Winter Wandering Itinerary for Making Family Memories in Ontario’s Highlands

In a blink of the eye, our children have grown from toddlers to pre-teens, and before long they will be in Highschool and life will change forever. Now is the time to grab hold of them and step outside of routine, explore, wander and make moments together that make you laugh and reminisce about 10,20 years from now. Do that with inspiration from our Winter Wandering Itinerary for Making Family Memories in Ontario’s Highlands below. 

Wan-der-ing –  moving from place to place without a fixed plan; roaming; rambling: wandering tourists.

Ontario Highlands known as cottage country in the summer is filled with winter wandering moments for your family to embark on. Every corner offers families the chance to discover hidden gems and opportunities for making family memories close to home. We spent a weekend wandering through Ottawa Valley, Lanark County and Hastings in beautiful Ontario’s Highlands. Only 2.5 hours from Toronto or 30 minutes from Ottawa.

Winter Wandering Itinerary for Making Family Memories in Ontario’s Highlands

Day 1 – Lunch Time at Hidden Goldmine Bakery

Our first stop was in Madoc, Ontario at Hidden Goldmine Bakery. Just off Trans Canada Highway 7 – an hour East pass Peterborough; pretty much our neighbor here in Kawartha Lakes. From the moment we parked our nose lead the way, greeted by a charming gentleman who I thought worked there, it turns out he was a customer who frequently indulges in their old fashion baking made from scratch baking.

Now let’s talk about our lunch. It was so delicious the kids devoured every crumb and asked that we stop at Hidden Goldmine Bakery on our trek back home. They even asked for the recipe of the special of the day.
This family owned and operated bakery all started with a dream and fudge nugget. Hidden Goldmine Bakery we cannot wait to indulge in both your savory and sweet side again soon.

Day 1 – Heartwarming Visit With Serendipity Farm Alpacas & Llamas

Our road trip continued, and our next stop was in Lanark at Serendipity Farm Alpacas & Llamas. We took a lovely scenic route off Trans Canada Highway 7 that was lined with nature, lakes, rivers and many moments to take a picture.

During this stop, we all fell in love repeatedly – I mean look at that Alpaca face. My heart is bursting at the seams thinking of our visit.

Did you know? Alpacas are very frugal eaters? They eat very little and enjoy eating many different weeds, trees, grasses. We also learned that Alpacas leave almost zero footprints on the earth.

Keith and Elizabeth have built all their barns and outhouse to the geography of the land, contouring the trees, rocks, and hills. It’s very rustic and beautiful the way each section flows together.

Serendipity Farm Alpacas & Llamas website offers up many other exciting Alpaca facts – did you know Alpacas poop doesn’t stink? 

Our family learned so much during our time talking with our host Keith and Elizabeth. Together they have built a beautiful oasis for their animals and pride themselves on teaching families; allowing visitors to interact and feed their animals.

Serendipity Farm Alpacas & Llamas offer up free tours to families, and although the tours are free, they do take donations, and all proceeds go directly to the local food bank. Well, you’re there don’t miss out on touring the shop and feeling the warmth and silky softness of Alpaca wool. You may even come home with a beautiful souvenir.

We even got chance to take a selfie with a baby Alpaca.

Day 1 – Next stop, Calabogie Peaks Hotel

Being a skiing family, we were very excited to start this leg of our trip. After a very welcoming check-in, we headed off to our rooms for a little kick back to reflect on our day. For dinner, we dined in the Canthook Restaurant on site, and Sous Chef Mark treated our taste buds to some his beef tartar with smoky onions, a poached egg yolk, and braised radishes.

At first, I thought we’d split it two ways – we love tartar. Nope, the kids weren’t settling for that; we had to cut it six ways. I guess it’s our fault that our children inherited our foodie traits.

Every dish that came to our table had us sinking into our seat filled with mouth-watering flavors. Hubby enjoyed the Bison Meatloaf Burger – slab bacon, chevre, cayenne onion, sherry aioli on sourdough bread – paired with a salad. Let’s just say he didn’t speak well he was indulging and there was no room for dessert.

That evening we skated on the pond at Calabogie Peak Resorts. Under the stars, we giggled and enjoyed the night’s fresh air bonding as a family. A Canadian game of Hockey under the moonlight was the perfect addition to our day.

Day 2 – It’s Ski Day

After breakfast at Canthooks we suited up for a day on the slopes, the word at breakfast was freezing rain was coming around lunch. So, we planned on taking advantage of the first tracks – this is the view that welcomed us.

We weren’t always a skiing family. We learned together three years ago, and it’s been the one sport that we all take part in. Even if I don’t take the jumps like the rest of my family, I still can enjoy sliding down the slopes on skis with my children, just on a more relaxed route. Besides having a super cool name, Calabogie Peaks, the kids say it has “cool runs” too. 

Once the freezing rain hit, I decided to warm up. The rest of my adventurous family continued to ski; they played on the more challenging runs and had a blast. The verdict is out; we need to add Calabogie Peaks to our calendar next season, you’d never get bored playing, testing your limits and having fun as a family. Calabogie Peaks Resort is only 3.5 hours from Oshawa, Ontario and they have fantastic ‘Stay and Ski’ packages worth checking out. Click here for Calabogie Peaks Resort Stay and Ski Packages.

We shared an appetizer style lunch at Black Donald’s Pub before our short stroll back to our hotel rooms. Surrounded by so many trails to explore father and son took a few moments planning a little wander time. (And check out the view from our bedroom window!)

But first, no hotel stay is complete without a dip in the pool. While Daddy took the kids for a swim, I took advantage of the quiet time and enjoyed the jacuzzi tub in our room. Ah…. silence.

Next up, we wandered.

Before venturing on the frozen lake, Daddy made sure all was safe. The boys were very excited to wander on the island. They played an impromptu game of pirates discovering and roaming. Our kids are their happiest when they get the opportunity to wander, explore and learn.

We devoured another mouth-watering dinner from Canthook Restaurant. This time we saved room for dessert – chocolate fondue and sticky toffee pudding for the win.

Day 3 – Sweetness Overload

Off to Fulton’s Pancake House & Sugar Bush we go. Located in Pakenham, Ontario Fulton’s is about 50 minutes from Calabogie Peaks Resort. Again, we took the scenic drive and did some hiking before arriving. Once we arrived we sampled, learned and played. It was a beautiful mild day, and we spent four hours together making sweet memories.

Admission is free, and you’re welcome to wander, take a self-guided tour, or group tour. They have plenty of Nordic and walking trails – our kids loved the Blue Trail which had a scavenger hunt along the way. There are sleds and a tiny hill for the kids to enjoy, adult snowshoes to borrow, the Heritage Maple Path gives you a walk-through time and where you can ask the burning questions about how Fulton’s ancestors once made Maple Syrup. In the Spring, the Sugar Camp will be where your nose will take you as they boil this year’s crop down to make the maple syrup we all love.

For a cost, you can take a sleigh ride, check out the shop where you’ll find Maple Body Line, Maple Chocolate and so much more. Eating maple taffy on our hike was a memorable wandering moment for us. I highly suggest you stay for lunch – the Pancake House serves up pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausage, baked beans and some unique treats like the Maple Bacon Donut we indulged in. The best part is a huge jug of organic maple syrup sits on every table for you to sample the product.

Family owned for over 170 you can feel the pride of ownership the staff and Fulton family gives you from the moment you arrive until the time you leave. This could be the start of a yearly Maple tour for our family.

Winters in Ontario is something I pray more families would embrace – winter is here to stay, and the only way to beat the winter blues is by getting outside and wandering with your family.  Sometimes all it takes is looking in your own backyard for some inspiration and take the time to wander.

Come Wander Ontario Highlands; they are not far from Toronto, Ottawa, and neighbors us in Kawartha Lakes. They have so many experiences for families to discover, Ontario Highlands has something for every family and a great website (ComeWander.ca) filled with inspiration. Making family memories in Ontario’s Highlands is easier than you think – take the road trip.

 Follow the hashtag #ComeWander on all social platforms for more from Ontario’s Highlands.

Thank you, for reading In R Dream Canadian Blog.

Thank you, Ontario Highlands for sponsoring this adventure. Plus, showing us all the fun to be had in our own backyard making family memories in Ontario’s Highlands. As always, these are our opinions and this, and all reviews are written with honesty from our heart.