Toronto Travel Diaries: Quintessential Cottaging at Viamede Resort

Although I love getting far away and traveling to foreign countries, sometimes the best places are right in your backyard. Every summer, I make the time to explore Ontario by either spending a weekend camping or at a cottage. This year we had the pleasure of going up to the Kawartha Lakes and staying at Viamede Resort for a weekend—it was one of the most refreshing and liberating weekends that I’ve ever had in a long time. Just under 2 hours away from the city, the escape to nature was exactly what I needed to reset my inner self.

Moving from the suburbs of Ottawa to the hub-bub of downtown Toronto, you give up the relaxed and quiet lifestyle of residential streets to honking horns, tire screeches, and drunks running around the roads at 4 AM. Our condo faces a very busy road that’s constantly full of traffic regardless of the time of the day, so a calm moment is a rare moment. I used to hate the chirping birds that perched outside of my bedroom window since they would wake me up like clockwork at 6 AM every morning, but now I miss it. I often find myself looking forward to trips back home just to get that peaceful and blissful morning waking call as opposed to the sound of angry drivers at 7 AM. Which is why I jumped on the opportunity to cottage at Viamede Resort when they reached out to host us for a weekend. A country-side getaway to escape from the craziness of the city? Yes please!

So with the car packed up, we drove for 2 hours to escape downtown Toronto and found ourselves in the Kawarthas. Now you may be asking, “who takes care of Kobe when you guys go out of town?“, and that’s a great question. Most of the time, our friend Rosa house sits for us and snuggles with him while we’re gone. But Viamede actually allows pets on their property! You heard me right, animals are allowed! There are rare occasions when Kobe is able to join us for our getaways and I always take advantage of them whenever I can because I always feel so bad when I see that sad face of his at the doorway watching us when we leave. Not only did we have an amazing weekend where we were able to shut off from the world, but Kobe also had the opportunity of running free in endless fields of grass with his best bud Simba. Oh yeah, did I mention that Mel and Dave joined us for the little weekend getaway as well? Get used to seeing them on our trips because the four of us have now become this little unit that is inseparable. Typically four, for this special weekend, we became six!

The vibe up at Viamede Resort is very relaxed. Upon checking in, we were told that we were free to roam and do whatever we pleased as long as we stayed safe. We were essentially given free reign of the property granted that we didn’t do anything stupid. I’m so used to staying at resorts and hotels where there are strict rules in place so it was a breath of fresh air to not feel restrained.

After getting the keys to our private cottages, we drove for about 15 seconds down a dirt path that led to the properties and unpacked our cars. Viamede has many private cottages scattered across their waterfront, along with a motel-style building with multiple units as well. The private cottages each have their own bathroom and kitchens (imagine a hotel suite), along with a BBQ on a balcony overlooking the water. Interconnected with a massive shared green space along the water, Peter and I were easily able to walk over to Mel and Dave’s property.

There’s so much to actually do at Viamede that you won’t even need to leave the property. Typically when going camping/to the cottage, I typically plan other activities around the area as short little day-trips so that we don’t wind up sitting on the couch reading a book all day long. Viamede however has a basketball court, a massive fenced-in dog park, both an indoor and outdoor pool, a sauna/steam room, a gym, a fire pit, a playground for children, multiple docks, a dining room, a private on-site restaurant, and lots of lounging space scattered throughout the estate. And you bet that we kept ourselves busy for that weekend!

Kobe had so much fun roaming the entire resort along with running free in the fenced in dog park. Together with Simba, the two dogs probably had the most freedom that they’ve ever experienced (seeing as they’re both city dogs). When my dog instantly passes out on the bed at night as we prepare to sleep, then I know that he had a great day.

Besides frolicking with the dogs, we also had the opportunity to relax at both of their indoor and outdoor pools. My condo in Toronto doesn’t have a pool so I don’t often get the chance to go swimming. With 6 years of my life revolving around a pool (I was once a lifeguard!), I sometimes miss it! I didn’t end up spending any time in the gym, but Peter went a few times, and from what I saw, it was quite state of the art with amazing equipment. I’m moderately annoyed at myself for not taking advantage of all of that fresh equipment! But if you’re less of a fitness nut, and more into the culinary scene when enjoying the great outdoors, Viamede also has a great variety in their cuisine!

The morning buffets are your standard Continental sort with lots of basic breakfast options to choose from. It’s what they offer for lunch and dinner which gets interesting! As previously mentioned, each cottage comes with its own BBQ on the porch. For lunch, guests can request for a picnic basket of different proteins (turkey, salmon, chicken, ribs, etc.) paired with delicious sides (macaroni salad, potato salad, etc.) to be prepared and delivered to your door so that you can cook the food yourself! So instead of making a pit stop at Costco before leaving the city, your meal already comes pre-prepped for you! All that’s left is the fun part – the BBQ! All of their food is locally grown and sourced and always guaranteed to be as fresh as possible, so the menus change frequently. Depending what is currently available on the market, you may or may not be able to revisit the same dishes day-after-day. For those not apt to grilling their own meals, Viamede’s dining hall also had an assortment of pastas, pizzas, and salads available as well.

One of my favourite meals that we had while staying at the cottage there was our 9-course tasting menu at Mount Julian. Situated at about a less than 3 minute walk or 20 second drive down the road and directly across from the property is a modest sized (yet a little larger) cottage that has been turned into a restaurant. You can only dine here with a reservation, so make sure to call ahead if you plan on spending an evening there!

Besides a 9-course tasting menu, there is also a 7-course version, and an à la carte menu as well. The 9-course tasting option that we chose was so delicious and not overly filling as everything was portioned out to be single or multiple bites. None of us were left feeling overly stuffed or unable to walk afterwards. We had such a great time and the experience came with some fun and interesting surprises along the way that are sure to delight!

Most nights were spent admiring the beautiful sunset at the end of the dock, and I can confidently say that I’ve never witnessed a more beautiful one in Toronto in comparison to the 2 that we enjoyed while at Viamede. We all left feeling extremely rested, refreshed, and renewed—I’m sure that the fresh air also helped as well—and I’m so glad that we took the time to unplug from our busy work lives to go up to the Kawarthas for a weekend and commune with nature. If you’re looking for a wonderful place to go with your family or some loved ones, I would highly recommend Viamede Resort as the entire property is large enough to house large parties and all of the spaces are fairly accessible as well. Although it may not be Muskoka, the views are just as stunning and you’ll still feel just as close to nature as you would if you went up farther north.

Photography Credits: The Dunk Listt, Mel Inspired, See Dave Do
Viamede Resort graciously hosted us for the weekend, however all views are 100% honest and my own.