It is not too late to reserve a sandy waterfront if you know where to look.  We list new cottages all the time and want to share some that still have lots of availability for the summer.  There are wonderful sand beach cottages for rent in July and August and here are a few:

Kennecebport – on Kennebec Lake in Eastern Ontario – sleeps up to 6 people in a traditional cottage.  This is very private and has a fabulous private sandy beach a few minutes walk away.  It is on the cottage property – the cottage is half way down the driveway that continues on to the beach so you can even drive your car down there.  At $1225 per week, it is great value!

Rainbow’s End – on Lake Manitouwabing near Parry Sound – is a new listing and will accommodate up to 12 people in its 4 bedrooms and 2-bedroom bunkie.  The big beach will be a hit with all the family as will the decking and extensive docks.  Renting at $3900 per week this is a good deal for two or three families to share.

Nature’s Paradise is a good budget option.   A shared sandy beach is a 5 minute walk from the cottage which makes the rental rate of $795 per week a real bargain.  It’s a neat cottage sleeping up to 6 and includes a canoe and aluminium boat.

Acorns is a brand new listing at Lafontaine on Georgian Bay that sleeps up to 6 adults and 2 additional children. Get the benefits of Wasaga Beach style waterfront without the hordes of people.  This beach is shared by a handful of local cottage owners so you can enjoy the crystal clear waters of Georgian Bay at a great rate of $1475 per week.

The Sharicton – on Whitestone Lake near Parry Sound – has a new owner who was a previous rental guest who liked it so much she bought it!  There’s a good recommendation.  The beach and lawns make this really great for kids and adults alike – and the dog!  This cottage sleeps up to 8 people at $1850.

We list new properties all the time so keep in touch with us and we’ll let you know what’s coming up.

For the active, there are a number of hikes varying in difficulty and length, with a pathway that leads to the top of the rock that offers fabulous views. Canoeists and kayakers can explore the quiet backwaters off the main lake or smaller lakes within the park, and watercraft can be rented from the Park offices. There’s sandy swimming beaches to keep the children happy too. The Mugwump Ferry operating daily in the summer takes visitors across Mazinaw Lake to the Mazinaw rock.

Nearby Smart’s Marina, on Hwy 41 offers boat rentals from a canoe at $25 per day to a pontoon boat at $275 per day. With fishing in plentiful supply on the lake, a full day out will keep the whole family occupied.

Our closest cottage to Bon Echo Provincial Park is Stonewood – a 10 minute drive. Stonewood , on Little Marble Lake, sleeps up to 10 in four bedrooms and is privately located with its own sand beach. A complimentary Park pass will give you access into Bon Echo as many times as you want during your stay. The park is within an hour from many of our other eastern Ontario cottages

Photo of Mazinaw Rock by Napanee Gal on Flickr

“….cottages in eastern Ontario are less likely to be equipped with satellite television and other trimmings than those in the Haliburton and other vacation hot spots.”

That may be true if you rent with other agencies or from private advertisements, and for some people a rustic cottage with minimal facilities with obligatory mouse poop and dust bunnies is what cottage vacations are all about. However, if you are more discriminating about your vacation accommodation you’ll be looking for cottages with the features that will make your vacation more enjoyable and less time consuming.

From our perspective, it doesn’t matter where a cottage is – location should not impact on the quality of the accommodation. Each one is inspected and we turn down those that don’t meet our high standards. Just take a look at our eastern Ontario collection and see the excellent features and facilities in each. And if you are a cottage owner in this part of the province and want to work with an agency that values quality in each property we represent, just call us for an information pack. We’d love to meet you.

Photo: Stonewood on Little Marble Lake

Here’s a couple of examples:

Sea Breeze on Lake Ontario accepts pets, has a hot tub, and a fabulous outlook on Lake Ontario. Less than 2 hours from the city so you’ll have plenty of free gas to explore the beautiful Northumberland area.

Squirrel’s Leap or Chalet Tranquilite near Mt Tremblant in Quebec are both   great locations for a short gas-paid break from Ottawa. Enjoy the beautiful Laurentians before the summer crowds arrive. Choose from a gorgeous log cabin for two with awesome views of Tremblant and easy access to Parc du Tremblant, or a wooded location near to Lac E’querre.

Call us to find out the cottages that have joined our gas promotion programme. 1 866 323 6698

There’s so much to do in the spring.  Take a paddle out on a quiet lake in a canoe or kayak; hike in one of our beautiful provincial parks; go geocaching and explore the countryside on a driving tour.

Just give us a call and we’ll help you plan your spring break and find the right cottage.  Don’t forget you can check the availability of all our cottages so easily by clicking on our calendars.

* This offer is on selected cottages up to June 24th and does not include the Victoria Day weekend

There were eight of us for a weekend at Mountain House and the accommodation was more than enough with six bedrooms, four of which have queen beds, and two each with 2 sets of twin bunks – just great for the kids. 2 of the bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms.

It’s an upside down property with the bedrooms on the two lower floors and stairs up to a large open-plan living space with kitchen/dining and living areas. Windows across the front give outstanding views onto the Blue Mountain ski hill, and when it is lit up at night, is just beautiful.

The kitchen is outstanding with lots of small appliances including a George Foreman grill and slow cooker. There are plenty of large pots and pans which were great for cooking chili for 8 hungry folks following a long day on the slopes.

We relaxed inside with the foosball table and played countless games of air hockey; those who needed to were able to keep up with work with the free hi-speed internet. There are TVs in the upper living space and in some of the bedrooms.

We made the most of all the activities on offer at Blue Mountain. Two of the group took a ski lesson while the experts enjoyed the more challenging runs. Several went back for night skiing and had a great time. The Village at Blue Mountain is a vibrant place to be at any time, but as dusk fell, the lights came on and snow began to fall. We sat around the fire pit in the village centre with mugs of hot chocolate and it was truly magical.

Between us, over the weekend, we went cross country skiing, snow shoeing and caving at Scenic Caves, and took in the delights of the Scandinavie Spa. We also decided it would be a great place to come in summer when the cross country and snowshoe trails become hiking and biking trails and the green of the golf course and the mountain side predominates. Northwinds Beach is just a few minutes by car so those who want sand between their toes won’t be disappointed either.

We would highly recommend Mountain House as a vacation destination at any time of the year so check the full listing make your booking now.

We just got rid of all that time consuming searching and paperwork. Just take a look at our new site at www.clrm.ca – here’s what you’ll find:

Completely up to date availability – our availability is live, so as soon as an online booking is made, the calendar is updated. Search for the actual dates you want or for a start date to see all the cottages we have available at that time.

Compare feature – sometimes it’s nice to see a few properties side by side on a page so you can compare features and prices. The compare feature allows you to do just that.

Advanced search options – if you are looking for something in particular, perhaps a pet friendly cottage, or one with internet access, just use the search facility to find one that has the features you want.

Online booking – no more rental applications or faxing paperwork back and forth. Just use the simple online form to reserve your cottage – fill in the names and ages of your group, and providing you don’t exceed the maximum occupancy or other noted restrictions, your reservation is confirmed immediately.

We’ve Stayed Here cottages – where you see the red We’ve Stayed Here badge, it means a member of our team has actually stayed a night or more in that property. All our cottages have been personally inspected, but where we can, we stay there overnight to get the full guest experience.

Trip planning – if you need to rent a boat or a snowmobile, want to book a cruise or a fishing trip, or just want quick information on what is in the local area, check out our cottage region pages. We’ll be adding to those all the time to bring new events and attractions so you can plan your trip well ahead of time.

Packing List – you can find a lot of vacation packing lists online, but ours is the only one that focuses on vacation rental packing. We know what you should take since we’ve stayed at a lot of vacation rentals, so our list is comprehensive and includes everything from things to pack for a rainy day to a terrific food list so you don’t forget anything you need for cottage catering. Our unique packing list is sent free to all our rental guests.

Take a look at the site and let us know what you think. We need and value your feedback and will put all suggestions into a monthly draw for a $50 cottage rental voucher – redeemable against your booking.

Now think how much fun it would be to enjoy Christmas or New Year with your family at a rented cottage. Check our just-published Festive Availability and book now for your fabulous winter break. Call or email us with any questions you have, and book today!

For me, the fall is the best time for geocaching. There are no bugs, it’s nice and cool for a hike and there is little traffic. What better idea than to rent a cottage for a few days and get the family out of the city for some outdoors time.

To find out more, go to Geocaching.com and check out the great video that shows you how to start; then read my article on Geocaching at the Cottage; and visit Geocaching Ontario for details on competitions and new Ontario caches.

You can either plan all this yourself, or choose a cottage that provides a Geocaching Package. This can include a rental GPS unit with instructions, a list of caches in the area, maps, and a couple of trinkets to start you off. Once you’ve found the first cache, you’ll be well on your way.

Give us a call if you want more information. We have plenty of availability for November and watch out for our Specials Page with discounts for November rentals.

Back to school next week……

It’ll be winter in three months time…….

Oh my – this is all a little scary – and yesterday I saw leaves drifting off a tree that was fast changing colour.  But wait!  You can still rent a cottage to enjoy the last long weekend of the summer.  We’ve still got a range of lakefront cottages to rent from 3rd – 6th September.  Take a look at our last minute page and book now.  These won’t last for long.