Travel Swellness: Exploring the hills of Headwaters, Ontario

May 21, 2015

A couple of weeks ago, I went on a little road trip up north to the region of Headwaters. Never heard of it? Neither had I, but I learned on the trip (as I was invited and host by the tourism board) that it’s named after being the source of Ontario’s biggest rivers and encompasses the communities of Erin, Caledon, Dufferin County, Mono and Shelburne (most of which I had heard of, but had never had the chance to visit). It was great to get out of the city for a couple of days, and it’s incredible how it feels like a different world there, even though it’s just about an hour away by car from Toronto.

Loads more people are going to discover the Headwaters region, though, soon, as it is hosting the jumping and dressage equestrian events for the Pan Am games. We got a chance to take a tour of the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park and although I haven’t watched many equestrian events, I think it’d be incredible to attend some of these events and witness in person the skills of the athletes and the power and beauty of the horses. While there, we also saw the Headwaters Parade of Horses in the works: more than 25 life-size fibreglass horse sculptures will be transformed by artisans and then displayed around the Headwaters region during the months of June, July and August. Hello, Instagram opportunities! Haha

Tied into the Pan Am games is the Pan Am Taste Trail from June 13 until August 15th. The 20 participating restaurants and producers will be offering signature food or drink items. You can find the list of participants here.

There’s delicious food all the time here, of course, not just tied into the Pan Am games. We had dinner at Cabin at Hockley Valley and I’m pretty sure my new friend beside me at dinner was tired of hearing me exclaim with every bite how delicious the meal was. Everything was just right, the only thing I would’ve changed would be doubling the number of ravioli on my plate (not because the portion was small by any means, but because the dish was that good). It was lobster ravioli with fiddleheads (local, of course), asparagus, ramps and peas (and there was some ramp crema on the plate). So seasonal and fresh, I was in heaven…only to then be served a  perfectly tender, juicy beef filet that I devoured with glee. I would make the trip to Headwaters just for dinner here.

While Cabin is quite upscale and chic in ambiance, for something casual but just as yummy, we enjoyed a lovely buffet lunch at Landman Gardens and Bakery. Charcuterie, salads, sandwiches, fresh veggies and fruit and cheese (including a phenomenal goat cheese Rebecca, our lovely host, had made) and with a dessert of raspberry crumble. All made even more delightful by enjoying it inside their charming blackhouse, where they host meals and events from May to October. I felt like I was in a fairytale.

It’s hard to say, though, if the meal was the best part of this visit to Landman, however, because I have two words for you: baby goats.

Yes, Landman Gardens and Bakery operates a goat farm and we got to get up close and personal with them, including some beyond adorable two-week-old goats. I had no idea baby goats were so affectionate but they were all vying for our attention and when I would pick one up, I could feel their heart beating so fast, but they’d soon calm down and just rest calmly in my arms, happy to be cuddled.

I wanted to bring a baby goat home, but left instead with six of the Landman meat pies. Which I’ve since dug into and they are as fantastic as the lunch (I picked up a variety, from shepherd’s pie to steak and farmer’s pie and the crust is flaky and the fillings are savoury hearty deliciousness).

Over at The Friendly Chef Adventures, though, it was our turn to have a hand at cooking the food we were to eat. Our class was a quick one given our time constraints, so Chef Pam taught us how to make cold spring rolls and we prepped ingredients for a Thai stir-fry. Most useful tip I gleaned from class? How to quickly and easily seed a pepper. I’ve got a video Chef Pam’s technique on my Instagram feed if you want to learn (sorry, you’ll have to scroll back to early May!).

Last but not least, a visit to Glen Williams Glass is a must when you’re in the region so you can try your hand at glassblowing (register online for a class). Even with our very quick stop here, I had time to be carefully lead through the process of making my own cup, from initially turning the hot glass, to blowing to make the glass shape, and finally opening it up to make the top of the glass. I can’t wait to see the finished product (we had to leave our masterpieces there to be baked in the oven)!

It was a whirlwind two days and there’s so much I feel I didn’t get to explore in the Headwaters region that I think I should plan another road trip soon. Although even just revisiting the sweet goats would make it worth it…

Filed under: Travel Swellness

Tags: blackhouse, Caledom, cooking class, dufferin county, equestrian, erin, friendly chef adventures, goats, headwaters, Hockley Valley, Landman, Landman gardens and bakery, ontario, pan am games, road trip, travel