Blue Mountain is a hidden summer bliss that has the whole family in mind. Definitely not just a winter ski vacation destination. ~ Momma Braga
Blue Mountain Village
As you step out, you feel like you have entered a different country full of charm, tranquility and beauty. This is how we would describe Blue Mountain Village.
“A cobblestoned pedestrian village framed by turn-of-the-century Ontario architecture, the Village offers a wide variety of family accommodations, activities, events and attractions including over 40 unique shops and restaurants, zip lines, ropes courses, hiking, biking, Segway tours and much more. An incredible natural retreat, the Village offers as much – or as little – as you’d like to do.”
Only 90 minutes away from Toronto, Ontario, Blue Mountain Village is a great escape from your every day and a great destination to vacation.
Our Blue Mountain Family Vacation
This year we decided to explore Blue Mountain as we have never been there before and you would think we would since we do live in Ontario. However, we always assumed it was more of a winter destination as many people opt to go skiing.
Therefore, Blue Mountain never came to mind. I had to do some digging and even though the Blue Mountain website had a wealth of information, it felt overwhelming to plan our vacation. We did not really know the area or what to expect so for the first time (in my life), we were going to go with the flow.
Accommodations
With any tourist destination, there are always many accommodation options available. When we look for accommodations, we always need to make sure that it is pet friendly as we do not like to travel without our Frenchie, Tyson.
We did pick a hotel at first and unfortunately they were not pet friendly. Therefore, we looked into an Air BNB type of accommodation (these properties have spiked in interest in the last couple of years). The provider we used was Vrbo and we found a home that offered everything (and much more). It was only a six-minute drive to the Blue Mountain Village and it was about five minutes from Collingwood where many restaurants, shops and retail stores were located.
We stayed at Four Peaks and it was hosted by Property Valet. It was an amazing home and the host was so helpful whenever we needed anything. Quiet, clean and updated, it made us feel like we were home. We loved having the privacy for our family and being able to go in and out without worrying about elevators or bumping into people who did not like dogs (there are always many). The experience was so pleasant that we can’t stay in a hotel anymore as it doesn’t offer what my family needs.
Eateries
Since we had a home to ourselves which had a fully equipped kitchen, we made breakfast and lunch at the home. This helped us eat the food that we can eat and helped save on our food budget as we all know it can add up. However, we made sure to enjoy the local restaurants for dinner.
There are so many different options available and it all depends on what you and your family are in the mood to eating. One place that we just had to eat at was Tholos Restaurant as Nikki has been obsessed with Greek Mythology. Therefore, this Greek restaurant would be the best place to go.
Tholos Restaurant
The atmosphere at Tholos made us feel like we were transported to Greece and surrounded by the little details of Greek Mythology.
In ancient Greek architecture, the Tholos was a circular building with a conical or vaulted roof. Found in every Greek city, these structures served as senate buildings where politicians would meet to wine, dine, and discuss relevant matters. An example of this archetype which originated more than 8,000 km away can now be found in the Village at Blue Mountain.
The service, food and atmosphere were exceptional. Our server, Soula was superb! Attentive, friendly and always made sure we were having a great dining experience! The fried calamari was the best we have ever had. It was perfectly seasoned and it was perfect to eat!
Our daughter had the chicken fingers and fries and she says it was awesome. As parents, it truly helped us to have her meal come out promptly – we love that! My husband and I had the Chicken Soulvaki with the feature rice and seasonal vegetables. It was impeccable! Truly tasted like we went to Greece without leaving Canada. Tzatziki sauce was AMAZING and we usually never eat it at other restaurants but we sure did at Tholos Restaurant!
We loved the Greek Mythology vibe and architecture in the restaurant. Truly exceptional place to check out at Blue Mountain. Highly recommended by the #MelAndNikkiReview! 😉
We tried a couple of others that we were familiar with but one that we may need to see when we visit again is, Copper Blues Bar & Grill. They are dog friendly which was so amazing to see but the day we wanted to go, it unfortunately was raining so much that we wouldn’t be able to sit at the patio. What we thought was adorable is that they offer a dog menu! How neat is that! A must try if you are at Blue Mountain with your furry family member.
Again, there are so many great eateries to check out when you visit.
Things to Do
It takes a village to raise a child. Blue takes care of this village. There is something for everyone! ~ Momma Braga
To our surprise there is a lot to do at Blue Mountain and there are activities for every generation of your family.
You can do as much or as little as you like. Again, this vacation was a first for Momma Braga to go with the flow. We just wanted to enjoy the breathtaking views and get a feel for Blue Mountain. Exploring was our top priority and enjoying time as a family.
One of our vacation days, we decided to check out the many great shops at the village. We loved seeing dog bowls with water outside many of the shops and restaurants – talk about keeping everyone happy on a hot day! Our pup was super happy and knew exactly where to go.
On another day, we painted some pottery at Crock A Doodle which was located in the village.
A must try if you have never done it and it was so much fun! I definitely want to do that again as now I know the proper way of doing it, lol.
#MelAndNikkiReview
Our first family trip to Blue Mountain was amazing! We enjoyed every part of it and felt relaxed. It could be that we went with the flow and enjoyed the pure beauty that surrounded us.
Blue Mountain is the destination of the summer in our books and we would rate it 5 stars out of 5 in all areas! It is not only “village” friendly but it is also pet friendly in many ways. For the first time, we actually felt that our Frenchie was welcomed into a tourist area and that made us feel at ease. Bravo Blue Mountain for truly thinking of it all and incorporating it into home away from home.
Tips
- Do research ahead of time to see the best accommodation for your entire family. Make a list prior to your trip of your family needs and cross reference with what the accommodations offer. To us, we needed to make sure it was pet friendly, parking available, space to roam around and distance to activities.
- There are attractions available at Blue Mountain and we recommend to purchase All Day passes before you go. You will save money! That is always amazing for families.
- If you are bringing your furry family members, support the shops and restaurants who can accommodate them. These are truly gems of businesses that we love supporting when we can.
- Make sure to take as many photos as there is so much beauty around. Walk around during the day and night to see alluring delight.
Last tip, have fun and enjoy it! You won’t regret it! 😉
We will see you again soon Blue Mountain and we can’t wait to make more family members.
Until next time…Happy Parenting!
~ Momma Braga
*Please note that this article was not paid or sponsored by Blue Mountain Village or any businesses mentioned in the article.
