ECHOES EDGE COTTAGE

Here's the thing nobody talks about in spring - it is friggen hectic! From sports schedules, school slowly winding down, the first long weekend of the season, prepping gardens, opening pools and sipping that first patio bevvie, there are lots of things to do as the world seemingly wakes up from hibernation. All of this is amplified when you own a business. 

May feels like Christmas season in terms of chaos. Everyone is getting ready to welcome the summer weather with open arms, and the small business owners are going berserk. I was literally counting down the days to this girls trip to Echoes Edge Cottage in Dorset, ON.

Echoes Edge Lakeside Cottage is what I would call, unsuspecting in the absolute best way possible. When you pull up to the cottage, it truthfully feels a bit lack lustre. The dark paneling exterior is merely there, with no real grand gesture to say, "You've arrived to your own private oasis."

 But that's because the beauty of this spot doesn't reveal itself until you step inside.

The moment we opened the doors, our jaws dropped. The cleanliness of the space in both terms of design work, colour scheme and actual cleanliness were second to none. The modern colour scheme of white and black with pops of natural texture was stunning. With absolutely no "Live Laugh Lake" signage anywhere, there was nothing kitschy about this space. This space was the epitome of simple opulence, allowing guests to feel treated to a higher end stay, while still maintaining a comfortable, and homey feel.

The highlight of the cottage is by far the Muskoka Room. This room is 3-sided glass with a sun tough roof, allowing natural light to shine in and allows for an escape outside, without venturing outside to battle the northern ontario black flies, or the cooler nights. We ate all our meals in here and found ourselves drawn to simply sitting in this room to enjoy the view. And let me tell you, the view is great.

We spent our first day down on the dock, sipping docktails and listening to the insane amount of birds. Thanks to the Merlin app, I'm basically in my birding era so I was stoked to hear the variety of song birds.

I even found a spotted salamander under the woodpile. Which if you know me, I love finding sallys - and this was a real treat. His cute widdle fingers and his wide smile. Heart melting.

ANYWAYS - we decided to load up the kayaks and canoe with some lunch and head out for a shore lunch somewhere on Sunken Lake. Even though it was raining, this was one of my favourite parts of the trip. We found a nice mossy spot and parked the boats and enjoyed some Buddha Bowls CY made. While we were parking the boats on shore, we scared off a bear - which put Mel at an all time alert. I'm not sure she enjoyed too much of her lunch...

Once we got back to Echoes Edge, we made some savoury s'mores and made our personalized pizzas for over the campfire. The pizza, along with a cocktail and campfire was the perfect way to wind down from our day outside.

This was such a great trip and I honestly can't suggest Echoes Edge enough! This would be the perfect spot for a girls trip away, and even if the weather isn't picture perfect - the Muskoka Room will still give you the outdoors time you need to feel refueled and ready for the next adventure.