Greetings all, and happy Saturday! I hope you’re having a great long weekend. I know I say this every year, but I seriously can’t believe Labour Day is already upon us!
I know the Labour Day weekend is when many folks head up to their cottages to take advantage of three full days of sunshine, swimming and a little R&R. But hey… even those of us without cottages deserve a nice little staycation every now and then! If you’ve been following me for a while, you know there’s nothing I love more than a good staycation. My three ‘rules’ for planning an amazing staycation are as follows…
- Choose a destination that’s not too far – but at the same time, not too close! You want it to be convenient and not too long of a drive (after all, you’re supposed to be relaxing!) yet far enough to feel like you’re really going ‘somewhere’.
- Choose a place that suits your staycation vibe. Nature lovers might opt to spend the weekend camping in a provincial park. Busybodies like myself may prefer a bustling town, with lots of sightseeing and activities to keep them engaged. Or if you just want to zone out and relax, a spa might be more your style.
- Most importantly… choose the right accommodations! Whether your vibe is a swanky hotel, a luxe yet rugged glamping yurt, or a charming bed-and-breakfast, finding the perfect place to stay is key.
A few weeks ago, my best friend Victoria and I enjoyed a weekend staycation in Paris (no, not that Paris… the lovely Paris, Ontario!) Located in Brant County along the Grand River, Paris is billed “The Prettiest Town In Canada”… and it certainly lives up to that name! With its historic architecture, charming shops and beautiful scenery, Paris is one of my favourite staycation spots. We spent the weekend at an absolutely amazing bed-and-breakfast – The Mulberry House On The Grand – that I can’t wait to share with you all. P.S. Keep reading to the end for a special surprise giveaway announcement!
Mulberry House is a luxury bed-and-breakfast that features stunning guest rooms, fabulous amenities, delicious food, and one-of-a-kind experiences. You can’t beat the location: not only is the property right on the banks of the beautiful Grand River, but it’s barely a 5-minute drive from downtown Paris! The B&B is owned by CC and Mike, a lovely couple who couldn’t have been more welcoming and hospitable. They’ve lived at Mulberry House for 15 years, raising their six (now grown) children there. Just over a year ago, they decided to transform the sprawling 4-storey home into a B&B – and I’m so glad they did!
Mulberry House has four guest rooms. We stayed in the Riverview Suite on the top floor, and it was lovely! With white shiplap walls, velvet lounge chairs, a wood-burning fireplace, and large windows that let in tons of natural sunlight, the room feels light, bright and cozy. It has two queen beds, making it the perfect choice for a girlfriends’ getaway. Fun fact: much of the artwork throughout the house was painted by CC and her daughter!
The rooms are appointed with every creature comfort you could imagine: sleep masks, robes, local guidebooks and lots of snacks. You can even request a weighted blanket!
This chaise by the window has the prettiest view of the property: a great spot for curling up with a magazine or a good book. That is, if you can manage to focus on reading with that view beside you… I certainly couldn’t!
Right across the hall from the Riverview Suite is a private bathroom with a deep soaker tub and light rainfall shower head. I’m a big details person, and Mulberry House has so many fabulous details to appreciate… one example is the handmade goat milk soap in every bathroom!
Though our suite was equipped with a mini-fridge and coffee maker, we also had access to a shared kitchen down the hall with a full-size fridge, plates, mugs, glassware, and a selection of tea, coffee and snacks. One thing about Mulberry House is you will never go hungry… there are snacks located in pretty much every room of the house!
We arrived a little early so that CC could give us a tour of the other rooms. The Sunroom Suite is located on the main floor adjacent to the living room, and shares the bright, ethereal vibe of the Riverview Suite. Like the Riverview, it also has two queen beds and a beautiful view of the grounds.
Also on the main floor: the charming Knotty Pine Suite, which has two double beds. With its knotty pine paneling, rustic furniture and warm colour palette, it gives ultimate cozy cabin vibes, but with all the luxurious details of a well-appointed B&B. Cozy cabin aesthetic, without the roughing-it part? Sign me up!
The wood paneling continues into the bathroom… check out that retro jacuzzi soaker tub! CC explained that while they extensively renovated the house (which was originally built in the 80s) they tried to preserve some of its retro charm where they could, and I think they did a fabulous job of that. I particularly love that stained glass window!
The Grand River Suite is located on the top floor and has a king bed and private ensuite bath, making this the perfect choice for a couple’s getaway. I love the pops of blue against the white walls! (Note: this suite was occupied when we checked in, so we weren’t able to get a proper tour, but I did snap a photo after the other guests checked out the following day. So please excuse the suite not being made up in this photo!)
Although the suites are so cozy you may never want to leave, Mulberry House has several shared spaces and amenities for guests to enjoy, both indoors and out. The Winter Lounge has a wood-burning fireplace, a seriously cozy couch (don’t sit down… you may never get back up!), window-side loungers that make the perfect reading spot, and one of the most epic chess sets I’ve ever seen. With its Scandi-chic design, plush fabrics, elegant details and abundance of natural sunlight… I don’t think I’ve seen a room that captures the hygge vibe more perfectly than this one.
Downstairs, the Firepit Lounge features a massive red sectional – also dangerously comfortable – and everything you could possibly need for a rainy day afternoon or a cozy evening in. There’s a fully stocked library, TV, dart board, puzzles and plenty of games. I’m just a little obsessed with the red sectional in this room… it’s giving 70s conversation pit vibes!
After CC gave us the grand tour, Victoria and I took some time to explore the grounds. The property is huge and beautifully landscaped, with lots of seating areas where visitors can relax: from sun loungers to hammocks to fire pits surrounded by Muskoka chairs.
This little lookout spot has a particularly gorgeous view of the Grand River… just imagine sitting here with your morning coffee, watching the sunrise (or watching the sunset with a glass of wine!)
Speaking of coffee, the covered patio is an especially lovely spot to sit and enjoy your morning brew… perhaps with one of CC’s homemade blueberry-cherry muffins, which she bakes fresh every morning.
After relaxing outdoors, we geared up for our next adventure: a tubing tour of the Grand River, led by Mike! Tubing the Grand River has always been on my bucket list, but as a water-fearing gal who’s not always the most adventurous when it comes to outdoorsy things… I’ll admit I was a little scared! I was picturing us barreling down rushing rapids and, knowing my luck, getting caught and stranded on a rock somewhere. I’m happy to report that was not the case at all! The river moves so slowly that it’s really just a gentle ‘lazy river’ float – aside from a couple of very gentle, slow-moving rapids – and the water is shallow enough to stand in for the majority of the course. Mike drove Victoria and I to the launch point, then we all hopped in our inner tubes (which he tied together for safety) and set sail (float?) down the river. The weather was looking pretty ominous, but luckily the skies held (and cleared up just as soon as we finished… go figure!) The experience was so much fun and I’m so glad I went – we spent so much of our time in Paris admiring the Grand River from its banks, so it was fun to do the opposite and see Paris from the Grand!
We conveniently ‘docked’ right at the Mulberry House property, got into our fluffy spa robes, and headed right to the heated pool to warm up. The 50-foot indoor pool is heated to a balmy temperature, and there’s also a hot tub!
I’m an avid sightseer, so when I travel – whether locally or abroad – I typically am only at my hotel or B&B to sleep. But Mulberry House isn’t just a place to sleep; it’s a destination in itself! Between all the amenities and experiences they offer, you can spend an entire weekend (or more) without leaving the property, and never get bored! In addition to the tubing tour, we were lucky enough to try two more of Mulberry House’s signature experiences: their picnic supper and campfire charcuterie.
After we were done swimming and lounging in the hot tub, CC brought us the cutest picnic basket and a large blanket. We already had the perfect spot in mind for our al fresco supper: that little lookout point overlooking the river that I mentioned earlier! The weather had been touch-and-go earlier on, but the sun finally started to come out, and we were treated to gorgeous golden hour light for our picnic.
The picnic basket included a bottle of Pellegrino (we brought our own wine as well) and an assortment of sweet and savoury snacks: cheese, crackers, chips, popcorn, pepperettes, cut-up veggies, hummus and guacamole. For dessert, we enjoyed Kinder Surprises, chocolate cheesecake puddings, and fresh fruit dipped in chocolate sauce. It was the ultimate #girldinner and honestly, a ton of food! We were so full after, and we couldn’t even finish everything.
That said, we knew we had to save room for the campfire charcuterie! As the sun began to set, we gathered around a crackling bonfire and CC brought out a tray with hot dog bites, candy, and all the fixins for s’mores. (We were still stuffed from the picnic, but y’all know I can never say no to a s’more!) We chatted with CC and Mike around the fire for a while, and before turning in for the night, CC left us with a local ghost story. I won’t spoil the surprise… you’ll just have to come hear it for yourself!
After talking late into the night (and finishing our wine, of course!) Victoria and I headed up to our suite to turn in. We both slept really well – the beds were so comfy!
The next morning, we got up, got ready and headed down to “The Mulberry Café” for breakfast. Every morning, visitors are treated to a home-cooked three-course breakfast, served in the B&B’s charming dining room. Mulberry House offers a menu of five different entrees, which you can pre-order the day before. You can also choose whether you’d like your breakfast served at 8:30, 9 or 9:30.
As soon as we came down to breakfast, our table was set with a delicious spread of freshly baked croissants, muffins and fresh fruit. Beverages include Nespresso coffee, tea, orange juice and homemade mulberry lemonade, made using mulberries they grow on the property. Also on the table was homemade jam, made with those same mulberries!
Victoria, who prefers savoury over sweet when it comes to breakfast, ordered the Holland-style egg bake (CC is Dutch, and the menu and decor of “The Mulberry Café” are inspired by her heritage.) The egg bake is made with farm fresh eggs, bacon, ham and Gouda, and served with tomato salad. Victoria loved it – and I can confirm, it was indeed delicious! (Y’all know I had to steal a bite… you know, for research purposes.)
In a move that will surprise absolutely no one who knows me, I went with a sweet option: the French toast. This is Mulberry House’s most popular dish, and after one bite, I could see why! It’s stuffed with pockets of cream cheese, encrusted with cinnamon, oven-baked, and served with fresh fruit, whipped cream, and a generous portion of maple syrup. It was absolutely delicious!
After breakfast, we lounged around for a bit before packing up and heading out to spend the day exploring Paris (more on that to come!) We were honestly so sad to leave! Mulberry House was such a lovely experience on all fronts: from the beautiful rooms and amenities to the delicious food, the fun and unique experiences to the warmth and hospitality of the hosts… every detail was perfect, and I’d highly recommend Mulberry House to anyone looking for a fabulous staycation. You can submit a reservation inquiry directly on the Mulberry House website, and be sure to ask about adding some additional experiences onto your stay – CC and Mike will go above and beyond to ensure that you have a great time. They’re even working on adding spa services to their lineup in the near future, so stay tuned for that! Mulberry House is also available for special event rentals – they’ll do anything from a birthday party to a wedding! To inquire about hosting your event at Mulberry House, you can use that same inquiry form linked above.
And now for the surprise I promised… you heard it here first, but this coming week, I’m going to be announcing a special giveaway with Mulberry House on my Instagram! Be sure to follow me there and turn on post notifications so you don’t miss out… it’s going to be a good one!
Whether you’re spending your long weekend staycationing, adventuring or just enjoying some well-deserved R&R at home, I hope you have a wonderful one. Thanks for reading and I’ll “see” you all next week!
Our stay at Mulberry House was generously hosted by the owners. As always, all opinions and thoughts are entirely my own.
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