Welcome back to Beautiful Spaces—a series of posts in which I talk about the places where I stay during my travels. It all started in 2013 when I realized that my contentment on the road is directly connected to how much I love where I’m living…and so made a commitment to find beautiful spaces to call home along the way. These spaces were kind enough to provide complimentary stays in exchange for this review.
After Toronto, it was a relief to leave the chaos of cities behind for a few days of wilder, smaller, quieter places. Our first day out of the city was a long one in the car—13 hours of driving between dozens of tiny lakes, past rocky mini-cliffs, and through small towns. I had been dreading that driving day (the longest of our whole trip), but I found myself enjoying it, feeling more and more relaxed the farther we got from the urban areas.
And then we arrived in Marathon, a small town on the shores of Lake Superior, where we spent a quiet night at Lakeview Manor, a calm, homey B&B with, as its name suggests, views of the lake.
There was something peaceful and sweet about the property and Chad and I both slept like babies in the giant, comfy bed and went for a nice walk through the neighborhood and down to the beach the next morning.
Breakfast was continental and serve-yourself, but it was more than just the usual continental offerings of toast and cereal, also including halved grapefruits, blueberries, yogurt parfait full of fruit, and plenty of healthy cereal choices.
After our single quiet night in Marathon, we headed to Thunder Bay, about four hours west along Lake Superior, where we stayed in the Victoria Inn and Conference Center.
The rooms weren’t particularly artistic or luxurious, but were simple, clean, and outfitted with all the basic things you need (desk, dresser, mini fridge, and a little couch and coffee table). And the highlights here included the pool area, which has its own waterslide and a large, comfortable hot tub, and the service. The restaurant was constantly giving me free kettles of hot water for my tea. And the front desk went out of their way to make sure Chad and I would have separate spaces for overlapping business calls.
Rooms at Lakeview Manor in Marathon start at $115 CAD per night, with breakfast included. Pets are not normally allowed, though you can always ask. And there are two sweetheart dogs who hang out in the house. Parking is free.
Rooms at Victoria Inn in Thunder Bay start at about $150 a night. Pets are welcome with a $25 fee. And parking is free.
Looking for more places to stay? You can see all the beautiful spaces I’ve reviewed here.