For anyone living in Southern Ontario, you can understand when I say, we’ve had the weirdest spring weather ever. It’s summer-like weather one minute and an ice-storm the next. What?! Sadly I’m sure it can all be explained through global warming but even still, everyday seems to be like a game of roulette – you just never know what type of weather you’ll be getting. Earlier this spring I was invited to stay at Pine Vista Resort in Douro-Dummer, Ontario and while it was meant to be a winter getaway, the weekend turned out to be more like spring.
Not many people actually end up travelling between March and May in Ontario for a number of reasons. The weather often isn’t very nice, the snow is melting which means lots of mud, slush and in some cases ice. I think this is a shame because people don’t realize how much there actually is to do in cottage country, or in this case Douro-Dummer Ontario.
This March I was invited to Douro-Dummer for a night stay at Pine Vista Resort and it just so happened to be a warm weekend so I got to experience what it would be like the area in May. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised!
How To Get There
Pine Vista is about a two hours drive from Toronto. We rented a car for the day from Budget (it only ended up being about $80) which was perfect for a weekend away. It’s funny, I used to own a car and get depressed that I don’t have one anymore but I got rid of it to help maximize my dollars for travelling. When I did the math it was cheaper to rent a car every weekend to go away rather than owning my own.
The drive is a simple one, highway driving the most of the way. Once you get to the outskirts of Peterborough you’ll at least have lots of trees to look at!
What To Do
Warsaw Caves
As many times as I had been up to the area, I had never gone to or even knew the Warsaw Caves existed. It wasn’t until I was looking at the Pine Vista website where I saw them. Obviously I’m a huge nature fan so as soon as I saw them I knew I had to visit.
Sadly the caves were closed when we arrived because of the weather but there were plenty of other areas to explore that kept us very busy. In the summer months the area is a campground with plenty of opportunity for canoeing, swimming, fishing and hiking. Being that the snow was just melting, hiking was really our only option but it was a fun one. There was ice everywhere which added an element of difficulty trying to get up and down the trails – trust me I haven’t laughed that hard hiking in well, ever. It was so peaceful walking around the campground, listening to the first signs of spring and enjoying the fresh air.
Hiking and Nature Walks
There are plenty of other opportunities for exploring around the area in Douro-Dummer as well. Pine Vista Resort has a beautiful nature walk on the property that takes you through a little pond and teaches you about the different types of birds that you may spot as well. There are hiking groups available for those wishing to get some experience and going a bit farther from the property.
Read a Book By The Fire
It may be nice out during the day but early spring nights are often still quite chilly. Our room had a fireplace and all the wood we could have wanted just outside the room. We had our own living room and so we curled up on the couch and watched TV and just laid by the fire. It was a perfect way to spend a relaxing evening.
Resort Amenities
Of course if sitting by the fireplace isn’t your thing there’s always the option of going to take a dip in the hot tub, or playing a round of pool in the rec room. Pine Vista had quite a number of activities to do inside the main lodge. If there still happens to be a bit of snow on the ground you can even do a sleigh ride, which can be booked through the front desk.
Things To Remember
Many of the Pine Vista Resort rooms cottage-style so you get your own kitchen, barbecue and dining table, making it a great way to save money by making your own meals. Make sure you know what tools exist in the kitchen before going out to buy any food so you know what to expect. I made that mistake and forgot to pick up tinfoil so we ended up ordering Pizza.
On that note – if you’re planning on ordering food, Pizza Hut is the only food delivery in the area and we had to fork out an extra $10 to get delivery right to the door.
Have you been to Douro-Dummer?
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