While going on a summer vacation is fun, packing for it is not.
There’s the rushing around, getting things into bags and fitting it all in the car. Then there’s the worry that you’ll forget something important. It’s no wonder ‘What should we bring?‘ is the biggest question we get asked.
One way to ease the stress of packing is to have a checklist. Then on the actually packing day, all you have to do is check off each item. No need to make any decisions or rely on your memory.
To get you started, we polled our staff & used our decades in the business to provide you with a list of what you might need to bring on your Blue Mountain summer vacation.
Clothing
Clothing can be a challenge when you’re packing for more than one person. Print off a copy of the clothing list for each member of the family and have them gather together their own clothes. If you don’t trust them, you can double check, but it will save you having to hunt for yourself.
Underwear, socks and bras – enough for each day unless you plan to do laundry
Sweater or sweatshirt and a jacket for cool evenings
Shorts
Cotton pants & jeans
A dressy outfit for dining out (more than one if you’ll be dining out frequently)
Hat & Sunglasses
Bathrobe or beach cover-up
Bathing suit(s)
Pajamas & slippers
Toiletries
Don’t forget your essential toiletries. Visit a drug store well in advance and get travel sized versions of everything. Not only will it save space in your packing, you can leave it behind when you leave, giving you more room to pack souvenirs.
Got a hunger for sampling the best food and drink the Blue Mountain area has to offer? In addition to some outstanding restaurants, the rural area around Collingwood offers some great treats. Here’s five ideas to store away for your Ontario summer vacation.
Coffin Ridge Boutique Winery
Located north of Hwy 26 between Meaford and Owen Sound in the town of Annan, Coffin Ridge Boutique Winery is Grey County’s first winery. Creating small batches of wines from locally grown grapes, Coffin Ridge has become a popular spot for locals, selling out all it’s wine in 2009.
They offer tours of the winery and orchard plus wine tastings and special events. Call ahead or visit the website to get hours and details about events. 519-371-9565 or http://www.coffinridge.ca
Ted’s Range Road Diner
If you’re looking for casual dining with exotic fare, Ted’s Range Road Diner is just what you’re looking for. With items like emu, elk and alligator on the menu, it’s not for the timid palate or for vegetarians. It’s hearty food with a twist. Located west of Meaford and north of Hwy 26 on Grey Road 112 (formerly the Range Road). Call 519 538 1788 for reservations.
After a long, cold winter, there’s nothing we Canadians love more than getting out of the city and hitting the beach. Sand, sun and swimming make for a perfect summer day. There’s no need to head south. When you’re having your vacation at Blue Mountain, there are tons of great beaches to choose from.
Memorial Park Beach
This lovely beach is located on the eastern side of Meaford on Grant Avenue. Offshore are “the Sisters”, large rocks jutting out from the waters of Georgian Bay. Legend has it two sisters swam too far from shore and drowned. Afterward, these rocks mysteriously appeared where the unlucky girls perished.
In spite of the gruesome tale of the Sisters, this park is a lovely place to spend the day. There are 400 metres of shoreline, a picnic area, a children’s playground, miniature golf and clean washrooms. Parking is free.
Wasaga Beach (the beach, rather than the town) is the longest freshwater beach in the world, with 14 kilometres of white sandy shoreline and is designated a Blue Flag beach http://www.blueflag.ca . Located on Georgian Bay, east of Collingwood, this is probably the best-known beach in Ontario. Wasaga Beach is actually divided into six beach areas; five are family-friendly (including one that allows dogs) plus the main beach which is part of the entertainment district of the town.
In addition to the beach, there are watersports rentals, beach volley ball, washrooms, and shopping. There’s also the Nancy Island Historic site with a War of 1812 museum, a lighthouse and children’s activities in the summer.
Little River Beach Park is a pebbled beach surrounded by trees near the Town of the Blue Mountains. This beach is up for a Blue Flag designation and has a lifesaving station, washrooms, a children’s playground and parking.
While I’d love to be an artist, I can’t draw anything more complex than a stick figure. The only painting I’ve done in the past five years is my living room wall. I can’t sing a note in tune, nor can I play an instrument. However, I have found an outlet for my artistic urges: scrapbooking.
As any scrapbooker knows, there’s nothing more pleasurable than taking a stack of family photos and creating a beautiful keepsake you’ll treasure forever. It’s more than slapping photos into an album. It’s choosing the right background paper to go with the photos. It’s adding stickers, mats and commentary. It’s creating a work of art.
And while spending a Saturday afternoon at your dining room table putting together your scrapbook in between fixing snacks for the kids is a lot of fun, it can sometimes be frustrating finding the time. After a while you can become stuck in a rut and lose your creativity. You just can’t find another new idea for your photos.
Spring has sprung so it’s time to tune up your ride and get ready for a great season of mountain biking. To get you in the mood here’s the 4 best mountain biking videos we’ve seen recently. Enjoy!
Ride down Showcase with a Helmut / fork cam. You’re there!
Nice tunes! Appropriate too considering ending.
Pro quality video shot as a promo for the resort. Great editing but can run slow. Gives a great feel for a bunch of trails.
And here’s a new one on Kolapore: a spectacularly beautiful area for cross-country skiing and biking on top of the escarpment.
Let us know and we’ll feature it. And just as a reminder we’re a great place to book a weekend of riding with your friends because we have places not only walking distance from Blue Mountain Resort’s downhill but also biking distance to many of the great trails in the Collingwood area.
The signs of spring are everywhere. The ice is leaving the bay. Crocuses are peeking their heads out. The early tulips are as well. Even saw my first robin the other day – fat, red and hopping across the lawn. It won’t be long before the mountainsides start turning green.
And while skiers and snowmobilers may be a little sad at the changing seasons, every year there is more and more to do in Blue Mountain culturally and with activities. So while the ice is still coming out in cottage country all of these activities make this area the best in Ontario for a spring getaway. Here are my top ten ways to celebrate spring during your visit.
1. The Georgian Trail was originally a rail line between Collingwood and Meaford beginning in 1872. It was reopened in the fall of 1989 as a 34 km trail. The trail has a hard-packed, granular surface, so it’s easy for walking, cycling and is even wheel chair accessible – making it perfect for a family outing. There are benches along the trail for resting, and several places with rest rooms. Along a good stretch of the trail you’re walking right next to Georgian Bay so you have some stunning views. Visit for maps, photos and more information.
Leaving Thornbury, heading west
2. The town of Collingwood has created The Collingwood Trails Network. There are over 60 kilometres of marked trails. The in-town trails are suitable for strollers, wheelchairs, and electronic scooters. Millennium Park is part of the in-town network. It offers fabulous views of the bay and was once the site where massive Great Lakes freighters arrived in Collingwood. Go to www.collingwoodtrails.ca for a list of all the trails that are part of the network, as well as photos and maps.
3. With snow melting and April showers, spring is a great time to take the Grey County Waterfall Tour. There are an incredible number of waterfalls in Grey County – each more beautiful than the last. Many are a short drive or hike from major roads. Download and print the map of the 150 km self-guided driving tour. You can visit as many or as few as you’d like at your own pace. www.visitgrey.ca/travel-experiences/waterfalls-and-waterways/waterfall-tour/
One of the stunning views
4. If you’re a little more adventurous, there are plenty of places where you can go rock climbing. Metcalfe Rock is one of Ontario’s oldest climbing areas and very popular. At 800 meters at its peak, Metcalfe Rock offers top roping, traditional and sport climbing. Access is along the Bruce Trail. The full loop is about 8 km and will take about 3 hours, over and above your climbing time. Visit http://brucetrail.org/explore/show/28 to get directions.
5. For a more sedate outdoor activity, try the historic architecture walking tour of Thornbury. Pick up a brochure with directions and details about each of the homes from participating stores in downtown Thornbury. Then spend a lovely hour or so walking the area and looking at these beautiful, historic homes. Visit http://www.thornbury.ca/things-to-do/walking-tour for more information.
The Mill Cafe overlooking Thornbury Dam
6. Perfect for a rainy day is a visit to the Arts Centre. The Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts is presenting PAINTINGS, an exhibition featuring the art of Paul Shilling and Jennifer Porter. This show runs from March 31, 2010 to May 2, 2010. If you happen to be in Collingwood April 10th, you can meet this artists at the reception from 3 to 5 pm. 163 Hurontario St., Collingwood Ontario 705-445-3430 www.bmfa.on.ca
7. The Georgian Sound Festival is an annual event – this year April 23, 24 and 25 in Thornbury and Clarksburg. If you love jazz – or want to learn more about it – this is the weekend for you. You’ll hear every genre of jazz, from traditional Dixieland, big band swing, gospel, modern and Latino flavoured jazz. And it’s not just for listening. On Saturday you can take dance classes and learn to ballroom dance or swing dance. For more info or to order tickets, call 519-599-3223 or go to www.georgiansoundfestival.ca.
Marlene O'Neill will headline Sunday's Gospelfest
8. If folk music is more your style, you’ll want to check out Lunch At Allen’s at the Marsh Street Centre in Clarksburg. This musical revue includes Murray McLauchlan, Cindy Church, Marc Jordan, and Ian Thomas. It’s an incredible chance to see all four of these musicians on one stage. It’s a one-time show on Saturday, May 15th at 8pm. Call 519-599-7837 or visit for more information www.marshstreetcentre.ca.
9. For a more active family day, you and your kids will love the Just Push Play Arcade in Creemore. What’s unique about this arcade is you don’t need quarters (or loonies). Just pay a flat fee admission price and you can play all the games you want. There are over 200 games – recent and trendy games to some oldies but goodies. They have air hockey, Dance Dance Revolution, Pac Man, pinball machines, and even the old Galaga game. Freak your kids out at how good you are at the oldies or let them kick your butt on the new ones. 5 Francis St. E Unit A, Creemore, Ontario. (705) 466-6668 www.justpushplayarcade.com
10. Lastly, who doesn’t love bowling? C’mon admit it. This is fun for the entire family. The Georgian Bowl in Collingwood has 12 lanes of 5-pin bowling – the truly Canadian version of the game. In fact, 5-pin bowling celebrated it’s 100th anniversary in 2009. Not only that, 5-pin is easier for little hands to manage. You can even use bumpers to take the frustration out of the game for beginners. For adults, there is Rock n Bowl Saturday nights. Located at 832 Hurontario St., Collingwood, Ontario, L9Y 3Z1 or call (705) 445-3871. On the web at www.georgianbowl.com.
We’d love to have you join us this spring – or anytime for that matter. Give us a call when you’re ready.
For last-minute deals and Blue Mountain vacation tips.
We Love Blue Mountain!
The ski resort is great but there's so much more to the Town of the Blue Mountains and the Collingwood area. From golfing to biking to shopping to dining to beaching to sailing - from boy's weekends to girl's getaways, family vacations and group offsites - this blog is setting out to provide a collection of the best ways to get the most out of one of the most fun spots in Canada.
