Earlier this summer my fiancé and I had the chance to escape the city for a weekend and enjoy some time in the beautiful Kawarthas. Viamede Resort is nestled on the shores of Stoney Lake, not too far from Peterborough.
Our weekend started with slipping out of the city on a Friday just after lunch. Traffic getting out of Toronto? Pretty awful. But once we passed Oshawa it was smooth sailing on to Peterborough and then the Kawarthas.
Once we arrived we checked into our room, dropped out bags and headed out to the lake.
Our room had a nice comfortable bed and a beautiful view of the lake. After long days in the sun and on the lake, it was the perfect place to come and fall asleep in. The room was simple, and that is all it needed to be. The bed was beyond inviting, and the AC worked well, which was great for the heat wave!
One night we grabbed the Scrabble game from the board game shelf and played a round or two in our room. I loved how many DVDs and games they had to choose from. The rec room even had giant Jenga, darts, and ping pong! But of course, we didn't come all this way to play Scrabble.
For our first night, we had dinner at Mount Julian, which is Viamede's more upscale restaurant. Ingredients are sourced from Viamede's onsite farm, forests, and local farmers. With 5, 7 or 9 course tasting menus and wine and beer pairings, you will talk away with countless flavours and memories. Wine pairings are done by the General Manager, Ben Sämann (who will also take you out tubing on the lake if you ask!). Our tasting meal left us satisfied, but full. Our meal was made up of small plates including a fish dish, beef, duck, cheese, desserts, and more. The interesting thing about a tasting meal is that I probably wouldn't have ordered half of the things that arrived, but I still loved every course that we got to try. I walked away impressed, but Stuart, he walked out raving! He is much more of a foodie than I am, and he was blown away!
Our fish dish. Dinner was candle-lit, which was beautiful but did not lead to the best photos for the blog ;)
The next morning we spent some time exploring the property. Not only do they have traditional hotel rooms in the lodge, but they also have darling little cottages that can be rented, perfect for families! And did you see this beautiful playground overlooking the lake?
I was the most excited about the kayaks and canoes that guests can use! I took one of the kayaks out for a little while and enjoyed a peaceful morning paddling along. We even tried out the paddle-board, but let's just say that it not my strong suit.
And did I mention the water trampoline?
For those who aren't "lake people" they also have both an indoor and an outdoor pool. Other guests were loving the pool, but I was way more interested in the lake!
Viamede can also host weddings of up to 100 people. Imagine booking out this whole resort for an unforgettable wedding! Weddings can't be booked between Canada Day and Labour Day (or on long weekends) but can you imagine saying your vows overlooking the lake at this gazebo while the trees are painted shades of red and orange? While our wedding will have closer to 150 guests, I do love the idea of hosting a wedding here (or maybe even a low key bachelor or bachelorette party!). I was o impressed by how attentive the staff were for our weekend away, I can't imagine hoe lovely they would be to work with in planning a wedding!
As we continued to explore the property over the weekend, I couldn't help but imagine beautiful wedding photos taken in front of this sweet little church (or the lake, or the trees, or Mount Julian).
Later on in the afternoon we wanted to go tubing. However, it wasn't listed in the day's activity chart. So we went to the front desk to ask, and the owner, Ben, agreed to take us out basically right on the spot! We had a great time on the tube and were both pretty sore by the end of two rounds!
(In the background you can see the resort)
That night we enjoyed dinner at The Boat House, which is Viamede's more casual restaurant.
I opted for the pasta, while Stuart went for one of the sandwiches. Again I found the food to be fresh and yummy, though, of course, not as fancy as Mount Julian.
We enjoyed watching the sunset over the lake while finishing up our dinner. After, we played a few rounds of ping pong before heading off to bed.
The next morning we slept in later than we wanted to. Something about fresh air and a day of being active all day and being on vacation! Then we went out for a hike on one of the trails, that thankfully, are well marked. I really enjoyed how much the terrain varied on our walk, but this section was by far my favourite:
After our hike we packed up the car and grabbed lunch in Peterborough with Stuart's younger brother.
We both loved how friendly and accommodating the staff were, and how sweet the ambiance was. The guests were a mix of families on vacations, couples escaping the city, and friends catching up. The food was a real highlight, as was the chance to escape the city.
One other thing? No tips. The property is strictly no tips. After our incredible dinner at Mount Julian Stuart wanted to leave a tip, and the owner quite literally handed it back to us.
If you are looking to enjoy a beautiful lake, have some time to unwind, and maybe even host a wedding, be sure to check out Viamede in Ontario's Kawarthas!
Accommodations were provided in exchange for review. Opinions are my own.
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