Blog & Reviews

There's a quaint, stone cottage that has a tiny turret on the outside. Located in Grafton at Ste. Anne's Spa, it's what I still like to call the Doll's House, even though it was recently renovated and renamed.

Four close girlfriends and I called it our tiny dream escape for many years in a row. The Doll's House, with its cozy, rustic rooms that housed most of us upstairs and down, helped get us through the drab mid-point of winter – at least 48 hours of it.

Once inside the Doll's House, we'd wrap...

Driving through the Northumberland Hills is a bit like being in a musical. There's an amazing chorus of trees and valleys at each turn, although they can be enjoyed at your own pace.

On this brisk, clear February day, I found myself driving into some amazing topography, "the Hills" (as many locals say). I was getting close to my destination, Northumberland Heights Wellness Retreat & Spa, in the western part of Northumberland County, two hours from Toronto, and just over three hours from Ottawa.

I...

The south shore of Rice Lake in Northumberland County is all about the drive for me. I love stumbling upon historical hamlets, world class resorts, and seeing stunning views. I urge you to take detours at every chance. It’s magical to stumble upon new and remarkable places in your own backyard. 

In season, you can find farm gates filled with produce. The signs for fresh beef, lamb and chicken are all around as well. It’s also home to a lot of grain farming, including organic producer, Loon Song...

Cobourg and Port Hope are home to me. I moved to Cobourg in grade 6 with my mom; and my dad, brother and sister lived in Port Hope. My family calls Port Hope home now, but almost all of our collective, immediate family lives between these two wonderful towns.

This is the most populous area in Northumberland. Hopping with tourism and cultural events, this area has great vistas of Lake Ontario, historic architecture, plus a vast and interesting food scene. 

In this western-most region of Northumberland...

On our drive through Trent Hills, we discovered that Warkworth is home to about 600 of the world’s luckiest people. In the small stretch of downtown in this charming arts community, you can get some of the best pizza, world-class chocolate and beautiful, locally-roasted coffee beans.  

Just up County Rd. 30 in Campbellford, there are a few more folks, but a similar abundance of food and drink choices. You’ll find unforgettable hardwood-fired pizza, “Canada’s Best Bakery”, and award-winning...