Blissdom Contest Entry ~ Julie

Please welcome Julie to the #GGBliss contest! Her family vacation story is our very first entry and we're so excited - looks like an amazing place to take the family for a getaway.

Muskoka Bible Center, Ontario, Canada

A family getaway

When looking for a fantastic summer getaway for the family, look no further than Muskoka Bible Center! Nestled in the heart of Ontario's Muskoka region, MBC is located on Mary Lake - a pristine setting for you to rest, relax and recharge. Our family visited this spring and when I saw the opportunity to share a travel experience on Go Girlfriend, I knew this was the place I wanted to write about.

Muskoka Bible CenterMBC is a truly unique travel destination, boasting over 200 acres of natural beauty; MBC is the largest Christian Retreat and Conference Center in Canada. This charming family oriented retreat is located 2 hours North of Toronto and is host to over 4000 guests from around the world each summer. Through the year MBC offers various conferences and events, for men, women and families which you can find on the Bookings section of their website.

The views are simply amazing and we encountered lots of local wildlife during our stay.

Accommodations at Muskoka Bible Center

Family Friendly VacationingMBC has 55 guest accommodations ranging from motel style rooms to family cottages. Many of the rooms overlook the lake. We were looking for more economical accommodations, and were pleased that the MBC Trailer Park offers tent and trailer sites, as well as rental trailers, which were fully furnished for us.

Muskoka Bible Center Grounds

MBC's immaculate grounds are a charming display of the best Muskoka has to offer; the choices were endless. We could spend the day hiking, canoeing, lazing on the beach or visiting the picturesque towns nearby.

Canoeing at Muskoka Bible CenterThere is something for each member of the family to enjoy at MBC! There is a full size gym featuring 2 basketball/volleyball courts. The on-site sports and activities include a mini-golf course, Disc Golf, hiking and biking trails, 2 tennis courts, 2 shuffleboard courts, 2 outdoor volleyball courts, a skate board park, a beachside trampoline, 2 playgrounds and tons of room to run and play!

During the summer season, the Marina offers a wide variety of activities including waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, knee boarding and sailboat rentals. Show up early because these are popular activities and fill up quickly.

Beachside at Muskoka Bible CenterMonday to Friday in the summer months, there are children and youth ministry available twice a day. Their aim is to allow children to explore, experience the love of God. With dynamic lessons and leaders the kids will love these programs. Our children who are 5 and 7 still rave about the program, with enthusiastic leaders, games and learning time, the kids cannot wait to go back.

While the children are at program, parents can attend workshops, worship services, experience speakers or enjoy all of the amenities available. These times when a couple can be alone are rare and MBC provides the perfect location to reconnect.

Dining at Muskoka Bible Center

The dining experiences at MBC cannot be beaten; the food is lovingly prepared and delicious! Windows Dining room is open on Saturday and Sunday for breakfast and dinner.  The buffet meals are served in a warm, friendly atmosphere overlooking Mary Lake. The Hub offers a more relaxed setting, but with the same quality of food. Sit on the deck overlooking the grounds or enjoy the air conditioned café.  If you're heading to the beach for the day and don't want to pack food, the Beachside Grill is the perfect choice. It opens at 11am, just in time for lunch.

If you are looking for a family vacation where you'll find activities for the children and serenity for the adults, head over to MBC, grab a book at the bookstore and meet me on the beach, we'll be there for three weeks this summer.

If you go:

Muskoka Bible Center website

Activities nearby:

• Algonquin Provincial Park offers countless trails for hiking and biking and hundreds of lakes for canoeing, kayaking and camping.
• Huntsville is a wonderful waterfront country town.
• Santa's Village - a year round attraction the kids will love!

About Julie

SoberJulie and her husbandJulie's a mom to 2 wonderful little ladies, wife to an amazing man, blogger, speaker, Christ follower who faced my Alcoholism and got fed up and decided to learn how to experience this journey of life fully. She's also recovering from a car accident and often blogs about the challenges of dealing with a brain injury, PTSD and physical injuries. With her two hilarious girls, a husband, a dog and her wonderful self to blog about, she invites everyone to check her out over at Sober Julie Doing Life, http://www.soberjulie.com/

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Still need a ticket for Blissdom Canada? Our contest runs until August 15, 2011 and there's no limit on the number of times you can enter or what you can write about. Follow your #GGBliss and see where it takes YOU!