Stories – the Blog

Top 5 November Adventures in the Haliburton Highlands

There is adventure in November. Sure, it might be quite cool and a snow flurry is possible. And the days are shorter, the breezes may blow and there are 50 shades of gray but the sun does shine. There is nothing sweeter than a sunny day in November. The weather is unpredictable but with a little wardrobe planning you will be prepared for what Mother Nature delivers. Don’t forget that old adage that “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”. And, of course, there are inside adventures. Inside or out there is a lot to do in the Haliburton Highlands.

'Tis the Season for Tradition

Tradition. One simple little word we all know that carries some warming connotations this time of year. The music, the tree, the smells of pine needles and cookies in the oven. Whatever our traditions may be, the one thing they all have in common is that they seem to stick. Have you ever taken a step back to think about where these traditions came from? Traditions can begin at any time.

Another award!

Yours Outdoors is very honoured to take home the Sustainable Tourism Award presented at the 2017 Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence in Niagara Falls. Thanks to Abbey Gardens for nominating us . Here is a portion of the information that was submitted with the nomination:  

Yours Outdoors also strives to “live” the principles and practices of sustainable and green tourism.  In particular, Yours Outdoors is committed to:

Fall-ing in Love with Fall

It’s official - those lazy hazy days of summer have melted into memories and we are facing forwards into fall. As an adventure company, there’s always a bit of a shift between seasons. It is a common misconception that our adventures peak within the summer months. Of course, with the longer days and warmer weather, there is no shortage of opportunities to get outside and soak up that sunshine.

Happy Camper’s Best Routes for Canoeing and Kayaking in the Haliburton Highlands

Yours Outdoors has had the pleasure of working with The Happy Camper, Kevin Callan on several occasions. He was featured presenter at our Speakers Series and has led several hikes and backpacking trips for the Hike Haliburton Festival. We sponsored a recent kayaking trip he did with Camper Christina. Here are some thoughts from Kevin on paddling in the Haliburton Highlands:

Following the Path of the Paddle

In this day and age, we are moving fast. Too fast? Maybe. That's up to individual interpretation. Either way, there are no real signs of slowing down, so we, as humans, need to create those moments of recollection for ourselves in order to maintain sanity in this ever-changing world. 

We can all agree that taking a step away from the whirring of our everyday lives and into the wilderness answers problems we didn't even know existed. My personal preference to attain clarity takes this escape one step further: to the water, to follow the path of the paddle. 

It was a grand night, indeed

On November 22, I walked onto the stage at the Westin in Ottawa in front of 450 people - the who's who in tourism in Ontario attending the Ontario Tourism Summit Gala. Master of Ceremonies and CBC TV celebrity, Heather Hiscox, announced that I had won the Tourism Champion of the Year from the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario.  The crowd went wild ...well, at least the people at my table. I had the pleasure of being in the company of my beautiful wife Pat and the wonderful staff of Ontario's Highlands Tourism Organization.

Wacky Winter Weather

It is December 14 , 2015.  The temperature is 11 degrees C  and rain is falling. No snow in the Haliburton Highlands.  I have clients booked to go dog sledding on December 28 and given the long range forecast it looks like they may be getting a refund.  This whacky winter weather is having an impact on business. These conditions are a sign of things to come. Regardless of progress made in at the recent climate change talks in Paris , I am afraid we are going to lose our winters in the longer term.