The Perfect Winter Getaway: Candle Lake Golf Resort
The past year wasn’t what any of us planned, but there’s one wonderful thing I learned and might not have otherwise. And that is it is how much there is to do, see, eat, and learn, right in our backyard of Saskatchewan. From a summer and autumn full of parks, corn mazes, a train museum, interactive farms, and more, my family has seen some sites! But did I think I’d be telling you that Candle Lake Golf Resort in the winter is a must-do? Not really! But friends, IT IS. Here’s how I happened on this gem of a resort and a look at the many activities to enjoy during your winter stay!
The new owners of Candle Lake Golf Resort hired me and my friend and collaborator, photographer Karyn Kimberley (whose stunning photos you’re seeing here) to work with them on social media. Had I not been going for work, I’m not sure I would have decided on an outdoor, Saskatchewan vacation in January. Where have I been on this?!
Look at our warm cabin nestled in the woods. It felt like living in a postcard. I mean, there’s family time and then there’s cozy family time, on lake time. No rush in the morning because the sun is as slow to rise as we were. We packed puzzles, cards, games, books… all the lazy, do-together stuff.
Candle Lake Golf Resort encourages guests to #getoutside and we took them WAY up on it. You don’t realize how much light pollution there is, even in a little city like Saskatoon, until you experience crystal clear constellations in a northern sky. And in the morning, we went exploring! There are snowshoes to rent ($10/ half day, $15/day) but we’d brought cross-country skis and wanted to give them a try.
Petra took a shine to it, Paris did alright, Tyler was annoyingly good, and I need practice. And oops, we didn’t realize we were on a sled trail until we were going home! There are 9 kms of groomed cross-country trails we left unexplored.
The biggest draw for my daughter was the marina skating rink. Nestled at the bottom of toboggan hills, the rink had a couple of sturdy skating aids that let Petra glide around like an Olympian in her own mind. I’ve been trying to get that girl to skate for two years and now, she’s begging to go back out. You might be wondering how smooth lake ice can be, but Candle Lake Golf Resort has, get this: a Zamboni. Seriously. And a snow machine, which means the toboggan hills are pretty sweet.
They’re building a full-sized hockey rink as well, something little Paris was of course interested in.
Speaking of Paris, his highlight was ice fishing! You can rent ice fishing shacks by the day or week, and they are toasty warm with a fire inside. We got a ride there and back on a side-by-side, this yellow, open-air, light tractor thing… this makes me sound like a city girl but IT WAS THE COOLEST. I was really grinning as we sped along on the frozen lake.
There is wood to buy and fire pits by the cabins, but we got in on the fire at the lodge a couple of times, grabbing our marshmallows and making a moment of it!
The cabins each have a full kitchen (dishwasher, too) but for lunch and supper, I highly recommend Water’s Edge. I read the menu expecting regular pub grub but, yum, was it elevated. Just look at my veggie sandwich, clearly the only photo Karyn didn’t take in this post. There’s also a veggie stirfry and a Pad Thai dinner special, both of which I want to order next time. Note that the restaurant opens at 11 for dine-in or take-out, so bring breakfast supplies. Also important to note is that there is an off-sale!
I like the idea of renting a cabin next to my parents or a friend family and spending some safe, outdoor time with them. In the city, if I have my parents over for a distanced fire in my backyard, they can only stay for a short time because you need warmth breaks inside. With neighboring cabins, we could just be like, “let’s go in for a bit” and regroup when everyone is ready. I want that.
Candle Lake Golf Resort will soon have sleds available to rent and paths galore to sled on. Something to look forward to on our next trip. And honestly, I can’t wait.
xoM
p.s. Online booking is comin’ up but in the mean time, call the office to inquire 306-929-2211 . Winter rates start at $245/night for the smaller cabins. Package and weekly rates are also available.
