Photos by Eric Black

We’re in the midst of a second summer and the good weather is giving me all the #FallbackFriday feels for my last cottage getaway in Muskoka. BMW Canada pulled all the stops for our city escape, setting my friends and I up in an incredible townhouse at Muskoka Bay Resort. So maybe it wasn’t a typical cottage experience with its infinity pool, light switch fireplace and insane golf course backdrop, but it definitely was in line with the drive up in the new BMW X5 PHEV.

I was immediately impressed with how smooth the ride was. That may be expected from large cars already, but let me tell you, it was exceptionally smooth thanks to its electric features. If you’re not familiar with the acronym, PHEV stands for “plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.” It especially had  excellent body control on the curvy B-roads we took up to the resort.

Once we arrived, we immediately devoured the sights. It was gorgeous. And I don’t think we could’ve timed it better, arriving when the sun was setting in time to cook a healthy dinner. We even managed to pass out early in order to wake up early for a day of relaxing adventures that BMW was kind enough to set up for us.

First up, yoga and massages at Within Spa. I still believe it was the best massage I’ve had to date — and I love treating myself to massages. I’d never been to Bracebridge before, so it was also great being able to roam around the small town. Considering it was a decent 20 minute drive there, it felt like another mini getaway.

When we got back to the resort, we immediately hit the infinity pool before dinner. The drive back was just as good and we even put the stereo to test with some inspired Disney sing-a-longs. What road trip isn’t complete without a solid playlist? I have to thank my friend Bailey for that. She really came through. I suggest everyone blare the best of Disney before purchasing a car.  I’m dead serious.

And then before we knew it, we were leaving! We snuck in a bit more time by the pool before packing up to find some hiking trails nearby. It was great hitting the open road again to see a bit more of Muskoka. Considering we had a long drive back home in cottage traffic, we were surprisingly in good spirits. I think this had to do in large part with how roomy the X5 is. We were all comfortable with all of the leg room a girl or guy could ask for.

Of course, we also had the famous Webers to look forward to! How could anyone not be excited to hit the road when we had such a mandatory pit stop along the way? I personally could not wait to wash down the burger with a chocolate milkshake. And I think we deserved it after our hike.

Overall, it was a memorable weekend and a great way to say goodbye to summer. It’s hard not to feel spoiled now that I’m part of the BMW family. Not only was the experience one for the books, the X5 PHEV was also a luxury ride with a down-to-earth heart.