Tempted by the idea of a family getaway? Celeste Moure reveals the secrets of her favourite boltholes in ancient villages, amid old forests and clear bays.
Naturally they all have a rustic appeal, but to win kids over they also let you kayak with seals, hike or ride horses to quiet places for picnics and dips in cool waters.
Rockwater Secret Cove Resort for a family getaway to BC’s Sunshine Coast
Located just northwest of Vancouver, you can only get to BC’s Sunshine Coast by float plane (30 minutes or by ferry service and then a picturesque coastal highway drive. It has more sunny days than cloudy ones, which gives it its name.
Rockwater Secret Cove Resort offers a kind of camping elegance and roughing it means staying in one of 15 tenthouse suites, made of strong canvas, and connected by a boardwalk in the treetops among the Arbutus trees.
Your Zen inspired tent has a comfortable king size bed, Japanese-style shoji screens, a heated slate floor and a hydrotherapy soaker tub. A gas fireplace with a remote control keeps you warm at night.
Out the back door: spend the day kayaking the calm waters to an uninhabited nearby islet for a private picnic of sandwiches prepared by the resort’s kitchen or strolling through an old growth forest with a deep tissue massage in your tent or in the resort’s Spa Without Walls: a tented treatment room on the bluff overlooking the ocean.
Poet’s Cove, an Arts & Crafts style hideaway on peaceful Pender Island
This resort has an Arts & Crafts style, with handmade wood furniture, cozy stone fireplaces, colorful sofas and drapes, and maritime paintings by local artists. It overlooks a quiet and hidden bay, where you can have a romantic getaway or a fun family getaway.
You can even choose from different places to stay at Poet’s Cove Resort & Spa, such as villas with two or three bedrooms that have a full kitchen, washer/dryer, gas fireplace and private decks with ocean views and BBQs; cottages that are tucked away among the tall pine trees for more privacy, with separate living and dining rooms, kitchens and wood fireplaces, soaking tubs and marble showers, and some with their own outdoor hot tubs.
There are also rooms in the lodge by the water that have warm earthy colors, clean white bed linens, gas fireplaces and furnished balconies, where you can watch the sun go down over the marina with a glass of sparkling wine or local pinot.
Out the back door: You can rent a kayak, canoe or mountain bike from the activity center and explore the island on your own or with a guide—you’ll see eagles, deer, sea otters and maybe even whales.
Or go with Captain Dan on a charter boat for a marine trip that includes wine tasting at a nearby Saturna Island vineyard and a visit to a seal colony. After a day of outdoor fun, try the spa’s special jade massage, which uses local lavender, cedarwood and peppermint to improve the blood flow and help balance yin and yang.
Take a real family getaway to Trout Point Lodge in Nova Scotia
A real away from it all family getaway, Trout Point Lodge is right next to the Tobeatic Wilderness Area and on the edges of Tusket and Napier Rivers in Nova Scotia.
It has a rustic style with white spruce logs and local granite, and there are eight charming and cozy rooms, some with stone fireplaces, bed frames made from young trees and covered in Egyptian cotton sheets, bay windows or private decks. Local art decorates the walls above log furniture while bathrooms have BVLGARI products.
Guests and day visitors can also enjoy the culinary program that combines Creole and maritime flavors, with classes on cheese-making or Cajun seafood dishes that use halibut, scallops or tuna caught fresh that day.
Out the back door: exploring the local system of rivers and lakes from your borrowed canoe, kayak or paddleboat you might spot bears, moose or flying squirrels in the surrounding woods.
Head out on the Alaska Highway to Yukon’s Inn on the Lake
Secluded Inn on the Lake is located on the Alaska Highway, next to Marsh Lake (the last in a series of lakes that go from the Pacific Coast to the Yukon River). It has a cozy family getaway vibe with floral couches, plaid tablecloths and a guitar by the wood burning fireplace.
The cabin is made of huge spruce logs and can host up to 20 guests in simple rooms with beautiful hand carved wooden beds and chairs. Relax with a wine in the library or solarium with a view of the dark blue lake and unwind in the sauna.
Out the back door: don’t miss a hike or paddle under the midnight sun in summer; dog mushing is the thing to do in winter. The best place to witness the ethereal Northern Lights is while you soak in the outdoor hot tub.
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