One-Tank Trip for July 19/14
(c) By
Jim Fox
With more than 100 resorts across Ontario, now’s the time to check in and
check out some of them.
Resorts
of Ontario is an organization that’s been around since 1942 and its lodges,
country inns, American Plan resort hotels and housekeeping cottage resorts
offer four-season vacations.
The resorts represent different experiences that can be matched to suit
just what potential guests and families are seeking, said Grace Sammut,
executive director.
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| The Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster is new at Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood. |
“Resorts of Ontario members offer a wealth of vacation experiences from
golf, romance and culinary holidays to family getaways, spa excursions and
adventure,” she said.
The properties are located throughout Ontario from the wine country of
Niagara to the Muskoka Region, Haliburton, Algonquin, the southwest and beyond.
“Each
resort offers a unique experience that will create a lasting memory, Sammut
said.
The resorts are diverse in size, style, price range, facilities and
services offered.
Fun in the sun
Summer
is the time for family resorting vacations with activities that range from “Kids
Night Out” at Fern Resort near Orillia to the waterparks of Niagara Region and
sports-related children’s programs.
Numerous resorts are offering “unbeatable deals” including those in the
Thousand Islands, Niagara, Muskoka, Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes and the beaches
of the Great Lakes.
Sandbanks Provincial Park on Lake Ontario in Prince Edward County east
of Toronto features what are said to be the largest freshwater sand dunes in
the world.
Isaiah
Tubbs Resort in Picton has a view of the park’s dunes from its private beach as
summer travellers have the choice of a resort room, cottage or luxurious beach
house suite.
Two
country properties – the Waring House and Claramount Inn & Spa – are also
located close to the park and the county’s popular wineries.
The Muskoka playground has the historic Clevelands House on Lake Rosseau
that has some 55 counsellors entertaining infants to teens over the summer.
Every
year, it teams up with the Muskoka Lakes Navigation Co. to hold a Pirate Ship dinner
cruise for kids. Mini three-night vacations for families include meals and the
cruise.
 |
| Kids have lots of bouncing fun on the water at Bayview Wildwood Resort in Port Stanton. |
Adventures abound
Many resorts are offering adventure sports and thrills including a
ridge-running roller coaster, bouncing downhill in a giant ball, zip flying through
the air and downhill mountain biking.
New at Blue Mountain Resort near Collingwood is the Ridge Runner
Mountain Coaster in which the rider controls the speed and velocity as the cart
travels down the escarpment.
Horseshoe
Resort near Barrie has an adventure park that includes Zorbing in which riders
are enclosed inside a giant transparent ball for a bounce downhill.
The resort also has the Zip-Flyer where riders take a chairlift to the
top of the hill and soar over the treetops while there are four new downhill
trails for mountain bikers.
Go fish!
Many
resorts are located on some prime fishing waters such as Rice Lake, the French
River, Georgian Bay and others that offer walleye, bass, pike, the elusive musky,
pan fish and species of trout.
Rice
Lake is considered one of the best fishing hot spots east of Toronto where
visitors will find Southview Cottages and Golden Beach Resort.
The
Kawartha Lakes also has an abundance of big fish, with Scotsman Point Resort
featuring some of the big catches their guests have reeled in on its website.
In
the Georgian Bay area known for big catches and great places to stay, there’s
Pleasant Cove Resort with waterfront cottages near Pointe au
Baril.
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| Treetop trekking through the forest is available at Horseshoe Resort near Barrie. |
Fore!
Several resort members have their own championship golf courses or partner
with nearby courses.
Deerhurst
Resort in Huntsville is home to one of Ontario’s best, Deerhurst Highlands and packages
with the private Bigwin Island.
Muskoka’s
Clevelands House partners with The Rock while Bayview Wildwood guests have a choice
of five area courses – Hawk Ridge, South Muskoka, Bonaire, Lake St. George and Settler’s
Ghost.
On
Lake Simcoe, the Briars has its own championship 18 hole including an original
nine designed by Stanley Thompson.
Need to know
To
“Go Resorting” and find an ideal property and see the current “hot” deals, go
to: ResortsOfOntario.com or call
1-800-363-7227.
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Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com
For more One-Tank Trips: http://1tanktrips.blogspot.ca
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