There's another Big Apple. It's located in Ontario...and it really is a big apple! The Big Apple in Colborne is a highway landmark east of Toronto and the biggest "red delicious" in the world. It's one of those curious, over-sized monuments to a local specialty that are particular to North America and Australia. After two decades of regularly driving past this landmark on the way to Kingston and the 1000 Islands (and my parent's home in upstate New York) and back, we finally stopped today to try one of the apple pies.
Along with a country-style cafeteria and gift shop, the enclosed bakery floor has large windows that allow visitors to watch the pie assembly. While my wife looked through an assortment of pies, the kids and I wandered the country store and and looked at displays of antiques.
Outdoor activities were obviously curtailed during our early-spring visit, while we were still under the thumb of the polar vortex. However, the website lists complimentary outdoor attractions including 18 holes of mini golf, shuffleboard, bocce, ping-pong and a kid's train ride. There is also a picnic area and a petting zoo featuring an assortment of farm animals. There are public restrooms, including a family washroom, inside the main building.
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| The Big Apple in Colborne, Ontario. I photographed from the back to capture the way it used to look. Now there's a big smile on the front side. |
Open all year from 8:00 a.m, - 6:00 p.m., the Big Apple is located about an hour east of Toronto on Highway 401, just off the freeway and exit 497. It would certainly be a good rest stop heading eastbound after a hectic drive through the greater Toronto area. We enjoyed the apple pie!
