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

Canada Day celebrations

The long weekend is only 3 days away and there’s lots happening around Muskoka! It’s Canada’s birthday and where better to celebrate than in Muskoka?

Did you know:

• Canada Day was officially made a holiday in October 1982. (The first “Canada Day” was in 1983. Prior to that it was called Dominion Day.)


• "O Canada" became the official national anthem of Canada on Canada Day in 1980.


• Color television was first introduced to Canada on Canada Day in 1967.


• July 1 is the 182nd day of the year, making it almost exactly the halfway point through the calendar year.


• Fireworks were invented in China in the seventh century to scare away evil spirits.


• The largest firework display consisted of 66,326 fireworks in Portugal on 31 December 2006.


• The colors in fireworks are made with bright burning metallic salts. The noise, or salutes, are made with titanium.

And here’s how you can celebrate Canada Day, fireworks and all, in Huntsville and area on Canada Day:

• O Canada & Canada Day Cake at 10 am at River Mill Park - enjoy music from Muskoka Concert Band 9:30-11am.


• Brunel Locks Canada Day Celebration - free hot dogs and soft drinks from 11am to 3pm.


• Muskoka Heritage Place Strawberry Social from 10am – 4pm – Museum Admission Free but Pioneer Village and Train admission applies. Free Strawberry Scones while supplies last.


• Trillium Jazz Band from 11am-1pm on the Town Hall steps.


• Port Sydney Canada Day Celebration from 10:30am – 3pm at the Port Sydney Beach.


• Heritage Huntsville Train Station Tours from 10am-4pm at 26 Station Rd., Huntsville.


• Royal Canadian Legion Branch 232 starting at 11 am - family activities, BBQ lunch, roast beef dinner at 5pm, entertainment from 7-10pm.


• Girl 8 Festival at River Mill Park at 7pm - a concert featuring local female led performing artists. Admission by Donation – Supporting The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation.


• FIREWORKS! at dusk (10 pm) over Hunters Bay - best viewed from Avery Beach.


• Hang out on the beach at Colonial Bay all day, all weekend, all week...you don’t have to go back to work do you? Really?

Wherever you plan to celebrate Canada Day, we hope it's festive, fun and friendly! Just like here.
The Howell Family

Fun in and on the water in Muskoka

It’s officially summer in Muskoka (and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere too, but what better place to experience summer than here?).

Some of the best activities of summer are watersports, and you can do most of them right here at Colonial Bay! We’re excited to have the Muskoka Surfboard available for our guests this year. These Alaia wooden surfboards are handcrafted in Muskoka specifically for our lakes (www.muskokasurfboard.com). It’s easy to learn how to ride one and they can be towed by any speed of boat or propelled with a bungee. Check out the video below of bungee surfing from our dock:



You can also head out waterskiing or tubing, boating and fishing, canoeing and kayaking right from our dock. We've expanded our fleet of kayaks to eight with two new adult kayaks and two new children's kayaks this year. The tubing and waterskiing boat is summer ready and has already been out on the water this week.

And when you're ready for a break, pull up a Muskoka chair, dig your toes into the sand and relax. Ahhh…summer in Muskoka.

The July long weekend is fast-approaching. We have just a few cottages and one studio still available. If you haven’t booked already, come and join us for a fun weekend, fireworks and Canada Day celebrations around Muskoka.

See you soon!
The Howell Family

Summer is Market Time!

You would think the lush greenery in Muskoka would indicate fertile soil perfect for gardening. In reality, if you dig beneath the surface into the rocky, sandy landscape you’ll wonder how it’s possible that anything manages to grow here at all (and you’ll appreciate those who have produced abundant crops all the more!). Fortunately, it’s possible to find summer Farmers’ Markets almost every day of the week in Muskoka. Check out the offerings of local growers and artisans at these markets:

• Bala Summer Market – Mondays from June to Labour Day from 9-2 in Muskoka Lakes Sports Park
• Gravenhurst Farmers’ Market – Wednesdays from May to October from 9-2 at Gravenhurst Wharf
• NEW Port Carling Farmers’ Market – Thursdays from June 20 to September 1 from 9-1 in Hanna Park
• Huntsville Farmers’ Market – Thursdays from May to October from 9-2 in the Canadian Tire Parking Lot
• Rosseau Farmers’ Market – Fridays from July 1 to September 2 from 9-2 at the waterfront
• Baysville Farmers’ Market – Fridays from July 1 to September 2 from 2-6 in the arena parking lot
• NEW Huntsville Downtown Farmers’ Market – Saturdays from July 2 to October from 9-1 in River Mill Park
• Bracebridge Farmers’ Market – Saturdays from May to October from 8:30-1 in Memorial Park on Manitoba Street

If you’ve missed out on the market for the day, try one of these independent stores that offer some local (and some not-so-local) goods:

• Dwight Market – a selection of essentials and one of the best butcher shops around
• Hillside Market - a small selection of essentials and yummy baked goods just across the highway from Colonial Bay
• Butcher’s Daughter on Hwy 60 in Huntsville – deli & takeout
• Farmer’s Daughter on Hwy 60 in Huntsville - deli, takeout and some fresh produce
• Kawartha Dairy on Hwy 60 in Huntsville - Ice Cream!! Plus some local baked goods, preserves and maple syrup.
• Robinson’s in Dorset – food, hardware, clothing, and gifts all in one. It’s worth the drive!

Remember that our Cottages are equipped with full kitchens so that you can prepare everything from leisurely, 4-course nirvana to a box of Kraft Dinner. Our Deluxe Studio rooms have a mini-fridge, 2-burner stove top and dishes, pots and cutlery. Studio rooms have only a mini-fridge.

Then next time you visit us (the July long weekend, perhaps?), we hope you’ll take in some of the bounty offered at these summer markets and support our local farmers. Ask us for directions!

From our family to yours,
Bruce, Nicolle, Luke, Ben and Addie

Picturesque Muskoka

Muskoka is a photographer’s paradise. There are opportunities for gorgeous shots at every turn, in every season and in any type of weather. The attached photos were taken by our very own (and talented!) Ben Howell.

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Here are some tips for capturing your own amazing photos in Muskoka:

1. Listen with your eyes. Some shots will leap up and shout “look here” while others are more subtle. Look beyond the obvious and you’ll find some stellar shots in unexpected places.
2. Love the light. Early morning and dusk are the golden hours of photography. The light is soft and casts gentle highlights on your subject making your pics look like they were taken by a pro. And there’s the added bonus of a gorgeous sunrise or sunset.
3. Remember the rule of thirds. Your subject doesn’t have to be centered in your lens but it should be balanced. By imagining that your photo is divided in threes (both vertically and horizontally) and aligning your subject either with one of the lines or where they intersect, your photo will automatically look more balanced.
4. Find a new angle. Getting closer to ground level or finding other unusual angles can add interest to your shots.
5. Remember your memory (card). The beauty of digital cameras is that you can take lots of photos and trash the ones you don't like. The more photos you take, the more likely you are to come away with one you like.

Check out these spots near Colonial Bay for some fun photo ops:

• Our beach and dock, naturally (it doesn’t get much closer than that!)
• Oxtongue Rapids, just up highway 60 past Dwight
• Ragged Falls, just outside the West gate to Algonquin Park
• Lions Lookout, in the heart of Huntsville behind the Canada Summit Centre
• Algonquin Park, along the Highway 60 corridor – wildlife can often be spotted from the highway and there are many short trails and scenic viewpoints that offer instant gratification if you’re in a hurry (but you’re on vacation so you’re not in a hurry, right?)

If you have some favorite photos taken while you stayed at Colonial Bay, share them with us on our Facebook page. We’d love to see them!

Just a reminder that Father’s Day and the July long weekend are fast approaching. You can book rooms online here.

See you soon!
Bruce, Nicolle, Luke, Ben and Addie

Summer’s Here! (Shhhh…don’t tell anyone)

It’s seems that summer has arrived in Muskoka. After some wet and gloomy days, we’re enjoying summer temperatures (30C yesterday!). The lake is warming up, the dock is out and the boats are in the water. The only thing missing is you! (Insert you in one of the chairs at right.) Here’s what you can look forward to at Colonial Bay and the surrounding area in June.

• All month long: swimming, boating, and relaxing by the water!
• June 1 Reel Paddling at Algonquin Theatre
• June 18-19 Model Railway Exposition at the Canada Summit Centre (hosted by the Huntsville Train Station Society)
• June 19 Father’s Day – take Dad fishing, golfing, canoeing, or hiking in Muskoka!
• June 21 National Aboriginal Day at Muskoka Heritage Place
• June 25-26 Muskoka Triathlon & Duathlon - There’s still time to register for both the sprint and long course races! Or come out and cheer on the competitors.
• July 1 Canada Day Celebrations & Fireworks

Did you know we're on Facebook and Twitter too? Follow us to see new pictures and get updates on what’s happening at Colonial Bay.

From our family to yours,
Bruce, Nicolle, Luke, Ben & Addie

Victoria Day Long Weekend at Colonial Bay

The long weekend is behind us and our guests tell us they had a fantastic time. Some golfed at Grandview, others visited Algonquin Park or sampled the yummy treats at Henrietta's Bakery, but most spent the weekend hanging out at Colonial Bay. On Saturday, a flotilla of canoes and a rowboat ventured out onto Pen Lake. Some brave souls tested the water with some swimming. They said the water was great! (The warm afternoon sun helped to keep the chill off). And lots of people were fishing from the canoes and the dock. Saturday night ended with the annual Wight family fireworks display.

Missed out on the fireworks? The July long weekend is just over a month away. There are celebrations across Muskoka including fireworks in both Huntsville and Dwight and an old-fashioned Strawberry Social at Muskoka Heritage Place. Come and celebrate Canada Day in Muskoka!

Bruce, Nicolle, Luke, Ben and Addie