After Christmas and all the craziness that came with it, I was feeling completely exhausted and mentally drained. I love the holidays but my goodness when a)you’re not in your element (I bunk up with my sisters in a pretty small room for 3 weeks) and b) you are constantly being pulled in 10 different directions, it can be difficult to find any time to relax. Jamie and I also got engaged over the holidays which was unbelievably exciting but I never felt like I had the opportunity to chill and soak it all in with my fiancé. In case you didn’t know, we also live with my twin sisters 3 quarters of the year which I absolutely love, but it can be hard to find real “us” time. Anyway, I’m sure you know where I’m going with this…we were in need of a BREAK. Luckily for us, a couple of weeks after the holidays JW Mariott The Rousseau Muskoka reached out and invited us on a little mid-week, celebratory staycation in Muskoka. Needless to say, we both jumped at the chance to get out of the city and spend some quality time together. We packed up our bags and drove the 2 and a half hours outside of the city to beautiful, snowy Muskoka for a couple of days of relaxation and fun. When we arrived we were greeted by the friendliest of staff who took care of our every need. Our room was so cozy and cabin-esque, with a fireplace, kitchen, and the comfiest bed. It felt like our own little home away from home for the next couple of days. We truly had the best time in Muskoka so I wanted to share a bit of what we got up to along with some photos. I’ve been to Muskoka before but there’s something about a snowy, mid-week staycation that made it feel all the more magical.
Jamie and I booked the “Cranberry Package” through JW Mariott The Rousseau Muskoka, which entitled us to a tour of Johnston’s Cranberry Marsh and Muskoka Lakes Winery. As you’d expect there wasn’t really any cranberries to see as the marsh is covered in snow this time of year but it’s such a relaxing spot that offers snowshoeing and skating on their massive property. Jamie and I opted for snowshoeing which I’d never done before but ended up loving. Trooper, the owner of the Cranberry Farms dog, ended up coming with us on our walk (you can see his little head sticking out in the photo above) which made it all the more fun.
After our snowshoe adventure, we popped into the Cranberry Farms shop that offers, you guessed it, a ton of cranberry inspired food items. They also have a wine tasting of all of the wineries cranberry wines. I ended up loving the cranberry-blueberry wine and also the cranberry mulled wine. We were also served a cheeseboard to go along with our mulled wine that was probably one of the most delicious cheeseboards I’ve ever had (and I’ve had A LOT).
The farm had the cutest porch where they had a fire going, so we could hang outside, drinking our wine, surrounded by the snow.
{The ultimate cranberry-infused cheeseboard.}
{Clearly we pooped Trooper out, but we really appreciated the tour guide!}
Jamie and I spent 2 nights in Muskoka at the JW Marriott The Rousseau Muskoka, so of course, we made it a point to indulge in all things food. On our first night, we enjoyed dinner at the Muskoka Chophouse which is located conveniently in the hotel. I can’t tell you how kind and thoughtful our server was, and oh’ man was the food delicious. I don’t eat steak often (maybe once every 2 months) so it was such a treat for us. For dessert, we were treated to s’mores in a jar which, when you opened the jar, released smoke that smelled just like a campfire. Our desert also had “happy engagement” written on in it chocolate which we thought was the sweetest gesture. For our second night, we drove out to a restaurant called The Old Station in Bracebridge. It was completely packed for a Tuesday night and the pub-like atmosphere was fun and laid-back. Admittedly, I ate so much food that night, including mussels, fried pickles and their specialty, French Onion Soup. Breakfast wise, I kept things “balanced” with fresh fruit every morning and/or pancakes and french toast, haha!
{I’ll never say no to a fresh stack of blueberry pancakes.}
{the cozy lobby at the JW Marriott Rousseau.}
Each night Jamie and I enjoyed a glass of wine (or 2) cozied up by the fire. It was pure bliss and I’m now convinced that I’ll be needing a fireplace in our future home.
{Breakfast at Cottages Restaurant in the hotel.}
{Cozy feet by the fire.}
Before we left, Jamie convinced me to go snowshoeing once more at the hotel (they provide snowshoes for guests}. My legs were so sore from the first day but I said I’d go for an hour or so. We walked all around the hotel to the back where the frozen Lake Rosseau was our view. It was beautiful and I don’t know how, but Jamie convinced me to go walking on the lake. I have NEVER walked on a frozen lake before and I was terrified but it ended up being really fun and making for some cool photo opportunities.
{looking cool but actually terrified.}
{Big lake, small girl.}
Last but certainly not least was the pool! I think it’s so fun to swim in a heated pool in the middle of winter, surrounded by the snow so this was one of my favourite parts about our trip. The hotel’s pool was gorgeous and the view was pretty darn spectacular.
Thank you to JW Marriott The Rousseau Muskoka for hosting us on our little staycation, we had an amazing time!
