Packing for a Cottage Getaway

Preparing for some time away at the cottage?
There are a lot of things to consider bringing above and beyond clothing and personal hygiene products.
Some essentials to pack for your time away include:

1. Paperwork

It's a good idea to bring print outs of things like directions and rental information so that if you have issues with your cell phone battery, signal, data or an app being down, you have this important information on hand.

2.  First Aid Kit

This is an essential item to pack. Don't forget key items such as your family's health cards, pain relievers, bandages, sunscreen, insect repellent, after-sun lotion, and Polysporin.
Also, make note of the nearest hospitals and health care clinics.

3. Entertainment for Kids

Though there are tons of fun activities to be enjoyed together as a family, it's a good idea to pack some items to busy the little ones while the adults are preparing meals, etc.
Some suggestions: bubbles; a special and/or new toy; a simple craft that they can do with minimal help; a sensory bin (coloured rice is a hit in our family).

4.  Food

It's helpful to make a meal plan for your time at the cottage so that you only bring up what you're actually going to eat. You don't want to waste valuable space in the car!
Remember to bring along items like oils, spices, tea/coffee and, if you're planning on baking, things you'll need like baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, etc.
Pack perishable items in a cooler with plenty of ice packs as the drive up north can be long and hot!

5.  For eating/cleaning up

While cookware, utensils and dishes are provided, make sure to bring along items such as napkins, paper towels, extra garbage bags,  and child-friendly dishes if you have little ones. It's a good idea to bring some food wrap along as well, i.e. aluminum foil, cling wrap, Ziploc bags, etc.

6. Leisure items


Rental cottages often come stocked with entertainment options, but if there are any special board games or yard games, be sure to bring them along! An easy-read book is always a good idea, too.



7.  Electronics

Remember your chargers! Whether for your phone, tablet, camera - these items aren't of much use if the battery dies.

8. Pet items

If you're bringing furry friends along you'll need to bring some essential items:
food, bowls, treats, toys, leashes, poop bags, and a tick remover.
Also, check out our last blog post about travelling safely with pets!

How to Start a Fire in a Fireplace

There's nothing quite like the coziness and warmth from a crackling fire when it's freezing cold outside.  It is certainly a vital part to an enjoyable winter getaway! However, many of us have not learned how to start a fire efficiently as gas and electric fireplaces are increasing in popularity. You put some wood in the fireplace, light a match, and sit back and just watch it burn, right? Not so much. If you don’t know what you’re doing it can be a frustrating experience instead of a relaxing one. Cold weather can make it especially difficult so there are a couple of additional things to consider when starting fires in winter.

          

First, some things to keep in mind:

• If the fireplace has a damper, open it completely before beginning
• Clean out any ashes from previous fires - leave an inch or so for insulation if it's especially cold out
• Fire feeds off of air, so leave space around logs
• Use dry, seasoned wood
• Good kindling includes sticks and logs that have been split very small 
• Good tinder includes twigs, pieces of bark, pine cones and paper (not glossy)
• If starting with a very cold fireplace, the flue may need to be primed - roll up some newspaper, light the end and hold it near the open damper for a couple of minute

     Most people start a fire by laying down tinder, followed by kindling, and then finally layering logs on top.  Though this is the most popular method, it isn’t the best (by far)!

Here are a couple of methods that burn cleaner, produce less ash and soot, ensure a better air supply, require less tending to and make the firewood last longer, all while producing more heat! Give both of them a try and see which one suits you.

THE “UPSIDE DOWN” METHOD 

1. Lay two or three large logs down parallel to each other with a good distance between them 
2. Lay about four or five smaller logs on top of the larger logs, again leaving space between them 
3. Add another layer of even smaller logs (~ 6)
4. Finally, add a layer of tinder and then a layer of kindling
5. Light the tinder and enjoy a long lasting crackling fire as the embers drop down and feed the layers below!

“LOG CABIN” METHOD

1. Lay two logs parallel to each other about six inches apart,
2. Lay two logs on top and perpendicular to the first two
3. Add another layer or two of smaller logs if room allows
4. Heap kindling and tinder in the middle and light!

When your first load of wood has turned into charcoal, add more wood and enjoy!

(Remember to never leave a fire unattended, have a fire extinguisher handy, and communicate with children about the dangers of fire)

Winter Adventures in Muskoka

Winter is coming!  We have had our first days of snow here in Southwestern Ontario.  Some of you may be grumbling about that, but winter is such an exciting and fun time up north!  Cottage country has so much to offer no matter the season.  Winter is a perfect time to getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life - to unwind in a cozy cottage and enjoy some relaxation fire side. Or if staying active is more your thing, there are tons of adventures to be had!

Some favourite winter activities in the area to experience are:

Skating the Arrowhead Ice Skating Trail
This 1.3 km skating trail located in Arrowhead Provincial Park is one of the most popular attractions.  It winds through a beautiful forest providing a magical experience - and it’s only minutes away from Downtown Huntsville!

• The season is subject to weather conditions but typically begins the first week of January
• Opens at 11 am daily, 7 days a week
• Skate rentals are available for $10
• Saturdays can be extremely busy - try to plan your visit for Sundays or, ideally, midweek
• Admission is $20 per vehicle Saturday, Sunday and Holidays, $17 per vehicle Monday to Friday

Dog sledding at North Ridge Ranch 
A team of 60 Alaskan Huskies are waiting to take you on an unforgettable sledding adventure through the forests of Muskoka! 

• The Ranch offers Half Day tours (20 km) or 1 Hour tours (10 km). 
• Suitable for children as long as they are accompanied by an adult (and can tolerate sitting in a sled for the entire duration of the tour)
• Tours begin with a thorough lesson so that you are comfortable with your abilities to mush your own team
• Prices start at $125 per person with discounts for children

Downhill Skiing at Hidden Valley

Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area is located in the heart of Muskoka. This hidden gem offers 14 groomed trails, three quad chairlifts, one handle tow, night skiing and a terrain park. 

• Lift rates start at $36 for kids over the age of 6 and $50 for adults
• Kids 5 and under are only $12 when accompanying a paying adult

Craft Brewery Tours

Some of the best craft beers in Canada are brewed in Muskoka!  Head out to the local breweries for a guided tour and tastings!

• Visit cottagecountrybeertrail.ca for helpful information as breweries have different hours for tours, with some requiring advanced booking
• Consider a trip with BrewTours.ca.  They do the entire tour experience, including driving, from Toronto to cottage country!

I hope I've given you some ideas to make the winter more fun and bearable! I don't know about you, but these are all on my bucket list for sure. Bring on winter! Hope you all stay safe and warm :)

Nina

Serenity Vacation Rentals

Serenity Vacation Rentals gives back!

Over the last six months, we have run a pilot project collecting donations from our guests for the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, and our guests did not disappoint!   We collected an assortment of discarded towels, bed linens, old dog and cat crates, old stuffed toys, and other much needed items!   Many of our guests also made a point to visit Aspen Valley Sanctuary and leave cash donations.    We appreciate each and every one of our guests who took the time to bring items for Aspen Valley when travelling to enjoy their vacation at one of the Serenity Vacation Rentals properties.  

For those of you not familiar with Aspen Valley, they are a 460 acre wildlife sanctuary of natural habitat located in Muskoka.  Their primary mandate is to rehabilitate animals so that they can eventually be returned to their natural habitat.  They also provide education to the community about co-existing with wildlife and humane solutions for wildlife-related issues. The size of Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary makes them one of the most unique and important wildlife rehabilitation centres in Ontario.

Thank you to the following Serenity Vacation Rentals owners for participating in the program;  

·         Birch Grove

·         Copper Cove

·         Curtis Cottage

·         Deep Woods Haven

·         Lee Valley

·         Mallard Beach

·         Muskoka Pines

·         Wraight Escape

I wanted to give a special thanks to the M. Wu family who were guests of Lee Valley, and left a cash donation of $50 for the sanctuary.  I also want to thank the owners of Muskoka Pines for their cash donation of $30.  Serenity Vacation Rentals matched the cash donations and a total of $160 was given along with the donated items.

Lastly I want to thank everyone at Aspen Valley for all of their very important work!   You are greatly appreciated!   I am hopeful six months from now we can more than double the requested items and cash donations!

You can see a YouTube video of a private tour we did of Aspen Valley in 2015 here.

Dean Curtis

Serenity Vacation Rentals

Save money on your next cottage vacation rental!

How would you like to save some money the next time you are looking for a cottage vacation rental?   Below I give some insight on what is costs the owners to list on those sites and how you can get the best price when shopping for your cottage vacation!

When guests are looking to get away for a vacation, they have a lot of options at their disposal.  Airbnb, VRBO, TripAdvisor, and Booking.com, are a few of the larger vacation rental platforms prospective guests can use to find their perfect vacation getaway.   There are many more sites available, and it seems that every week there are more platforms coming on board to take their slice of the vacation rental pie.   So how do you as a traveler, find the best deals for a cottage vacation rental?  First let me tell you how the sites work from the viewpoint of a vacation rental owner.

Airbnb and TripAdvisor - Both of these sites do not charge the owners to list their property.   If a guest books the property through the platform, the site simply takes a small percentage of the money as their compensation (usually around 3 percent).   So an owner who decides they want $200 for that one night at their property, will simply increase the price so that the portal gets their commission and the owner still gets her $200 to cover the bills, expenses, and hopefully have some left over as profit.


VRBO - Runs a bit different than the first two, in that it charges the owners a fee to list their property. The site does not take any commissions on bookings from the owners.   How does VRBO make its money?   VRBO charges the guest a "booking fee", which is essentially a commission on the transaction, but they charge the guest up front to book.  There is no need for the owner to increase their price as they still get their $200, but the guest still pays a higher price covering the VRBO booking fee.

Booking.com - This is a again free for the owners to list, but the owners receive a commission invoice at the end of each month to pay for bookings generated from the listing site.   So what do owners do to offset those costs?  You guessed it, the owner will increase their rates on this site as well so they take home that same $200 for a single night rental.


So what does this mean to you, the rental guest who wants to have the best vacation they can have at the lowest possible price?   It means that you should book directly from the owner or rental company.   At the very least find their website to compare prices.  Many times you can save hundreds of dollars by sourcing them directly.   By all means, look on one of the portals to find the cottage you are interested in!   But if you see "Oak Bay Hideaway" in Port Severn on Airbnb, or "Birch Grove" in Parry Sound on VRBO, take the time to do a google search for the same property and location.  Many times you will find the direct website where you can book at discounted prices!

Take your savings and put it towards your next vacation!  Have a fantastic summer!

Top 5 questions to ask before renting your next cottage!!

The demand for cottages has been increasing exponentially over the last few years.   We have received phone calls from people desperate to rent who ask very few questions if any at all!  How do they know if this cottage would suit their family?  If you are thinking of renting a cottage, here are a few questions you may want to ask before sending in your deposit!

1) Is your cottage pet friendly?   One of the benefits of vacationing at a cottage is that your four legged family member may be able to join you.  Will your pets be welcome at the cottage?  What are the rules regarding size, breed, and number of pets etc?   Are other cottages close by with pets who may not get along with you pets?  Are there walking trails close by?  Or is there space on the property for your pet to run and explore?   Maybe you don't have any pets or have allergies.  This still may be a good question to ask if searching for a cottage that has never had a pet in it.

2) Where can I see reviews on your cottage?   Cottage rentals are on the rise and unfortunately with that the occurrences cottage rental fraud are rising.  Picture yourself showing up for your vacation rental just as another family pulls in saying they rented the same week.  Or perhaps you knock on the door of your beautiful cottage and the owner opens the door.   She looks confused when you say you have rented their cottage?   These are real examples of what can happen.    To avoid this be sure to book with a reputable company that has several reviews on their cottages.   Avoid booking through a Kijiji ad without a link to their website or seeing several reviews from past happy guests.   Get a referral from a family member or friend who has actually stayed at one of their properties!

3) Is there internet and cell phone reception at the cottage?   Cottages can be fairly remote and cell phone reception is not always a given.  Internet can also be difficult depending on the location.   Most cottages will have a satellite internet connection if they have one at all.   This will be a slower connection that is perfectly fine for emails and website searches etc., but don't plan on downloading movies or streaming netflix!

4) How far is the nearest town?  Many people book their cottage after seeing amazing pictures and reading reviews, without first learning how far the cottage is from the closest town.   I understand that your family is looking to "get away" from it all, but at some point you will need food, alcohol, snacks, supplies, or restaurants, etc.   This can be a quick and easy trip of 5 minutes, or a long, time wasting excursion of 45 minutes or more, depending on the location!   Be sure you know how far you will need to travel for groceries.

5) Is the cottage accessible?   This seems like a silly question to ask, but there are cottages for rent with no road access!   You are expected to park your car and hike in to the property.  Is this something you are willing to take on with luggage and young kids in tow?  Does this cottage have road or water access?  Many cottages are located on their own private island or shared with several other cottages.  Is your family ok with having to climb on a boat every time you want to go into town or need supplies?   Is the boat supplied or will you be paying for a service to move you to and from the mainland.   What about winter access?   Are the roads municipally maintained or are they covered by a private plowing service?   Will the driveway and access to the doors be shoveled before your arrival?

With just a few questions you will be able to find the perfect cottage for your family.   If contacting a rental agency let them help you with the research!   Tell them what is important to you!   Do you want shallow water entry because you have little kids?  Do you want flat land and easy access because you have elderly family members coming?   The agency will have first hand knowledge of the cottages and will be happy to help you find the perfect fit!


Dean Curtis
Serenity Vacation Rentals