November  is a great time to get outside and experience the outdoors before those frosty flakes of snow arrive! Durham Region has some of the best trails in the province. W hy not bring your bike and check out some of our super cycling spots in Ajax, Clarington and Uxbridge, among others in Ontario, recently  featured in Tourism Ontario's latest video "Ontario Cycling." Visit their YouTube page at youtube.com/user/TravelOntarioCanada/videos to view the video!   If you're interested in hitting the trails by foot, check out the Trails section at durhamtourism.ca for more information and helpful resources.

Durham chefs serve up some of the best fine cuisine in southcentral Ontario, as f ood and travel blogger Christopher Mitchell can attest to. Mitchell recently covered some of Durham's tastiest spots in his travel blog "Travelling Mitch." In his post titled "A Feast for the Taste Buds: Exploring Durham Region's Finest!" Mitchell writes that "Durham Region has its own culture, which is seemingly strengthening by the day, and that's coming out in what it's producing from a food and beverage standpoint." With a focus on restaurants that source locally produced food, as well as innovative and interesting spots, Mitchell visited such local favourites as Bistro '67, Urban Pantry, Brock St. Brewing Company, 5 Paddles Brewing Co., Ocala Winery, the Second Wedge Brewing Co. and even a visit to Hayfield Farm as part of a special event for the Orono Fall Fair. Check out Travelling Mitch's second Durham-themed post, " Farm to Table, Ontario Style," or better yet, get out and discover some of the finest food in the province for yourself. From luxurious fine dining to diverse bistros and cafes ----you won't be disappointed!

Join your fellow comedy lovers for some side-splitting laughter at the live CBC taping of the 905 Comedy Festival. Stand-up comics from the Rick Mercer Report, Air Farce, This Hour has 22 Minutes, Yuk Yuk's, Just for Laughs, and more come together on November 24 and 25 at the Harmony Creek Community Centre. Visit the 905 Comedy Festival website at 905comedyfest.com for tickets. Proceeds from ticket sales will help fund the programs at Community Living and families at local abuse shelters.

Mark your calendar s for the 2018 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships taking place February 23 to 25, 2018 at the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa. Skaters from across Canada will compete for team national titles in the senior, junior, open, intermediate and novice categories. The top two senior teams will represent Canada at the 2018 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships. This is a great opportunity to see one of the sport's most exciting disciplines, which was last in Oshawa in 2009. Tickets will be available by presale to Durham Tourism e-newsletter subscribers on November 13, and to the general public on November 14, through the Tribute Communities Centre website at  tributecommunitiescentre.com .