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WINTER GETAWAY

Getting cozy at Rocking R Guest Ranch

By Where We Wander

There's no doubt that our province is made for skiing snowy mountain slopes, exploring hidden trails in the wilderness and soaking in the steaming hot springs — but there's also another side to Alberta. Every once in a while, it's nice to drive out into the wind-swept prairie and take it easy in a cozy cabin made for self-care weekends without any sort of itinerary. Be it reconnecting with loved ones, some uninterrupted family time, a much-needed weekend alone with a good book — or in our case a spontaneous Valentine's Day getaway — Rocking R Guest Ranch outside of Strathmore, Alberta delivers just the right balance of simple country zen and sophisticated creature comforts.

There are just two cabins surrounded by tall trees, and then wide open prairie fields beyond. Each cabin has everything you may expect in a boutique hotel, from slippers to robes, plus a full kitchen to help guests be as independent as they like. For a fully indulgent experience, breakfasts and dinners can be delivered to the cabin to be enjoyed in complete privacy in front of the fire, ideally while a heavy snowfall outside makes the world look like it has all but disappeared. Just a few steps away from the front doors, a soak in the hot tub under the stars completes the experience.

For a spot of exercise in the morning, nothing beats snowshoeing. The neighbouring spruce farm provides a nice backdrop and a few quiet trails to practice this deceivingly easy-looking sport. Or you can just set out across the white prairie and see where you end up. There's a lake somewhere in the distance and a tobogganing hill in the event you brought a sled, but we never made it that far. However long you go, chances are yours will be the only footprints in the fresh snow, plus maybe those of a deer that wandered across overnight.

Saving the best for last, a prairie style horse-drawn sleigh ride is a must! Nice and cozy on top of fluffy sheep skins and wrapped in warm blankets, we circled the fields in total comfort to the merry sound of jingle bells and wished it was Christmas all over again. Then, just as we started to feel the chill, a fancy hot chocolate was served to make our trip back to the city just a little bit sweeter. This weekend was a much-needed reminder that even though winters in Canada are long, they are what we make them: cold, grey and boring, or fun and full of new places to discover.