The Outer Durham directory.

An Italian restaurant on Uxbridge's heritage Brock Street — handmade pasta and classic plates in the heart of the trail-town downtown.

Local pick: Pasta on the historic main street

A popular café and bistro in downtown Uxbridge — locally sourced brunch and lunch, baked goods and coffee for trail-goers and locals.

Local pick: Brunch before a trail walk

A long-running fine bistro near Port Perry's Queen Street — French-inspired plates and a warm room a short walk from the lake.

Local pick: A long-loved Port Perry dinner

A charming café and lounge on Port Perry's historic Queen Street — coffee, light plates and live music near the Lake Scugog waterfront.

Local pick: Coffee on Queen Street

The restaurants, pubs and cafés along Beaverton's Main Street — small-town dining a short walk from the Lake Simcoe harbour.

Local pick: A bite near the harbour

The cafés and eateries of Cannington's Main Street — a relaxed country stop on the Beaver River in Brock township.

Local pick: A country meal in the village

Uxbridge's historic downtown on Brock Street — independent shops, the Uxbridge Music Hall and Roxy Theatre, and a walkable heritage main street.

Local pick: Boutiques and the Music Hall

Port Perry's celebrated Queen Street — beautifully preserved Victorian storefronts, boutiques, cafés and galleries steps from the Lake Scugog waterfront.

Local pick: One of Ontario's prettiest main streets

Beaverton's Main Street shops and services — the everyday centre of the Lake Simcoe harbour town in Brock township.

Local pick: The harbour-town main street

Cannington's Main Street shops and general store — the everyday centre of the Beaver River village in Brock township.

Local pick: The country general store

A Durham DSB public secondary school serving Uxbridge and the surrounding rural communities, with academics, arts and athletics.

Local pick: The town's public high school

A Durham DSB public secondary school serving Port Perry and Scugog township, a short distance from the Queen Street downtown.

Local pick: Scugog's home high school

A Durham DSB public secondary school serving Brock township — Cannington, Beaverton and Sunderland — and the surrounding farms.

Local pick: Brock township's high school

A Durham DSB JK–8 public elementary serving Beaverton and the Lake Simcoe communities of Brock township.

Local pick: The Beaverton catchment

Port Perry's lakeside park on Lake Scugog — a long boardwalk, the gazebo and marina, beaches and waterfront festivals just below Queen Street.

Local pick: The boardwalk and the gazebo at sunset

An extensive network of forest and moraine trails around Uxbridge — Durham Forest, Walker Woods and the Countryside Preserve — earning the town its Trail Capital of Canada title.

Local pick: Why Uxbridge is the Trail Capital

A striking 1930s domed memorial north of Uxbridge — Byzantine and Taj-Mahal-inspired architecture, gardens and concerts in the rural countryside.

Local pick: A Taj-Mahal-inspired temple in the country

Beaverton's harbour on Lake Simcoe — a marina, beach, the Beaver River mouth and waterfront parks at the heart of the Brock township lakeshore.

Local pick: The harbour and the lighthouse pier

Cannington's riverside park along the Beaver River — green space, walking paths, ball diamonds and the village's community events.

Local pick: A riverside walk in the village

Uxbridge's central Elgin Park and the historic Music Hall — green space, the arena, festivals and live performances at the heart of the trail town.

Local pick: Concerts at the historic Music Hall