Thanksgiving Sunday Morning

We've been blessed with a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Warm and sunny all weekend. Here is another short video of my favourite view from Colonial Bay.

Early Morning Mist

We experienced a little frost last night as the temperatures dipped just below freezing. It made for a neat morning to take pictures at the lake as the cool air temperature and warmer water combine to make a mist over the lake. The Sun was shining from the east and mad the far shore quite spectacular to see. Some guests that were on the dock taking pictures joked that it must be a good morning if the owner is out taking pictures!!

Algonquin Park Colour Peaks This Weekend

This is the Algonquin Park Report from today. The Fall colours in Muskoka will be vibrant for the next week or so as Algonquin Park Peaks before the rest of Muskoka.

Fall Colours Reaching their Peak...

Guests returning from Algonquin Park yesterday and today report seeing some of the most vibrant colours in years. One of our favourite trails in Algonquin is Booth's Rock. It looks like the next few days in Algonquin will be exceptional. Other great places to stop and enjoy Fall; Dorset Fire Tower, Ragged Falls, Lions Lookout - Huntsville (where this picture was taken) and Oxtongue River Rapids.

Algonquin Park's International Appeal

Another spectacular day in Algonquin Park and Muskoka. Not only have we had guests from Ontario this week, we've had visitors from Holland, Belgium, Germany and Florida. As the Fall colours continue to change Colonial Bay will be home for many guests from Europe, and Asia. Our online booking allows guests to book from around the world at their convenience. We recently received bookings from Beijing (the Canadian Olympic Team must have told some people about Muskoka) and Japan.

The Science of Colour

This link is a great description of why leaves change colour. It's provided by Huntsville Adventures which is a website hosted bu the Huntsville Lake of Bays Chamber Commerce.

http://www.huntsvilleadventures.com/article-archive.html?docid=25

Spectacular Fall Colours

We have seen a significant change in colour during the last few days. Guests driving East along Highway 117 and Highway 60 in Algonquin Park are reporting sections of the forest are turning red and yellow. The best time to see vibrant colour is in the morning when the rising sun is reflecting off the morning dew.

Muskoka Ironman 70.3

What an exciting weekend in Huntsville! Deerhurst Resort was the site of the 2008 Muskoka Ironman 70.3. Over 1600 athletes registered in the event. The swim took place in Pen Lake so Addie and Bruce took the boat out to watch the 2 KM. swim. It was amazing to see some of the pro athletes swim the course in less than 30 minutes. At the end of the swim athletes run from the lake to the Deerhurst main parking lot where they transition to their bike for a 90 KM cycle around Lake of Bays. They return to the parking area and transition for a 21 KM run from Deerhurst to Huntsville and back. We stood just outside the transition area for an hour and watched athlete come in from their bike ride and head back out on their run. Truly inspirational to see both pro athletes and regular people like us having so much fun!!! We finally made our way to the finish line that was located by the lake and witnessed some fantastic finishes. Lots of excitement, emotion and physical fatigue.

Being so close to Deerhurst, we were able to host a number of athletes, both pro and amateur. It was great to see athletes training over the weekend. Bike were coming and going and you could usually see someone swimming laps at the waterfront.

September is here.

August has slipped by and what a month it was. We've just finished one of our busiest months ever at Colonial Bay. Lots of warm weather, sunshine and the lake temperature was great. I'll post more pictures of all the family fun that was going on during last couple weeks.

Now September is here and the weather continues to be wonderful. It looks like the forecast has warm days and cool nights continuing for now. It is a great time to visit Muskoka and enjoy hiking in Algonquin Park or just relaxing and re-charging your batteries for a few days.

Around 7:00 this morning I took these pictures at the Lake - it's so quiet, calm and peaceful. Just the place to be with a fresh cup of coffee and a Muskoka Chair.

How is the weather...

Today is another great day in cottage country. The temperature dipped down to around 10 degrees last night and bounced right back to 25 degrees this afternoon. I just wandered down to the dock and couldn't help but notice all the waterfront activity. It appears that bright sunny days trump cool evenings- just the way August and early September should be.

Future Badminton Star

Ryan arrived at the cottage yesterday armed with his new badminton racket. He's decided to take on all comers and is ready for serious competition. We took this quick shot of him while he was warming up for a doubles match with his partner Steven.

Evening Cruise on Peninsula Lake

Most weeks Nicolle takes an evening cruise around Peninsula Lake on our pontoon boat. It gives guests a chance to see many of the private cottages and some of the other resorts like Pow Wow Point Lodge, Cedar Grove Lodge and even Deerhurst Resort. (Luckily they are all located on the far side of the lake so it keeps our location nice and quiet). The cruise usually leaves the dock after dinner so there is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the sunset. Here is a short clip of the Kerr family from England with thier friends the Wood family from Ontario. Of course Nicolle is at the helm to start but she usually shares the skipper duties with everyone.

A Short Guestimonial

For the last 14 years, the Goulet, Loewen and Durish family have enjoyed their family week at Colonial Bay. We missed the Goulet's and Durish's this year due to other family and soccer commitments but Randy, Jackie Rachel and Allison made it and have kept the family tradition alive. Each year Nicolle and I are entertained at some point during the week with a skit, board game or the Colonial Bay Amazing Race. This morning we met on the dock....

All the way from Madrid, Spain.

Javier, Olomo and five friends from Madrid enjoyed a few days at Colonial Bay. After spending the day in Algonquin Park hiking, they came back to their cottage and enjoyed the waterfront. The canoes, kayaks and water trampoline were all part of the afternoon fun. Javier even spent some time shooting hoops this morning. Next time Nicolle and I are in Madrid we've been invited to catch a football game with the gang!!

The summer 2007 swim to the point.

These pictures were taken by longtime guest Randy Loewen. This year the Loewen family celebrate their 13th. summer at Colonial Bay. Last year Rachel, Nicolle, Julia and Adrian set out for the Kilometer and a bit swim to the "rock".

Corn Roast

Everyone enjoys a good campfire while on vacation. We add a different twist at our wrap up campfire on Friday and start with a corn roast. This week Nicolle was able to get an early batch of fresh Ontario corn, lots of butter and salt and pepper. Bruce set up the big corn kettle and here is a short video of us getting started.

Learning to Kayak...

Carley decided to try her hand at Kayaking yesterday. The weather was sunny and warm and the wind was calm so it was a successful adventure.

Playing at the Beach

The waterfront is always an active spot at Colonial Bay. The sand pile is a favourite of big and little kids!

Bears in Algonquin Park!

We often hear about Bears in Algonquin Park but not many people ever see them. One of our guests was able to snap this picture of a Mom and a Cub playing off in the distance.

Many of our guests visit Algonquin Park to see moose, beaver, and various other birds and wildlife.