There is no shortage of things to do in and around the historic city of Kingston, Ontario.  A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to visit Fort Henry. When I was there it was all decked out as Fort Fright and if you saw the segment, it was actually pretty scary! But Fort Henry is well worth visiting year-round. It has the honour of being Ontario's only UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was awarded the designation together with the Rideau Canal because the Kingston Fortifications, which include Fort Henry and the four Martello Towers are unique surviving examples of the importance the British Government placed on protecting the entrance to the Canal. The Rideau Canal also remains the best preserved example of a slackwater canal in North America demonstrating the use of European slackwater technology in North America on a large scale. It is the only canal dating from the great North American canal-building era of the early 19th century that remains operational along its original line with most of its original structures intact.

The Fort itself was opened as a museum and historic site "in the name of all British soldiers who served there" by Prime Minister Mackenzie King in August 1938. You can get a glimpse of 19th century military life through guided tours, scenic views, heart-pounding musical performances and precision military demonstrations by the Fort Henry Guard. You will also see people representing the civilian population of the Fort dressed up as schoolteachers and soldiers' wives.

Part of the Parks of St. Lawrence along with Fort Henry is Upper Canada Village in Morrsiburg, Ontario. Founded in 1961, Upper Canada Village is one of the largest living-history sites in Canada. Rural English Canadian life in the year 1866 is depicted with the help of more than forty historical buildings, including homes, mills and trade workshops that were moved here prior to flooding of the "Lost Villages" during the development of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Aspects of late 19th-century social life, music, religion and politics are discussed and demonstrated by knowledgeable staff dressed in clothing of the period. Plan to spend three to four hours visiting.

Until this coming Saturday, come and check out Pumpkininferno, an outdoor exhibit of close to 6,000 hand-carved pumpkins, set against a stirring night-time backdrop just inside the gates. You'll see eclectic display of scenes from exotic places and historic ages, meet up with forest animals and sea-born creatures, see story book heroes, mythical characters and cultural icons all carved from pumpkins. Admission is $13 for adults and $10 for kids.

When the holiday season hits, the pumpkins will go and the Village will be celebrating its 12th annual Alight at Night holiday program. Think horse-drawn wagons for groups, romantic carriage rides for two, holiday music, festive dining and shopping. The Alight at Night Festival has become a favourite family tradition, and one of the region's main attractions. There are a number of Overnight Getaway Packages available. It starts the last weekend of November and goes up until Jan. 5, 2014.  Admission is $13 for adults and $10 for kids.

Also in close proximity to Kingston is Prince Edward County, one of Canada's newest wine regions. The "County" is home to countless award-winning wineries, cideries and breweries. You can follow bucolic rural back-roads along the innovative Taste Trail or Arts Trail, to explore the County's premier art galleries, studios, artisanal food producers and fine dining establishments. Countylicious running from November 1st to 24th offers prix fixe dining at ten of the County's best restaurants.  Menus are posted at www.countylicious.com

During the last two weekends of November and the first weekend of December, the town of Wassail is all about celebrating the harvest and putting the vines to rest. It's a great chance to visit the over 20 participating wineries and indulge in some seasonal cheer; there will be mulled wine tastings and many of the wineries have their own little events. There will be shuttle buses scheduled to get people from winery to winery.