I haven’t been to Blue Mountain before so I was quite excited to go for the first time and bring the kids along with me in a Buick Enclave to take on our trip (review to come later). Blue Mountain is Ontario’s largest mountain village resort, nestled on the shores of Georgian Bay. It is now a true four-season destination with a multitude of family friendly activities.
When you think of Blue Mountain, skiing probably comes to mind first. But there are so many fun activities during the spring summer and fall including an Open-Air Gondola, Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster, Plunge! Aquatic Centre, Cascade Putting Course, Timber Challenge High Ropes, Woodlot Low Ropes, Wind Rider Trip Zips and more. What’s more, some of the activities are also available during the winter months along with the 36 ski and snowboard trails. Let’s not forget the Village with 45 restaurants, bars and shops.
The boys were anxious to start on all the activities. First, they played a round of mini-golf at Cascade Putting Course just steps from the Village. The 18-hole course features waterfalls, streams and cascading landscapes.
The boys wanted to rock climb but unfortunately it was only open for groups. We had an afternoon break at BeaverTails in the Village, a must-have for me since I don’t live close to one of their locations. Of course I got mine with that delicious chocolate-hazelnut spread… I didn’t care if I was going to bloat up (I’m sensitive to gluten), it was so worth it!
We then headed over to Crock a Doodle, a quaint paint-it-yourself pottery company for some afternoon arts and crafts. Of course we all had a difficult time deciding on which piece to paint since there was such a wide selection of lovely items from bowls to platters to piggy banks.
And here are our finished pieces, ready the next day after 4pm:
It never failed, on our way to and from the gorgeous Westin Trillium House, we HAD to stop and look at the frogs and the hundreds of tadpoles. More about the Westin here.
After a quick change, we headed over to Firehall Pizza Co. for dinner. The restaurant features fire hydrant beer towers, fire hoses and ladders hanging from the ceilings and a beautiful patio overlooking the Events Plaza and the Mill Pond. Ironically, there was a fire last summer which forced the restaurant to close for repair. Firehall Pizza Co. has a casual and family-friendly atmosphere with a menu that’s sure to please any taste or dietary restriction, such as gluten-free pizza!
One of the most thrilling attractions at Blue Mountain is the Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster. I havee never experienced as exhilarating a ride as this one! I’ve been on my share of roller coaster rides but the adventure of being in a single car speeding down the mountain and through the forest, through twists and turns, all the while trying to remember to keep pushing the levers DOWN otherwise someone behind you could actually collide into you – is a thrill beyond thrills!
After that crazy adventure, we called it a night… and boy what a restful night it was at the Westin Trillium House and their comfortable Heavenly Beds!
The following morning we met up with the other bloggers on our #FamilyBloggerRetreat, @gonewithfamily, @inksriblr and @mapleleafmommy for a light breakfast and then we were off to visit the Scenic Caves. We spent the morning discovering at our own leisure – read all about our visit to Scenic Caves here.
The kids were extra hungry after hiking through the caves and nature trails but they each wanted different things – my youngest craved pancakes while my oldest wanted a hamburger. I, on the other hand, felt like having eggs and bacon. Where could we dine that would satisfy the taste buds of all three of us? Sunset Grill of course!
We stopped to pick up a Tall Blonde at Starbucks – no really!
During our visit, I treated the boys to Hatley Scoops for a Kawartha Dairy ice cream and The Happy Valley Candy Co. for some gummies before heading over to Plunge! Aquatics. While the boys frolicked both in the indoor and outdoor pools and whizzed down the waterslide, I enjoyed a lazy afternoon watching them go to town.
That evening, we had dinner with the group at The Pottery located in the original Blue Mountain Inn. The restaurant is named after the original Blue Mountain Pottery which was founded in the early 1950s. The Terra Cotta replicas on display are some examples of those produced by the founder of Blue Mountain Resort, Jozo Weider.
Now if the husband was able to join us, I could sneak away to one of Blue Mountain’s on-site spas for some pampering… or if a babysitter came along, we could enjoy a cocktail at one of the many bar/lounges in the Village! Blue Mountain really has something for everyone.
A perfect way to end our trip to Blue Mountain Resort? A ride on the Open-Air Gondola.
We truly had a fabulous visit at Blue Mountain. My boys had so much fun – and we didn’t even have time to experience all of the activities available! They are anxious to come back in the winter and learn how to ski. Blue Mountain is investing $10 million to expand its ski and snowboard terrain and add new trails for winter 2013/2014 so you know it’s going to be even more amazing!
