Winter Weekend Getaway

Hey! A couple weeks ago my family and I spent our long weekend up in northern Ontario. It was freezing (-30 C), but I had such a great time even if I couldn’t stay out for too long at a time. In this blog post I’m sharing 5 of my favourite things to do on a winter weekend getaway!

1. Cozy fire and books - In the evening it gets super dark because we’re so far away from any streetlights or city so all you can see is the stars in the sky. It is so beautiful to stand outside at night in the freezing cold, your breath puffing out in clouds, and stare up at the starry night. This is my favourite time to cuddle up by the fireplace and read a book until I fall asleep. It is one of my favourite ways to spend winter cottage nights.

2. Cold hikes - Even though it was freezing out I love going for a walk or hike (depending on how cold it is and how long I want to stay out haha) if I’m dressed for it. You actually stay pretty warm hiking through all the snow! And it is so beautiful to walk through the snow coated trees and around the frozen lake. You also sleep so much better after being outside!

3. Try something new - Since we were pretty far away from any big roads or cities, all the roads are covered in snow and there usually isn’t anyone on them! So a fun way to get around is on cross-country skis! I’ve only tried it once before and fell down right away, but this time I managed to get pretty far and not fall once haha! It was really fun to go out and try it with my dad, but by the time we got back my feet were so frozen that my toes were numb and it hurt so much when I got inside!

4. Journaling - Because it was so cold, I didn’t really spend too much time outside. It’s nicer to admire the winter forest from the cozy cottage. ;) So something I love to do is write in a journal! It’s such an inspiring place to be and I always love writing up there. It’s fun to add little things to your journal instead of having just writing. I like to include any little things from places I’ve been or print a small picture to go with it. Years later it’s so nice to look back and those little details will bring back the memories.

5. Small towns - The nearest town to the cottage is really small and usually there isn’t too much to do, but it’s sort of become our tradition to get poutine or fries. It’s a bit of a drive so we don’t usually go to town more than once or twice during our stay but it’s fun to go once and enjoy something warm to eat! I think the best part is the drive itself especially when you know all the little side roads through the forest! It is SO beautiful in the winter when everything is white and silent, and all you hear is the crunching of the car tires on fresh snow.