The Big Apple – Where Pie Meets the Absurd
You can’t miss it.
Driving eastbound on Highway 401 through Ontario, just outside the small town of Colborne, this massive red apple suddenly rises out of the landscape like a cartoon dropped into farmland. I wasn’t planning to stop—but how do you ignore a three-story fruit grinning at you from the roadside?
Naturally, I pulled in.
The Big Apple is one of those places that rides the line between local kitsch and genuine charm. Built in the 1980s, it proudly claims the title of “the world’s biggest apple-shaped structure.” And sure enough, it is. The thing towers 35 feet high, with windows, a stem, and a staircase that leads to a rooftop lookout. No joke—you can climb inside and peer out over the highway through the eyes of a massive piece of produce.
But let’s talk about the real reason I stayed: the food.
Inside the main building is a massive country-style bakery with an open view of their pie-making operation. They’ve sold over 6 million pies to date—and I get why. Still warm, I grabbed a slice of the classic apple crumble and sat by the window watching families feed goats in the petting zoo while someone launched golf balls off the mini-putt course. It’s a weird blend of country fair, roadside attraction, and sugar high—all wrapped in a scent cloud of cinnamon and nostalgia.
What I love about places like this is they’re completely unpretentious. There’s no attempt to be sleek or polished. It exists purely to make people smile, whether it’s the giant apple statue, the pie puns, or the rows of apple-themed souvenirs no one really needs but somehow always buys. I left with sticky fingers, a full stomach, and a camera full of moments between absurdity and affection.
For a photographer, spots like this are gold. Not because they’re iconic in the traditional sense, but because they reveal something human, quirky, joyful, and proudly regional. This isn’t the polished side of travel. It’s the roadside shrug of “why not?”
And honestly, I’m glad I didn’t pass it by.
The Big Apple is just one of the countless quirky stops I’ve stumbled across while exploring Canada with a camera in hand. From weathered barns to ghost towns and backroad diners, I’ve been collecting quiet scenes and loud surprises for years.
