Grey County Getaway
*Quick note: the lovely Airbnb in the following post is no longer available - however, I do highly recommend finding an alternative option to explore this area (and enjoy the itinerary mentioned below)!
This was a week where the universe worked its incredible magic.
I had a moment where I sat down after my long week and just let my thoughts unfold. I really needed a break. I needed nature. I needed sleep. I needed a mental refresh before starting a new job. That week, my best friend Elana and I were talking about how burnt out we felt; a call to action that it was time to get away!
It was a Thursday when I decided to scroll through Airbnb for fun… eventually finding the “Cozy Cabin” with an incredible view. Friday I booked it, and with some convincing for Elana, we were off Monday morning to Kimberley, Ontario - which is a town near the more widely known Collingwood.
By some incredible chance, it turned out that our Airbnb host, Brenda, happened to be a good friend of Elana’s. Brenda is one of the most magical and welcoming people you will ever meet. When Elana messaged her to tell her about the coincidence, her overjoyed response truly made us that much more eager to head on up.
Our drive up was entertaining. We are the kind of friends that would see each other everyday if we could, but just like most, our lives are a crazy whirlwind of balancing many work responsibilities and bills. Because of that, when we see each other we don’t stop rambling on about exciting updates, motivational thoughts, and everything in between. We took two cars, since I was going to stay a bit longer (otherwise I will always vouch for carpooling to save on carbon emissions), and for the full two hour drive we had our Bluetooth on in our cars and we talked each other’s ears off.
We arrived to a striking view of the entire countryside, with the most soothing cloudy ambience. Elana then gave me a little tour of the property since she knew it well. The lower level of the main house was rented out to guests, and we stayed in the tiny cabin beside the house. We met the very rambunctious and friendly city guy staying in one of the rooms downstairs, who had decided to extend his stay a few extra days to enjoy the tranquil space. We all had the same idea in disconnecting from the craziness we live in, ha!
Once we got inside, we found Brenda. Following a lot of excitement and hugs, we sat down and chatted for a good couple of hours. Elana and Brenda catching up, and all of us immersed in conversation about life and the workings of the universe. I left my phone in the car and I appreciated every moment of good conversation that I was fully present for. It was the clarity I needed for the muddled thoughts that had formed in my head in the last weeks. When we disconnect from our world and simply embrace the knowledge and advice from someone wise, our mood and demeanor are greatly impacted. The adorable cats that were also there to greet us definitely enhanced the mood even more.
After some great conversation we still wanted to utilize what was left of the daylight, so we drove to Collingwood. We went to pick up a few ciders to enjoy later and figured it would be a nice little drive with some fun detours. We took the scenic road, passing by misty hills and lake views. Once we got a nice variety of ciders in downtown Collingwood, we made a pit stop to a little spot Elana and her family had been coming to every year when she was younger, which is now abandoned. After making me park in a little groove in the road where the signs read “No Parking - Tow Away Zone”, I hesitantly followed Elana to a little path that lead to a lovely beach area with great views. She then lead me to through an opening in the nearby fence, to a large mass of land that used to hold a Mormon resort (or something along those lines, from what she remembers). I’m a sucker for a good abandoned place, so even though I was nervous for my car, I couldn’t resist. Interestingly, walking around the overgrown space wasn’t eerie. Although it was a desolate space, it was busy in my head. Along with the waves crashing beside us, my brain instantly filled with thoughts of laughter, children running around, and adults frantically making strides to keep up with their little ones. Such a bustling stretch of land now sitting stagnant as nature devours it. The only bits tying it back to its thriving days are parts of an old climbing course, an old outdoor pool that is completely overgrown, and pieces of tile laying on concrete - where an old bathroom stood. A stark contrast of indoor and outdoor elements blending. We were also lucky enough to catch a few pink notes of dusk seeping in.
Down the street lies the motel that Elana and family had come to every year, which seemed to also be completely closed off. It was certainly a sentimental moment for her to remember it in its prime.
After driving around for a bit, we had a nice relaxing night in - which we needed even more than we thought. We curled up into our extremely comfortable bed with our ciders, Elana getting some work done, and I took the time to read my book - currently reading: ‘To Shake the Sleeping Self’ by Jedidiah Jenkins! Half a cider later, Elana was out cold. Not too long after it was my turn.
Waking up to fresh air and the sound of chirping birds is such a minimal concept, but it makes such an impact on your mood for the day. We both realized how much we just needed to let our bodies and minds rest and reset. We felt restored and mentally ready to take on life again.
Brenda graciously made all of us the most delicious breakfast ever! The three of us (and our new friend from downstairs) spent the morning immersed in great food and great conversation. We repeatedly thanked Brenda and let her know how much we appreciated her and her sacred space.
Afterwards, I half planned my day; the other half was to be decided on a whim. After mentioning how much I admire antique stores and thrifting, Brenda actually recommended a lovely little thrift shop in Thornbury, which is about 15 minutes away from Kimberley. That was my first stop of the day, as the sun was so graciously making its presence known. Right beside the town hall in Thornbury lies the ‘Beaver Valley Outreach (BVO).’ The BVO is a charitable organization that provides programs and services to families, children, youth, and seniors in the community. Their ‘treasure shop’ is a lovely little thrift store that is run mostly by volunteers. All of the proceeds go towards the programs for the community. It is is a wonderful initiative and you can find some fantastic deals. I was lucky enough to stop by when all women’s items were half off. It almost didn’t feel right to spend $11.00 on two brand name jackets and two brand name shirts. If you are planning to go, just keep in mind that they take either cash or a debit card that has tap (they have a special machine).
Side note, thrifting is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Rather than partake in fast fashion, opt to spend some time exploring a second hand store. It is often quite easy to find newer and barely used items, and you are recycling items rather than creating a need for more mass production. If you are someone who likes more authentic items like me, it is fun to seek out timeless pieces that express your unique spirit.
After the excitement of finding some great items and knowing the proceeds will be going to the community (however little it was), the pleasant weather was screaming “time for outdoor adventures”.
Old Baldy Conservation Area
Old Baldy Conservation Area is about ten minutes from where we stayed the night (and on route back to Toronto), so I headed back the way I came and continued on to check out this trail - which was said to contain some phenomenal views of Beaver Valley and the village of Kimberley. There is also access to the Bruce Trail here.
Old Baldy gets its name from the cliff’s exposed stretch of stone peeking through the forested area around it.
Phenomenal views it certainly had, but the enchanting atmosphere was what made it a defining hike.
There is a long road that veers off the main road, which ascends into a steep and rocky incline and continues on to an open parking lot, where the main entrance of the trail lies. It is hard to explain, but the trail felt welcoming. It was my first solo hike and my mom (being a mom) was questioning my sanity in entering the woods alone. But I needed it. So much.
I do believe you have to pay for parking in the summer season, but when I got there the parking signs were laying on the ground, so I assumed that it was not implemented for the season yet.
The trail is very clearly marked. It is mostly flat and defined, but there are sections where you have to climb rocky ridges. There are actually a few lookout points, facing the beautiful forest and countryside below. These lookout points are actually not that far from the entrance. It only took me about 15 minutes to reach them. Important to note, they are near steep cliff edges, so you need to be really mindful. I don’t think I would recommend this hike for a family with small children. I met a group of ladies with their adorable squad of dogs, and they were very cautious about keeping their dogs on a short leash. The trail is great for either a quick hike or a longer adventure. Once you reach the lookout points, you can loop around and head back, or you can hop onto another trail, which continues on (I don’t remember how far it goes). I opted for the loop, since I ended up spending quite a bit of time enjoying the views and energy surrounding the cliffs.
The trails in this area actually range from easy to difficult and there is opportunity for rock climbing here.
I set up my tripod to catch a few photos in each lookout spot, and later sat for a while simply embracing the nature. The most extraordinary event occurred during one of my little sessions. I (safely) walked out to the edge of one of the cliffs as the timer on my camera was ticking, and suddenly I saw a hawk (or could have potentially been an eagle) fly right past me. I was already amazed, and then an entire group of them emerged and began to dance around the cliff edge gracefully. For a second, I wasn’t sure if I was present in the real moment or immersed in a dream. I put my camera aside and just stood there watching this ethereal moment come to life. It felt positive. I felt calmness.
The same week, after my trip, I saw a hawk flying right above my balcony. It stayed for a while. I couldn’t help but think that all of this was telling me something. I’ve had profound experiences with hawks in the past as well. I researched meanings of the frequent appearance of hawks (or eagles) and the one that resonated with me the most was: “the hawk symbolizes the ability to use intuition and higher vision in order to complete tasks or make important decisions. Animal guides can deliver important messages to us from beyond, and hawks definitely serve as animals that can heighten our spiritual awareness and help us along our paths” (source: Power of Positivity). As these past few months have been a consistent transition and positive move in my life, this article really spoke to me. This is an important reminder to observe the signs around you and welcome them. Within our busy lives, the universe always tries to find ways to slip in and guide us on our path.
All in all, this hike was a perfect way to reconnect with myself again. We often don’t realize how much we need to take time to become present with ourselves. It almost seems uncomfortable because we are not particularly used to being alone with our thoughts. It can be a scary thing, especially if you are in a busy profession that constantly pulls your mind in different directions.
After a few hours of hiking, it was definitely time for a meal. I had it in my head that I wanted to eat dinner while I sat by the water. As evening was approaching though, I wanted to find something on route home. I ended up stopping in the town of Flesherton, to a tiny convenience/deli store attached to an LCBO. They had a decent selection of food, so I grabbed a tuna sandwich and coffee, and headed to the only source of water I could find close by: Lake Eugenia Public Beach.
Lake Eugenia is an artificial lake, which was created as a reservoir for a hydro-electric dam. It was a nice little spot, with a dock and picnic benches, and it was surrounded by beautiful cottages. It was the perfectly serene spot I was looking for to unwind. Unfortunately, it got too cold and windy to be outside, so I ended up enjoying the view (and the rest of my dinner) inside my car. The sun was seeping in through the window and I felt at ease. I sat here for a while, basking in the sun rays.
There are also a few waterfall hikes in this area, which I didn’t have the time to check out. One for another visit.
As it was around 6:00 pm and I was still about an hour and a half from home, I started to make my way back to the city - leisurely of course, since I was open to veering off the main road if I saw anything interesting on the way.
It didn’t take long for that.
As I was driving, I noticed two large structures emerging from the hilly countryside next to the road. One of them had almost castle-like walls. A sucker for ruins, I pulled into the next dirt road to search for a way in. Conveniently, I was able to access the grassy field from that road, allowing me to walk right up to the ruins. The grass was quite tall, so thank God it wasn’t the blasphemous tick season yet (phew).
The ruins were quite interesting. One of them was a tiny house structure doing its best to hold itself up. There was even a wooden door mostly in place, inside a sturdy looking door frame. The second structure was a lot larger and, as mentioned prior, had castle-like walls surrounding the perimeter. Inside the walls, there were areas of the ground that still contained concrete slabs, but the ground was mostly populated by tall grass and weeds that fiercely devoured the uninhabited space - as they do. I walked around, stroking the stones and picturing various scenarios of what the space once looked like, and what the atmosphere would have been like before nature decided to take it back.
The fun for the day was when I returned to my car; I noticed an alpaca very attentively observing me from the field across the road. I definitely had a good laugh at its utter confusion of why the specimen on the other side of the road is frolicking through the grass.
Cheltenham Badlands
After my exciting little find, I decided that I wasn’t quite done with the adventures for the day. As I was on road 10, which passes through Caledon, I figured I could make a quick stop to the widely known Cheltenham Badlands. The otherworldly red heaps, with their forested background are an incredible location for epic photos. Keep in mind that it is prohibited to walk on the badlands themselves, as there has been significant erosion due to people walking on them over the years. There is a nice little viewing platform put into place for visitors to safely observe them and not cause any harm! Also, there is very limited space to park along the road (the onsite parking lot is not always open - depends on the season).
The land here is made up of a rock called “Shale”, which is a mix of mud and clay minerals, along with other minerals (like quartz and calcite).
After an eventful day, I came home that night in good spirits. I felt physically rejuvenated from great sleep and mentally rejuvenated from thoughtful conversations and a lot of self reflection within nature.
We all need to take the time to disconnect with our material world, and reconnect with ourselves. It’s impressive how much we can handle, though “getting it done” and “feeling energized to get it done well” can be vastly different. I don’t necessarily mean you need to book an overnight trip, but take time out of your week to do a quick solo hike or simply sit on the grass and watch the clouds. Life is about balance.