Length of stay: 2 days
Visited: November 2021
It’s been awhile since we’ve been to the cabin. Between moving, unpacking, yard work, hosting family and friends at our new house, and taking a few road trips this summer, we just haven’t had much time for anything else. So when we finally had a free weekend in November, we decided to visit the cabin.
Day 1: Collecting Firewood
We headed up to the cabin bright and early Saturday morning. Along the drive we made a detour at North Beach Provincial Park, which is located in Prince Edward County. We haven’t made much progress on our Ontario Parks Challenge and figured we should at least visit one park this month. Plus it was somewhat along the drive.
By the time we arrived at the cabin, or should I say the road leading into the cabin, it was just after 12:30p.m. Since the main isn’t maintained, we usually park at the top of the hill and walk in with all our food, water and supplies. The path is just under a kilometre and it gave us a much needed opportunity to get some exercise.
Our efforts were hindered a bit by a couple of fallen trees that had blocked the path. This brought back flashbacks from when we visited in July, but thankfully there were no mosquitoes this time to eat us alive. We moved some of the branches off to the side and were able to drag a couple of the smaller trees deeper into the forest, but we’d need to return with the chainsaw to finish the job.
We took a small break once we made it to the cabin to get a fire going in the wood stove. It felt like 0°C inside the cabin. K made some lunch and tended to the fire while I got down to work and gathered some kindling. We usually restock the cabin in the late summer for the winter, but since we haven’t visited in awhile, our firewood supply was running low.
After eating lunch, we headed back to the car to gather the remainder of our stuff and continued collecting larger branches for kindling. It was a good way to stay warm and get an arm workout in. By the time the evening rolled around, we had fully replenished the cedar chest where we keep the smaller branches and logs to help get a fire going.
Needless to stay, we didn’t have any issues keeping the cabin warm overnight. We watched the sun set and had soup and salad for dinner.
Day 2: Old Mining Buildings
We gained an extra hour of sleep as the time changed overnight, which kind of threw us off. We still got up early though as the morning is my favourite time of the day to be outside. There was a light mist coming off the lake and the water was super calm.
After making breakfast we went for a walk along the property and surrounding area to check out some of the other cottages and to see what was shaking.
We also went to explore some of the old mining buildings. From 1903 to 1907, the Star of the East mine was located in this area. The mine was never successful and many of the buildings were torn down. Only one building is still left standing, but the foundations from some of the other buildings along with remnants from the old mining days can still be found.
We then walked back to the cabin to eat some lunch and to pack up. It was then time for us to return back to reality and civilization.
L
What a great place to have a cabin. I love the early morning shot.
The cabin is located near Bon Echo Provincial Park and it is completely surrounded by wilderness. It’s a bit of a further drive to get to since we’ve moved, but it’s worth it to get some peace and quiet. Sometimes it’s nice to just focus on the simple things in life.
Glad you made it back to the cabin Linda. It looks like a peaceful place to recharge tour batteries. Have a great week. Allan
We haven’t visited the cabin as often since we moved, so it was nice to be back. I’m glad we had such nice weather to enjoy the outdoors and gather some additional firewood for the winter. Just in case. It’s always nice to get a change of scenery. Take care. Linda
It is great you regularly get back to your cabin to enjoy the scenery and solitude.
We spent a lot of time up at the cabin over the past two years during the pandemic. It was nice to be able to escape from the city and just spend time in nature. It felt great to be back. I just wish we could have stayed for a little bit longer. Weekends tend to go by so quickly.
Soup, salad, and sunset! Sublime!! Such a beautiful property. I love the old buildings with the stone work and the evidence of 100+ years ago.
The property has been in my husband’s family for over 100 years. Some of the furniture from the cabin actually came from the old mining buildings before they were destroyed. There’s so much history and I’m glad we’ve been able to spend so much more time here during the pandemic.
Wow! That is amazing! What a special place for you to get to find respite.
There’s so much history here and lots of great memories 🙂
A beautiful early morning shot. Love your cottage adventures!
I love getting up early in the morning when it seems like most of the world is still asleep. The forest is so quiet and the lake is as smooth as glass. It felt great to be back up at the cabin and to get some rest and relaxation.
Wow excellent photos! The place is looking beautiful 😊thanks for sharing 😊👌
Thanks for your kind words and for commenting. It was nice to have a weekend getaway at the cabin and to just unplug from the world around us.
That’s a beautiful area, a great place for a cabin and fun.
For sure. The cabin is surrounded by wilderness and it’s the perfect place to escape from the world around us. We came here a lot during the start of the pandemic and when we were in lockdown. It felt nice to be back.
amazing adventures!I love the pics that you took,it makes me feel peaceful 🙂
Thanks for your kind words and for commenting. It’s always nice to get a change of scenery. I’m glad we had such fabulous weather for spending time outdoors. It definitely was peaceful.
I love seeing old mining areas!
It was neat to explore the remains from the old mining buildings and to see what still exists from over a hundred years ago. Some of the furniture in the cabin is actually from some of these old buildings. Apparently they were giving a bunch of stuff away when the mine closed.
That is so cool!
I know. There’s so much interesting history here and lots of great stories and memories.
Your cabin is located in an idyllic spot Linda. Has it been in the family awhile?
The property has been in my husband’s family for over a hundred years now. We made so many memories here, especially over the last couple of years during the pandemic and it feels like our home away from home. There’s no running water and electricity though, so we typically only visit for a few days at a time. It’s the perfect place to just connect with nature and get some peace and quiet.
How lovely, this is just the same as with the cabins owned by our Norwegian and Finnish friends except that they are now equipped with modern conveniences. I’m sure you cherish your time there away from screens and just enjoying the nature.
It’s nice to be able to keep something like a cabin in the family for years. I can see why your friends would want to do some upgrades to be able to extend their visit and add comfort. We’ve been talking about running electricity to the cabin as that would be a total game changer.
I suspect it would be quite expensive though!
Yup. There’s been some recent development on the lake in the last few years, which probably makes it easier to get electricity to the cabin now. But we’ll see. We like the idea of the cabin being off the grid, so we may consider other alternatives like solar panels.
I’m happy to hear about the absence of the mosquitoes (I remember your last post about this trip very well)! Oh my, you had to work quite hard for that wood – sounds like a real workout to me! Love the look of the lake in the early morning mist … such a short stay … I think I would be able so stay there for a very long time (away from civilization) 😉.
Even though the days are cooler and shorter in the fall, I’ll take it over the mosquito festival this place becomes in the spring and summer. They say wood warms you three times – when you cut it, when you split it, and when you burn it. It was definitely a good workout and it was nice knowing that we had a fresh supply if we were to visit in the winter, which we usually do. It’s always great to escape from the city. The only downside to the cabin is that there is no running water or electricity, which means we only ever visit for a few days at a time.
It sounds like a great place to escape from the city!
For sure. It’s always nice to unplug from the world around us and to just focus on the simple things in life.
The light mist off the super calm lake is such a dreamy image.
I’m usually the first one up and can’t resist checking out the lake first thing in the morning. I love how calm and quiet everything is. It’s very peaceful. All we need is a little dock and a couple of Adirondack chairs to soak in the views.
What a beautiful spot. It’s so great that you’re able to get away like that for total relaxation and fresh air and exercise.
For sure. It was so nice to find a quiet weekend to get away and visit the cabin. Even though we collected and cut a lot of wood, we still had some down time to read, play games, and get some rest and relaxation.
Wow! So beautiful place, great photos! Thank’s for share Linda.
Have an amazing day!
Elvira
Thanks for your lovely comment. It was nice to visit the cabin for a weekend getaway and to just enjoy nature. The views of the lake never get old. Enjoy the rest of your week. Linda
That sunset is just stunning, I love that you have this cabin and get to visit throughout the seasons. It’s such a perfect place to escape to 🙂
It’s funny because I typically don’t pay too much attention to the sunrise or sunset unless I’m on vacation or at the cabin. The sunset was really beautiful. It’s been nice that we’ve been able to spend so much time here during the pandemic. It’s our home away from home in some ways. Well, that and our tent.
How wonderful to have such a beautiful surroundings to get away to. 😊
For sure. It’s always good to get a change of scenery. I find the cabin is the perfect place to get some peace and quiet and just enjoy nature.
What a lovely visit you had despite those fallen branches! If there ever was a zombie apocalypse, you and K are set in your cabin away from the world. Something about chopping wood and stocking up a cabin feels very zombie ready to me!
The morning mist you woke up too looked beautiful too!
You must now be experiencing your fourth season in your new home. Time just flew by!
We’ve often joked about this and would totally book it for the cabin during a zombie apocalypse. The only issue would be driving there and dealing with all the traffic around Toronto. It’s an issue now on any given weekend, but can you only imagine what the roads would be like during an emergency!?
We are coming up to our one year anniversary in our house in June. It’s hard to believe that it’s nearly been a full year. Where does the time go? Once the weather gets nicer I plan on doing some gardening this spring.
Enjoy experiencing your first Spring in your new home. Such a wonderful experience to see it all come to life after Winter.
Thanks! I’m already starting to see a few plants sprout up out front. I think a few of them are tulips. Now all we need is the weather to start getting (and staying) warmer.
Love the shots of that amazing sunset and then the dreamlike misty morning lake shot that exudes calmness. How wonderful that this cabin has been in your husband’s family for over a century and is a common point of reference for several generations. Are you thinking about introducing electricity and water some time in the future, or is that perhaps not possible in the area?
Thanks for your kind words. Spending time at the cabin is a great way to slow down and just enjoy our surroundings. The cabin has so much history and we’ve made a lot of wonderful memories here. I hope it continues to stay in the family for future generations to enjoy. We’ve actually been thinking about installing electricity. That way we can get better lighting and we can put in a electric stove to help warm the cabin up in the winter. Running water might require a bit more maintenance.
The perfect quiet escape.
It’s always nice to get out of the city and to just focus on the simple things in life, like watching the sunset and keeping a fire going in the wood stove. Spending the weekend at the cabin was exactly what I needed to unwind and relax.
That misty lake looks so gorgeous. I would love to drink some hot tea or hot coffee and watch the wild life start to stir. I would most likely have a really soft, thick blanket around me, too. Even in the summer, i like to have my breakfast and coffee with a blanket on me haha 🤣😆 . I don’t know why. I really enjoyed the calm feeling that came with this post. I’m glad you enjoyed your trip at your cabin and also glad you did not have to deal with mosquitos. Those buggers are awful
I’m an early riser and I love how peaceful and calm everything is first thing in the morning. It was nice to wake up to such lovely views of the lake. It was also nice to visit late in the fall when those pesky mosquitoes were long gone for the year. I’m usually always with a blanket too. I even keep one in the car. I bought a heated blanket a couple of years ago and that has been a total game changer.
Oh my ! Yes! Heated blankets are heaven on earth. I survived the winter with my heated blanket. It helps so much with my fibromyalgia pain, too. I’m glad I am not the only one with a ton of blankets. I typically run warmer but I like to be snuggly when I sleep. The soft comfort of blankets is a must with meals and down time haha 🤣. I’m so glad you get it 🙂
I find that I’m always cold, which is why I like to snuggle under a blanket for some extra warmth. I also just like the feel of having a blanket on me. I can’t sleep otherwise, even if it’s super hot and humid outside.
I am like that, too. I cannot sleep if my body is exposed haha. I like using my weighted blanket if I’m hot. It’s warm but not hot and it has that material that stays cooler longer. It’s great 😊 . I highly recommended a weighted blanket, especially if you ever have bouts of insomnia like I sometimes experience. They’re so calming. My heavier one makes a soothing sand, grainy, sound when I shift under it. I always want to hug my blanket when it does that. I just think the sound is so endearing too my ears aww.
One of my friends swears by her weighted blanket. It’s something that I’ve been meaning to try. I’ll take this as a sign that I should get one 🙂
What a beautiful place, definitely a great escape from civilisation!
Thanks. I feel fortunate that we have the cabin to escape to whenever we need a break from the city and to just get some rest and relaxation. It’s very peaceful.
You have found a perfect spot for a quiet, calm getaway, complete with exercise to gather and chop wood. The misty morning lake photo is so inviting.
The cabin is like our home away from home. We’ve spent a lot of time here during the pandemic. It’s so nice that we have this little slice of nature all to ourselves. It can be a lot of work to haul everything in (and then out) and to restock the firewood, but I always sleep so well when we’re there.
This looks like such a perfect spot to have a break away from the craziness of the world! And that morning mist over the lake, just gorgeous!
Thanks for your lovely comment. We’ve spent a lot of time at the cabin over the past two years during the pandemic. It’s always nice to escape the city and the crowds and just spend time in nature. There’s just something so soothing about being by the water, especially first thing in the morning when the lake is so calm.
The perfect getaway and adventure with Nature. I wish I could do the same this Spring Break, was thinking of Yosemite but wife and son, not so much into it. We’re doing Carmel Valley instead and surrounding beaches and Nature. Thank you for sharing magnificent Nature through your eyes and experience. Take care.
Visiting the cabin is always a great way to unplug from the world around us, and just recharge. There’s something nice about not being able to use our phones and instead enjoy being in the moment. That’s too bad that your family isn’t into the idea of going to Yosemite, but Carmel Valley sounds like another great option. Have a wonderful week. Linda
So true. Thanks.