Brilliant Nature, Fabulous Food And Social Distancing: A Summer 2020 Visit to Muskoka

I’m paddling gently through a shallow creek that runs off the south branch of the Muskoka River on a perfect, early summer’s day in Bracebridge.

I hear the call of unfamiliar birds echoing through the trees as I skim along the surface of the creek in my brilliant orange kayak. Off to my left, an iridescent, small, blue and black dragonfly comes to rest on a brilliant yellow pond lily. A few feet away, I spot a small turtle sunning itself on a log on a 22 Celsius morning.

My wife and I ease our kayaks back out into the river, where we gaze at deep green forests lining the river bank under a sky of delicious blue dotted with puffy, white clouds of all shapes and sizes.

If there’s a better tonic for troubled times, I can’t imagine it.

I recently spent a couple days in Muskoka with the approval of the region’s tourism board, which wanted to show that it’s possible to visit the area in a responsible way; adhering to strict health and safety protocols that resorts and attractions have in place and, of course, taking precautions such as wearing a mask.

While we did spend two nights at resorts in the region, our only interactions with the public outside the properties were to borrow the kayaks from the folks at LIVOUTSIDE in Bracebridge, to have lunch on the patio at Sawdust City Brewing in Gravenhurst, where we were invited and where we obeyed the ordering rules and sat well apart from other guests and a hike along the shores of Hardy Lake Provincial Park south of Bala with hardly another soul in sight.

I’m happy to report that every place we visited appeared to be following the rules, and then some. Both Deerhurst Resort and the JW Marriot The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa had special procedures set up for socially-distanced check in, as well as tons of sanitizers and other programs in place. We wore our masks when we checked in at LIVOUTSIDE, but didn’t wear them on our kayak trip, where we saw three other people – all several metres away – in two hours of paddling.

Our first night was at Deerhurst Resort just outside Huntsville. Signs pointed us to an area of the lot to park our car, where we waited for a worker to come out and check us in. I wore my mask, and she wore hers. We got our keys and proceeded to the Lakeside Lodge, which re-opened last year after a major renovation and looks fantastic.

The rooms are large and modern and comfortable, without too much woodsy kitsch. We had a nice-sized living area with a fireplace and a seating area, plus a separate bedroom and a lovely bath, as well as a good-sized balcony with blue-green Muskoka chairs. We had a full kitchen in our unit so we could make our meals if we had wished to.

Instead, we opted to meet a couple of friends who happened to be there at the same time. We sat outside, quite a bit apart, at a long table at the Eclipse Restaurant, which overlooks Sunset Bay on Peninsula Lake and the Deerhust’ lakeside golf course. They did a tremendous job on their grilled steak and served up an excellent short rib with perfectly cooked potatoes and veggies on the side. Our server wore a mask and was super helpful.

The next morning we ordered room service, and an attendant with a mask delivered hot, satisfying plates of eggs, toast and sausage that were sealed tight in plastic containers.

There were hand sanitizing units near the elevators and the front door of the lodge, and also signs to remind folks about proper physical distancing. They also rigged up a new entrance to the resort, so people entering the building aren’t passing folks who are heading out.

We had a great night and I got up the next morning for a fine walk in the sunshine. I didn’t have time on this trip, but when I was at Deerhurst last summer I took a great hike to a terrific lookout point high above the hotel, and also borrowed a kayak for a fine ride around Peninsula Lake.

The hotel turns 125 next year, so it’s definitely worth keeping in mind for 2021. Not to mention this year.

A spokesperson for the hotel told me they opened June 12 and limited capacity to just 25% of available rooms. That’s gradually being increased and should be around 50% this week.

The Lakeside Lodge outdoor pool opened this past Saturday, and they were targeting the Pavilion indoor pool and two other smaller outdoor pools for Canada Day.

Their ‘What to Expect’ page on their website is a great source of information about the status of all the activities and facilities, as well as all their COVID-19 prevention measures. https://deerhurstresort.com/reopening-experience/

“Our team has thought and walked through all aspects of the resort operations thoroughly to provide the safest experience possible for our guests and hosts who are serving them,” said General Manager Jesse Hamilton. “We’ve outlined all the measures on our website, but they cover everything from additional disinfecting of high-touch areas and recreation equipment, signage to remind guests of protocols, plexiglass barriers at guest service counters, and all hosts are required to wear face masks or shields. Guests are finding some of our measures, like curbside check-in and guest room food delivery, to be so convenient we’ll likely continue them in future.” 

“To allow guests ample opportunity to experience the great Muskoka outdoors while social distancing, we’ve repurposed the back nine of our Lakeside golf course as green space for guests to spread out and enjoy additional walking trails and a new disc golf course. At the beaches and waterfront all loungers and Muskoka chairs have been placed in groupings six feet apart, and we’re limiting the number of swimmers in our pools at any given time. Our whole goal is to make it easy for guests to do their part in keeping each other safe as well as our hosts. It’s an expectation and a responsibility we all share.”

After our breakfast, we headed to LIVOUTSIDE for our kayak experience. We were told they rent kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards and more. There’s also a large shop with tons of great outdoor gear, and they have an outdoor climbing wall coming soon. In addition, you can rent bikes and explore the town or local bike trails. If some of those Muskoka hills appear a little daunting, they also have electric bikes.

We thought about kayaking along the north branch of the Muskoka River, which takes you past riverfront homes towards the Bracebridge Falls. But the quiet of the south branch was more appealing, so that’s what we opted for. There were a few homes along the river, but they quickly gave way to forested, environmentally protected areas. We passed a gorgeous outcropping of Canadian Shield rock and also paddled underneath a towering railroad bridge.

We didn’t see any beavers, but I was told they can be spotted here quite often. I also spotted places where playful otters have been sliding down the river banks.

After a brief look at the falls and some window shopping in Bracebridge, which has a handsome downtown with lovely baskets of flowers and bright, engaging storefronts, we headed south to Gravenhurst for lunch at Sawdust City Brewing Company, which had invited us to check out their patio.

You order at a special window and take a seat, so there’s very little interaction with staff. We sipped on their Little Norway Pale Lager and the Lone Pine West Coast IPA, which were both delicious. We also had a fantastic barbeque chicken pizza with a thin, crispy crust that even Gordon Ramsay couldn’t criticize. The menu also features a hummus platter, pulled pork, brisket, and barbequed, pulled Jackfruit, which I had in Florida once and thought was terrific.

The patio tables were a good three metres apart for plenty of distancing, and it was a gorgeous summer afternoon. Not to mention, our first patio experience of the year in Ontario, and how sweet is that?

They made a whopping 52 types of beer last year at the brewery, which is housed in an old Canadian Tire store on the main street in the north end of downtown Gravenhurst. They were the first and are still the only craft brewing operation in town, and you can often find their products at LCBO stores in Toronto and other Ontario cities outside Muskoka.

In addition to the physical distancing on the patio, they’re offering curbside pickup and free local delivery with a minimum purchase of $20.

We didn’t try them, but they make some fun-sounding brews at Sawdust City, including a “Skinny Dipping Oatmeal Stout” and “Electric Storm Sour IPA.”

I was told they’re converting the old automobile working bays at the back of the store into an event space, which will be a great addition to Gravenhurst.

We made our way north to the JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort and Spa after lunch and were given the option of checking in outside or in the lobby. I  looked over and saw a sign that said “sanitized bike stand” with several gleaming bicycles at the ready. We didn’t take a ride this time but on my last visit my wife and I borrowed some bikes and took a tour of the area, stopping to admire pretty lake views and a tidy, lakeside church near the resort.

We took time in the afternoon to sit at physically distanced white Muskoka chairs on a giant lawn overlooking Lake Rosseau. The resort has always been a great spot to relax and take in the charms of Muskoka, but they renovated it a couple years ago and gave it a much spiffier, woodsy feel, complete with fine works of art and plenty of attention to detail, right down to the Muskoka maps on the INSIDE of some of the lobby lamp shades.

We had a one-bedroom suite on the fourth floor with fabulous lake views that provided a true sense of calm, especially as the sun began to go down. We had a large kitchen with cupboards that had “sanitized for your safety” stickers on them to show they had been cleaned, plus a sofa bed, two large screen TV’s, a great bed, a fireplace and a massive bathroom with two double sinks, a fine marble bath tub and a shower big enough for social distancing, although what’s the fun in that?

There were plenty of hand sanitizing places scattered about, and they even closed off some of the sinks in the men’s room to increase social distancing.

“We are so fortunate to be in this beautiful location, surrounded by spectacular scenery, wide open spaces, fresh air and clean water,” said Leah Leslie, director of sales and marketing. “It’s easy to understand why people want to be here.  We have found that guests are very respectful of distancing and cleanliness protocols, and that they are embracing the new way of doing things, to keep everyone safe. Until our indoor restaurants open, guests can choose patio dining, takeout, or they can prepare food themselves, because every room has a kitchenette.”

Since indoor dining wasn’t an option when I visited, they had set up properly distanced tables on the patio overlooking the swimming pool. We sampled a tasty, nicely spiced salmon and a fine plate of pasta with zingy tomato sauce and perfect pockets filled with braised beef. Their bourbon smash is a fine, slightly sweet drink with bourbon, honey, lemon and other goodies.

The next morning we were back on the patio for a nice breakfast in the sun, including a good breakfast burrito and an enormous bowl of granola with creamy yogurt. We took a hike down to the lake and wandered along the shore, checking out a small, peaceful forest and stopping to enjoy a brilliant sunny day.

The pontoon boat tours I’ve taken before aren’t running yet, and the inflatable water castle gear wasn’t installed, but you can borrow one of their canoes or kayaks or paddleboards. Or pull up a Muskoka chair and soak in the views of Lake Rosseau. You also can enjoy a round of golf at The Rock, a fine golf course right next door with a terrific patio and several glorious golf holes featuring mighty slabs of exposed, ancient stone.

We finished our visit with a pair of fabulous salads with chicken and headed out for a hike at Hardy Lake Provincial Park, about a half hour south of the resort between Bala and Gravenhurst on Highway 169.

The parking lot can hold maybe a couple dozen cars, but there were only a handful in sight when we pulled up on a perfect, early summer’s day. I wasn’t sure which was the best route, so we chose a trail that looked like it had the most water frontage. We walked down an old, asphalt road for maybe eight or ten minutes before breaking off to the right on the main lake trail.

It’s a magical hike, with protected lands, towering forests of pine, maple and birch and not a cottage or power boat in sight. We wandered past huge slabs of Canadian Shield rock, some of it baked and battered into odd shapes by centuries of sun, water, ice, and wind. We also took in deep forests of sun-dappled shade and listened to the trilling of birds who seemed as happy as the tourists who had escaped months of lockdown in the city. You might find a few damp spots if it’s rained lately, so be sure to wear good shoes. The elevation changes are minimal, so it’s not a challenging walk.

I will say the signage wasn’t the best in the world, and we missed a turnoff that we thought would take us back to the parking lot. But it was easy enough- and quite pretty – to retrace our steps along the lake, and it only added a kilometer and a bit to our hike, which gave us a few more steps to brag about. We paused a couple times on the way back to enjoy the sun on our faces and to listen to the gentle slip-slap of lake water on rock.

Sights – and sounds – for the weary.

More Muskoka Information: https://www.discovermuskoka.ca/

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Muskoka Tourism and the two resorts arranged our stay and paid for our activities, room and food. They did not read of approve of this blog prior to it being posted.