About Sweetmama Editor
Nadine Silverthorne’s love of journaling began in Grade One with the entry, “I am the greatest dancer!” Two babies (and countless diaper changes) later, she has found her home away from home as editor of SweetMama. Don’t miss her humorous bi-weekly accounts of the joys and pains of working while raising them fabulous.
Winter Wonderland
silver spoonscanada
(Feb.22.10)
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The Laurentians: Chateau St. Adele
We had already planned our Ottawa trip when the Chateau St. Adele in St. Adele, Quebec invited me to come and review their lodgings. By Sunday morning, Nate seemed to be recovering from his bout of stomach flu, and our hosts had a birthday party to attend. So we bid Ottawa adieu and drove 2.5 hours to the Laurentians (bonus points for double naps in the back seat!).
The Laurentians are stunning and a reasonable drive from Ontario (about six hours from Toronto). This is not news to Quebeckers, but for some reason, we don't get a lot of tourism marketing for this geographical splendour in Ontario. After the breathtaking drive, we were greeted graciously by the friendly staff at the Chateau St. Adele.
With super modern and clean rooms, a central location and fabulous indoor and outdoor swimming pools, the Chateau St. Adele was really a treat. We had a one-bedroom family suite ($168 a night, but with frequent promotions, like buy-one, get-one -- it's a steal) with a pull-out couch, big screen TV, real fireplace, two bathrooms, a desk (for Mommy to blog from), plus a little table area, microwave, sink and fridge (for in-room meals and snacks).
Breakfast is included and there are a variety of packages (which can include dinner on the weekends) that offer incredibly affordable rates. The number of nearby snow-activities is mind-boggling and there's great shopping for those who are less winter-inclined.
Of course, Nate didn't want to leave our cosy room (the Olympics were on!), but we're mean parents we had a plan to go explore the hills, so we coaxed him out for our next adventure: tubing!
Next stop: Glissades des Pays d'en Haut