Length of stay: 3 days
Visited: April 2021
As of April 3, 2021, Ontario went back into a province-wide shutdown. This doesn’t impact us too much since Toronto has been in some combination of lockdown or shutdown for the past five to six months. Provincial parks are still open for day-use, overnight camping, including backcountry camping however is closed. We had a few camping trips planned for April, largely because reserving a campsite during the summer has become next to impossible and we didn’t want to get eaten alive by the mosquitoes and black flies later in the spring. So for the Easter long weekend we decided to head up to the cabin to get away from everything and figure out our game plan for the next few weeks (which let’s be real, is likely going to involve visiting the cabin again).
Day 1: Watching the Sunset
We left Toronto late Friday morning. There was a decent amount of traffic on the roads, likely from people trying to take advantage of the last day before the province-wide shutdown. We made a detour at Sandbanks and Lake on the Mountain Provincial Parks on the drive up to stretch our legs and make some progress on our Ontario Parks Challenge. Plus, the weather was lovely. It was a little chilly and a bit blustery outside, but the sun was shining.
We arrived at the cabin at around 6:45p.m. Since there was no longer any snow on the ground, we drove in rather than having to park our car at the top of the hill and walk in with all our stuff. Despite the fact that it was still sunny outside, it was starting to get colder. According to the weather forecast the temperature was supposed to drop to -8°C overnight. We got a fire going in the wood stove, made some dinner, and enjoyed the sunset.
Day 2: Rest and Relaxation
We woke up to another beautiful day of blue skies and sun. It was a bit chilly outside and I had to wake up in the middle of the night to feed the fire (only once though). This morning there was a light layer of ice on part of the surface of the lake.
According to the weather forecast it was supposed to reach a high of 10°C and be sunny in the morning and cloudy in the afternoon. We planned to visit Frontenac Provincial Park today. As such, we wanted to get an early start to the day to enjoy the sun and beat the crowds so after eating breakfast we headed out.
After spending the morning hiking in Frontenac along rocky outcrops, through forests and along marshes and beaver ponds, we returned to the cabin shortly after noon. We heated up some soup for lunch and got the fire going in the wood stove again. We’re glad we went hiking in the morning as the afternoon was overcast and very windy. We spent the remainder of the day inside playing games and reading by the window overlooking the lake.
Day 3: Happy Easter
We’ve had such lovely weather over the past few days. We woke up again to another beautiful day outside. The sun was shining and it was supposed to go up to 12°C this afternoon. We spent the morning tidying up around the cabin, including chopping up more firewood and moving wood from the outhouse to inside the cabin. Our wood supply is getting low so we’ll need to come back up in the summer to restock for the winter.
After eating a late breakfast, we packed up. We ended up leaving a bit earlier than usual as we planned to make a detour at Presqu’ile Provincial Park since it was along the drive back to Toronto. As with yesterday, according to the weather forecast, it was supposed to get cloudy later in the afternoon, so we wanted to get our hiking in when it was still sunny. Plus, we wanted to make sure we got a parking spot.
Despite yet another shutdown, we had a wonderful Easter long weekend. While we couldn’t visit family, we were able to get some peace and quiet up at the cabin. We had fabulous weather and were able to visit four provincial parks.
L
So glad you have a wilderness retreat to escape to. Hope all is well with you. Allan
For sure. Prior to the pandemic we would visit the cabin two to three times a year. Over the past year we’ve gone up nearly every month. It’s been nice having this rustic gem to escape to every so often to just get a change of scenery and spend time in nature. Take care.
Sounds like such a beautiful weekend. And so nice you can just drive in instead o have a long walk.
Love your open front window view right into the water. Must be nice to look out of at any weather and time of the year!
More of these lovely days to come for the next few months!
We had such fabulous weather over the Easter long weekend. After that the weather took a bit of a turn in April. Glad we made the most of it. And yes, it’s so much more convenient to just drive in rather than hike in with all our stuff. It also means we can take more stuff with us. We’re planning on returning to the cabin this weekend. Hopefully we’ll have nice weather! If not, it’s a good excuse to sit by the front window and catch up on some reading.
This week looks like kinda gross. Rain from Tuesday to Thursday but thankfully the sun is back on Saturday! It’ll be here before we know it. 😊
Ugh, I know. At least we’re not supposed to get any snow this week! Hopefully April showers bring May flowers (or rather sun for the weekend).
What delightful views you have from your cabin. Have you had it for quite a long time and how far is it from Toronto. It sounds easily accessible. Hopefully the lockdowns won’t restrict you both too much and they’ll soon be eased. Hope your weekend is going well. Marion
The property has been in my husband’s family for over 100 years now. The cabin itself is quite rustic and there is no running water or electricity. It’s about a 3 hour drive from Toronto, which isn’t too bad these days since there isn’t much traffic on the roads. We’re technically under a stay-at-home order and encouraged not to visit our cottages, but it’s not enforced. We usually bring all our groceries with us and the only stops we make along the way are to visit a provincial park and go for a hike. We’re planning on returning to the cabin this weekend for my birthday. Hope you’re doing well. Take care.
How lovely! I can’t think of anywhere safer to spend a few days right now. Hope the weather holds for your birthday celebrations! Marion
Thanks!! The weather forecast for this week isn’t looking the greatest, but hopefully it doesn’t rain (or worse, snow) this weekend. Take care.
What a lovely view, and a wonderful retreat!
It really is. I find being by the water and surrounded by nature so comforting and relaxing. It’s too bad that the cabin doesn’t have electricity, running water or internet otherwise I would totally live here for a few months during the summer.
That wooden house in the middle of the nature and close to this lake looks like paradise to me 🙂 all the best, PedroL
The cabin really is my happy place, especially during the pandemic. It’s been tough living in a big city these days so it’s nice to have the cabin to escape to. It’s the perfect place to social distance, unplug from the world around us and spend time in nature. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Yeah, I can imagine how pleasant it can be during a pandemic like this… All the best, have a great week! PedroL
You as well. We’re actually planning on returning to the cabin this weekend for some rest and relaxation. Take care.
then enjoy and have fun there 🙂 all the best, PedroL
Thanks! I’m counting down the days until the weekend.
🙂
Any bears in that neck of the woods? Not sure I’d fancy seeing one stood at that window!
We’ve only ever seen a black bear once while visiting the cabin and that was over a decade ago. Since then the shoreline on the other side of the lake has become more developed with new cottages popping up every year. The only wildlife we typically encounter are ducks and loons, which is totally fine with me.
That sounds divine! Your cabin looks so cozy and being so close to the lake would be so nice! I am so happy for you to have such a wonderful place to get away from all city. Love the photos, makes me wish I could visit! 🙂 Have a good week and stay safe!
I’ve always enjoyed being surrounded by nature and close to the water. I find it so peaceful and relaxing. It’s been kind of nice spending more time at the cabin this past year. It’s too bad that there is no running water or electricity otherwise we would stay for much longer. We’re planning on returning this weekend. Enjoy your week as well. Take care.
Thanks so much! I am from Newfoundland, so, I am very drawn to water. 🙂
I have such fond memories of our visit to Newfoundland a few years ago. It looks like a tough place to live during the winter though.
It can be. It really depends on how many storms and high winds sweep through. Some winters are more fraught with stormy weather than others. On days the the sun sparkles on the snow and the winds are calm it is beyond beautiful! 🙂
I bet. Newfoundland sounds like such a delightful place to live (and visit). The people are so friendly. It definitely makes up for a few nasty storms!!
If you are a nature lover – and I know you are, it’s really wonderful. There are so many trails to hike and beaches to walk. I miss it. But, we do have lots of green spaces here as well as nature trails. Every part of Canada is beautiful, really. 🙂
That’s very true. I would love to spend more time exploring the different areas in Canada. The landscape is so different from the east coast to the west, and everything in between. I definitely am a nature lover, so Canada really is the perfect place to live.
I am dying to get to B.C. to see the Pacific. I’ve never been. It’s on my bucket list. 🙂
The entire west coast looks beautiful, from Alaska to California. Someday. Hopefully soon.
If you get there I would love to see your photos and read your commentary. And I believe you will get there and yes, hopefully soon.
Awww thanks. Fingers crossed this mess of a pandemic will be over sooner rather than later.
I am crossing my fingers, legs, eyes, arms haha
Hahaha thanks 🙂
You’re welcome 🙂
So lovely for you to have such a lovely getaway place to go to especially during these Covid times, beautiful spot 😊
I am so grateful that we have the cabin to escape to every so often to get away from the city and spend time in nature. It’s been tough to not travel for the past year, but visiting the cabin sure helps.
It’s wonderful that you have such a great place to get away. The view of the lake is stunning and that must be such a relaxing spot to sit and read or just admire the scenery.
You bet. It’s been tough living in a big city as we’re constantly surrounded by people and buildings. It’s nice to escape from all of that and just reconnect with nature. I love sitting by that front window to read or just stare out into the lake. I wish I were there right now.
I could easily see myself reading by this window …
There is no electricity at the cabin. So that front window really is the perfect place to read as it gets the best natural light. It also provides the best views overlooking the lake from inside.
You are so lucky to have such a beautiful sanctuary, and it looks like you are putting it into such great use!
For sure. It’s nice to get away sometimes, especially these days when we live and work in the same place. The cabin really is the perfect place to social distance and get away from everyone since it’s so secluded. We’re planning on returning this weekend.
Your cabin is in such a peaceful and picturesque spot. It looks like one of he provincial parks.
Thanks. In some ways it totally does feel like a provincial park since it’s completely surrounded by wilderness. There are a few provincial parks in the area, so it’s become a great home base for day-trips. We’re still under a stay-at-home order for at least another month, which means the cabin is still our only option for a weekend getaway.
I am glad to see you have a little cabin surrounded by natural beauty and waterfront access that you can escape to during these turbulent times. It’s all perfectly romantic, natural and serene, especially if compared to staying at a hotel in a big city or large suburb. Cheers and have a good day. Aiva 🙂
It’s nice to have a second home, one that is far from the city and surrounded by wilderness. Granted, it would be nice to have electricity and running water to take a shower, but visiting the cabin makes me appreciate the simple things in life. We’re still in a province-wide shutdown for at least another month, so it’ll be awhile before we can stay in a hotel again. For now we’ll just continue to visit the cabin whenever we feel like we need a weekend getaway. Take care.
I know I say this all the time, but I am so jealous of your cabin. It is truly beautiful and perfect escape. Thanks for sharing it with us 🙂
Thanks. I feel so incredibly grateful that we have the cabin and are able to visit it during the pandemic. It’s sometimes tough living in a big city these days. When the weather is nice, the sidewalks and parks are usually busy and it becomes hard (if not impossible) to socially distance. It’s nice to escape from all of that and just enjoy being surrounded by nature. Thanks for reading and commenting.
The cabin just looks so cozy and relaxing, sounds like a great little getaway!
For sure. It’s been tough living and working in the same (small) space for over a year now, so it was nice to get a change of scenery. It’s great to just leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind and just unwind in nature.
It looks like you had a peaceful Easter weekend. Glad you got away from all that crap happening in Ontario
Our default these days is to go to the cabin whenever we have a long weekend. If it weren’t for the pandemic we would have traveled over Easter since we both got the Friday and Monday off of work, but for now we’ll settle for a getaway to the cabin. Timing wise we left the day after the initial stay-at-home order was publicly announced. It’s been extended until May 20th, but will likely get pushed back even further as cases in Ontario are still quite high. I heard things aren’t too good in Alberta either with variants now making up over half of the active cases. What a disaster. Stay safe.
Well, I am glad you’re doing your best to get out in nature. And yes, Alberta is bad too. I got my Pfizer shot last week though. I took it upon myself to do a post about it because the more people can get shots in arms, the better!
I figure we might as well get in as much hiking as we can before the mosquitoes become aggressive. Congrats on getting your first shot last week. It must be such a relief. Good for you for writing a post about it. There is a lot of mixed information out there and bad press about the AstraZeneca shot, so I’m sure some people are probably sitting on the fence about it. I am not yet eligible for a shot, but once I am, I will be signing up!
Ugh! Mosquitoes suck! And thanks! I am making a point of trying to help others because this situation is so bad! Hope you will be eligible soon!
Now that’s a wonderful destination – not too far away and lovely views!
The cabin has been our perfect place to escape to during the pandemic. It’s always nice to spend time in nature and just focus on the simple things in life. Life doesn’t get much better than that.
The photograph with the fire pit is so beautiful 😍 they all are, seems like a cool get away!
Thanks. It’s great having a fire pit overlooking the lake. The views don’t get much better than that. We’re planning on returning to the cabin this weekend. I can’t wait to sit around the fire pit and make s’mores. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
Sounds like a great time! Hope you guys have fun 🙂
Thanks! Fingers crossed we don’t get rain this weekend!
That quaint little cabin looks amazing. What a way to just get some well earned relaxation in and recharge
You bet. Prior to the pandemic we used to visit the cabin a few times a year. Over the past year we’ve gone up nearly once a month. Now that we’re living and working in the same space, it’s nice to get away every few weeks to to just unwind in nature. Thanks for reading and commenting. Take care.
Wonderful adventure and escape 🙏
I feel so fortunate that we have the cabin to escape to during the pandemic. It’s nice to leave the city (and all the crowds) behind and just be completely surrounded by wilderness. It’s very peaceful.
A lovely respite, and you still managed to visit a few provincial parks as well. It’s a great spot.
It’s always nice to get a change of scenery, especially these days as we’re still under a province-wide shutdown. I feel so incredibly grateful that we have the cabin, which in some ways has become like a second home to us, and that we’re able to still visit. It’s also conveniently located near a number of provincial parks, which means that we can visit the cabin and make progress on our Ontario Parks challenge. It’s a win-win situation. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
You are SO lucky to have a cabin, and one that is so close to the water too. Your own bit of paradise. We have a little condo in Windermere, but with covid, especially this third wave (and how absolutely bad Alberta is doing right now), BC is asking everyone to stay home. I totally get it and abide by the rules. I wouldn’t want to accidentally spread anything. Still – photos of the still water on the lake makes me miss our little lake. Please enjoy for all of us.
I feel so fortunate that we have the cabin to escape to during the pandemic. It’s been tough living in the city so it’s nice to get away and spend time in nature every so often. The cabin is quite rustic (there is no running water, electricity, or internet) so we usually only stay for a few days. We’re technically not supposed to visit our cabin during the stay-at-home order, but it’s not enforced. We figure it’s much safer to go for walks there than it is along the crowded sidewalks in Toronto. Plus it’s good for our mental health and well-being. I hope that you’re able to visit your condo soon.
I heard about your backcountry being shut down. I think that private cabins like yours should be exempt because truly, you have taken yourselves out of the equation by being there. Enjoy! I won’t tell anyone 🙂
Haha thanks! We were pretty annoyed to hear that backcountry camping was closed as part of our stay at home order. We had a canoe trip planned for the end of April that of course was cancelled. Turns out the weather was terrible the weekend we were supposed to go, so we are less upset about it now. I’m hoping that backcountry and regular car camping are back on the menu soon!
We were able to car camp at Waterton NP and just got back. Still snow at the higher elevations, but we were just so happy to get out of the house 🙂 Enjoy your canoe trip when it happens. It will be even more special now.
That’s awesome that you were able to get away and squeeze in a camping trip before the start of summer, even if there was still snow up in the mountains. It’s always nice to get away. We visited Waterton about five years ago (before the massive wildfire) and had such a wonderful time.
Lucky you to see it all nicely treed. The other side of the lake – Crypt Lake side – did not burn, so that’s still nicely treed.
It must have looked so eerie to see the apparent aftermath from the wildfires and to see the contrast between the treed portion and burnt section of the forest. Campgrounds are still closed here in Ontario, but rumour has it that they’re supposed to reopen on June 14.
A lot of people don’t like the burnt out look, but it is a part of the cycle. It will have an effect on avalanches, but it will also open up some back-country skiing. So, some good, and some bad.
I heard Ontario will be opening soon. Alberta is already right back at it. *sigh* Who would have thought that Kenney would be making Ford look good? I know you all must be so sick of the lockdown, but a cautious reopening just might save your health care workers. Hang in there!
Agreed, it’s all part of nature’s cycle. Plus, the burnt trees can make for some interesting pictures!
Let’s hope we learn from what happened when we reopened too quickly after the second wave! I just wish our public health measures were more strict to begin with rather than being in some state of lockdown or shutdown for over half a year. The pandemic fatigue is real, especially now that the weather is getting warmer and people are looking for things to do. But yes, we’re almost there!!
I see from CTV yesterday that “After two months, Ontario’s stay-at-home order will officially expire on Wednesday.” That’s good news for you.
Definitely!! Here in Toronto we’ve been under some form of lockdown or shutdown for over half a year now. We’re really looking forward to going camping again, especially now that the weather is getting warmer. It’s great to see that cases are (finally) more under control. Hopefully it stays that way!
What a beautiful and rustic space! I love the views of the lake. It reminds me of the nature I grew up in on Whidbey Island, WA. I was surprised to hear about the lockdown. I’m in Arizona which for the most part has treating the entire pandemic with a shoulder shrug and continues on in wild-west fashion.
Thanks! It’s nice to have this little slice of nature all to ourselves. Sounds like you grew up in a lovely area! It’s interesting how different provinces, states and countries have reacted to the pandemic. We’re living in Toronto and were in some combination of lockdown or shutdown for over half the year, largely because some of our restrictions weren’t tough enough to begin with, so it just dragged out. I can’t wait to return to some form of “normal”. Thanks for reading and commenting.