quaint little cottages.

A trip out to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, offers people lots of golfing, an arts and heritage trail, bicycle tours of the island and, of course, Anne of Green Gables.

If you can spend a little more time in the car, head to Québec City and Gaspé Bay. There is "some really beautiful scenery there," Muller said.