It was our first morning at Elmhirst’s Resort with two of our kids, their spouses, and six of our grandkids. I was down near the dock in front of our cottage around 7 a.m. and spotted my daughter in law.
She said she and her oldest child were down by the water to watch the sunrise.
“She looked at me and said, ‘Mummy, I like this place more than Toronto.’”
Sunrise at Elmhirst’s Resort in southern Ontario. Jim Byers Photo
This was the third time my wife and I had stayed at Elmihirst’s, a delightful, family-run spot on Rice Lake, a little south of Peterborough. But it was the first time we’d gone with any of our kids or grandkids.
When we stayed here in late September of 2025, we looked around at the wide, grassy areas between the cottages and the lake, as well as the playgrounds and waterfront, and thought, “this would be great for a family weekend next year.”
One of our kids was tied up with work and couldn’t come with his wife and two children. But we managed to get two of our kids and their spouses, and their six grandkids, to make the short trip from Toronto (only 1:45 or so).
To say it went well was, I think, an understatement.
The gang arrived on a Friday afternoon, just in time to explore the grounds, burn off some energy at the park, unpack and get dinner going. The kids had a great time, and we enjoyed a nice meal together.
Checking out the horses at Elmhirst’s Resort.
The real treat was the next morning. My wife and I woke up around 6:45. I went to the sliding glass of our unit (32) and could see a couple of our grandkids dashing across the grass and heading to our front deck, which looks out over Rice Lake. They had big grins on their faces, and we opened the door to let them in for a pre-breakfast serving of muffins my wife had made.
We see them a good deal in Toronto, but they don’t live 30 feet away, with nothing but a short patch of grass between our houses.
After breakfast (some of them went to the hotel restaurant for a very nice meal, including kids’ breakfasts for $8) we explored the grounds, then hopped on a free tractor ride. We didn’t know what to expect, but were delighted to see it included a visit to the chicken coop/hen house and the duck pond, as well as a ride up the hill to see their cows (they use them for beef at the on-site restaurant) and handsome Clydesdale horses, who love eating large carrots that the tractor driver (in this case, Ryder Elmhirst) brings. Some of the little ones were brave about feeding the horses, which are enormous, and some a little less sure. But they all loved seeing the animals up close, and we loved watching their faces.
We also learned a good deal about the cattle business from Ryder’s grandfather, Peter, who helped turn the property from a family farm to a resort back in the 1950s.
The cottages at Elmhirst’s Resort are fronted by wide patches of deep green grass. Jim Byers Photo
We went back to the cottages for some play time and tennis, followed by grilled cheese sandwiches on a picnic table between the cottages and the lake. The kids were busy with a game called “Play Dead,” and the adults chatted over lunch. After that we had a good 45 minutes in the heated, indoor swimming pool, which is fairly shallow and great for kids. There’s also a hot tub and a dry sauna. Later there was road hockey on the tennis courts and some hide-and-seek among the trees at the playground and near the cottages.
We had a fine dinner and watched some of the Leafs game, then looked after the kids while their parents repaired to the resort’s Wild Blue Yonder pub for a beer or two.
The next morning was a busy pancake and bacon breakfast and then it was play time for a bit before they kids had to pack up for the city.
My wife and I stayed an extra day to exhale and walk the grounds. We also took in a lovely drive up Settlers Point Road to see the fall colours on a roller-coaster series of hills.
An aerial view of Elmhirst’s Resort on Rice Lake, south of Peterborough.
The next morning we had a great breakfast at the restaurant and chatted with the general manager, Greg Elmhirst, who we have gotten to know after first coming here in 2019. We didn’t have any others meals here this time, but we’ve had fine dinners on past visits, and a fabulous Sunday brunch a few years ago.
I told him how much we loved being here with our kids and how fun it was to see the resort through their eyes. And, yes, we’ve already inquired about a return visit next year.
