[CookieMahnster]

Well I'm mostly familiar with Durham so if it were myself picking a locale it would be around Ajax to Oshawa, maybe even Port Hope with their nice beach and nuclear water runoff with a decent cruise nearby. Whitby lakefront has a couple of parking lots that are ok but often packed on nice days. I'll just make a list...

• Oshawa lakefront has boat loads of parking if nothing else is going on, a snack bar, decent shade and sun.. it's all around a pretty nice and large park. The main park is to the right if you click this link. But the spot I linked to is my favourite.... best view, room for probably 20 cars and very low traffic.
• Country Style - HWY2 just inside Whitby coming from Ajax. Huge parking lot, better coffee than Tim's.
• Iroquois Sports Complex - Victoria & Henry, Whitby - Loads of parking if no events, sports bar, food n stuff nearby
• Abandoned RONA - Whitby, Thickson and 401 you can see it from the highway. Empty parking lot because nothing is there!
• AMC Plaza - Whitby - crap loads of parking, food/drink, easy to get to
• Rotary Park - Ajax
• 1 of 2 Random lakeside parking lots - Ajax