Signs of Spring

Spring has finally chased back winter for another year and now the clean-up begins. We’re busy painting cottages, repairing the winter damage to the playground and cleaning up the branches that seem to materialize from nowhere. (Yes, we know they come from the trees.)

The most tell-tale sign of spring is that the ice is out and the loons have returned to Pen Lake. It’s magical to hear their calls across the mist in the early morning (We haven’t captured them on film yet this year - this picture is from last fall).

With the ice gone from the lake, people sometimes ask ‘Can we swim yet?’. And the answer is…only if you’re really brave. The temperature is suitable for polar bears and penguins (not that we have any around these parts) but it’s a little chilly for humans. Still, it won’t be long before the sun starts warming the shallows and we can dip more than our toes in.

May is fast approaching and, with it, these holidays and local events:

• May 1 - Algonquin Park Visitor Centre is open daily throughout May, but ice is not out on all lakes in the park yet


• May 8 – Mother’s Day - You didn’t forget, right? Why not surprise her with a trip to Muskoka and a stay at Colonial Bay?


• May 19-23 – Victoria Day Weekend (affectionately known as May 2-4) and the ‘official’ start of the summer season. Join us!!


• May 21 - Muskoka Heritage Place opens for the season - get a dose of local history, ride the Portage Flyer and enjoy some old-time sweets


• May 26 - Huntsville Farmers’ Market starts Thursdays after the long weekend from 9 am to 2 pm. Check out what grows around here and support local vendors too.


• And at Algonquin Theatre: The Music Man, a locally produced show, runs May 1 and 5-7; the Take a Ride Tour with blues tunes from the Jimmy Bowskill Band is on May 11; and For the Love o’ Nat, a tribute to Nat King Cole, appears May 19.

We hope you had a wonderful Easter and look forward to seeing you and your family soon!
Bruce, Nicolle, Luke, Ben and Addie

Easter long weekend

It’s Spring (…really, it is!) and what better way to celebrate both Easter and Earth Day than communing with nature in Muskoka? We’re happy to see signs that Spring has arrived despite a recent dusting of snow. In fact, just in time for Easter, the landscape is looking very much like a Spring bunny: white with patches of brown poking through. Mother Nature has a great sense of humour.

Crocuses and tulips have started popping up in sunny spots, the first tentative buds have begun appearing on the trees, and there’s open water at the shoreline. There’s something magical about the day the ice disappears from the lake and with the forecast calling for a return to double digit temperatures and mainly sunny skies, it won’t be long before the ice is gone.

So other than watching the ice melt, what’s there to do on a spring weekend in Muskoka? The lack of leaf cover on trees makes it a great time to spot wildlife – there are lots of deer sightings right now and the bears are making their first tentative forays from winter dens. Cooler evenings and mornings are great for curling up in front of a fire with a good book or a board game. And there are a few local events happening this weekend if you want to venture further than your Colonial Bay cottage:

• For art enthusiasts and lovers of Algonquin Park, there’s a painting exhibition at the Algonquin Visitor Centre from Friday April 22 to Monday April 25. In the spirit of the Group of Seven, Philip Sworden explores the iconic landscapes of Algonquin Park.


• For hockey fans, the Huntsville Otters host the Dudley Hewitt Cup from April 19-23.


• And for the kids, the Muskoka Heritage Place Annual Easter Egg Hunt is Sunday, April 24 from 12-1. Goodies are provided by The Nutty Chocolatier. And it’s free!

This is one of the few 4-day long weekends of the year (if you’re fortunate enough to have both Good Friday and Easter Monday off) and we have some cottages available. As always, you can book online here.

We look forward to seeing you soon!
Bruce, Nicolle, Luke, Ben and Addie

Summer Fun Continues...

There is still time for a summer holiday. During the last two weeks of summer we are booking 3 and 4 days stays as well as weekly. To see what is available just go to our home page and click on "availability".

Lots of fun stuff is happening. Yesterday one of our families from Italy was trying windsurfing and on Friday the kids (and adults) enjoyed some fresh Ontario Corn cooked in a cast iron pot over the campfire. Just two of the great outdoor experiences you can have while at Colonial Bay.

Algonquin Park Day Trips

The West entrance of Algonquin Park is 30 KM from Colonial Bay Cottage Resort- about 20 minutes to drive. Many of our guests enjoy a day or two exploring Algonquin and some of our cottage guests spend countless hours birding or searching for signs of various wildlife on many of the trails. There is a rich history to Algonquin Park which is interesting to both Adults and Children.

A Muskoka Boat Cruise

A great day trip from Colonial Bay is to Gravenhurst and the Muskoka Wharf. There, you will find the restored steamship RMS Segwun and Wenonah II. Both offer cruises on beautiful Lake Muskoka.

The Wharf is also home to Muskoka Heritage Centre - Grace and Speed. The centre is packed with interactive displays that kids will love. They can toot the whistles of various steamships, build their own wooden boat or start a working steam engine. Grace and Speed boathouse contains one of finest collections of antique wooden boats on the continent.

Golf a-round in Huntsvillle

We've known for quite awhile that Huntsville has lots of Golf Courses and they range from 9 and 18 hole local courses like Whispering Pines, Huntsville Downs and Granite Ridge to Championship Courses like Club Links Mark O'Meara, Deerhurst's Highland Course and Bigwin Islands spectacular 18 holes.

Last week as President Obama arrived in Huntsville for the Muskoka G8 aboard his helicopter Marine One, it's reported that he even noticed the abundance of golf courses.

When U.S. President Barack Obama stepped off his helicopter in Huntsville on Friday, the first thing he said was, “You’ve got a lot of golf courses here, don’t you?” Industry Minister Tony Clement told the National Post in an exclusive interview.

Why not come up to Huntsville and Golf on the courses that President Obama had a chance to fly over. We'll even put together a custom two or three day golf package that includes one of our Muskoka Cottages, as many rounds of golf as you like and a great place to relax with family and friends at the end of the day.

Muskoka G8 is over!

It has been an exciting year surrounding the Muskoka G8 in our little Ontario town of Huntsville. Much has been said about the money spent on infrastructure and security costs for the G8 in Huntsville and I'm sure the discussion will continue for sometime.

For our little part, at Colonial Bay Cottage Resort we hosted a contingent of RCMP marine operators and rescue dive personal. These men (yes all men) represented the RCMP in an exemplary way. We shared our property with a group of respectful, engaging, humorous and dedicated officers for 7 days. Like most of our guests, we were sad to see them leave but knew it was time for them to return to their families. This group of guys came from all parts of Canada and many had worked at the Vancouver Olympics last winter. I think our hospitality and the good food provided to them from Pow Wow Point Lodge trumped the cruise ship experience of the Olympics!!

Huntsville, Deerhurst Resort and the surrounding area is quickly being transformed back to "Muskoka Style". Fences are coming down, hundreds of porta potties, temporary lights, trailers, tents and the like are being removed or picked up as I write. Our summer guests began arriving yesterday and we look forward seeing many of our summer friends in the coming months.