A romantic winter getaway to the Ottawa Valley

There are two things I love in life (okay there are many but these are high on the list): exploring cool spots close to home and spending quality time with Ben. When Ontario Highlands Tourism contacted us about taking a romantic trip in Ontario for Valentine’s day I nearly jumped for joy. Umm.. is that even a question?

We were first directed to their website, ComeWander.ca which makes you take a quiz to find out what kind of wanderer you are. I’ll admit, I found it REALLY hard because, for each question, I wanted to press every answer. I swear I did the quiz like 4 times and kept 2 different answers

Rustic Roamer:

I seek the quiet comfort of charming towns and back roads, and my only goal is to explore. I appreciate the little things, the authentic local experiences, warm hospitality, and humble people with big hearts.

Immersing myself in local culture, and embracing the spirit of the community, helps me escape my daily routine.

Freedom Finder:

I love to explore, blaze new trails and reach new heights. I’m always the first to hit the trail, make fresh tracks, or make a big splash. I crave excitement, adrenaline, and new adventures around every corner

I mean, I don’t think I could write something more accurate about how we love to travel if I tried. Once we established what kind of travellers we are, an itinerary was formed! Curious to see how we spend 3 days on a romantic winter adventure? Read on.

Day 1: A little R & R

We left Toronto first thing on Saturday morning. I’m never one for sleeping in and heading out of the city is always so much easier on a Saturday morning than on a Friday night. The Ottawa Valley is about a 4-hour drive so it’s totally doable in a weekend. It’s also a really easy drive and once you hit Peterborough, it’s gorgeous going through cottage country.

Lunch

Because we left so early in the morning we had to stop for lunch on the way. The Granite in Bancroft is the perfect pitstop on your way. It’s about 3 hours into your trip so it’s about that time you start to get really restless and need a break. The food was so delicious! Ben had a rack of ribs and I had a refreshing goat cheese and strawberry salad.

I don’t think I could speak highly enough about this little spot. It’s obviously a local favourite because it was consistently really busy. Most of the patrons we noticed happened to be snowmobilers making a stop on a popular route which is pretty cool.

Arrival

Here’s one thing I’ve learned through all of my travels, things are often not what they seem. When we drove up to Sands on Golden Lake, it looked rather unassuming. It was cute and nice from the outside but the charm and beauty can only really be experienced once you get inside and around the front!

We were checked in by the hotel owner. Honestly, how many places have you been that you can say that? I loved it. Craig has a really cool story as well (we’ll get to that later). I almost couldn’t believe the room we were staying in as we walked into it. It was huge! The King size bed almost looked small. You could tell the rooms were recently renovated, they were clean, nice and there was so much space. The best part of the room? I don’t think I could decide between the massive jacuzzi or the views of the lake.

We didn’t have much time for checking out the room though before we were whisked away for some spa treatments!

Relaxation

Sands on Golden Lake actually has an on-site spa. Around the back of the hotel, facing the water is a smaller building, very quaint and unassuming. When we got inside I was almost giddy. It was a really snowy and cold day and sitting in the spa getting a facial and a massage was exactly what we needed. Especially after such a long drive.

It was the perfect way for us to spend the afternoon. How can you complain about a relaxing massage, followed by a facial? I’ve only ever had one facial before so I don’t have much to compare it to but I swear my skin was glowing for days afterwards. I would highly recommend it.

Dinner

Sands on Golden Lake actually has its own restaurant on-site. I know what you’re thinking, why would you decide to eat at a hotel when there are probably so many amazing restaurants nearby? Because this restaurant had some of the best, home-cooked, comforting food I’d had in a while.

Craig had come around to check on us and see how we were. Again, how many hotels do you get service like that? Craig, as he told us, worked for many years in the NHL, travelling back and forth. He was tired of it and at the time with his first child on the way, he wanted to find something that would keep him closer to home. So he did what anyone would do, made a massive career change. Although he did something unconventional and bought Sands on Golden Lake! He explained that there are a lot of little projects he wants done around the place. From everything he was saying, it sounds like it’s going to be an even more incredible spot in a few years!

After a delicious steak dinner and a few glasses of red, we were ready to hit the pillow, excited for a day out in the snow!

Day 2: Learning some new skills

Of all the days, I think I was looking forward to this day the most. As someone who grew up ski racing, I had never tried cross-country skiing. I’ve always wanted to though, this was the perfect opportunity. After a quick but filling breakfast, we headed out for the 30-minute drive to Opeongo Hills Nordic Ski Club.

I wouldn’t say the drive was easy, we aren’t weathered winter drivers and after having a bad accident in the winter a few years ago I’ve become very cautious. However, we managed it well enough with our winter tired and full-sized car.

Nordic skiing

We were greeted by Beth and her husband Paul who actually run the club. They brought us inside the cutest little yurt to explain to us what we were going to be doing that day. Trying to catch the last little bit of warmth by the fire, we got the run down of how the club worked.

It’s all volunteer based. Imagine? A free place you can go to learn how to Nordic ski, with trails that are stunning and beautifully groomed. I almost couldn’t believe it when I heard it. You’d never find something like that in the downhill skiing world.

Paul was a great teacher. Showed us the main moves, stopping, turning, going fast, etc to make sure we were set up and ready to get on our way. The club has quite a number of trails for you to choose from based on your skill level. We stuck to the main one which took us about 2 hours. I’ll tell you what though, the way back was WAY harder than the way out.

Even if you aren’t a big nordic skier, the trails themselves are stunning. There were so many different types of trees, all covered in snow. It was so peaceful, quiet, beautiful and romantic. I was in my element.

Recharging

After an active morning of activity, we made our way back to the hotel to recharge. We changed quickly out of our clothes and then headed down the road for lunch. It was recommended that we check out Wilno Tavern. I learned that the city of Wilno was actually the first Polish settlement in Canada. Cool huh?

We ended up getting to the tavern in the middle of an ice storm and even then it was much busier than we expected it to be. I wasn’t overly hungry so unfortunately, I didn’t try the famous perogies but if we ever go back I definitely know what I’m going to order! The restaurant has been in service for over 100 years.

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel for a much-needed nap. I’m not usually one for naps, I love to get our and explore instead but that winter cold really gets you tired when you’re not used to it so I was actually the one to plop down and fall asleep first!

Our last night

I’ll admit I was really sad to be leaving Sands on Golden Lake. The beds were SO comfortable. No exaggeration, probably one of the comfiest beds we’ve slept on in a hotel. Because the weather was so bad, we decided it was best to have dinner in the hotel again (plus it was so good the night before how could you say no to something so easy?).

Our last dinner on our romantic winter getaway was very fitting. The tables were lit with candles, the lights were dimmed and the atmosphere was relaxed. Ben decided it was a good idea to have a rack of ribs. Honestly, I have never seen such a large portion of meat. I wish I took a picture of how his eyes lit up!

I’m sad to say he didn’t make it through the entire meal, we had to take some to go. My second meal at the restaurant was a veggie burger and while it wasn’t as good as the steak (could a veggie burger ever be?), it was a very close second.

Day 3: One last piece of romance

We had a bit of a sleep in on our last morning in the Ottawa valley. I woke up just in time to get the sun rising over the lake, it was beautiful. I loved waking up to that view every morning. The cool thing was as well, Sands on Golden Lake is located almost on a snow-mobilers highway. You can get some pretty cool views of the tracks and snowmobilers from your windows.

We weren’t too hungry first thing in the morning so we just got up and headed out to a nearby trail that we heard was perfect for snowshoeing.

Trailblazing

If I’m not downhill skiing, I’m snowshoeing. It’s definitely my second favourite winter sport. There’s just something about strapping them on, heading out into the woods and forging your own path. It’s such a romantic thing to do with a partner or spouse in the middle of winter, especially after a fresh snowfall.

We drove 20 minutes to Shaw Woods Educational Centre. The area is 200 hectares and made up of 13-km of self-guided walking trails. We chose to make our way around the Old Growth Forest trail first and Johnny’s Lookout Trail to end our trip.

We spoke to one of the local volunteers of the area who said that the area in the Old Growth Forest trail is home to North America’s oldest original forest. There’s rumours of a spot in Colorado fighting for that title but hey, I’m Canadian so you know who gets my vote.

Getting outside in the fresh air with a bit of exercise was the perfect way to end romantic winter getaway and get some last minute outdoors before heading back to the city.

*Thank you to Ontario Highlands for hosting us on this trip. As always, all opinions are our own. It really WAS one of the best trips we’ve taken outside of the city.