Stay & Play

Cottage Dreaming at Spencer Lakehouse

by Jennifer Merrick

If you closed your eyes and imagined an ideal cottage, I bet it would look a lot like Spencer Lakehouse.

The moment we opened the door of this Haliburton gem, we were greeted by an expansive view of the lake made possible by the floor-to-ceiling windows. A sign in the entrance way read, This is our Happy Place and soon, it was ours, too. The open-concept design was as modern as it was warm, and there were thoughtful touches throughout.

“It was a labour of love,” said owner Hue Nguyen, who completely renovated the property to reflect her vision of an ideal cottage stay.

She explained that she wanted to change the experience to emulate the more luxurious accommodation she had enjoyed abroad.

“We want it to feel like a vacation and don’t want guests to have to worry about anything.”

Her vision has been realized in every corner of Spencer Lakehouse. Though I must say that the coffee bar was my favourite touch. As I often do when I travel, I had brought my trusty French press and own supplies. They stayed in my suitcase. On the shelves were four different types of coffee makers, a choice of high-quality coffee beans and even a grinder. The aroma of freshly ground coffee was just one of the extras we discovered at Spencer Lakehouse. Others included a candy station, shelves of books and board games, toys and colouring books, cooking supplies and spices, toiletries, diapers and baby supplies, and a Wii video game console. Also, in the 2000-square-foot property were the more essential features for a luxury cottage experience including washer and dryer, BBQ, fire pit and a large deck. All four bedrooms were beautifully decorated, but more importantly, had super-comfy beds with Endy foam mattresses.

With a cottage as gorgeous as this one, you’d be forgiven if you simply wanted to luxuriate inside, but Haliburton is a destination well worth exploring.

The Haliburton Highlands is quintessential cottage country with its rolling hills, 500-plus lakes, and rugged forests. Here are a just a few of the family-friendly activities to enjoy:

Observe an unsocialized pack of wolves at the Wolf Centre in the Haliburton Forest

At this 80,000-acre conservation area, visitors have the chance to observe the dynamics of an unsocialized pack first-hand. The Wolf Centre is only one part of this remarkable privately-owned wilderness reserve that has over 350 kilometres and a slew of all-season activities to enjoy.

Explore the Haliburton Sculpture Forest

The Haliburton Highlands has one of the highest working artist per capita rate in the province. Historically, it was the beauty of the wilderness that attracted so many artists to the region, and one of the best places to experience the beauty of both art and wilderness is at the Haliburton Sculpture Forest. As you follow the forest trails, you’ll discover more than 40 pieces of art by Canadian and international artists. Each piece has its own story. But my fave was the “Sleep of the Huntress” by Doug Stephens. The sleeping woman carved so seamlessly in the rugged, granite boulder echoed the peace I felt as I walked through this forest.

In fact, peace, calm and contentment were the sentiments that permeated every facet of our Spencer Lakehouse getaway in Haliburton. And I will admit that one of the first things we did when we returned to Toronto was look at cottage real estate listings.

www.spencerlakehouse.ca