Victoria weekend is not normally the best time to travel in Canada as hotel’s are expensive and activities are more crowded than normal. We decided to try and get away from crowds and head up north for a last minute family weekend vacation.
Carriage Ridge Resort
There were not a lot of hotels with last minute availability, but we were able to find one at the half way point of our trip, just past Barrie, Ontario. We like to find hotels that are a little different, and Carriage Ridge Resort was perfect.
We were not expecting much from the resort as we were more concerned with location than amenities. Our lack of planning almost cost us our reservation as this resort doesn’t take check-ins after 9:30pm. We found this out during a curtesy call from the front desk at 7:30pm. I’m sure it is listed on their website, but the call helped “pace” our next 2 hours of driving. The person at the front desk was very nice and understanding when we arrived at the end of her shift, which was appreciated!
We all loved this resort and wished we had more time time spend there. We love the little things and this resort had unique surprises spread all over.
Arriving at night made it difficult to see the outdoor space, but we did get a look at the big pool and hot tub and the pool table in the lobby.
The next day were were able to explore the outdoors and sit by the large firepit. The BBQs/Gazebos/Activities were nice and located throughout the resort.
Behind the resort we got to walk around the top of some ski slopes. None of us have been skiing, so it was nice to see (even if there was no snow) and get a close-up of the ski lifts and what the slopes look like from the top!
Our room was great. It was just under $200/night and was a 1 Bedroom Suite for a 2 person Jacuzzi, Full kitchen, Dining Table, and a fireplace. The room was large and the bed was as good as any Hilton bed.
Day 1 - The Drive Up
By the time we had decided to go away it was already Friday night, so Saturday morning was spent packing. Lots of food and drinks as well as some camping gear like chairs and fishing rods. We were able to leave the house by 11am with a downloaded playlist and a vague itinerary.
Six hours each day was going to be spent driving, so we wanted to avoid the 400 series highways in order to sightsee and take in the surroundings. The drive was a major part of the trip! Traffic was great going up and we made great time. We made a few stops at stores that caught our eye including a long stop at BrickYard Antiques & Restaurant near London Ontario and a quick pic of a shoe tree in Strathburn, Ontario.
Day 2 - Exploring Nature
Day 2 had the most driving and made for a very long day. We were up and on the road before 7am and in Killbear Provincial Park by 10am. Despite the forecasted rain on the previous day, the park campsites were full, and while there were a few people exploring the park did not feel busy. The park was big with a nice layout and offered stunning views of the lake. We went to Sunset Rock first for a few pictures, but ended up there for over 2 hours hiking through the rocks on the shore.
Next we headed to the Day Use area and ate some food we had packed, spent some time on the beach taking in the scenery, and attempted to build a sand castle. The castle didn’t look great, but the moat and bridge were pretty good thanks to the shovel I had with me. It was an odd experience to be playing on the beach wearing a sweater and jacket, but we still had lots of fun. I think the high was 60°F.
Around 2:30pm we started making our way back to our resort. We made a quick stop at The Detour Store for some Kawartha ice cream and decided to sneak a quick stop in at a waterfall. I had plotted a few out and one was pretty close to our route home, so we picked it. High Falls in Bracebridge was the pick and it what a great pick. We were there for over an hour taking in the stunning views of the falls. We discovered pretty quickly there there were 2 waterfalls and then about 40 minutes of exploring we realized there was a 3rd falls located close by. So we got to see High Falls, Potts Falls, and Little High Falls. We were all pretty tired at this point, so we made out way back to the resort and made cooked some food before exploring the rest of the resort and surrounding area.
Day 3 - Going Home
The drive home was pretty straight forward. We decided to make one detour and check out The Road Shows 400 Antiques in Innisfil, Ontario (It was one of the few things open on Victoria Day). The place had lots of stuff, but we didn’t find anything that was priced low enough, so we left empty handed. We made it back in Windsor around 6pm.
Overall it was a great trip, but it was a shame we couldn’t stay longer (The length of trip was the only real negative). We all enjoyed the trip and would all do it again, but it was too much driving and not enough activities. Next time, I would try to take a week and explore more of the area including branching further north.
Avoiding the 400 series highway really helped us take in the landscape and elevation changes. Seeing signs for steep inclines and moose crossings helped us get into the trip and kept us alert for wild animals. We didn’t see any moose or bears, but we did see deer, rabbits, hawks, eagles, and other small animals during the trip. The weather didn’t get above 70°F, but it was mostly sunny so it was perfect for hiking and not getting overheated.
Long Drive Tip: Change Up the Music! We had an auto playlist keeping the music fresh, but the last 2 hours of the drive we changed it up to a couple podcasts about creepy hiking stories which ended up being really good.
