Head north this summer to Ontario

Looking for a break from summer heat? Take a drive into Ontario — by going east from Michigan or west from New York.

Head east across the border at Detroit into Windsor and Canada's Most Southern Point — http://tinyurl.com/3fs932 — an area of parks, festivals and beaches along lakes Erie, St. Clair and Huron. Click on "National Parks" and consider a short drive south to Point Pelee National Park — http://tinyurl.com/6n2l9v — an 11-mile peninsula of beaches that attract birds and butterflies. And look under "More Cities & Towns" for the link to Pelee Island.

Most Southern Point is part of the Southern Ontario Tourism region — http://www.soto.on.ca/ — which extends north to Lake Huron and east all the way to Niagara Falls. On the interactive map, click on the section just east of Most Southern and you'll find Shakespearean Theatre and Lake Erie North Shore, which includes the city of Stratford and the Shakespearean and modern drama theaters of the Stratford Festival of Canada — http://www.stratford-festival.on.ca/ — plus Lake Erie beach towns.

Drive a little farther east into the map section called Southern Grand River Country — http://tinyurl.com/5q4h35 — where the city of Brantford was the home of Alexander Graham Bell and Wayne Gretzky.

According to the "Events" calendar, Brantford — http://www.visitbrantford.ca/ — is the host in late July of the Grand River Champion of Champions Powwow, a dance and singing contest for Native Americans from across the continent. Under "Travel Tools" you'll find several useful tourism Web links, but the best part of this Web site is "Great Summer Drives," a set of itineraries for exploring the area.

For a lakeshore that's a little more rugged than Erie's, turn left at Windsor and head north to the wilderness of Bruce Peninsula National Park — http://tinyurl.com/5l9mx3 — on Lake Huron. It's in a Southern Ontario region called Lake Huron and Georgian Bay Coastlines — http://tinyurl.com/3lgs8g — which also features hiking on the Bruce Trail and canoeing on the Maitland River. The Bruce Trail — http://www.brucetrail.org/ — runs for more than 400 miles from Niagara Falls to the Bruce Peninsula.

If you're starting out in the Northeast, head to Buffalo, N.Y., and cross the border to the Canadian city of Niagara Falls — http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/ — where you have to bypass the local resorts and parks if you're going to have time to enjoy the rest of the area. Take Queen Elizabeth Way through St. Catharines to Hamilton and turn left to Brantford and the rest of Southern Ontario.

For all of the Southern Ontario regions, mouse over "Things to Do" at the top of the page and select "Travel Information" for more detailed information arranged by town. For example, Northern Grand River Country & the Headwaters has a link to Grand River Country — http://www.grandrivercountry.com/ — an area where you can hike and bike, paddle a canoe, visit historical sites and take in Canada's Great Bavarian Festival — http://www.oktoberfest.ca/ — in October at Kitchener.