More great family getaways

School’s out for another summer and that means you are likely trying to figure out what to do with the kids. In an earlier post I mentioned some of the resorts that offer children’s programs but there are also resorts that let you plan your own days events. Our cottage resorts are a great option for reconnecting with your family, with the natural surroundings and are conducive to having fun. From the moment you arrive, you’ll be greeted with a warm welcome and realize this could be the start of an annual tradition.

Kayaking on Lake of Bays at Bondi

At Bondi Resort in Dwight they are welcoming guests back this week for their 50th summer! Over the years the family has grown and they are now at the point of taking over the resort when they come. Bondi offers a little bit of everything from swimming in the lake, a frisbee golf course, several kilometers of hiking trails, wolf calling, star-gazing and so much more. The team at Bondi knows what it takes to make a vacation memorable and keeping their guests coming back year after year.

Looking to catch the “big one?” They look no further than Beauview Cottage Resort. In owner Gord’s latest blog post, he shares a picture of some young gentlemen showing off their catch. Speaking from experience, the first bass a young boy catches is the one he will remember for the rest of his life… not to mention it’ll have them hooked on fishing. Beauview also added to their water toys this year with a “Moonwalk” connecting the “Iceberg” to the Water trampoline. At the end of the day, you can soak in a private hot tub or sit under the stars next to a campfire.

The 4 season Sandy Lane Resort in Haliburton is another great option for those looking for a kid friendly atmosphere. The cottages surround a beautiful park like setting on the shore of Halls Lake. Sandy Lane is ideal for all types of activities and your kids will love playing on their playground equipment, swimming in the lake, or just going out for a relaxing and calm paddle on the water.

Heading east towards Ottawa? Then you’ll want to stay Perth’s “Ultimate Family Resort on the Lake,” McCreary’s Beach, which is only 10 minutes out-of-town and only 45 minutes to the nation’s capital city, Ottawa. Pick between staying in one of their charming cottages or condos and enjoy the tranquil setting as you look out onto Mississippi Lake. During your stay, you’ll enjoy use of their Fun Zone, entertainment complex, arcade, tennis courts and so much more.

Whether you are looking to go to the near north, towards Lake Huron in the west, or east of Toronto, there are spectacular cottage resorts available. Visit the cottage resort section of our website and start planning your new summer tradition of experience cottage resorts in Ontario.

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Romantic Ontario Resorts

While today might be Valentines Day, I for one believe that romance shouldn’t be reserved for one specific day out of the year. Sure today is the traditional day of men showering their loved ones with flowers, chocolates, and/or jewelry, but what about the rest of the year. The gestures tend to be more memorable when unprovoked by a commercial holiday  and what is more memorable than a romantic escape for two.  The benefit of Ontario is that there are countless possibilities for you to take your loved one to a place that is new and something that you will both surely enjoy.

Nothing sets the mood quite like a great meal and a good bottle of wine.  The Niagara Region certainly offers plenty in the way of romantic sites and plenty of wine tasting opportunities and exquisite culinary. If you have never toured this wine region, we suggest a stay with White Oaks Resort and Spa, Pillar and Post or Inn on the Twenty; each conveniently located to several wineries and offering superior luxury. In Prince Edward County, you can stay at the Claramount Inn and Spa overlooking picturesque Picton Bay, partake in the culinary classes offered at The Waring House Inn or enjoy the private beach offered at Isaiah Tubbs Resort.

If your romantic getaway needs to be something a little more intimate, then how does a private cottage or a room that includes a fireplace and maybe even a personal hot tub sound? Your loved one would be so pleased to stay at a place like Couples Resort which offers fantastic dining, private hot tubs (in most rooms,) scenic surroundings and a wide array of activities. Beauview Cottage Resort is another fantastic option that offers the peace and solitude of the country. When you stay at Beauview, you wake up to the sounds of the birds chirping unlike the typical big city noise.

If you are into history, consider staying at one of our resorts that has been in operation for over 100 years. The Gananoque Inn and Spa main building was once a carriage factory. Throughout the summer months, you can take in a cruise of the beautiful 1000 islands, take in a show at the theater or visit some of the mueseums. Westover Inn began as a limestone Victorian Mansion in 1867 and throughout the years has expanded to now offer 19 acres including private cottages located on the Thames River.

For the true “Northern Feel” Northridge Inn & Resort is one resort that would be a sure fit for your romantic escape. A stay at Northridge Inn is animated throughout the seasons with an array of activities, and serenity of wilderness calls all night long.  Also with the northern feel is Trillium Resort and Spa which is nestled in amongst 86 acres of forest. Trillium offers waterfall viewing, a private lake and a truly indulgent experience through its 5,000 sq. ft. spa facility.

Ontario offers so much to experience and the resorts mentioned above are just a sampling of the romantic escapes that await. For a complete list of resorts catering to romance visit us online.

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Skiing & Snowboarding in Resort Country

Skiing/Snowboarding in resort country is a fantastic way to escape the winter blahs and feel the rush of setting off down hill through groomed trails and fresh powder. Being a fairly new snowboarder, I have certainly been excited with the early and massive accumulations of fresh snow this winter at the different  Ontario ski resorts. Depending on the area you are looking to travel to there are many options to get out and try this activity.

For central Ontario, Blue Mountain Resort near Collingwood is an excellent choice for those looking to get that Ski Village feel offered out west. The village offers a variety of restaurants and nightlife opportunities to keep your energy pumping long after you have left the hills for the day. The resort offers an outdoor heated pool which is always fun on a winter’s day. Horseshoe Resort outside of Barrie and Orillia has been working hard at updating their Terrain Park and is a great place with options of staying at Horseshoe or Carriage Ridge Resort. Further down the road is Mount. St. Louis Moonstone which is just a quick drive from Christie’s Mill Inn and Spa and Muskey’s Landing.

 

In the Haliburton Region Sir Sam’s Skiing offers 12 trails of great fun and with Sir Sam’s Inn and WaterSpa located near the base of the hill, you can stay in comfort and give your muscles some much-needed relaxation through hydro therapy. Also nearby is Pinestone Resort, Sandy Lane Resort, Bonnie View Inn and Halimar Resort all offering their own comfortable accommodations and winter fun activities.

 

For those visiting the Ottawa area Calabogie Peaks Resort offers the convenience of 23 runs at the resort. For those looking to take in the Capital, you can also book ski packages through Brookstreet Hotel and have the best of skiing and history while staying at a great hotel.

 

Muskoka is often thought of as a summer destination for the pristine lakes but those that have visited the area in winter know that Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area is a great place to get out an enjoy some downhill fun. With it’s longest run being 580 meters (1902 ft.) there is a great opportunity to explore and have fun on the slopes for a day. There are many resorts to stay at in Muskoka that are just a short drive to the ski hill including Deerhurst Resort, Beauview Cottages, Cedar Grove Lodge, Bondi Cottage Resort plus many others.

 

If you are in the Greater Toronto Area and don’t want to venture far, Hockley Valley Resort is just a quick 45 minute drive north. With 15 runs, both an upper and lower level terrain park and state of the art snow making, there is a long season ahead for those looking to take advantage of the convenience Hockley Valley offers.

 

Regardless of which part of Ontario you are looking to visit, skiing and snowboarding gives you a great way to get out and experience an adrenaline packed sport that is fun for first timers and lifetime skiers. While you might be intimidated to try this out, each of the ski areas mentioned offers lessons to help you get the hang of it, which at the end of the day makes the hills that much more enjoyable. Come on up to our place for great skiing.

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Resorts Rock at the 2010 Spring Conference

Resorts of Ontario’s Spring Conference, “It’s Showtime” trade show and Presidents dinner was held last week at Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood (Mar 23 and 24) and what an event it was. The day started with a presentation from Michael Kurts from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, outlining how regional tourism organizations will play a role in Ontario starting July 2010. This was followed by the Annual General Meeting which featured the annual report and an outline of new initiatives planned for 2010.

The “It’s Showtime” trade show kicked off on Tuesday afternoon with a lunch featuring a classical french cheese station, a pasta station and a seafood station. Everyone raved about the meal and commented that we need a similar lunch every year going forward. The resort owners and operators made their way around the trade show floor which had representatives from different Resorts of Ontario preferred suppliers. Swissol, Planet Energy and Sam Group promoted their products through informational showcase sessions. (One of the highlights of the tradeshow was certainly the fashion show featuring different clothing items for the resort industry put on by the Sam Group and featuring volunteer models from some different resorts as well as a few staff members from our office.

The afternoon also had information sessions with the first being a presentation done by Sarah from Galigraph Design focusing on the “Keys to successful advertising.” Later in the day was a presentation from Gord Bell of Beauview Cottages on “Understanding Social Media.”

A wine reception started off the evening and dinner attendees where able to participate in a traditional wine tasting presented by the wine specialists of Inniskillen. Resorts of Ontario putting on a rockin’ good time with its Rock and Roll themed night. The dinner opened with a parade of current board members being led by Olympic Torch bearer Anne Marshall from Elmhirst’s Resort. This was followed by a tribute to past presidents. Dinner was concluded and the  live music from Jamie Williams began. Despite most people being on their feet the majority of the day the dance floor was full and Jamie even invited a few people on stage to help him perform.

The next morning began with many tired but happy people returning to their booths on the trade show floor or attending breakfast with a presentation by Kevan Ashworth (Ashworth Photography) and Barb Kienapple (Jack’s of Hearts design) on “How to tell your story!” which drew on real life experiences and how customers are motivated to buy. From there resort operators were given the opportunity to bid on donated items with benefits going to Camp Trillium.

Needless to say it was a great event and thanks go out to all who were involved.

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Resort blogs in Ontario Canada

A good way to get behind-the-scenes of a resort is to read its blog. More and more are popping up on individual resort sites linked to Resorts of Ontario. Here are three that I reviewed for this blogpost:

Bondi Village Resort near Algonquin Park hosted its annual Island Marathon Swim this week and Nanci Tapley added some great pics to her Bondi Village blog. Three young guests ages 11, 12 and 13 years beat their Uncle James back to the resort dock, swimming a distance of 1.6 km. The kids were delighted that they “won” the race. Now call me a romantic but that’s the stuff that memories are made of. So’s the video of a bunch of guys making home made maple taffy in the snow. She’s also got a link to a really neat wildlife site at Algonquin Park that I had never seen before.

Fawns in the garden of one of the cottages at Bondi Village Resort

Recent Scottish guests discovered Beauview Cottages while surfing the net. They knew all about the place and about Muskoka Lakes, Algonquin Park and Huntsville long before they crossed the Atlantic thanks to Gord Bell’s blog. I’d call that The Long Tail effect that Chris Anderson writes about. Something for everyone somewhere that can be easily sourced online. Gord’s also got a webcam which I think can be a valuable traveler resource provided it’s maintained. Gord updates his daily and in early spring when I wanted to know what the ice conditions were like on the Muskoka Lakes, I used Gord’s webcam to check. My absolute fave on this blogpost tho’ is Gord’s video of Snowtubing at Rock Ridge Park. I wanna go!!

Sunrise from the dock at Beauview Cottage Resort

This month, Anne Marshall wrote in her Elmhirst Resort blog about Odile Rablat, a gal from France who landed her ultralight at Elmhirst enroute to to Canada’s west coast. Wow, that’s impressive!! Elmhirst has its own airstrip and regularly entertains pilots from around the world. Some stay over and some as Anne’s July 5th post suggests even fly in for an Elmhirst brunch. The resort has its own farm on site so the eggs are as fresh as you can get, and so are the veggies. Steak is a house specialty since Black Angus are bred here too. A bunch of us enjoyed a steak & frites dinner here last winter washed down with some great reds from the resort’s million dollar all-Canadian wine cellar.

The wine cellar at Elmhirst's Resort on Rice Lake

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