Muskoka in the summer is beautiful.
The sun. The trees. The lakes. The dock living!
I am very grateful that I have a summer cottage to stay at when we are in Muskoka but you don’t need to stay the night to enjoy its beauty. It is close enough to much of the GTA that in a few hours drive you are in the heart of Muskoka. For our family it is about a 3-hour drive…because you know, pit stops…including the famous Webers on Hwy 11
We make it a tradition to stop at Webers either going up to the cottage or coming home. A simple tasty burger, fries and a drink and then we hit the road. When we reach Webers we know the cottage isn’t far off.
Being in Muskoka is all about the outdoor living (as long as the bugs are not too bad!). So we always make sure when the sun is shining we are dockside or in the lake.
Summer in Muskoka offers up the beauty of nature and the fresh air of country living. The kids get to live a little freer. 
Mom gets to relax a little and take a break from the over-scheduled life of family and work. And I get to unplug a little from the online world since internet access and cell phone reception is a bit spotty up there ( that is both a good thing and a scary thing all at the same time). It is refreshing to see the kids actually taking a break from their cell phones and social media too and actually hanging out together making memories.
Meals are simple. We BBQ a lot…burgers and hot dogs, grilled chicken, simple sliced potatoes with butter and pepper, grilled asparagus with butter, corn on the cob and easy salads. Dessert always includes s’mores on the roaring fire. The smokey smell of the fire is always a perfume we gladly take home, although the fresh scent of bug spray is often mixed in!
We did have a few rainy days during our recent trip up north. Those days are almost welcomed because they mean slow and lazy days on the couch with good (even some not so good) movies! Of course, an afternoon nap is necessary.
I think it is the memories that we make when we are in Muskoka that is the best thing about heading north for me. I get to hang out with my kids and family and the kids get to hang out together.
