I am not much of a camper. Sitting on a patio with a cocktail is about as outdoorsy as I get.
So when the opportunity came up to stay for a night at one of Wishing Well Sanctuary's luxury campsites, I was intrigued.
The sanctuary, located on Line 10 in Bradford West Gwillimbury, recently started offering unique camping experiences as a way to help bring in money for their rescued animals.
There are seven different experiences/accommodation options to choose from when booking your getaway: The Llama Lounge, Pig Palace, Robin's Nest, Country Loft, Family Glamping, The Koi Pond, and Camping With the Cows.
For my experience, I chose to stay in Pig Palace, an adorable pink and pig-themed trailer. Not only are pigs my favourite animals (Miss Piggy was my idol growing up), but pink is the colour of my soul, so this was an easy choice. I brought my sister along with me so we could get some R&R away from the husbands and kids.
The sanctuary is only a 10-minute drive away from my house in suburban Bradford, but being out in the rural area of town made me feel like I was somewhere far away, like a tourist in my own community.
When we arrived at the sanctuary, we drove up to the main entrance where Annette, one of the volunteers at the sanctuary and coordinator of all the camping experiences, directed us to our site, tucked away at the back of the property, right next to the resident cows and steps away from the piggy pen.
As soon as we stepped inside the trailer, I was immediately in love. Pig photos adorned the walls, and everything inside was pink, from the salt and pepper shakers to the Keurig coffee machine. I felt truly at home! The trailer can sleep up to five people, with a queen bed, pull out and two small bunks (for kids).
Set up outside our trailer was a beautifully curated luxury picnic with a decorative white tee-pee and umbrella, soft plush pink pillows, blankets, linen napkins, candles and flowers, courtesy of The Little Things Picnics, based out of Orillia. The sanctuary recently teamed up with the local business offering guests the option to add on luxury picnic packages as part of their stay. It was all so pretty, that we didn't even want to eat anything on it, except for a few chips and our drinks.
After Annette gave us the run-down of the place, we were left to relax and unwind. If we wanted, she told us we could join in on the 'chores' of helping to feed the resident farm animals. Animals get fed three times a day at the farm: 8 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 6:30 p.m. The chores are all voluntary and not required of guests, but recommended to get the full farm experience.
The sanctuary is home to so many sweet animals: the docile cows, the sweet potbelly pigs, and the fluffy sheep that you can visit throughout your stay. There is also Thunder the 'Lapaca', a cross between an alpaca and a llama. Thunder is around four years old and was rescued just last year from a neglected farm and is very curious and friendly. He was happy to see my sister as he rushed to the fence to say hello.
We decided to help with the evening feed and were headed into the barn but were startled by the resident turkey, Hector, puffing his feathers at us and blocking our way. The friendly volunteers reassured us that Hector was harmless and was in fact just "showing off". My sister and I laughed as he continued to follow us around the property while the pigs and goats ate their dinner.
After the dinner feed, my sister and I headed back to our trailer to make our own dinner. Upon booking, the sanctuary recommends bringing vegetarian meal options. They also have a booklet of nearby restaurants with vegetarian menu item recommendations. We brought our own microwavable plant-based meals, as well as snacks and drinks and s'mores for the fire.
As mentioned, I am not the outdoorsy type. Neither is my sister. So when we were left with a box of firewood to make our own campfire at night, we were stumped! (No pun intended).
Finally, after an hour of Googling and FaceTiming with the husbands, we figured it out! We were so proud of ourselves. I felt like I was on Survivor! (I know this sounds silly but this was a big deal for me!)
After indulging in our s'mores and laughs by the twinkly lights and fireflies, we retreated inside to watch a movie on the DVD player and fell asleep.
We woke up the next morning to the sound of light rain against the trailer windows. It was so soothing and relaxing that we didn't want to get up. Slowly, we made our way out of bed and popped pods in the pink coffee machine while watching the cows graze on hay from the window. The cows at the sanctuary consume 500 pounds of hay and 3000 litres of water per day!
The best part about booking a stay here is the money goes toward helping feed the animals. A two-night stay at Pig Palace will feed the sanctuary's pigs for one week.
The whole experience was so unique that telling you about it doesn't do it justice. It was so nice just sitting outside in the quiet, feeling so calm and peaceful. I am not used to it. I almost felt anxious at times, which just shows how much I really needed this. It was also nice to get to spend some quality time with my sister, and bond without the interruptions of everyday life.
I am sure we will be back again soon, but next time we'll bring the kids for a family fun adventure.
To learn more about the Wishing Well Experience, visit their website here.
Wishing Well Sanctuary is a Federally registered charitable organization. Donations assist in feeding and caring for the animals at the Sanctuary. Registered Charity No. 842652489RR0001.
A complimentary one-night stay was provided to BradfordToday reporter Natasha Philpott for the purpose of this review
