We’ve visited Mackenzie Cottage on several occasions, both as a couple and with our son’s family, including our two young granddaughters under 7-years old.
At just 2 hours north of Toronto and minutes from downtown Huntsville, it’s the the perfect home-away-from-home in the heart of Muskoka, for a week or two in the summer. Sadly it’s only available from June to September as the owners live there full-time the rest of the year.
Once a mid-sized traditional cottage, the owners recently renovated and furnished it to an extremely high standard, making it a great place for the whole family to relax by the water or explore all that Huntsville and Muskoka has to offer.
For us the highlight was the clear, weed-free waterfront, ideal for the very young or their parents and grandparents, who can swim, paddle, fish, explore The Narrows in the canoe, kayaks or rowboat or just lounge on the extensive dock and watch the boat traffic cruising to and from Huntsville, which is 5-minutes away by powered craft or a 30-minute paddle to the town dock where ice cream, homemade chocolate treats, pizza or a waterfront pub lunch can all be found just yards from the dock.
Although the cottage is located in a residential area on The Vernon Narrows, once we were settled within the grounds, the neighbours are virtually obscured and totally out of earshot.
The waterside garden at the rear of the property is large and slopes gradually from the house to the water making it great for the grandchildren to explore and burn off excess energy. It also has a patio area adjacent to the house with a dining set to enjoy al fresco meals cooked by yours truly on the family-size Napoleon BBQ.
And we, of course, enjoyed the firepit and spending evenings sitting under the stars and enjoying s’mores while swapping tales and reconnecting with the family around the fire.
As already mentioned, the house is furnished and equipped to the highest standard. We all agreed that the beds are extremely comfortable, as is the high-end furniture – no yard sale cast-offs here! And the icing on the cake (no pun intended) were the top-of-the-range appliances in a stunningly appointed kitchen, which was a joy to cook in while still being able to chat with family members at the same time.
The main floor lounge with walk-out to a compact covered deck overlooking the water and the lower level large family room with walk-out to the patio area and garden meant there were lots of places for everyone to either congregate together or find a quiet spot to read, watch TV or just chill. We’ll definitely be back.
Region: Muskoka and Almaguin
Town: Huntsville, ON
Waterfront: Lake Vernon
Chat with Phil
Call us at 1-866-323-6698 to chat with Phil about his experience at Mackenzie Cottage before you book. You won’t be disappointed!
