Planning Your Trip to Vista Lago
We’re delighted you’re staying with us this summer and wanted to pass along some materials that can help you plan and pack for your trip.
Lay of the Land
Vista Lago is a unique property in so many ways and something that you just don't find elsewhere. It's 60 acres of gorgeous land in Northern Ontario filled with wild life, beautiful scenery and lots to do (or not do). Once you arrive, we'd invite you to take a self guided tour, where's some some of the unique areas:
- Main house site. Built literally on a rock and situated high above the lake to provide breath taking views of the lake and the natural forest. In our overside yard you will find a huge fire pit as well as a separate building we call "Deerfoot Lodge", providing outdoor shelter from the elements and another place to hang out, watch TV and enjoy a cold one.
- You'll love our 700 sq.ft. outdoor kitchen and eating area, we call "Nono's Kitchen", which is also part of the backyard of the main house. This space includes a cooking area with barbeque and grill plus a fridge and sink. We have dishes and cutlery in the cupboards already so you just need to bring down your food and drinks. There is an overside eating area plus an outdoor fireplace to enjoy. Of course you can still cook and eat inside in the house's kitchen and dining area but we're sure you'll enjoy the outdoors experience.
- Beach. A short drive down our pathway you'll find our sandy beach which is the envy of the neighborhood. It provides nearly 500 feet of natural sand and shallow entry to enjoy. We have a swimming dock off the shore for folks who want to dive right in to the fun. You can even enjoy a camp fire on the beach if you like. We have a selection of kayaks, stand-up paddle boards as well as canoe and paddle board for your group as well. On the trail just before the beach site you will find a building that we call "Doe Bay Hangout". This building houses a change room and toilet as well as a place to hang out. You can enjoy your lunch and consume beverages down there as well.
- Dock. Our dock is in a separate location on the lake. If you are bringing your own boat, you can dock it there during your stay.
- Look out point. If the views from the house aren't enough, enjoy a hill-top experience that is literally the highest point on the lake with a sitting area and an outdoor library so you can enjoy a book and fresh air.
- Trails. We provide over 2km of trails on the property to enjoy including forests and wet lands.
Best of all, we provide golf carts to navigate around the property and get to each site in style.
Pack for the weather
The weather at Vista-Lago is not always the same as in the GTA. Please check the long range weather forecast and pack accordingly. The nearest town is Burk's Falls and will show in any weather app. Springs are typically muddy as the frost comes out and the snow melts. The ground and takes a while to dry up. We also tend to get a more rain than down south based on our proximity to the great lakes. Bring hiking shoes too so you can enjoy the whole property. We have a washing machine and dryer for your use during your stay if you need it.
Rooming
The cottage has 6 bedrooms and a total of 9 beds. Three bed rooms are equipped with king-sized beds, 1 with a queen, 1 with a queen and a single plus one with a single-over-double bunk bed and and additional single bed. We also have a single-sized cot for an additional bed if you need it and a baby crib. If you require either of these, please let us know before you arrive and we'll set them up for you.
Outdoor activities
We’re happy to supply the following out-door activities to keep your group engaged: Bicycles, Cornhole, Bocce ball, Crocket, Disc golf, ball gloves, spike ball. The property had great hiking trails, bring proper foot wear and be prepared for some great views of nature.
Camp Fires
We’re happy to supply wood, kindling and fire starters for your group to have a camp fire every night. We have three fire pits, one at the cottage, one on the beach as well as one at the look-out point. Just make sure to check, and honor the local fire restrictions, which are posted on signs as you exit the highway. Please don’t bring your own firewood. Our wood is dry and we supply natural fire starters and kindling. Please do not bring or use accelerants and keep your fires modest to protect the forest and the equipment.
Indoor activities
We’re happy to supply the following in-door activities when weather isn’t great or you want to take a break: Large selection of books, board games, puzzles and playing cards.
Supplies
We’ve stocked the cottage with many supplies that you can use. Salt/pepper and other spices as well as a selection of oils and vinegar for cooking and salads. We supply dish detergent, towels, bedding, shampoo/conditioner, hand soap and body wash soap, paper towels and toilet paper.
We supply all the bedding and towels for you to use in the cottage. We also supply beach towels if you are visiting during swimming season. For week long guests, we offer a towel refresh service mid-week as well.
We'll handle the garbage for you, no need to bring your own bags or worry about taking garbage to the dump. We do ask that you sort your recycling to help the enviroment.
The cottage has two Keurig machines. We’ll give you some K-Cups as a starter but if you’re group drinks a lot of coffee, you will need to bring more pods. The cottage is equipped with a washer/dryer should you need to do any laundry while you're here and we have a supply of laundry pods for you as well. The cottage has a propane barbeque for you to use, propane is supplied.
You'll find the kitchen fully stocked with dishes, cutlery, cups as well all the appliances plus a griddle, slow cooker, air fryer and pressure cooker. The kitchen fridge is a good sized double-door fridge with a large freezer section and ice machine. There is also a second fridge downstairs for to give you additional space.
Water Front
We’re happy to supply the following water toys for your enjoyment (May to October): Fishing boat, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, a peddle boat and a canoe are available at the beach. We have a supply of life jackets you can use but if you need specific sizing you might want to bring your own.
The water near the property is shallow and great for swimming. The water depth does drop off after you get out close to a hundred feet. We also have a swimming dock that is anchored at a depth of 10 feet, perfect for diving. The water front is not supervised, we do not have life guards, you are on your own. Please watch children and non-swimmers.
The property has a change room and hang out building near the beach you can use during your stay, that includes a toilet as well as an eating area and fridge to store you lunch and lots of beverages.
Fishing
Our three lakes are great for sport fishing, so if you're in to fishing, bring along your supplies. Our lake has smallmouth bass, walleye and northern pike, locals says that some of the best fishing is in our bay but we've also marked several known good spots on a map for you. We offer complimentary use of a small fishing boat during your stay (seasonal only), or you can bring your own boat. Our boat seats up to three people and has a 9.9hp motor, perfect for getting you to the best spots on the lake. In order to use the boat you first need a valid boating license, if you don't have one, you can take an on-line test in advance. To get more information about boating licenses, go to this web site https://www.destinationontario... In addition, if you plan on fishing you need a fishing license and can get more information about that at https://www.ontario.ca/page/fi.... You will need to bring your own tackle but can purchase bait near by if you prefer. Note that there are seasonal catch limits on our lake that you need to follow, they are listed at this web page https://www.ontario.ca/documen...
Remote Work
The house is equipped with high speed satellite internet so you can work remote if you feel the urge. The signal is plenty strong enough for video calls and VPN access. One of the bed rooms has a desk and chair setup for you if you are planning to work.
TV Watching
There are two TV's on in the main house and one in the outdoor room. The TV's are Roku TV's. You can use your own Netflix, Disney+ and other subscriptions on these TV’s, just bring along your user names and passwords. You can also cast to the TV from your phone or tablet using Apple AirPlay or Android Cast. Channels like TSN, Sportsnet+ and others will work using your Bell or Rogers home passwords so bring them along too.
Pets
We are pet friendly at Vista Lago but please help us make the experience great for everyone. Please only bring dogs and/or cats. Please make sure that dogs do "their business" outside and bring your own litter box for cats. Please keep pets off the furniture and clean up after them. Our property is home to lots of wild life and than harm household pets. It's your responsibility to monitor your pets and don't leave them outside unattended.
Boat Dock
If you are bringing your own boat or Sea-Doo, you are welcome to use our dock during your stay. The public boat launch is located in Katrine and is a short ride across to the property. Let us know in advance if you are bringing your own equipment so we can be prepared. Please note that our dock will go in in early May and come out in mid October.
Social Media
Be sure to follow our Facebook page for updates about the area and current photos of how things are going. Search for Vista Lago Cottage https://www.facebook.com/profi...