“I keep forgetting that we haven’t left the country!”
My husband would exclaim this a few times during our visit to Fern Resort () in Orillia, Ontario. The service and amenities were so outstanding, and so unlike anything we’ve experienced outside of the Caribbean or Mexico, that it was, indeed, hard to remember that we merely hopped in the car and drove from in under 2 hours.
Fern’s location, on Lake Couchiching and a 5 minute drive from “downtown” Orillia (), is both relaxing and invigorating. Should you decide to do not much of anything, there are many beautiful places to rest and do nothing. Should you decide to be active, I sincerely doubt you’d be able to fit in all of Fern’s amenities and activities during your stay. Our late summer visit had us swimming in both the lake and the pools, jumping on the trampolines, zip lining, mini-putting, hiking, climbing, paddle-boating and had us (well, the kids anyway) playing in the supervised Play Village. There simply wasn’t enough time to squeeze in golf, lawn bowling, shuffleboard, fishing, kayaking, the obstacle course, yoga, Pilates, or any spa treatments. We arranged to go for a boat ride, but we’ll save waterskiing for another visit.
Dining at Fern Resort went well beyond my expectations. You are free to choose from the earlier buffet that’s set up for the children, but the table service is pretty quick and the food was fresh and delicious. They will do a half or smaller portion of their menu items for children as well. At every meal there was an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as sweet treats for afterwards. Typically during an stay, I pack a number of extra snacks for the kids as meal times can sometimes be erratic and selection possibly limited. During our stay at Fern, the snacks remained untouched. We were all so full from every meal that no one needed anything more. There is 24 hour coffee and tea service in the Main Inn, and I was able to acquire milk for the baby there too.
We stayed in a Bayshore Cottage, which had a lovely view of the lake and more than enough room for all of us and all our stuff. The cottage-y decor was spotless, and the modern bathroom with full-sized tub meant no-one had to rough it. We didn’t utilize our fireplace on this visit, but I can imagine how cozy it would be on a crisp fall or winter day to relax beside once the kids are in bed. Fern Resort is open year-round, with varying activities depending on the time of year.
Rates vary depending on season and length of stay. Most packages include three meals per day and certain activities cost extra. For more information and reservations please visit
Photos courtesy
The author stayed as a guest of ; the opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author.
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