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When I was a pre-teen back in the 60's my mother sent me to Arrowhead Ranch Camp for two summers. I never forgot learning how to ride a horse through the Blue Mountains of Collingwood, Ontario just north of my hometown of Toronto. Last summer as I was looking for a new location to buy some property a realtor friend who had moved to Collingwood encouraged me to go back up there to see all the changes.

Arrowhead Ranch is now a rural subdivision but he took me to the Village at Blue Mountain which is part of the Blue Mountain Ski Resort. It was packed with people strolling through this large quaint commercial village shopping at high end stores and getting coffee at Starbucks. Centered in the village was a small man made lake with people ski jumping and swimming. There were outdoor patios and activity everywhere. This is Ontario's biggest ski resort and I not being a skier had no idea it was an all round vacation destination. My friend told me People from Toronto are moving up here in droves because of the year round activities.

During the winter this village hosts concerts, horse-drawn carriage rides, fireplace lounges and a variety of restaurants. The Ski Resort itself offers downhill and cross country skiing, dogsledding, snowmobiling and snowshoeing through the Niagara Escarpment's uniquely formed caves. There is also a Family Fun Center featuring big screen WII games, pool tables and golf swing studios.

During the summer there is skydiving, rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, sea do rentals, windsurfing, eco adventure and hummer tours. For water sports there are indoor and outdoor pools, water slides, hot tubs and jungle gyms. They offer summer camps, special events, swimming lessons, aqua fit classes and birthday parties. And this is all in the same location.

Just minutes away is the first Raven Golf Club at Lora co-designed by PGA Tour professional Tom Lehman and Canada's premier golf course architect Thomas McBroom, the beautiful beaches of Georgian Bay, and the historic town of Collingwood.

Learn more about this author, Alannah Ryane.
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