Travelling with Allergies

     As a young baby, Charlie, my youngest travelling companion, was allergic to milk, soy and dairy. As she was not yet eating food, the only real change in our travelling habits was that we had to cart  luggage full of dairy and soy free formula everywhere we went. Although slightly annoying this is nothing compared to the fear parents of children with life-threatening allergies face daily. 

Will and his friend William, enjoying a peanut-free vacation at the JW Marriott. 

      On our last adventure to the JW Marriott in Muskoka, we were joined by another mom and her two children. Her eldest, William, has an allergy to peanuts so severe that any exposure to peanuts, even an invisible amount, could quickly lead to death.  Since we were sharing a room, I took every precaution I could think of to make sure he would be fine.

The JW Marriott, Muskoka

      My first step was to contact the hotel by phone and speak to someone who confirmed that an allergy notice would be placed on the room. Upon arrival, I reminded the check-in clerk who was already aware of the situation. Before handing the room over to us, we were assured that the management of the cleaning staff had gone over the room herself to ensure every hard surface had been cleaned and sanitized. My first impression upon seeing the room was that I had never seen cleaner countertops or a cleaner fridge in all of my travels.

The shine reflecting off the JW Marriott kitchen.

Someone at the JW Marriott worked very hard cleaning this fridge.

     Whenever we ate in restaurants, we reminded the staff of the allergy and checked the list of ingredients for all of William's meals.  For the most part, the servers were extremely diligent and already aware of the situation. At one point, William swallowed orange juice the wrong way and began to choke a little. Two staff members ran over while another pulled out a cellphone and almost called 9-1-1. They were clearly on high alert.

     It was eye opening to travel with a family that deals with this sort of allergy. From learning that you can't use metal baking sheets because traces of peanut oil could emerge when the pan is warmed up to finding out how to administer life-saving epinephrine through an auto-injector like the EpiPen or Allerject, I left the vacation with a new appreciation for those suffering from life-threatening allergies.

Epinephrine auto-injectors

     While completing research for this blog post, the most interesting fact to emerge was that most allergy websites, travel advisories and parents agree that the safest place to travel with a peanut allergy is in fact my home country, Canada. In Canada, food labels and menus all must disclose whether there is a chance your food has come into contact with peanuts as well as any allergens in the food. Canadian airlines like Air Canada and Porter offer passengers who give the airline 48-hours notice of an peanut allergy, an inflight buffer zone where passengers in the row the person is seated in and the row in front and behind are not allowed to consume any food containing peanuts or buy food that may contain peanuts. Porter will also remove all foods potentially containing peanuts from the in-flight service for the whole plane.

     All this information brought me back to our many visits to Beaches Resorts and I wondered how families would travel to large resorts with the same assurances. I contacted Beaches and was told that they are quite open to families of children with any allergies visiting the resort. They provide families with alternative menus and upon arrival at the resort the head chef meets with the family to discuss safe eating and the specific requirements for the person with the allergy. Each Beaches Resort has restaurants that offer food off a menu instead of buffet style service which is an extreme danger due to cross-contamination. On allergy websites, I was able to find testimonials of families saying the staff at Beaches baked their children separate safe muffins and provided great alternatives.

     All this being said, my travel companion last weekend let me know that they were unable to get auto-injectors like EpiPens in Jamaican pharmacies and thus you should bring far more than usual when travelling outside your home country. William's family learned this lesson the hard way after he jumped into a pool on three different occasions while wearing his auto-injector.

William wears his auto-injector around his waist. 

     In all my research it was clear that families need to take extreme caution but travelling can still be fun and exciting when dealing with allergies. The countries with the most danger with regards to peanut allergies tend to be Vietnam, Thailand and China as nuts are used frequently in restaurants and street food.

     Each spring I participate in the Robyn Allen Memorial Cup Tennis Tournament which is a fundraiser for Anaphylaxis Canada and this year I will enter the tournament with a much truer understanding of what peanut allergy sufferers face in daily life and while travelling. This year's tournament is sponsored by Sanofi, the maker of the Allerject and in part by Porter Airlines.

      I hope this posts helps to spread the word a little and gives all travellers an idea of what dangers food can present to other travellers. I pledge from this day forward to forgo my beloved yellow peanut M&Ms while in-flight and consume them only when I am safely away from possible allergy sufferers and my own children...that way I don't have to share.

      Travel safe my friends!

**Update** After posting this article, I received tweets and emails from a number of families who had recently stayed at Beaches Resorts confirming that Beaches had done an incredible job cooking for their children with life-threatening allergies. One family with a child with a similar peanut allergy to William confirmed that families should feel safe and excited booking a vacation with Beaches Resorts. 

March Break in Muskoka

     Over the past few days, I have received a few emails asking about the JW Marriott Muskoka and other similarly priced hotels particularly with respect to March Break in Ontario. For a direct link to my recent JW Marriott Muskoka review click here.

     I thought it would be best to contact the hotels directly and prepare a blog post for anyone asking the age old question of "what am I going to do with these kids over March Break".  For consistency, I checked the rates with the hotels beginning Sunday March 9th through Sunday March 16th, 2014.

JW Marriott Muskoka (The Rosseau)

The Rosseau, A JW Marriott hotel

     Since I most recently visited the JW Marriott, I felt it would be a good place to start. As I recently described the hotel is large, quite secluded and has three restaurants open in the winter. It also has an indoor/outdoor heated pool and hot tub as well as a dedicated skating rink. Below the skating rink, there is a hill that leads to the lake that many people use for sledding although it is not an activity sanctioned by the hotel.

The main hotel

      By contacting the hotel, you can currently book a studio room with a King Bed, sofa bed and fireplace for $199 per night. If you pay through the advance booking, the rate drops to $159 per night but there are no refunds and you must pay at the time of booking. A room with 2 queen beds is currently $219 per night which drops to $175 per night when choosing the advance booking. None of the room prices above include tax and all are subject to a daily resort fee of $29 a day.

A room with 2 queen beds

     The Marriott is also currently offering a winter escape package which includes accommodations, breakfast for two adults and two children at the breakfast buffet, dinner for two adults and two children at Cottages or Teca and in-room cookies. The winter package saves you up to 30% on the room and to be clear, you are going to end up eating in those restaurants while on site. Both the breakfast and dinner offered through this package will be a buffet but having tried the buffet, I can reassure you its quite delicious and fresh.

My favourite on-site restaurant, Teca

     As for March Break specific activities, the schedule I have received from the hotel is very similar to the one that was posted when we recently visited. Muskoka Recreation will be onsite providing ice fishing and snowmobiling tours. There will also be a magic show Wednesday night and a Hula Hoop workshop during the day on Friday. Both are additional costs and both require parental supervision. There will be onsite cooking demonstrations and maple syrup making demonstrations.

Maple Syrup Demonstration at the hotel

The Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain

     The Westin Blue Mountain is a gorgeous hotel that sits at the bottom of Blue Mountain, a popular ski hill in Collingwood, Ontario. Not technically Muskoka but this hotel should seriously be considered by anyone looking for a great Ontario hotel for March Break.  The obvious advantage to staying here is that you have the option to downhill ski. The disadvantage is that there is no lake on the property thus activities such as snowmobiling and ice fishing must be done off site. That being said there is a giant skating rink right outside of the hotel, just don't drill holes in it looking for fish.  There are many other hotels on the property but as I have not stayed at them, I decided to focus on the Westin.

The Westin and skating rink (Photo courtesy of the Westin)

     Similarly to the JW Marriott, the Westin is an upscale resort but with more modern decor. The resort has just completed a year long renovation to update the hotel even further. I can tell you the bed I slept in at the Westin was so comfortable that I actually bought it the next morning and sleep on it every night at home. In addition, management at the Westin is incredible and when we visited the managers were accessible and professional. I also spoke to management in order to complete this blog and Tyler, one of the managers, immediately picked up the phone and was courteous and a joy to talk to.  The Westin has an outdoor heated pool and two gorgeous hot tubs. It also has a kids play area on the main floor and a kitchenette in every room.

One of the outdoor hot tubs (Photo courtesy of the Westin)

     Rates at the Westin over March Break begin at $223 plus tax a night for a deluxe guest room with a kitchenette. There are also packages available that include ski lift tickets. There is no resort fee.

Deluxe guest room (Photo courtesy of the Westin)

     Although these hotel differ a little in price, there is a lot more to do at the Westin and due to the sheer size of the Blue Mountain Village, much more varied activities available at no or very minimal extra cost. These include a concert featuring Fefe Dobson, firework shows, dance parties, movie nights and spending time at Plunge an indoor aquatic centre. Plunge, located next to the Westin, has indoor-outdoor pools, an indoor water playground, hot tubs, rope swings and slides. Best of all parents can watch all the action from a Muskoka chair on an indoor dock. Although the activities are spread throughout the village, the Westin is specifically hosting twice-daily kids movies are well as Peter Mennie's Abra-Kid-Abra magic show.

     If you do chose to visit the Westin, make sure to try out the Oliver & Bonacini restaurant in the hotel which serves kids meals at the perfect temperature for immediate consumption by children and stop by the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill (Photo courtesy of the Westin)

Deerhurst Resort

     I must fully admit before you read on that I have never been to Deerhurst Resort located in Hunstville, Ontario but I do know quite a few people who have visited and loved it. From what I can gleam from my research, Deerhurst is a good mix of the ambiance of the JW Marriott Muskoka with snowmobiling, ice fishing and cross country skiing alongside one of the benefits of the Westin being that it is also next to a downhill ski hill. In addition, Deerhurst offers dog sledding with a smaller loop and a single dog pulling a small sled for young children to try as well as Mukluk Fat Tire winter cycling, horse riding and children's stables.

Sleigh Rides at Deerhurst Resorts (Photo courtesy of Deerhurst Resort)

Horseback Riding for children (Photo courtesy of Deerhurst Resort)

     Rates at Deerhurst Resort begin at $189 a night for a room in the main hotel. There is a cheaper rate of $169 a night but that requires a stay in the lake side property which is a five minute walk to the main building. There are also a variety of different packages available such as the bed and breakfast package which includes breakfast for two adults and two children. None of the room prices above include tax and all are subject to a daily resort fee of $25 a day.

Deerhurst in Winter  (Photo courtesy of Deerhurst Resort)

      Like the other hotels listed, Deerhurst has an indoor swimming pool. During March Break, the property also features an arcade and indoor play zone featuring 11,000 square feet of inflatables, slides, Xbox Kinnect stations, a toddler area, a mini-putt and most importantly a lounge area for parents. Admission to both these activities is free for registered guests. Finally Deerhurst offers a family-friendly live stage show featuring music from the 50's to today.

Children's Snowmobiling at Deerhurst Resort (Photo courtesy of Deerhurst Resort)

     If you are feeling adventurous, Deerhurst is only a 10 minute drive from Arrowhead Provincial Park which has a groomed 1.5 Km skating path through the local woods.

    No matter which of these hotels you choose, they are all of great quality and a wonderful way to truly discover Ontario in the winter. If you do book over March Break, make sure to let me know how your stay was.

The Rosseau, A JW Marriott Resort and Spa

    Over the years of travelling with the kids, I have been to some incredible hotels and some not so great ones. The only thing they all had in common was that they were quite far away. This weekend we headed to the wintry Muskoka region, to spend Family Day weekend at the The Rosseau, A JW Marriott Resort and Spa which luckily is only a 3 hour drive away. 

A snowy welcome.

Main hotel and lobby.

    The drive up to the hotel is quite picturesque and when you see the hotel it is hard not to be impressed. Check-in was quite quick and although our room was not ready, as we arrived quite early, we were given keys to the amenities. We sat down for lunch at Cottages restaurant and by the time we were done eating our room was ready. 

Cottages restaurant

     On this trip, we were joined by another solo mom and her two children and thus booked a two-bedroom suite. One of the children travelling with us had a severe anaphylactic peanut allergy and we warned the hotel of this before our arrival. The hotel took every precaution imaginable and reassured me that before turning the room over to us, the housekeeping manager personally had disinfected all the hard surfaces in the room. When we arrived in the room, we were blown away by its sheer size and cleanliness.

Our large and spotless kitchen.

Seating area in our room.

    The hotel room we shared had one bedroom with a king bed and a separate bedroom with 2 queen beds as well as a pull-out couch. The kitchen was gorgeous and equipped with Miele and Sub Zero appliances. The room also feature three bathrooms each which large bathtubs and separate showers. All in all, there was more than enough room for all of us and the kitchen made feeding the kids a lot easier. The only downfall was that for most of the vacation there was only one television in the entire suite so most of our time was spent watching Dora instead of having a separate television for the adults. 

One of the two bedrooms in our room. 

One of the bathtubs. 

The cleanest fridge I have ever seen. 

     Although the rooms are gorgeous and clean, the best part of the hotel is definitely the pool. In winter, the main pool remains open with a warm indoor section, a cooler outdoor section and a large hot tub. The kids and I had a lot of fun playing in the snow and jumping in the water and the juxtaposition of the hot and cold made for a twist on our usual vacations. 

Will and Charlie loved posing in the cold for this picture.

Charlie playing in the warm fountain.

      Besides the heated pools that you could spend hours in, there are many more amenities on-site including a games room with ping pong tables and a Wii as well as a toddler indoor play area. Our favourite on-site amenity besides the pool was the skating rink found on the lawn behind the hotel and overlooking the lake. The rink is small and child-friendly and the hotel has a variety of skate sizes for children and adults. 

The boys enjoying the skating rink.

Charlie's first time on skates. 

     The hotel has three on-site restaurants open in the winter, Cottages, Lakes and Teca. Lakes is a large sitting room filled with sunshine and comfortable tables and couches. After a long day, families gathered to play board games, watch the Olympics and order food without worrying about tired kids getting bored in a traditional restaurant. Cottages serves rustic food and has the best homemade chicken burger I have ever tried. To be sure, I tried it twice. The restaurants all have large fireplaces and are quite cozy and delicious. 

A fireplace in Cottages. 

     In my opinion, the best restaurant on site was Teca, an Italian restaurant. The food at Teca was incredibly fresh and like all the food served at the hotel was clearly made on-site. The nightly specials were delicious and the chef working knew how to perfectly sear a scallop. The restaurant was remotely pricey but nothing compared to what you would pay for similar food in Toronto. 

The chefs working hard at Teca.

     One thing that is important to note about all the restaurants is that on busy weekends everyone is mostly eating on-site and the food can take a long time to arrive. That being said, the food always arrived pipping hot and fresh including the food on the breakfast buffet. The staff in the restaurants are incredible and servers, particularly Katie at Cottages, took extreme care in light of the peanut allergy at our table. At night, Chris at the Cottages bar and Claire in Teca made sure our every needs were met including ordering me an extra television for our room. 

     There were many other kids activities on-site but unfortunately no dedicated childcare. All of the children's additional programming had an added price but you had to attend with your children. The flaw in this plan is that if you are alone with children, you cannot enjoy amenities like the spa. Even if you are travelling with two adults you cannot go to the spa or dinner together without the kids. The hotel is quite secluded but I was told they had a list of local babysitters who were available to babysit children in the rooms. We did not inquire further and thus I didn't have the opportunity to test out the spa. 

    All in all this hotel is beyond impressive. Upon arrival, I discovered I left my jacket in Toronto and Can, a sometimes cook sometimes bellman, took it upon himself to lend me his JW Marriott jacket for the entire three days we were there. Other staff members went above and beyond including Kati at the concierge desk who was always smiling and making sure we had everything we needed. 

     Although the hotel is a relatively short drive from Toronto, it often seems like it is a world away. The staff operates like a small family and clearly works as a close knit team. There were a few less than welcoming people particularly some of the ladies at the front desk but all in all, the staff in this hotel really blew me away. The vibe of the hotel is relaxed and extremely family orientated. Children are welcome everywhere and guests are welcome to put their feet up and relax. 

    In essence, the JW Marriott in the heart of Muskoka, gives you everything you love about a cottage with none of the hassle. The roads are plowed, food is cooked and rooms are cleaned. You can borrow skates and snow shoes at no additional cost and every winter activity you can think of is available on-site including dog sledding. 

Additionally, if you hit a patch of ice like this solo mom did, they will even send a friendly team of engineers to dig you out of the ditch. Truly an experience to not be missed in one of Ontario's most beautiful locations. 

Being saved by the hotel and some knights in shining snowsuits. 

Muskoka Sports and Recreation

     As you may have determined from earlier blog posts, I am not really a winter person. In fact, until this weekend I would have gone so far as to say I hated winter. As I packed up the kids, mismatched mittens and snowsuits galore, I seriously considered booking a flight to Miami. Luckily, later that day I spoke to Dan from Muskoka Sports and Recreation and my fear of winter turned into sheer excitement.

Dan from Muskoka Sports and Recreation with Charlie.

     Within minutes, Dan had me convinced that taking children snowmobiling and ice fishing was not only safe but a great way to explore winter. We drove to The Rosseau, A JW Marriott resort in Muskoka, and immediately met Dan's wife and fellow winter enthusiast Diane. After spending 5 minutes with her and watching her interact with my kids, I knew we were going to have a great weekend. Diane has a teaching background and watching her put children at ease is amazing. She knows songs for putting on mittens, sliding down hills and generally putting smiles on freezing cold children's faces. She also equips the tour guides with snacks and juice for kids which came in handy more than a few times.

Diane making maple syrup at the hotel.

    Our first activity with the Muskoka Sports team was ice fishing. We headed out onto Lake Rosseau with the fishing guide Alex. The group consisted of an array of people ranging in age and outdoors experience. One neat aspect of the experience was the vibe of the group. I tend to worry that my kids will be a distraction to adults on these types of tours but everyone was extremely welcoming and chatty with the kids.

Alex, ice fishing expert and fellow travel blogger.

    The guides set up heated pop tents and taught us how to drill holes and the best fishing techniques. The kids loved how much Alex could tell them about the lake, ice and the Muskoka area and we really had fun just playing in the snow and looking in the holes for fish.

Will and Charlie were blown away by the fact that we were walking on a frozen lake and loved looking through the holes. 

     When I had originally spoken to Dan, I estimated that we would last approximately 30 minutes at this activity. As we packed up two hours after arriving, the kids were nowhere near ready to leave. It was incredibly cool to see the holes partially freezing over and they loved fishing and scooping the ice out of the water. The guides checked on them, let them play with minnows and did a great job going from group to group making sure people were having fun.

Will and Charlie trying to catch fish.

      You do need to be a little careful while out with younger kids and make sure to watch for holes in the ice. Also the heaters in the tents get incredibly hot and its important to watch kids around them. Otherwise, the experience is relaxing and really fun. We were lucky to be in a group with other small children, and the kids spent a lot of time chatting, making snow angels and generally just enjoying winter.  We didn't catch a fish but luckily someone else did and we got to hold it afterwards. I thought the kids would be upset in the end that we didn't personally catch a fish, but they had so much fun they didn't even think about it.

Will with a fish. 

     There were a few very tender moments on the ice fishing tour including when Charlie fell into a deep snow bank without mittens on. Alex ran over to her, scooped her up and immediately took her hands and warmed them up in his. He calmed her down, made sure she was okay and generally saved the day as we were still a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel. As we packed up to go, a little earlier than the rest of the group,  Alex decided he needed to get something in his car and helped me get the kids back to the hotel on their sled as they were both exhausted. A gesture I found to be quite touching.

Back at the hotel with Alex.

     All in all the ice fishing tour was incredibly fun and completely child friendly. I would do it again any day with my two.  Ice fishing with the company is $165 for a half day including all equipment, snacks and a guide and $89 for children under 12.  After ice fishing, we hit the warm hot tub and planned for our snowmobiling trip.

A relaxing swim after fishing.

     Muskoka Sports and Recreation is conveniently located in the JW Marriott hotel. Our snowmobiling adventure began with getting properly fitted for helmets by Dan. Muskoka Sports also outfits you with full snowsuits and boots. Dan was great with the helmets and was able to custom fit children's helmets for Will and Charlie by adding padding as needed. Both were very comfortable during the tour.

Will trying on helmets with Dan.

     Once we were outfitted, we hit the road and drove to the trail which is approximately 15 minutes from the hotel. Once the group arrived, we were given a demo on how to drive, stop and do a 3-point turn. It was very clear that Dan wanted everyone to feel comfortable before hitting the trails.

Me attempting to master the 3-point turn. 

     After our brief training, it was time to hit the trails. The speed the group goes is determined by how comfortable the drivers are and Dan is very patient in making sure everyone feels safe but also lets you attempt to go faster when ready. The trails can be quite technical and you do learn quite quickly how to steer and how to prepare for turns.

Me and Will hit the trail.

     Dan clearly knows the area and trails well and is the perfect guide for the activity. If you are uncomfortable having a child on your snowmobile, Dan does take smaller kids with him on tours which can be helpful if you are a group of three. For our tour, Dan rode mostly with Charlie and Will rode with me.

Charlie loved being on the back of the snowmobile with Dan.

    The snowmobile tours led by the company vary in length from an hour and a half to a full day and the company also offers a dinner tour where your meal is included. Over the weekend, everyone I spoke to at the hotel who had done any length of tour said they had had an incredible time. Dan's name was overheard all over the hotel as people raved about the company and how much fun they had with him.

Two thumbs up at the end of our ride.

     The great thing about Muskoka Sports and Recreation is that they are a smaller company led by two very dedicated and caring people. Dan and Diane are incredibly friendly and welcoming and really want you to enjoy your time with them. They are dealing with many variables such as weather and children but still manage to make sure everyone is having fun. They understand children get cold and tired and help out in every way possible on the tours. My kids loved both tours more than I ever imagined. I will even admit that the time I spent ice fishing and snowmobiling gave me an entirely new appreciation for winter.

All smiles after snowmobiling with Dan.

     Muskoka Sports also operates out of the hotel during the summer months running a variety of tours including jet skiing, kayaking and hiking. In addition, they run children's programs at the hotel during conferences and weddings and with Diane's background and experience with younger children I can only assume they are fantastic.

    If heading to the Muskoka area or the Rosseau, it would be wise to give them a call and book one of the many tours they offer year round. They are a local company that will go to all lengths to ensure you have an amazing experience and from all the smiles I saw at the end of the day, I can assure you you'll have a great time too.

Winterdance Dogsledding

     The highlight of our first day at The Rosseau, a JW Marriott Resort & Spa was being introduced to the team of Siberian Huskies from Winterdance Dogsled Tours.

Me, Will and an incredibly sweet husky

    The dogs are not permanent residents at the hotel but instead live close by at their kennel in Haliburton, Ontario. The entire team consists of 150 dogs who live together from birth until death. We were fortunate enough to have met some of the dogs who were partnered with their own offspring and it was neat to see the relationships the dogs have with each other. 

A husky ready to run.

     While we were unable to book a full tour due to limited space and an incredible amount of interest, our guide Ryan offered to give me a full demo and answered my many questions about the tour. Children are invited and can be sat on the sled. Children under 12 cannot drive the sled and for children 12-16, the guide is given discretion to allow them to if he feels it is safe. Luckily, Will got to take a quick ride in one of the sleds and he loved every minute of it. 

Will taking a ride with our guide Ryan

     In the demo, I was taught how to stand and how to brake and was reassured the dogs do most of the steering. The sleds are build so they lean easily and everyone who I spoke to that took the full tour loved the experience. The dogs run about 10km per hour but speeds sometimes increase to 20km per hour. The tour at the Rosseau is a short half hour tour but the company leads many other half day and full day tours and even an incredible helicopter tour deep into the wilderness where the tour is limited to just you, the guide, the dogs and nature. 

View of the back of the sled where the driver stands. 

     The most incredible part of our encounter was seeing how much Ryan loved the dogs. This clearly was not just a job for him. Both the guides very clear that the dogs health, safety and happiness took priority over everything else. Every time the dogs stopped running, they were immediately given water and treats. Ryan took the time to go down the line and check on every one of them (approximately 30 dogs) and make sure they were happy and comfortable. He knew their personalities, where they were positioned on each sled and why and how each dog was related to the others. He explained which ones were older, more excitable or just plain cuddly. 

Ryan checking on the dogs.

     On the tour, guests are encouraged to interact with the dogs who are the friendliest group of canines you will ever meet. This tour can easily be done with children and the dogs know exactly how to behave with even the youngest kids. We spent at least 30 minutes interacting with the dogs and not one snapped, growled or did anything but attempt to lick us to death as we hugged them. 

The friendliest husky I've ever met and me.

     What impressed me most about this company and the guides, was that they knew when the dogs were tired and called it a day. Many guests were begging for a tour and offering serious cash and the guides very politely declined in fairness to the dogs being ready to head home. If you are staying at the Rosseau and want to do a full tour, it is in your best interest to book as soon as you can. This is by far the most popular tour at the resort and I met more than 10 families who were disappointed that they were not able to book in to the tour. 

Numerous people from the resort wanted to meet the dogs and go on the tour.

     When it was time for the dogs to pack up, we got to say our goodbyes and watch them get loaded into the truck for their journey home. The guides unhooked each dog and carried them individually to the truck. I asked if this practise was done so the dogs didn't run away and the guide told me it is actually done whenever the dogs are separated from the pack to protect them from wildlife and the practise is done whether they are deep in the woods or literally in a hotel parking lot.  I looked into the eyes of the smiling extremely large husky being carried away and knew these dogs were living a pretty good life. 

The dogs appeared to love their job.

     The half-hour tour at the Rosseau cost 75$ per adult and 50$ per child. A two hour tour, through the company, is $130 per adult on weekends and $110 per adult on weekdays. Children riding on the sled are half price. The company offers kennel tours in the summer when the dogs are not working which includes meeting all the race team dogs, playing with puppies, and meeting the owners. The tours are $40 per adult and $20 per child and include a BBQ. The tours are only offered in Spring, Summer and Fall, as the dogs are given first priority and allowed to rest in the winter when not pulling sleds. No admission to the kennel is granted to the public during winter months. As soon as the snow melts, this solo mom will be driving back to Haliburton with Will and Charlie as none of us can resist the opportunity to play with these puppies.

Harry, a Winterdance puppy

Hedwig, a Winterdance puppy

     If you are in the area, this is an adventure not to be missed. Tell the dogs I sent you and give them an extra treat from me.