REMINDER: GREAT LOVE STORIES NEED GREAT SETTINGS
WINTER. LOVE IT OR … LOVE IT. Five escapes tailor-made for two
The snow sparkles in the sunshine as you breathe in the sweet winter air. Heading into the country for a weekend getaway was such a good idea – the perfect way to beat those mid-winter blahs. When your cheeks are perfectly pink, it’s time to head inside to warm up with hot cocoa. Then a fine meal, a roaring fire and a good long hot tub soak or a cuddle under the stars on a moonlit dogsled ride. Just the two of you.
Eat, Play, Stay
Settle in to Canmore’s Paintbox Lodge, an intimate boutique hotel with a warm welcoming vibe and private cooking classes. Spend the day gliding through the open mountain meadow where Olympic cross-country skiers train. Then take a stroll along the picturesque main street before heading back for your very own cooking class.
Cozy Up at the Ranch
Find your comfort zone in a cozy cabin at the
Rocking R Ranch in Strathmore, half an hour east of Calgary. Savour a hot gourmet breakfast in bed and indulge in a soothing spa treatment. The icing on the cake? A four-course dinner delivered to your door. Venture out for a sleigh ride with the ranch’s Clydesdales, Rosie and Sadie, then back for hot cocoa in front of the wood-burning fireplace.
Check it Off your Bucket List
Spend the day driving a dog sled through silent forests and across frozen alpine lakes. Mad Dogs
and Englishmen offer a full day of non-stop dog sledding in Kananaskis Country, complete with campfire lunch. Or go for total immersion with Snowy Owl’s Ghosts of Fortune overnight tour (snowyowltours.com) complete with a feast for food lovers, fireside stories and an overnight in your own comfy tipi.
Lux Cottage Cuddling Private, quiet and luxurious, the Prairie Creek
Inn near Rocky Mountain House was built for lovers. Dine beside the restaurant’s fieldstone fireplace, sink down into a double-sized tub full of shimmering bubbles and cuddle up in front of your in-room fireplace. This country B&B takes breakfast very seriously – so work up a good appetite for homemade baking, fresh fruit and brunch faves like cream cheese stuffed French toast and puffy spiced apple pancakes.
Thrills in the Hills
In the southeast corner of the province, Elkwater
Lake Lodge in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park is your home base for the weekend. Step out on 15 km of trails groomed and track set for crosscountry skiing – or get off the beaten path and snowshoe on backcountry trails. Then back to the lodge for pampering at the spa and a fine meal featuring locally sourced cuisine. Since you are tucked in to a dark sky preserve, enjoy a canopy of blazing stars from the comfort of your own deck.