This Quaint Canadian Town Is Perfect For A Fall Getaway With Cozy Gilmore Girls Vibes

Ontario is filled with cute storybook towns, villages, and hamlets that have inspired many Hollywood location scouts throughout the years, some being the most beautiful places in Canada to visit. Small town streets filled with locally-owned businesses and restaurants, and decorated with colorful flowers make for the perfect place to stroll with a coffee in hand. This quaint Canadian town just north of Toronto with cozy "Gilmore Girls" vibes is a perfect getaway for a relaxed fall weekend.

Unionville, Ontario is a quintessential small town that inspired the creators of the popular WB TV series Gilmore Girls, starring Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore and Alexis Bledel as her daughter, Rory Gilmore. The comedy-drama hit ran for seven seasons between 2000 and 2007, and was full of memorable one-liners and life lessons. Not to mention endless quotes about "coffee, coffee, coffee." The pilot episode for the series was filmed in Unionville, and since then, diehard fans of the show have made their way to Unionville's Main Street to take a peek at the filming locations in real life.

While there are tons of must-visit spots in Toronto for tourists to see, located just a short distance away, "Gilmore Girls" fanatics can easily make the journey to Unionville in many ways. Driving from Toronto by car is only a 20-mile trip, and should take about an hour, however with Toronto traffic and congestion with parking in Unionville, your best bet may be to arrive via GO Train straight from Toronto's Union Station. Trains depart every hour, take 43 minutes, and take you to Unionville GO Station. From there, you can take a leisurely stroll for about a mile to Unionville's Main Street.

Even though the TV series takes place in the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, Unionville sparked the show's creators' inspiration while filming there, which in turn created an economic boost for this cute little Main Street in Ontario. As you make your way down Unionville's tree-lined Main Street during fall, the leaves turn a golden color, instantly transporting you directly into a "Gilmore Girls" scene, making this Canadian town a great destination for your next fall getaway. The period houses from the 1840s in Unionville are preserved as a Heritage Conservation District in Ontario, which gives the town an even cozier vibe.

"Gilmore Girls" fans will be happy to know that while visiting Unionville, you'll still be able to see iconic landmarks and buildings from the pilot, such as Luke's Diner (now a medical spa), Miss Pattie's, and the red brick church from the show's opening scene. While strolling along Main Street, make sure to stop in at the Old Firehall Confectionery, a historic firehall in Unionville, for a taste of nostalgia with classic candies and treats, as well as a scoop of Ontario's famous Kawartha Dairy ice cream.

Do as coffee addict Lorelai would do and snag a coffee at Alchemy Coffee before making your way to the 81-acre Toogood Pond Park. Enjoy a leisurely walk among the trees and relax while watching the Canada Geese gather at the pond that was once called Willow Pond or Willow Lake.

While many "Gilmore Girls" fanatics visit Unionville to experience the charm of the town, some have said it's not what they expected. Buildings look different, or have changed since the show ended. What Unionville visitors should consider is that it's a real town with real people, and although once a filming location, it's not like walking onto the set of "Gilmore Girls."

Victoria Louise Taylor writes on her blog that "Luke's diner was such a disappointment. Much to my upset, the building now has zero resemblance to Luke's Diner and is used to house a medical spa. I understand that the town needs to be able to use the buildings for businesses, but it feels like a real missed opportunity to me here."

Victoria goes on to mention that there are areas of Unionville that still exude that "Gilmore Girls" vibe. "While the church isn't used as an area of interest in the pilot episode, everything about it feels very 'Stars Hollow' to me. Plus, it's nice to be able to see something actually look the same as it did in the pilot." So for "Gilmore Girls" fanatics looking to visit Unionville, stopping by if you're in the area is certainly a must, because in the words of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore "It's a show?" "It's a lifestyle. It's a religion."