During the ride to Ontario, prairies gave way to terrain typical of the Canadian Shield “a rolling rocky landscape punctuated with rivers, lakes and pine forests. We enjoyed our triple bedroom, but still spent most of the trip in the Park car, taking in the ever-changing view.
Upon arrival the next evening at The Canadian’s terminus, we were whisked off to The Old Mill Inn on the Humber River, one of Toronto’s most popular gathering spots for nearly a century and an outpost of English elegance. As couples danced to live music, we enjoyed a spectacular gourmet vegan meal, then retired to our spacious suite. Too tired to bathe in the invitingly large jetted tub, we fell into a deep sleep in the embrace of our king-sized bed with its impossibly soft, fresh-smelling sheets. Apparently our good night’s sleep was not unique; the hotel’s bedding is so popular with guests that everything from the sheets to the mattresses is for sale. The next day we enjoyed the hotel’s courtyard gardens, taking in the elegant Tudor architecture, before I headed to the spa for a hydrating Old Mill Soufflƒ© Body Wrap featuring locally produced Ssense Presents’ Milk and Honey potions. All too soon we had to rush back to the station to head to Cobourg aboard a strikingly modern train, a sharp contrast to the retro cars of The Canadian.
Set on 570 acres in the rolling Haldimand Hills, Ste. Anne’s Country Inn & Spa is a bucolic retreat, with fairy-tale stone buildings and genteel, inviting dƒ©cor featuring floral fabrics and welcoming, overstuffed furniture. Our gracious suite in the Main Inn featured a French balcony with a gorgeous view, several sitting areas “including one near a gas fireplace “and a large bathroom with double whirlpool tub. The suite was so inviting that we could have spent all our time there, but the glorious landscape, the outdoor whirlpool, cold plunge, and lap pool, and, of course, the Aveda spa beckoned.
My Ste. Anne’s spa experience began with a Back Cleansing Stone Treatment, which made use of hot stones to massage aromatic potions into my back. Following afternoon tea, Kipp joined me in the spa for a double mud bath; after a shower and steam, we‚ immersed‚ ourselves‚ in‚ rectangular‚ tubs‚ of‚ thick,‚ warm, nutrient-rich Golden Moor Mud from Ontario, mixed with Saskatchewan clay “a concoction purported to increase circulation and aid detoxification. A therapist applied cooling compresses and administered scalp massages, then helped us out of the mud, which we rinsed off of each other with a Vichy shower.
Ste. Anne’s manages to maintain an elegant yet casual ambience; guests are encouraged to dine in their robes. A natural aquifer 150 feet below ground provides water for the entire inn, including the swimming pools. The resort’s many green initiatives “including herbicide-free landscaping and use of eco-friendly laundry products “help to protect the environment. The resort’s natural surroundings can be appreciated on the many walking trails, some of which lead past the inn’s lovely guest cottages.
We enjoyed uninterrupted wireless service on the train from Coburg to Quebec, as well as a satisfying lunch with chocolates and wine to celebrate the final leg of our journey. After picking up our rental car at the Montreal station, we drove for about an hour into the Laurentian mountains to the town of Sainte-Adele.
L’Eau a la Bouche began as a restaurant, featuring Anne Desjardins’ culinary creations and an impressive wine list managed by her husband, Pierre Audette. A true family business, her son Emmanuel also works in the kitchen. A pioneer in the local-foods movement, Desjardins attracted notice for her regional, seasonal cuisine. Next came the twenty-five-room country inn and admittance into the prestigious Relais et Chateaux association of luxury lodgings. The latest addition is the Nordic spa, featuring outdoor hot and cold pools designed to fit into the natural landscape, including a powerful massaging cascade that seems to flow from a massive boulder. The patio is heated, so guests can enjoy the pools in the cold of winter, staying warm in Adirondack chairs near the chiminea, or stepping into the heat of the sauna or the indoor steam room.
L’Eau a la Bouche means mouth-watering, and the treatments on the concise spa menu are every bit as delicious as the dishes on the restaurant menu. In keeping with the buy-local ethos, the spa uses Montreal-based B. Kamins products; my Maple Tree Sap Body Wrap left my skin moist and sweetly scented, and I left my final treatment of the spa trek relaxed thanks to the foot and scalp massages I received while wrapped.
We took Pierre’s recommendation to hike in the Park de la Riviere Doncaster, a popular spot for fishing, cycling, birding, and strolling along the riverside. ‚ ‚ ‚
Our Canadian railway adventure had begun in the cool drizzle of the Pacific Northwest and ended in the clear, bright warmth of Montreal, where we boarded our Air Canada flight home, feeling as radiant as the sun that beamed though the plane’s cabin windows. The train trip could have taken just three days had we chosen to stay aboard and travel straight through. But stretching the journey out to a leisurely pace by stopping at spas along the way left us revitalized and enriched, with a deep appreciation of Canada’s diverse, hospitable people, enchanting countryside, and wellness traditions.‚
Accommodations and Spas
Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Center
Parksville, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
(800) 663-7373
www.Tigh-Na-Mara.com
The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
(604) 684-3131
www.fairmont.com/hotelvancouver
The Fairmont Banff Springs
Banff, Alberta
(403) 762-2211
www.fairmont.com/banffsprings
Delta Bessborough Hotel
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
(877) 814-7706
www.deltahotels.com
Temple Gardens Mineral Spa Resort Hotel
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
(800) 718-7727 (SPAS)
www.templegardens.sk.ca
Fort Garry Hotel
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(800) 665-8088
www.fortgarryhotel.com
The Old Mill Inn
Toronto, Ontario
(866) 653-6455
www.oldmilltoronto.ca
Ste. Anne’s Country Inn & Spa
Grafton, Ontario
(888) 346-6772
www.steannes.com
L’Eau a la Bouche Hotel, Spa, Restaurant
Sainte-Adele, Quebec
(888) 828-2991
www.leaualabouche.com
Transportation
VIA Rail Canada
www.viarail.ca
Air Canada
www.aircanada.com
Harbour Air Seaplanes
www.harbourair.com
West Coast Air
www.westcoastair.com
September/October 2007
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