Have you ever wanted to spend the night with Alpacas? If you answered yes to this question then keep reading. Haute Goat Farm in Port Hope offers just that and it might very well be the most unique night you’ll have in Ontario!
What if I told you there is a place in Ontario where you can have a sleepover with alpacas? Yes, you’ve read correctly! Haute Goat Farm in Port Hope offers one of the most unique sleeping experiences in Ontario : a sleepover with alpacas.
Located halfway between Toronto and Kingston, this should definitely be added to you Ontario bucketlist! I recenly spent the night there and it was one of the cutest and most surreal adventures I’ve had!
Here is what you need to know for your next visit
Sleeping in the Alpaca Pen at Haute Goat Farm
Imagine waking up, opening your door and facing a group of alpacas looking curiously at you! That is exactly the experience you’ll have if you spend the night in the Alpaca Pen at Haute Goat Farm. But fear not, you won’t be sleeping on a pile of hay. Haute Goat has repurposed an alpaca shed into a cute and cozy tiny cabin big enough for a Queen bed, two chairs and some board games. It might be small but what you loose in space inside, you gain outside!
What is so special about this experience is that you will get exclusive access to the alpaca pen. You’ll get to interact with them and maybe even make a friend or two. And trust me, they will be just as curious about you then you are about them.
Warning // There are no bathroom in the alpaca cabin. Toilets are further away on the site, so bring a flashlight if you need to pee at night.
Outside, you’ll also find a fire pit with a few chairs perfect for a summer night with the alpacas!
What to expect with the alpacas?
Alpacas are extremely curious animals, but also very cautious. Mostly, they will look at you from afar wondering what kind of farm animal you are! Much like humans, they each have their own personality : one is the boss lady and she is very protective of her herd, one is extremely friendly and easily one over, others don’t really care about you and would rather mind their own business. What I’m trying to say is, don’t go in thinking they are going to run up to you like puppies and want some pets. However, with a bit of patience, you’ll be able to create bonds with some of them and they will let you be their friend and pet them!
We also all know that Alpaca can spit! And although this happens from time to time, we were quickly reassured that these alpacas are used to visitors and rarely spit. Just don’t bet them on their back or on their head (they don’t like it!)!
Warning // This experience is not suitable for kids under the age of 9.
What to bring for your night at Haute Goat Farm?
Haute Goat has got you covered when it comes to making your adventure absolutely incredible! They provide the bedding and pillows for the bed and breakfast for 2 is included in the stay. You’ll actually have to choose between 4 breakfast options the night before and everything will be ready and waiting for you at 9:30 the next morning. The cabin is also winterized and heated so you don’t have to worry about freezing on those cold Fall and Winter nights.
There is also a restaurant on site that offers a variety of homemade meals and snacks! I highly recommend you try the goat cheese Mac&Cheese!
So what will you have to bring? Here is a list :
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Bug repellent (in the summer)
- Snacks if you get hungry in the evening
THE DETAILS
Price | 250$ for 2 people
Reservations | Book your stay here
When | All year long!
Info | The Goat Shmurgle and the Alpaca Knuffle Shuffle are not included in the price of the stay. These are add-ons at extra cost.
How to make the most of your stay on the farm?
Help with the farm chores in the morning
Every morning, at 8 am, the farm comes alive with farm chores. When you spend the night at Haute Goat, you have the unique opportunity to help with these chores : feeding the animals, cleaning the pens and – my favorite – snuggling the animals (especially the baby goats)!
Do the Goat Shmurgle
You can’t visit Haute Goat without getting to know the goats of course! And the signature experience here is the Shmurgle experience where you’ll get to bring the goats on a walk around the pasture and snuggle the babies in their enclosure afterwards!
THE DETAILS
Price | Starting at 59$ per adult, 15$ per children (2-5 years old), 199$ for a family of 4.
Reservations | Book your Shmurgle here
When | From Wednesday to Sunday at 1pm all year long.
Bring the alpacas on a walk
Want to spend more time with the alpacas? Forget walking the dog and walk an alpaca instead. Join the Knuffle Shuffle experience to take your very own alpaca on a stroll across the property.
THE DETAILS
Price | Starting at 69$ per adult, 240$ for a family of 4.
Reservations | Book your Knuffle Shuffle here
When | From Wednesday to Sunday at 1pm all year long.
* P.S. I was invited by Haute Goat for this stay but all opinions (and obsessions) are 100% mine!
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Ontario has a short summer. Like, genuinely short. And every year I watch September arrive and think about all the things I meant to do and didn’t.
So this year I’m doing things differently. I made a list.
It has hikes that will make you question whether you’re still in Canada. A tradition that has been going on since 1996 that most Ontarians have never witnessed. A beach that books up so fast it’ll make your head spin. A helicopter ride that changes the way you see this province. And a few experiences that are so specific to Ontario that you could only find them here.
All of them are worth making time for before the leaves turn and you’re back in your winter coat wondering where summer went.
Swipe through and be honest with yourself about how many you’ve actually done?
Drop a number below, how many have you checked off? And which one are you adding first? 👇
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#ontariobucketlist #ontariosummer #exploreontario #ontariotravel #ontariohiking
Some places you visit and forget about a week later. And then there are the ones that stay with you.
I had never heard of the Phantom Piper before I went to Kincardine. Someone mentioned it in passing – « there’s this thing with a piper and a lighthouse at sunset » – and I filed it away as something to maybe check out if I had time.
I had time. And I am so glad I did.
I’m not going to tell you too much because I think this is one of those experiences that deserves to be felt rather than described. What I will say is that I stood there on the shore of Lake Huron as the sun went down and the pipes started playing and something about the whole thing – the water, the light, the sound carrying across the harbour – just got me.
This summer marks a milestone anniversary of a tradition that has been happening in this small Ontario town since the 1990s. And if you ask me, that’s reason enough to finally make the trip.
This year the Phantom Piper will run every day of the week (except for Saturdays) from 1 July to 31 August.
Have you ever witnessed the Phantom Piper?
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#kincardine #phantompiper #exploreontario #ontariotravel #ontariobucketlist
If someone asked you to name an Ontario weekend getaway right now, Lanark County probably wouldn’t be the first thing that came to mind. Maybe not even the fifth. And honestly, that’s exactly why I want to talk about it.
It sits right between Ottawa and Kingston. About hour from either city. And somehow, most people drive right past it without ever stopping. I did too, for years.
Then I actually went. And I’ve been recommending it to everyone since.
Because what’s here is the kind of thing you don’t expect to find so close to home. A thermal spa tucked into the forest. A restaurant with one of the best patios in Ontario. A town that looks like it was designed for a Hallmark movie. Rivers and lakes that beg to be paddled. A treehouse on a peninsula with water on every side. And enough charm per square kilometre to make you feel like you’ve properly gotten away, even if you were home by Sunday night.
Lanark County is the weekend getaway that’s been right there the whole time. Swipe through for everything you need to plan it.
Have you been to Lanark County before? Is it going on your list this summer 👇
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#lanarkcounty #ontariogetaway #exploreontario #ontariotravel #ottawaweekend
When I walk into a space for the first time, I’m not really looking at the room. I’m looking at the light.
Where it comes in. How it moves through the curtains. What it does at 7am versus 4pm. That’s what tells me what kind of story I’m going to be able to tell.
Closs Crossing gave me a lot to work with.
The morning light through the treehouse windows. The deck faced east so the sunrise came in early and golden, through the trees, catching the string lights just right. By late afternoon the whole property turned amber. The hot tub at sunset, the hammock in the trees, the still water reflecting everything back, I was basically chasing light from one corner of this property to the other and I didn’t want to stop.
The interiors were just as beautiful. Every room had its own personality: the wallpaper, the vintage furniture, the carefully chosen details that tell you the people behind this place genuinely care about how it feels to be here. That kind of intentionality shows up in photos. You can’t fake it.
This is the kind of property that makes my job feel less like work.
If you own a cottage, a rental property or a stay and you’re looking for someone to capture it, this is what I do. Feel free to reach out. 🌿
Which shot is your favourite? 👇
A huge thank you to my friend @melina.e.l.i.a.s for helping me capture this one, some shots just need a second set of hands and she was the best person to have behind the lens. 🤍
Thank you to @closscrossing for hosting me.
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#closscrossing #lanarkcounty #ontariophotographer #travelphotography
Ontario is big. Like, really big. And most of us end up visiting the same handful of cities on repeat, which honestly makes sense because they’re great.
But this province has so many towns and cities that fly completely under the radar and I have been on a mission to find them.
Some of these I stumbled across by accident. Some were recommended by people who clearly had very good taste. And a few of them genuinely surprised me in ways I didn’t expect.
Swipe through and tell me how many you’ve actually been to. I have a feeling most of you will surprise yourselves.
Drop a number below : how many have you visited? 👇
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#exploreontario #ontariotravel #ontariotowns #ontariocities #canadatravel
