January 29, 2006
Exploring Ontario in the Winter - Bed and
Breakfasting at Nicholyn Farms - A Wonderful Weekend Treat
Driving up to the Nicholyn
Farms Bed and Breakfast you get welcomed by the hearty and healthy
aroma of 2,200 organically raised pigs. This bed and breakfast was
our destination for our quick winter getaway and as soon as we drove
up the driveway we realized we had picked a great place.
At Nicholyn Farms, two friendly pigs are on welcome duty
Bed and breakfasts are one of my favourite ways of travelling since
every B&B is unique and usually offers a very personal experience
that includes a nice interaction with the B&B host and the other
guests, much different from the rather anonymous character of the
average motel or hotel chain. Wherever I travel, I find that every
B&B owner has a unique story to tell, and Nicholyn Farms B&B
was another example.
My husband and I must have travelled to more than 20 B&Bs over
the last few years as a home base for an enjoyable weekend getaway.
We have stayed in many family-run bed and breakfasts all throughout
Ontario and almost always had a really positive experience.
Bed and breakfasting in Canada is somewhat different from the United
States since Canadian B&Bs are usually smaller, have fewer guest
rooms and there is more direct interaction with the owner/ host.
Many Canadian bed and breakfasts have between one and three guest
bedrooms with most of the owners living in the same house. As a
result, bed and breakfasting in Canada is a more intimate experience,
it is truly like staying in someone's house. The United States,
on the other hand, features more "bed and breakfast inns",
many of which are quite upscale and located in renovated mansions
with a much larger number of guest rooms, almost along the lines
of country boutique hotels.
The comfortable breakfast/ living room at Nicholyn Farms B&B
There are a couple of really helpful websites out there for bed
and breakfast travel in Ontario and Canada:
- www.bbcanada.com,
which provides bed and breakfast listings throughout all of Canada,
and
- the Ontario
Farm and Country Accommodations Association which lists active
farm operations that provide accommodation to travellers.
After I had completed my research on these websites and contacted
a number of B&B hosts about availability, we selected the Nicholyn
Farms Bed and Breakfast, just about an hour and a bit north
of Toronto, for our late January getaway.
We checked in at the Nicholyn Farms Country Market, where Nicholyn
Farms sells products made from their own pigs which are raised organically
in a bio-secure environment, without growth hormones or antibiotics.
At this market, they also sell produce and meat products from other
local farmers north of Toronto.
Lynda, the owner, explained that their country market sells a whole
range of locally grown meats, such as pork, chicken, beef, lamb,
turkey, rabbit, goat, cornish hens and even more exotic locally
produced varieties such as elk, emu and buffalo. During the growing
season they feature fresh certified organic produce from local vegetable
and fruit growers, and their popular organic pork products are shipped
to people as far away as Ottawa.
At just an hour's drive from Toronto, Nicholyn Farms was the perfect
getaway for us. It is located in a beautifully restored farmhouse
whose original portion dates back to 1872. The Van Casteren family
completely renovated the farmstead in 1996 and won the top prize
for "Most Improved Farmstead in Simcoe County".
Our lovely Forest Room
Lynda mentioned that her B&B has hosted guests from all over
the world from as far away as the Netherlands, England, the United
States, Japan, Australia, Chile and Peru. Many of their European
guests stay for 5 days or more since their location is halfway between
two major Ontario attractions: Algonquin Park and Niagara Falls,
with Toronto easily accessible for day trips.
Our room was the cozy "Forest Room" which was located
on the second storey and featured 4 beds, perfect for us 3 overnight
vacationers. The space under the roof overlooking the farmland was
such a welcome quiet sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the
big city. Nicholyn Farms features two other guest bedrooms and all
the bedrooms have their own private bathrooms.
A delicious country breakfast is waiting
This morning we sat down to a wonderful homemade breakfast, that
started off with a beautiful assortment of fresh fruit, including
strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, green and blue grapes,
pineapple, and melons. The Van Casteren's buy their fruit at a special
fruit market and the flavour of the fruit is indeed much stronger
and sweeter than the fruit found commonly in supermarkets. Lynda
and her trusted assistant Joyce called all of us guests to come
out and have a look at a flock of about 20 wild turkeys that were
pecking away on the field behind the bed and breakfast.
After our wildlife encounter, we continued with a tasty breakfast
of scrambled eggs, organic pork sausages, toast, homemade pancakes,
country preserves and muffins. Portions are not measured and as
a result we had several helpings of each dish. We had a nice relaxing
and very filling breakfast before we set off on our next adventure
for today: snowtubing at Horseshoe
Valley.
Another guest room at Nicholyn Farms, featuring country Gothic windows
Staying at a bed and breakfast usually makes for a beautiful getaway
since you get to relax in the tranquility of a country home and
most B&Bs offer a delicous, filling home-cooked meal that will
keep you nourished for many hours, allowing you to take full advantage
of the activities for the day. It's a fabulous way to travel.
Related Articles:
Hello from Barrie 1: Exploring downtown
Barrie and making a German/Trinidadian/Austrian connection
Hello from Barrie 3: Lots of winter
fun without the need for high mountains
Useful books for travel in Ontario
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