Blueberry Fields Forever

One of the most delicious treats of Muskoka summers is the wild blueberry. Bursting with flavour, these tiny berries are best eaten right off the bush but are equally yummy sprinkled over vanilla ice cream or folded into a batch of pancakes. And while you can find them at roadside stands and local farmers’ markets, there’s nothing quite like foraging for them yourself. Popping just as many into your mouth as you gather to take away is part of the fun.

Lowbush blueberries are native to Ontario and are perfectly suited to Muskoka’s conditions. The plants are small but mighty: they grow only 6 to 18 inches tall, but an acre will produce up to 4000 pounds of blueberries. That’s a lot of pancakes.

A favourite place to pick blueberries is along the Old Railway Bike Trail in Algonquin Park. The trail is an easy ride for all ages and passes through an abandoned airfield that’s full of blueberries. It’s a fun day trip from Colonial Bay and if you don’t have a bike with you, they can be rented in the park. Just remember to keep an eye out for bears. They love those berries even more than we do.

The long weekend is fast-approaching. We hope you’re coming to visit us, but if not, there’s still lots of summer left. It’s been a beautiful, hot summer (perfect lake weather!) and we’d like nothing more than to share it with you.

The Howell Family

Corn Roasts and Marshmallows and ‘Smores, Oh My!

A campfire makes everything taste better. Maybe it’s the fresh air, maybe it’s that little bit of smoky taste or maybe it’s the good times that go along with it. Whatever the reason, a visit to Colonial Bay isn’t complete without a night spent hanging out by the campfire, making new friends and eating some of the delicious goodies that come out of the fire.

First, there’s the classic roasted marshmallow, speared on a stick and slowly browned to perfection or flaming, blown-out, crispy-on-the-outside-and-soft-on-the-inside goodness.

Then there’s the marshmallow’s more elaborate cousin, the ‘smore. There are lot of variations (strawberry-banana ‘smores anyone?), but we prefer the basic but oh-so-good, Graham Cracker, Marshmallow and Milk Chocolate variety.

For something different, try a Banana Boat: a whole banana, sliced down the middle to make a pocket, stuffed with mini-marshmallows and chocolate chips, wrapped in foil, and nestled among the coals until it’s ooey-gooey good.

And then, of course, there’s our world-famous (okay, Muskoka-famous? Colonial Bay famous?) corn roast. Fire-roasted, butter-slathered, fresh cobs of corn. Yum.

What’s your favourite campfire treat? Let us know and if it’s one we haven’t tasted, we can try it the next time you’re here.

Until we see you again!

The Howell Family

Treasure Hunting in Muskoka

Ever wanted to be a pirate searching for buried treasure? While the high seas are a long way from Muskoka, you can still hunt for treasure here. And it’s a bit more high tech than X-marks-the-spot on a faded map.

Geo-caching uses GPS to help you find the location of a hidden treasure. When you find the treasure, or cache, you can take an item from it (making sure to replace it with something else) and then tell other geo-cachers about your experience. It’s a fun activity that can be shared by the whole family. There are more than a million caches world-wide and some of them are right here in Muskoka.

So, what do you need to get started? First, you’ll need to register online at http://www.geocaching.com/ (it’s free!). Then enter a postal code to find geocaches nearby (our postal code at Colonial Bay is P1H 2J6) and use a GPS device or smartphone to guide you to the coordinates of the cache. Once there, you’ll have to search a bit to find it – the caches can be well hidden. Open it up to see what’s inside, sign the logbook and take/leave an item if you choose. Then hide it again exactly where you found it so someone else can find the treasure. Check out the video for more information.

If you decide to try it, let us know! We’d love to hear what you found.

The Howell Family

Summer Fun = July in Muskoka!

Another long weekend has come and gone but the amazing summer weather continues! If you didn’t have a chance to visit Muskoka, we hope you had a fabulous long weekend wherever you were. And remember, only 24 days until the next one!

In the meantime, there’s lots happening around Muskoka this month:

• Concerts in the Park - Wednesdays throughout July, 7pm, Town Docks, Huntsville – Every Wednesday evening, bring a lawn chair and a toonie for some tunes!


• Celebrate the Street – July 9, 9am-2pm, Huntsville – Buskers, children’s games, artists’ demonstrations and performances from the Edge of the Woods theatre company


• Nuit Blanche North - July 9, 9pm-2am, Huntsville – The streets will come alive with an exciting program of free contemporary artistic activities, events and exhibits taking place in unconventional places in and around Huntsville’s downtown core.


• 31st Annual Antique and Classic Boat Show - July 9, 8am-5pm, Gravenhurst Wharf – Features over 100 traditional antique and classic boats plus a display of approximately 100 antique and classic cars organized by the Pink Slips Car Club.


• Firefly Festival - July 15, 6pm-midnight, Downtown Huntsville – Huntsville’s quaint Main Street closes to cars, and opens to a Friday evening of family fun, live music, great food and shopkeeper specials.


• Muskoka Arts & Crafts 49th Annual Summer Show - July 15-17, Annie Williams Park, Bracebridge - Two hundred sensational artists and craftspeople from Muskoka and across Canada show and sell their original and handmade works. Hours: Friday, 10am-7pm, Saturday & Sunday, 10am-5pm. Admission by Donation. Free Parking. The park is located at the corner of Santa's Village Road and Wellington Street.


• Cushion Concerts - Saturdays from July 16 to August 6, 10am-11am, River Mill Park, Huntsville – A fun-filled program presented by local performers that will introduce children to the wonders of a variety of different musical styles. Sit on our cushion, or bring your own. Best of all, it's free for everyone!


• Firefest - July 30, 5pm, Dwight – Don't miss Muskoka's biggest beach party at Dwight beach! Activities include a BBQ & beach activities begin at 5pm: Northern Lights Steel Band, Lake of Bays Water & Rescue Boat and a Gigantic Fireworks display at dusk. Help support our volunteer firefighters & have a good time. $5.00/person or $20.00/family.


• And, of course, there's always beach fun, watersports and campfires at Colonial Bay!

Have a fantastic July and we hope to see you soon!
The Howell Family