Our Cottage
Our cottage is located in the heart of the Muskoka Lakes Region, near Port Carling, which is about 200 km north of Toronto.
If you are looking for a resort experience, our place isn't for you - our cottage is just that - a cottage, but, we've had no end of comments about just how awesome the feel of the place is. It is a lovely wood cottage that doesn't have a lot of pretense, but has hosted countless gatherings of happy people, soaking up the wonderful smells and sights of Avon Bay.
We've just loved being on Avon Bay - the people there are friendly and we love the fact that, other than for a short period each evening which we call the Witching Hour, we really have almost NO bugs and you can sit unmolested out on the deck from morning to early evening without any spray or other defence. No kidding, this is one of the best features of the cottage and we are the envy of all Muskoka!
We have sunlight on the dock very early each morning that lasts until late evening and our sunsets are spectacular!
The lake access is sandy and shallow - perfect for little kids to safely play and learn to swim (that's where my kids learned). At the end of the dock, there is a ladder and the depth is only about 4 feet. You can continue to wade out into an increasingly soft sandy bottom for another 50 feet before the depth is over your head. Our raft is about 100 m from the dock and the depth there is about 7 feet.
The water of Lake Joseph feeds the rest of the Muskoka lakes and is itself feed by deep springs (there are parts of Lake Joe that reach the depth of Lake Ontario at over 300 ft). The springs are really big and it means that the water at our dock is renewed completely three times a year!
Our favourite time is probably late in the afternoon with a glass of wine on the spacious deck, although nights in the hot tub, followed by midnight swims to the raft are also a big hit, especially with the younger crowd.
The dock is a wonderful place to spend hot days on, but my favourite time there is at night with the soft lights and brilliant stars above. Sitting around the teak table with friends over a glass of Cabernet is just delightful.
From our driveway, its a 3.5 km drive or walk to Port Sandfield where you can get lovely fresh-made doughnuts in the morning or pick up most general groceries and (expensive) meats. Port Sandfield is where Lake Joseph and Lake Rosseau meet under the bridge on Pennisula Road - which you will drive on to get to the cottage. Its usually busy with boats and tourists who stop for ice cream at the Port Sandfield store.
Port Carling is about 8 km away and has a Foodland, where groceries are a bit more reasonable but still more than you'd pay in the city. There is also an upscale fish monger /butcher / organic produce place called Field of Greens - also fairly expensive.
Port Carling also has a really good butcher shop, a pharmacy, an LCBO (liquor / wine store), and a Home Hardware, along with a bunch of clothes shops and other touristy things. The town is pretty bustling in the summer months and is touted as the hub of the Muskoka Lakes.
Bracebridge is the largest town in the Muskokas and it is about a 25 minute drive from the cottage and there you can find a WalMart, Home Depot, McDonalds, Canadian Tire, a bigger LCBO, and several grocery stores.
Gravenhurst is another significant town in the area, but it isn't as big as Bracebridge and doesn't have as much shopping etc - plus its a bit further from the cottage.
Bala is another pretty hot tourist area that boasts some shops, a tremendous bakery and, if you can get tickets, some pretty big acts who play at the Key to Bala on weekends.
If you are going to be renting, you'll receive a copy of this document, but you can download it now and if you have any questions before you arrive, we'll do our best to address them.
Download the cottage Manual
