Brightside Cabin

In all of our Ontario adventures, we had yet to stay in an A Frame style cabin. They have such adorable vibes and are truly a catching landmark stay. I was so pumped to partner with Sarah from Brightside Cabin and finally get to experience an A Frame cabin.

Brightside Cabin is located in Dysart et Al, near Haliburton. And if that location sounds familiar to you, it should! We stayed there a few years ago when we checked out Sweet Lake Escapes and the Haliburton Wolf Sanctuary. CY and I seem to end up in this neck of the woods more often than not, and we're not complaining!

This weekend trip we decided to bring along 2 friends who often travel  locally with us, but never experienced a big road trip together - our pups Winnie the Pembroke Corgi and Frankie the Bernese/Chocolate Lab. It sounds cliche, but these two fur bags some of our best friends. They can be needy, and they don't help too much with the cooking, but they are great companions for campfire cuddles and exploring the local trails.

After the 4h drive, our furry travel companions were ready to stretch their legs. We turned up the long gravel driveway and you could feel the anticipation from everyone in the truck. The dogs started to whimper, and CY and I looked at each other, anticipating the first glimpse of the A Frame. The dense forest lined driveway opened up to a gorgeous cabin in the middle of a clearing.

The cabin itself was laid out beautifully with (obviously) high ceilings and clean sightlines throughout. The loft offered a gorgeous view of the property and waking up with the sunshine was an excellent way to start the day.

The sauna was utilized... alot. It's tucked behind the cabin which offers a sense of privacy. Ending the day with a good sweat session was a highlight for CY and myself. Frank and Winnie really didn't care to even try it. How rude!

The property is surrounded by a few lakes, so even though the cabin itself is not waterfront, you can still hear the loons calling at night while you sit beside the campfire and bask in the soft light of the A Frame. Which I have to say, the cabin is beautiful during the day, but it truly comes alive in the evening. We just sat and enjoyed the view of the cabin itself while sipping our Sortilege and listening to the woods around us,

We even had a visitor through the night, moose tracks were visible on the driveway in my morning walk the next day!

During our weekend trip at the cabin, we also checked out some local shops and attractions. I can't speak enough of the Haliburton Sculpture Forest. This was a short drive from the cabin and a very accessible walk for anyone with mobility issues. The dogs loved it too! The sculptures were inspiring, intriguing and I think if you were to go during a certain time of year, there would be a haunted feeling to some of the sculptures too.

For the first time in our travels, we decided to sit down and watch a movie with a delicious snack board (including smoked mussels and oysters) and a hot tea. In extremely shocking news, I had never actually seen My Girl (even though CY and I quote it all the time. "His glasses! He can't see without his glasses!) So CY introduced me to the emotional roller coaster that is My Girl. I wish I didn't know how it ended before it started, because it did take away the "shock factor." But I did see my daughter and her friend Bryce in the characters of Vada and Thomas J. I still shed a tear, because I'm not totally heartless.

This entire trip felt like a giant exhale. For as often as CY and I travel together, we so often find ourselves hustling and only finding pockets of time to truly enjoy our time in these cool places. But this cabin felt different. Was it the company of the dogs? Was it the fact that we've been traveling for 4 years together and we can sit in comfortable silence? Or was it the power of the A Frame that allowed us a peaceful weekend to truly look at our surroundings, our lives and realize, we really are living the dream.