19 February, 2014 0 comments Leave a comment

Most years, in mid February, we embark on a multi-day couples' snowmobile trip to celebrate our Valentine's day wedding anniversary. In the past, our trips have taken us to Labrador, Quebec City, the Gaspe region, and several parts of northern Ontario.

This year, my husband John organized a six-day excursion to discover the winter wonders of the Bruce Peninsula, which lies between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, in central Ontario. Four couples took part, trailering their sleds for as much as eight hours, to congregate on a Monday at our 'base camp' at the Days Inn in Owen Sound. The Inn graciously allowed us to park our trucks and trailers in their parking lot until we left the following Saturday. We like to tour on week days as the trails are less busy.

Day one we snowmobiled about 200 km up north to Tobermory (that was our longest day at 11 hours of riding); day two we made our way back south and west to Port Elgin; and day three we meandered eastward to return to Owen Sound. All three days were cold and clear for the most part. The trail was very smooth and fairly easy to navigate, taking us through rolling hills, hardwood bush, and lovely open farmland.

Day four, which was Valentine's day, we made a big circuit east towards Meaford under cloudy skies, then south and back to Owen Sound, passing through the scenic Beaver Valley. We stopped for a delicious gourmet lunch at Ted's Range Road Diner, directed there by a sign on the snowmobile trail reading "Ted's - hot food - cold beer". This was our third visit to Ted's (see my Owen Sound post from last spring) and we have never been disappointed. Don't let the humble Quonset hut disguise fool you!

After dinner that evening back at Days Inn, the group gathered in our suite to play a version of 'The Newlywed Game' for valueless prizes, and enjoyed Valentine's treats and conversation.

The next morning we all headed home, thankful for such a great week - 750 km of sledding in great company, beautiful scenery, and gorgeous, classic winter weather.

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to receive studio news updates or notice of upcoming painting classes.

• Tweet