Jan 19, 2008

Exercise your buysBy Nathalie AtkinsonNationalPost.com

Shopping has become a recreational activity for so many people that even resort towns devoted to physical recreation are creating quaint shopping villages for the apres-ski set.

In the interest of retail, I recently went on a reconnaissance field trip to Blue Mountain in Collingwood, where I stayed at the Westin Trillium House in the heart of the Village at Blue. (Bonus: heated outdoor pools; even the surrounding stonework is heated, for lazing at the end of a hard day’s shopping.) The mid-week ski package includes day or night lift passes and deluxe accommodation from $183/night per person, Sunday through Thursday. In February, the hotel hosts Women’s Week, with daily shopping, spa and restaurant specials (for details, see westin.com/blue mountain, 705-443-8080).

Surprise, surprise, I found a few cool things you won’t find in Toronto. Given its focus on trendy boutiques, the Village also serves as a shopping destination to the greater community. In the Village at Blue, the master-plan architecture is a cross between Georgian Bay style and Swiss ski village, with short streets and brightly painted shops and restaurants (most stores are open until 8 or 9 p.m.).Read complete article.