March 15th, 2023
March Break is here and you are wondering what to do. You glance at your children, and they look bored and depleted. You would like to offer them a little excitement mixed up with physical exercise and some fresh, crisp air. This year I decided to spend a March Break weekend in Blue Mountain, Ontario, and I don’t regret it. It was fun!
Blue Mountain, is situated near Georgian Bay on Lake Huron, about 161 km northwest of Toronto. It is easily accessible by car, so most people drive there. It takes about two hours to get there. You can also access it by AUC shuttle bus that drives directly from Toronto to Blue Mountain. There are four pick-up locations in Toronto and you can get to Blue Mountain for under $39.
Blue Mountain has everything to keep you and your kids occupied during a mini vacation. There are wonderful restaurants and adventure activities. Blue Mountain Village always bustles with people and activity no matter the season. It is a fun place to visit even in winter.
Many visitors come here to participate in winter sports. Skiing, snowboarding, tubing, snowshoeing and mountain view skating are among the most exciting. Oh, and there is also Ridge Runner Coaster for daredevils.
Skiing
Blue Mountain offers forty-two named ski trails of various degrees of difficulty. There are also thirty lit night trails, if you prefer night skiing. It is a seasoned skiers’ heaven, but everyone can find something to their taste and ability here. If you are a beginner, you can explore various options to learn how to ski. If you prefer to learn on your own, you can use the Snow How Self-Learn System. The Snow How bundle includes a beginner lift ticket, ski or snowboard equipment rental, and access to Snow How Self-Learn System, including Smart Terrain. If you’d rather learn with others, you can have one-on-one lessons or group lessons with instructors.
Tubing
Snow tubing is great for both kids and adults and offers some old-fashioned winter fun. The Hike N’ Tube Tickets include the tube rentals and one hour of winter fun. All tubers, even the tiny ones, need to ride alone, and if they need help getting their tubes up the hill, one non-paying adult can assist them.
Snowshoeing
If you prefer a more tranquil adventure, you can explore the snowshoeing trails of Blue Mountain. The Grind, ‘K Bye and 1940 trails all take you along the Niagara Escarpment. The Grind is great for burning fat and strength building. 1940 is generally also considered challenging. ‘K Bye trail is a newly added trail that is approximately 1.5 km in length with gentle slopes. It still provides wonderful cardio workout at a steady pace. All of them offer breathtaking mountain views.
Woodview Mountaintop Skating
Woodview Mountaintop Skating is an outdoor skating experience at its best. It is located at the top of Blue Mountain and can be accessed through Scenic Caves Road. You can print your tickets at the booth at the top of the mountain. The skating ground is a one-kilometre-long loop. The tickets allow two hours of winter fun. It is particularly enchanting to skate after dawn when all the colourful lanterns light up and glimmer on the skating path.
You can also enjoy some food, beer and live music when you finally take your skates off and need a little chilling…
Restaurants
Blue Mountain has many great restaurants. There is Jozo’s Bar, skiers’ favourite eatery, where you can taste poutine with pork, there is Copper Blues where I enjoyed mussels in Thai curry sauce this weekend, and my old-time favourite, Tholos Restaurant, among many, many others.
How was your March Break?