Spring in Grey County brings one of Canada’s sweetest traditions: maple syrup season . The perfect mix of warm days and chilly nights gets the sap flowing, and we were lucky enough to experience it firsthand during our weekend getaway. The Kemble Maple Tour was an absolute highlight for the kids, giving them a hands-on opportunity to learn how maple syrup is made. Highly recommend the experience for next year! 

After the easy drive up from Toronto (about 2.5 hours), we headed straight to Casero Kitchen Table in Owen Sound for dinner. This family-friendly Mexican restaurant has a fun vibe with lots of colourful decorations. We recently came back from a family trip to Mexico, where the food was outstanding, and had been craving it! Casero's was just as great! The brisket nachos, fish and shrimp tacos, and churros for dessert to top it off. There was an awesome kids menu as well and mine devoured their own nachos and hibiscus lemonade. 

Note: Casero can get busy, so consider making a reservation if you're coming straight from Toronto on a Friday evening. 

We spent the weekend at Cobble Beach Resort, which is known for being one of the best golf courses in Ontario with stunning views of Georgian Bay ... but what really surprised us was how family-friendly it was! We stayed in one of the resort’s cottages, which had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and plenty of space for everyone to spread out. The cottages are very comfortable and charming, with a fireplace, kitchenette, and everything we needed for a relaxing stay. Definitely the ideal spot for a family weekend getaway from Toronto. 

Despite being a golf community, Cobble Beach had a great mix of elevated yet kid-friendly amenities:

• Private Beach Club: During summer months, the resort's beach club provides access to a small, private beach on Georgian Bay with shallow entry points perfect for little ones.

• Outdoor Pool: The seasonal heated pool includes a shallow end for younger swimmers – a must-have for families with kids of different ages.

• Playground: There's a small playground on the property that's nice for burning off a little extra energy between activities.

• Kids Menu at Sweetwater Restaurant: The staff treated our kids really well at the restaurant, even though they were pretty boisterous. There's an elevated kids menu, including mini burgers and tortellini with fresh parmesan, and some colouring sheets featuring local artwork and landmarks. The breakfast there was also outstanding with beautiful views over Georgian Bay!

One thing we missed but is definitely on our list for next time is the Enchanted Forest Trail, which can be accessed directly from Cobble Beach. There are these mystical faces carved into the trees, and visitors have also added whimsical touches throughout the trail, including tiny fairy doors and hidden trinkets that create a magical little scavenger hunt for kids. 

Saturday was all about maple syrup! We participated in the annual Kemble Maple Tour (April 12, 2025), which was just the perfect family activity for us Toronto day-trippers. The tour itself is self-guided and includes an optional meal-passport for a traditional sugar shack breakfast, as well as free access to the family fun fair, arts & craft market, and access to four local maple syrup producers who open their sugar bushes and sugar shacks to the public. This iconically Canadian activity is an amazing way to experience various ways of making maple syrup firsthand! 

Our first stop was a traditional sugar shack breakfast at the Kemble-Sarawak United Church. The meal featured delicious waffles, beans, coleslaw, peameal bacon, and lots of fresh maple syrup. My favourite part was the 10 year old kids who worked at clearing tables and asking everyone if they wanted ice cream sundaes. The whole thing was super local, friendly and community-oriented. We just loved it!

Next up we visited Kemble Mountain Maple Products, where we saw modern syrup production in action. It was fascinating to see the evaporator in action as the owner showed us how they collect, boil the sap and check the grade of syrup depending on the sugar content of the sap. 

We got to try fresh sap (which literally tastes just like maple sweetened water), maple butter (YUM!), taffy made by pouring cooked syrup over ice or snow and rolling it onto a popsicle stick, and of course FRESH maple syrup. It’s quite the operation and we were all pretty amazed to learn that it takes about 40 litres of sap to make just one litre of syrup!

Our second stop was the Family Fun Fair at Kemble Arena, which is a free event part of the Maple Tour and perfect letting the kids burn off some of that extra maple syrup energy. They had alpacas, mini horses, goats, face painting, balloon animals, various inflatables, rock painting and even pickleball.

Our final stop on the Kemble Maple Tour Next was Paul's Sugar Shack, a small production run by Paul and Connie Morris. Sap from 50 taps is collected in buckets and boiled down on a modified wood stove. The highlight of our visit was their 8 year old granddaughter, Stella, who gave us a tour of the sugar bush and sap collecting buckets, handed out marshmallows and chocolate for the kids to make s'mores, poured syrup samples, and even did a story time for my children by reading them a book she wrote about her grandparents’ maple syrup farm. The whole thing was awesome! They also had a vintage iron kettle boiling sap over an open fire in the woods to show the traditional maple syrup making process.

Unfortunately, we ran out of time to visit the other two maple producers on the Kemble Maple Tour map, but next year I want to see Miner’s Maple Syrup who apparently have the largest and most high-tech production in the region, with 220 acres and 5,500 taps!

After a busy morning of maple touring, we headed over to Elsie’s Diner, a classic 1950s-style diner that’s like stepping back in time. With its red swivel chairs, black-and-white checkered floors, and retro decor, it’s the perfect spot to refuel with kids. The diner is filled with fun details for the kids to look at, and the music playing adds to the nostalgic atmosphere. The food was great, but the highlight was definitely the ice cream. No diner is complete without a legit milkshake, ice cream, and float bar! We all got bubblegum ice cream (even me because I’m a child at heart and it’s my favorite flavor) and there were tons of toppings for the kids to choose from, including Cadbury mini eggs, gummies, and even LEGO candy. Everyone left with a big smile and a happy belly!

We spent the afternoon at Grey Roots Museum, located in the heart of Grey County. The museum is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the rich history of the area, from local agriculture and industry to the region’s role in the development of Ontario. My husband and I were so impressed by this museum – not only was it absolutely fascinating for us adults (my personal favourite was the old printing press workshop at the back), but it was incredibly kid-friendly and had so many different interactive and engaging exhibits for kids.

• Zooz's Place: Children’s Gallery – This kids room is amazing and was totally unexpected! It has a cozy woodland vibe and is packed with toys, stepping stones and wooden climbing structures, colouring activities, and a pretend play items. There’s also a comfy reading nook and a baby feeding chair with a privacy screen. I appreciate the attention to detail for families with infants!
• Variety of Exhibits with Interactive Elements –While the exhibits themselves rotate (there’s an upcoming Dinosaur exhibit that looks amazing!), I was impressed by the interactive elements for kids included throughout. During our visit the kids could try dialing old phones, interact with a Morse code machine, listen to stories, and play with multiple toy and game stations.
• Theatre Screenings – The museum’s movie theatre regularly shows family-friendly films as part of the Reel Roots program. During our visit, Magic School Bus episodes were playing, providing a cozy and entertaining break for the kids.
• Craft Activities – The museum offers Saturday craft sessions where kids can make fun, seasonal crafts. We created stained-glass kites with colourful tissue paper, which made for a fun souvenir!
• Gift Shop – The gift shop has an incredibly well curated collection of toys, children’s books, and other unique souvenirs. Just a heads up that the kids will be begging you for things!

Just outside the main museum is Moreston Heritage Village, an outdoor extension that sounds like a fantastic experience for kids in the summer. During July and August, costumed interpreters bring the village to life, reinacting what life was like in the 1800s through special events, activities, and hands-on workshops where kids can watch demonstrations on blacksmithing, baking, and other old-time trades. 

While the buildings at Moreston Heritage Village were closed when we visited in the Spring, it was still cool to walk around. We also got really lucky and stumbled upon the agricultural teacher who uses the barn to teach high school students in the off-season. He gave us a sneak peek and showed the kids all of the farm animals, including baby ducks, freshly-sheared sheep, and a giant 500-pound pig! Some of the animals, namely the goats and chickens, stick around in the summer for everyone to visit at Moreston Heritage Village.

One of our favourite experiences from the entire weekend in Grey County was Farm on the Lake. I’m not exaggerating that my kids cried when we left and I don’t think they’ll ever stop talking about it!

Farm on the Lake is run by the MOST amazing and inspiring family - Maryam and Farooq (and with help from their teenage children!) They moved from the city and transformed themselves into farmers overnight with absolutely no prior experience … just a lot of passion and dedication! Their story is amazing and if you get a chance to spend a few minutes with them, their energy is beautiful.

Located just 10 mins from Owen Sound, Farm on the Lake officially opens May 1st for visitors! The farm has almost 200 goats, primarily for breeding. When we visited, the baby goats were all one week old or younger – which was absolutely ADORABLE! The experience was very hands-on:

• We got to play and bottle-feed the baby goats. I had someone ask me on Instagram why these babies were being bottle fed instead of nursed by their mothers. It's because the breed of goat is not a milking goat, and many don't produce enough milk to adequately feed more than one or two goats. In the case of triplets, the third one gets neglected so they need to be bottle-fed to stay healthy and thriving.

• We learned about the daily care routines for the goats and have a behind-the-scenes at what goes into running the goat farm

• The owners even let my children name two of the baby goats (they chose "Elsa" and "Bey" for Beyblade)

There are a number of different experiences you can have at Farm on the Lake:

PET & PLAY WITH BABY GOATS IN KID VILLAGE

Baby goats are called “kids” and the Kid Village is a safe enclosed outdoor area where visitors of all ages can snuggle, cuddle, hug, play and feed baby goats!

FEED MAMA GOATS IN GOAT MOUNTAIN

Buy a bundle of hay from the self-serve shed and feed the mamma goats. The goats are super social and funny - they’ll see you with the hay and come running to feed and entertain you!

FARM TOURS

Barn visits and bottle feedings (subject to availability of course) are by appointment only as part of the comprehensive 1 or 2 hour farm tours. Well worth it to go behind the scenes and participate in hands-on goat farming chores.

GLAMPING ON THE LAKE

Wooden bunkie cabins are available for glamping on the quiet and beautiful lake! Go fishing for bass, kayaking or paddle boarding, swimming … all without having to pitch a tent.

For lunch we headed over to Mudtown Station Brewery and Restaurant, a hidden gem housed in an old and beautifully restored Canadian Pacific Railway station. The brewery has thoughtfully preserved many original architectural elements, including the iconic ticket booth, an old phone booth that the kids loved, and lots of historic photos. There are also plenty of railway-themed decor pieces, like train crossing lights and vintage signs, adding to the charm of the place. Out back, there's a fantastic patio with views of the harbour, which I imagine is fantastic in the summer! The food was also some of the best we had all weekend, and of course, we couldn’t resist enjoying a couple of pints of local beer. 

Our final stop for the weekend was Inglis Falls, a stunning waterfall that’s not only beautiful but also incredibly accessible for families. Located in the 200-hectare Inglis Falls Conservation Area, the 18-meter cascade is created as the Sydenham River meets the Niagara Escarpment, and the water has carved a deep gorge at the base. The best part is that you don’t have to hike far to enjoy the view—just take the stairs down to the viewing platform. 

For those looking to explore more, there are 7.42 km of trails of varying difficulty, including access to the Bruce Trail. I love all the mossy enchanting trees in this area, but watch out for the geological potholes, especially with kids!

Grey County has definitely earned a spot on our family's return visit list – there’s so much more to explore, and it’s close enough for an easy weekend getaway from Toronto without the stress of a major trip.

This post was sponsored by Visit Grey County, but all opinions, experiences and tantrums are 100% our own.