| -> | | | | cottage country: a snow shovel; blankets; cell phone; |
| This is a wonderful time of year to rent a cottage. | | | | and flashlight. Do not travel without adequate winter |
| There's little more romantic than wrapping up warm | | | | clothing in the car - boots, coat and gloves are |
| for a moonlit walk on a frozen lake, with the smell of | | | | essential. |
| wood smoke in the air, and the canopy of stars | | | | Power outages may occur during a winter storm and |
| glittering overhead. Returning to your cosy cottage | | | | may last for a few hours or a day or more. Ask the |
| to curl up in front of the fire and reflect on yet | | | | cottage owner what you should do in the event of |
| another beautiful day in cottage country rounds off | | | | an outage occurring - for example, what number you |
| an evening perfectly. And there are plenty of | | | | should call to report the outage, what precautions |
| cottages for you to choose from if you are willing to | | | | you should take to prevent frozen pipes, and where |
| look around the web. | | | | the emergency kit is kept. Few cottages have |
| Here are a few words of caution though, as cottage | | | | generators so be prepared to use candles and gas |
| country conditions in winter can be quite challenging, | | | | lamps for lighting, and the barbecue for cooking. |
| and you do need to be fully prepared. | | | | There should be a supply of water for using to flush |
| Make sure the road leading to the cottage you have | | | | toilets, and drinking water for other use. |
| booked is plowed regularly, and if it is rented in | | | | Listen to local radio while you are at the cottage as |
| winter, it certainly should be. However, after heavy | | | | this will give you the most accurate information on |
| snowfall or a winter storm, it may be several hours | | | | approaching weather systems. If you go out for a |
| (or days) before the road will be plowed out | | | | winter walk, check the forecast before you go as |
| (depending on the severity of the storm). Check with | | | | weather conditions can change rapidly. Keep to |
| the owner on the usual delay and prepare to be | | | | marked trails as even a nicely cleared trail can |
| patient. The plow will eventually come! | | | | become snow covered and obscured in a very short |
| A winter storm could extend your stay unexpectedly | | | | space of time. |
| if you become snowed in. If you take regular | | | | When leaving the cottage at the end of your stay, |
| medication it would be wise to take along enough for | | | | follow the instructions in the cottage guide carefully, |
| a few days more than you need, just in case. Think | | | | specifically those that refer to thermostat settings |
| about this when you are packing up food as well as | | | | and whether doors are to be left open. A closed |
| take along a little extra. | | | | door to a bathroom could have disastrous results if a |
| Roads will be snow covered, and in many cases icy, | | | | pipe freezes and then bursts when the temperature |
| so extreme caution is advised. Winter tires are | | | | rises again. |
| essential and 4WD recommended for many cottages. | | | | Conditions can be vastly different than those |
| Neighboring cottagers are always willing to help | | | | experienced in the city, even just a couple of hours |
| anyone who does get stuck, but will not be | | | | north. Snow squalls off Georgian Bay occur regularly |
| impressed by visitors who are ill-equipped to cope | | | | in the Southern Georgian Bay/Parry Sound/Huntsville |
| with extreme conditions. | | | | area. Check the forecast before you travel. |
| Keep the following in your car during your trip to | | | | |