Surprises and Serendipity In Ontario's Highlands

#ComeWander with us in one of Ontario's most delightful travel destinations - Ontario's Highlands.
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Our Serenity Seeker's travel experience was sponsored by Ontario's Highlands Tourism Organization and we thank them for their support. 
​Some links within this blog post are affiliate links, which means we are paid a small commission should you make a purchase .

If you're searching for serenity, this is a fine place to start!

Travel enthusiasts have probably heard of the highlands of Scotland, Iceland, Ireland, and Guatemala - but have they discovered Ontario's Highlands? The Ontario's Highlands Tourism Organization encompasses a large geographic territory in the south-eastern part of Ontario, Canada, including the Haliburton Highlands, Hastings County, Lanark County, Frontenac County, Lennox and Addington, and the Ottawa Valley. The vast landscape of Ontario's Highlands is famous for its natural wonders and its bragging rights include the title of Canada's geocaching capital and Canada's whitewater capital.  When Ryan and I visited the Highlands though, we had a different approach to discovering its outdoor treasures.

Thanks to Ontario's Highlands website, we discovered we were "Serenity Seekers", travelers who like to explore with purpose but also with leisure. People who soak in the beauty of nature in a relaxed way. Serenity Seekers are in pursuit of peace, relaxation, and rejuvenation. Sometimes that comes through a vigorous hike to see a waterfall, but it's just as likely to be found in a beautiful spa, enjoying a lovely view, or indulging at local restaurants. 

If you suspect you're a Serenity Seeker like me, there's an enticing three day itinerary to help you make the most of your time in Ontario's Highands. We did as much of it as we could, spending a lot of our time around the towns of Almonte and Carleton Place, and we added a few surprise stops of our own! Here are some of our most memorable and serene moments of discovery along the Serenity Seeker's route. 

Mahogany Salon and Spa, Carleton Place

The start of our Serenity Seeker's adventure was a travel dream come true. We spent six glorious hours at the Mahogany Salon and Spa in Carleton Place. We knew we were in for a treat the moment we saw the beautiful gardens and grounds, complete with a pond, rose bushes, and a lovely deck and screened in sun room for relaxation. Arriving a bit early to check things out, we felt our blood pressure drop until it officially hit the zen zone as we sipped tea and coffee, gazed out over the water that was sparkling with early morning sunlight, and literally stopped to smell the roses.

The atmosphere at Mahogany is wonderful. The beautiful building is sophisticated and elegant but you don't have to maintain a strict vow of silence throughout, leading to a relaxed, congenial environment. Platters of scrumptious homemade cookies in the various lounges certainly contributed to the happy vibes as well! Breaking for lunch at mid-day, we returned to our favourite sun room to enjoy a charcuterie lunch, pink lemonade, more cookies (I recommend the oatmeal), and a stack of magazines. It was the perfect combination for - you guessed it! - more spa treatments in the afternoon.

We enjoyed a couples' relaxation massage, "beauty break" express facials, and Mahogany's signature "ultimate Moroccanoil hot stone pedicure". This was Ryan's official first pedicure and sadly he is now spoiled for life as he assumes every pedicure comes with a deep exfoliating scrub, a hydrating oil treatment, and a leg and foot massage with hot stones. I didn't have the heart to tell him that this isn't quite the standards that other spas adhere to! 

When I told friends that we were off to the Mahogany Salon and Spa, I heard quite a few jealous reactions (100% what I wanted to hear, of course). I also learned that it's hugely popular with Ottawa residents and even people further afield. There really are no other destination day spas quite like it and I have a feeling you'll love it every bit as much as we did. 

The Old Town Hall River Walk, Almonte

With a population of just under 5,000, Almonte has the distinction of being the only community in Canada to be named after a Mexican general. That would be Juan Almonte, whose distinguished conduct against the wily Americans in the 1830s and 1840s won him much acclaim in Canada. However, early industry in Almonte was decidedly peaceful in nature. It's position on the Mississippi River (no, not THAT river - around Ontario the Mississippi River is a tributary of the Ottawa River) was ideal for establishing mills. 

Today, mill operations have been long shuttered and condos claim the best waterfront views but a short, accessible river walk starting at the Old Town Hall brings visitors along the shoreline. You'll pass by the former sites of the Mississippi Iron Works, Thoburn Mill and the Victorian Woolen Mill as you make your way along the water. If you follow in our footsteps, keep your eyes open for historical plaques, gardens, grapevines, people fishing, and colorful chairs dotting the lawns of the nearby houses.

Exploring Downtown Carleton Place

(This is our own version of "Where's Waldo"! Can you find Ryan?)

Few small Canadian towns have the kind of star power per square kilometer as Carleton Place. The town of roughly 11,000 people boasts an impressed pedigree of war heroes, star athletes, and well regarded musicians. It's advantageous location on the Mississippi River meant that it was well positioned to dominate the lumber and textile industry.

Today, community life rules supreme and the long shuttered mills have given way to public pianos, scenic vistas, colorful historic murals, and a community bike sharing program with a jaunty fleet of purple bicycles. SUCH a great idea! We loved checking out all the 'this and that' type stores in Carleton Place while on our quest for ice cream. And did I mention that it's less than an hour from Ottawa as well? Perfect for day trippers!

Baker Bob's, Almonte

To me, part of being a Serenity Seeker means that you're open to exploring new things, meandering along an interesting road that catches your eye or wondering down a street to follow your nose. And that's exactly how we discovered Baker Bob's! 

​Baker Bob's easily wins the prize for the best smelling destination in Almonte. The smell of freshly baked cookies, bread, and pastry wafted down the street and beckoned us into the door. An excellent stop for essential refueling while out and about on a day of adventure! You have to respect an establishment that proclaims its love and admiration for butter so unabashedly.

Purple Passion at the Good Food Co in Carleton Place

It's not very often I am accidentally color coordinated with a restaurant so I took it as a good sign that I showed up at Carleton Place's The Good Food Co wearing their signature shade of purple! Inside, I was equally happy as I explored a counter filled with yummy baked goods and a small display of pretty home accessories. A massive latte, made with locally roasted, fair trade coffee beans, started my day off just right. If it's serenity you're seeking, this is a mighty fine way to begin!

​Meanwhile, a well balanced plate of huevos rancheros was the ideal fuel for a long day of wandering and meandering. I especially appreciated that you can choose your own breakfast sides at The Good Food Co. I mixed things up by adding fruit and avocado to my plate in lieu of the usual toast and potatoes.  

Sivarulrasa Gallery, Almonte   

Almonte's Mill Street is absolutely teaming with interesting shops, restaurants, and attractions. I found one in particular to be especially captivating. The Sivarulrasa Gallery had intriguing pieces of photography, sculpture, and painting but I was awed by an interactive sound and visual art exhibit.

​Cleverly concealed wires and speakers allowed certain pieces of artwork to emit sounds as we passed, mimicking those found in nature. Fascinating! And an extra special *us* touch is that we discovered art work inspired by the northern shores of Lake Superior, where Ryan grew up. How great is that!?

Exploring Around Blakeney Rapids, Pakenham 

On a quiet country road on route to Pakenham, we stopped to admire the Blakeney Rapids and the surrounding water and nature trails. Note there are no good photos of said rapids as I refused to let Ryan lean out over a bridge and grab a shot!

​In a calm section I braved the opportunity to wade in a bit but soon beat hasty retreat when I saw giant bubbles of water and clumps of mud rise to the surface. There was something buried in the mud. Something that was waking up! Bullfrog, lake trout, the rare Ontario's Highlands crocodile - who can say!?

Mill Street Books, Almonte

Mill Street Books was a spontaneous stop but it ended up being one of our favourite destinations of the entire trip. Hmmmm.... maybe we need to rename our adventure the Serendipity Seeker's route! As you know, we love visiting community bookstores when we travel (remember when we went to Shakespeare and Sons in Prague?) Mill Street Books stood out as one of the best we've ever visited. We loved how the small shop was carefully curated and laid out, with a nice balance between popular titles and lesser known works. There was a delightful, large children's section in the back and a respectable collection of new vinyl records at the front.

Mill Street Books was nicely balanced between being primarily focused on books while still having some nice accessories and gifts. Inside I found two of my favourite travel souvenirs. One was a new notebook, with the lines on the ruled pages actually being minuscule lines of text from Anne of Green Gables. The other was a white and green infinity scarf featuring the same tiny lines of text, this time as the scarf's design. Delightful!!

Where the Serenity Seekers Love To Sleep: The Grand Hotel, Carleton Place

Built in 1872, The Grand Hotel in the heart of Carleton Place's historic main street is the ideal base for any Serenity Seeker. The nearly 150 year old building has been refurbished to feature decadent beds (with plum accents - I think we've found my signature Ontario's Highlands color!) Luxury Gilchrist & Soames toiletries from London make the washroom more luxurious and feature a nice touch - conditioner! It's nice to step away from two-in-one products. Despite the hot summer day with temperatures approaching 30 degrees, the room was cool and refreshing thanks to an in-room air conditioning unit we could control. And we slept soundly, without waking up once - always a travel win!

​My only complaint was the vintage tile floor in the bathroom. It had been refurbished so that the once peach accent tiles were now black to match the rest of the room. Unfortunately, the new paint color is slowly eroding and we tracked tiny flecks of black paint across the room and into our clean bed where it took us a moment to determine that the sheets were indeed clean and we were the inadvertent culprits. Our recommendation would be to add bathmats to compliment the available thick, fluffy towels in order to avoid the tricky combination of damp feet grazing a bare floor.

Who's Ready For A (Serene) Adventure?

Ontario's Highlands motto is #ComeWander and I feel that's especially fitting as a Serenity Seeker. The chance to wander, explore, and let all care slip away while soaking in the beauty of nature and the joy of discovering new communities is at the heart of why I travel. And I suspect you feel the same! Take the time to "Go Wander" in the land of "Come Wander"!
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