Millbrook, ON

The cabin We stayed in dog-friendly “cabin in the woods” on AirBnB, hosted by Heather and Max. Despite feeling secluded and remote from the world, there were other cabins close-by and the village was only a 10 minute drive away. The cabin was kept toasty warm by the gas fire, and included a queen and a single bed, but was otherwise spacious enough for an extended family. The bathroom and kitchen were well-stocked with essentials (including homemade jam from “mom” to bring home!) and there was a firepit outside. I particularly appreciated the nods toward ayurvedic healing and made use of the dedicated yoga/meditation room. I could simply have stayed cosied up in the cabin all day perusing the books on offer!

The village Millbrook is a small village, but there was enough for Rita and me to spend a couple of hours there. We started by exploring and learning about the historical sights. Unsurprisingly, given its name, Millbrook emerged as a mill town in the early 1800s, when John Deyell came from Ireland, naming the surrounding areas after Cavan and Monaghan and establishing the first mill. However the mill burned down and changed hands (and then actually burned down again!) and so the one which remains today is named Needler’s Mill after its last owner Walker Needler. Other historical sites include the Old Fire Hall, in use up until 1968, and the Old Schoolhouse with its surrounding gardens. I encourage you to check out the self-guided walking tour put together by the Millbrook Cavan Historical Society.

If you still have energy after all that sightseeing, you can explore the Mill Valley Trails. Rita and I wandered along two of them, Baxter Creek and Medd Mountain, which took us into the Millbrook Conservation Area (right next to Needler’s Mill). This was a pretty forest trail with boardwalks and we stopped a few times to watch and listen to the geese hanging out on the river.

Along Baxter Creek, with the old Fire Hall in the background

We checked out a few of the shops in the village before departing. Our favourite was The Valley Shoppe, where I bought some earrings made by The Vintage Acorn. I left Rita in the car while I checked out food-based shops Millbrook Mercantile (bought some salted honey) and Millbrook Valley Chocolates (bought some peppermint bark). The on-street parking was right outside so she wasn’t left for too long.

The hike About 20 minutes south from Millbrook is Ganaraska Forest, as recommended by our AirBnB hosts. Rita and I met Nina there. I bought a day use pass online beforehand; you can also do this at the self-serve kiosk at the forest. The forest boosts over 11,000 acres to explore and one of the trails is 45km! We went for the hiking, but it’s also possible to go horse riding, mountain biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the forest, season dependent. The forest is split into three parts, East, West and Central. We parked at the Forest Centre and did the Central Forest loop, but to be honest the trail markings were not very clear and I think we would have liked to have done a longer route.

Peterborough, ON

Christmas Adventures