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 Guest Comments |
2007  What a wonderful way to end the summer! We don't want to go home. Back to school and routine is just too much to handle! :( Here are some highlights of our holiday at the Smilin' Moose - :) Michael, the bat slayer, single handedly capturing and releasing the bat at 5am our first morning - buck naked! Captain Matthew of the paddle boat, providing taxi services to the island, Oma as his passenger! William learning to ride his bike sans wheels. Georgie celebrating her 7th birthday with many exotic and precious birthday gifts from Dollarama - including feather masks for all. Lynne and her early morning runs on the cottage road. Many trips to Parry Sound for mammoth "kid scoop" ice cream. Matthew mastering badminton; William his deep dive skills to rescue Obi Won Kenobe from the dock. Our Family "walk" to the Moose Meadow. Sea Doo rides for all (Thanks to Uncle Jeff from San Francisco) at great expense. (rented) Lauren's first lake swim! And on and on and on....Thanks for the memories. (Hoppen, Aug /07)  We had a wonderful time! (Ashton, August 07)  Your place was great, the kids loved all the toys and crafts. There wasn't a moment the kids were bored. Your watercraft and the beautiful beach also got a lot of use. Everybody had a great time. Thank you so much! - We smiled at the Smilin' Moose - From the setting to all the comforts of home! What a beautiful place. We loved it!! - Wow! What a great place. We thoroughly enjoyed our first experience at the Smilin' Moose! There was so much to do and we had so much fun just exploring to find all of your "conveniences". Thank you. (Popkey, Fascinato, McDonald Aug/07)  We enjoyed marshmallows by the bonfire and played LOTS of games. We toured the lake on a rented jet ski. We caught a frog, saw a beaver, heard the loons, chased the chipmunks and saw beautiful butterflies. The badminton court was enjoyed thoroughly. - We had a fantastic time! The week was filled with beautiful weather, super company, tons of laughter and our favorite new drink - the "Naked Pirate" The SML is absolutely a perfect place to spend time with family. The 6 and 9 year old loved exploring and the almost "2" year old loved the sandy beach. Thanks for making this such a comfortable place to be. (Dymond, Aug /07) On Sunday the 22nd July. We took some of the boat's up to the island to explore! We all thought it was great. On the way back I decided to swim back. When everyone else was there and I was almost there my mum shouted "Izzy I saw a turtle and Neil said it could be a snapping turtle" so I panicked and swam as fast as I could then stopped and said "you're tricking me then" she said, "I'm not come on lets go turtle hunting". So we did and after about half an hour on a log we saw a turtle we followed it in our boat and then let it go. We called it 'terror'. (by Izzy July/07) On Sunday the 22nd of July I went fishing with my dad. We caught 2 fish but they were quite small. I like the boats. I always wear a life jacket on the boats. We roasted marshmallows on the camp fire. (by Charlotte July/07)  We had a great week here at the Moose. Lots of family came up for overnight visits and lots of games were played and drinks consumed! The weather wasn't great, but enjoyed ourselves anyway. The sea shells were a nice added touch- kept Logan busy for hours. Boys brushed up on Boy Scout fire making skills - would be voted off 'Survivor' for sure! First cast caught a 4 pound pike - and then not even a bite all week :( --> other than mosquitoes! Some of the wildlife spotted included chipmunks, mice, bats, bull frogs, toads, humming birds & large dock spiders and daddy long legs! And don't forget the 29 moose (inside the cottage-lots of time on rainy days) All the extra touches did not go unnoticed and are appreciated. Worked off the beers doing 59 stairs from beach to master bedroom checking on Logan. Highlights included badminton tournaments and bocce ball in tree alley. Hope to see you again - thanks for contributing to our family memories. (Chris, Kimberly & Logan July/07) Ahh yes. This place is the exact way I remember it was. (with the additions of the comfy cozy, easily fall asleepy couches). Yes the chair & couch were very, very comfy! My great grandmother and I found some sea shells at the beach! Mariska had lots of fun in the lake/sand. My uncle's parents came along for the ride and had lots of fun! Badminton, croquet, chess and all that stuff was fun! We had fire works & roasted marshmallows/hot dogs! Mariska crawls every where in this place and she loves it when I scare her! Anywhoo, we had lots o' fun and we can't wait to come back! I'll miss the Smilin' Moose Lodge :( The week went by so fast thanks to all the activities including my uncles 'Nintendo Wii'! Well I gotta go! Bye! Thank you! (Rebecca, 11 yrs July/07) Our annual week at the Smilin' Moose has been fantastic! And this year, we had the greatest fun introducing some new people (visitors from Holland - the Maastricht Braekens) to the joys of the 'Moose'! And let's not forget the latest addition to our family to come to the Moose: Mariska. From badminton to paddling around the lake, we did it all again this year, accompanied by much laughter. This included a hotly contested game of croquet (fortunately for us, we managed to stop the balls from rolling into the lake!) And, of course, our week at the Moose would not be complete without some animal sightings... okay, near-sightings. We had deer tracks on the beach on Sunday night that had not been there before dinner, and we ended up keeping an eye out for any additional tracks the rest of the week. On Thursday, we saw a family of geese - parents and babies - paddling across the lake. Despite some cooler weather earlier in the week, we had an amazing week! It's absolutely incredible how fast our week here went by, as we continue to add to our collection of Moose memories. Thank you, Pete & Marj, for your hospitality!!! (Tunney, Braeken, & Swiddle Families July/07)  Thank you again. The memories that we will keep, will always be in our hearts. For the animals we saw and those that we missed will live in our memories. (Frank, Rose, Frances, Merry July/07) |
2006  Thank you for everything. We all had a blast at the Smilin' Moose. You have truly thought of everything. Looking forward to next year. (Aug 19-26/06) Thank you for having such a well stocked house! We had a wonderful time and the kids broke every water safety rule ever written!! Sorry about the shuttlecock on the roof and all the others that met a dreadful end but you will find a new can in the cupboard. The Naval battles were all won by the children - fathers limped away in humiliating defeat! (Aug 12-19/06) Fantastic week!! (Michael, Connie, Hong Kong) I had lots of fun but I didn't like the leech stuck to me! Thank-you ! (Emily) Had lots of fun running around playing everywhere. Wars in the water (all won by us kids) cards, running and playing hide and go seek tag outside in the water and on land and breaking all water safety rules with cousins & JUST BEING A KID made this whole vacation excellent. THANK YOU SO MUCH Hope we can come back! (Caitlin) Your house is very good for hide and go seek tag outside and inside. (Mika) Your house is awesome!! (Cole) Toby says "a log in the mouth is better than two on the beach" (Toby, the golden retriever) Playing Scattergories while drinking ice wine makes for some interesting words! (Chris) Much swimming, eating, drinking of wine, boating and savoring of victory from the naval wars (though mostly by the children- the grownups enjoyed the super-soakers!) (Toronto) The little ones enjoyed finding buried gold on the island! (Elizabeth 5yrs, Madeline 3yrs) The dog was in dog heaven! We had such a great time. Thanks for everything. (Aug 12-19/06) Dear Smilin Moose Lodge! We had a great time. We really enjoyed our stay and had lots of fun. (Aug 5-12/06 the Bell's, Palmer's) We loved the lodge, it was great. Lets Party. That's how much we enjoyed it. (Jordyn)  Thank You...For letting us stay. We had a lot of fun. (anon.) I had an awesome time staying at the Smilin' Moose Lodge for the week. We had fun jumping off the raft, canoe & kayak, paddle boat & making sand castles on the beach. We had tournaments of horseshoes, badminton, & croquet which were really fun. I'm going to miss this place so much! (Kelsy 13yrs) Awesome time at Smilin' Moose. The badminton, croquet, swimming, the beach and so much more, snakes on the island, paddle boat fun and don't forget the tanning :) (Kristy 13yrs) I had a great time here at the Smilin' Moose. We went in the paddle boat, played board games and went in the canoe. We also had olympics and we had tournaments and some of the activities were croquet, badminton and even fishing! Thank you for letting us stay at the Moose! (Alana 11yrs) I caught a two pound pike. (Jonathan 8yrs) I had a great time. It is a kid heaven here. I caught a 2 1/2 pound large mouth bass and ate it for dinner. The boats are cool, and the supply of toys are fantastic. Also the fire pit is so great and we had huge fires. (Andrew 11yrs July 29-Aug 5/06)  I had the time of my life. Fun times in the cottage...fun times outdoors...the beach, swimming, badminton (the list goes on...) (Julia 7yrs) Everyone had a wonderful time. With so much to do we could have stayed for two weeks. We will take many memories with us- even the misadventures have a place on our recollections. We did not find any moose prints on the beach but hope you enjoy the Moose print we found at 'Art in the Park'. (Kathy & Jim) Good times were had by all at the Smilin' Moose! We swam every day at least once, had some serious badminton matches (all for bragging rights, really) Played on the beach... We certainly will always remember this vacation- Cameron with the dance moves (dancin' 2 year old!) The tree on the road (are you sure you gave me the right directions?) The Moose Puppet The baby leeches on Julia's foot (we can still hear the screaming!!) The intense evening card games (and Keith's "I made up a new game"...) Jim (Poppy) the badminton master champion and most of all - Connor (2 yrs) - referring to the vacuum "is it going to blow me away?" :) (Stacy, Jason, Julia & Cameron) A fabulous week! Great weather, great food & wonderful company. An ideal setting makes for years of memories. Dinner at the Bay Street Cafe Ice cream at the Kawartha Dairy Cards 'til you drop (or lose all your money) Connor's concern for Cameron "Did the moose eat him?" laughter, laughter, and more laughter!! (L,K & C)  Wow time flies! But I had a great time @ the smilin' moose. I had fun canoeing 2 one side of the lake and swimming back 2 the other. Sure we didn't catch any fish but I had a good time anyway. But 1 of the best parts ever was making a bonfire and roasting marshmallows. We had a challenge between my mom and my uncle it was an Iron Chef Bake-Off. We found 3 toads and 1 frog. (We even named them!) Their names were: Lenny, Morty, Jimmy, and Timmy. (anonymous, July 8-14/06) I am going to miss the cottage. And going in the deep end and play in the sand. (Brycen, 6 yrs old, July 8-14/06) Its us again (for the third time) We just arrived today but I can't wait to play badminton with the pink net and the swimming is going to be fun! But I hope I don't get any leeches on my toes this year (Long story...) I love the puppet moose and the flying bird in the living room. (by Rebecca, age 10)  We have had another amazing week at the Smilin' Moose. How could a week go by so quickly?! We re-discovered badminton a& croquet on the lawn. And the quiet solitude of lounging on the deck, watching the lake. Our traditional Canada Day fireworks display- moved to July 2nd because of rain - was a huge hit. So were the roasted marshmallows and bonfire. We have all enjoyed our week at the Moose. This is truly an understatement, as each of us did as many things (Swimming, boating, sand-castle building, golfing, +++) or as little (snoozing on the deck) as we wanted. Every time we come back to the Moose, we build on our memories from previous years. Thank you so very much, Pete & Marj, for your hospitality. You have made the Moose feel very much like home. It isn't just the kids any more...everyone's saying it... no one wants to go home! With best regards and thanks, (the Tunney, Swiddle, Braeken Families July 1-8/06) |
Saw white tailed deer, raccoons, red squirrels, and chipmunks that fed from our hands. Lovely. What I most enjoyed about the Smilin' Moose was jumping in the lake and using the kayak. Loved the location of this place, right combination of wilderness and modern essentials (electricity). Hope the deer skull [we found] helps add to the collection. (Hugh, Cathy, Izzy, Nick, Jamie - 2 weeks in Aug /05)
The deer head has found its happy resting place
Loved our stay at the Smilin' Moose. Enjoyed a wonderful week! Thank you! (Graham, Rebecka, Rachel Aug /05)
Sunny days, starry nites
Enjoyed a fabulous time filled with extraordinary activity! This is a very nice place. Thank you very much for sharing this great place!!! (Alexandra, Hans & children 2 weeks in July /05)
Once again, the Smilin' Moose delivered on the promise of a great family vacation. The beach, the boat, badminton, and the Canada Day bonfire - complete with fireworks and Although some of us didn't go in the canoe... not wanting a repeat of The availability of the sports channels were welcomed with great enthusiasm A great big "THANK YOU!!!" to Marj and Pete for your hospitality. Best Regards, (the Tunney, Swiddle, Braeken Families July /05) |
"We are back home now [in England ] and thought we'd drop you a line thanking you for the excellent "You really do have every angle covered with the facilities there. Our kids were safe and a great time (Trevor, Lynn , Eleanor & Lois Aug /04) "Thank you very much for providing such a well equipped beautiful cottage. The extra thought and (Trevor, Lynn , Eleanor & Lois Aug /04)
"FAMILY, FUN, FOOD. Thanks for the happy memories we will carry forward!" (the Hare family Aug /04)
"We had a terrific holiday in late July - the weather was perfect, the beach was great, (N. Meagher July /04) "We enjoyed a GREAT week at the Smilin' Moose Lodge. What a beautiful property. (the Meagher Summer Vacation July /04)
"We had a great holiday and found the cottage very thoughtfully and well equipped. "Thank you guys so much again, it was a great week and our 10 year anniversary of our (McFarland and Scully July /04)
To Smilin' Moose. I really like Smilin' Moose but what I really like is the Moose head and the P.S. Smilin Moose is as good as a $100.
"We had the best week at the Smilin' Moose! Although we didn't actually see a moose, "And we definitely took advantage of all the games in the storage closet. Badminton was a huge hit, "The weather cooperated (mid 20's and sunny all week) and we were even treated to a "The SML was absolutely terrific, with enough room for all of us to rest, relax, and just be... "We would absolutely, positively love to come back!" (the Tunney, Swiddle, Braeken Families July 1/04) "2 thumbs up for this vacation. When can we go again?" (R. Braeken July 1/04) "Thanks for the wonderful time! Our baby loved the beach and the fresh air. (V., G., and A. Tunney July 1/04) "Wow! Great place! The Smilin' Moose is what I ever imagined. I wish I could come again! (Rebecca July 1/04)
"What an amazing place- The lazy day we spent yesterday in the pedal boat and kayak was one of (the Gagne family June /04)
"What a beautiful cottage! Hopefully you'll let us come back next year!" (Antin May/04) "What a wonderful place to celebrate a 40th Birthday with family, friends and loved ones!" (L. Tkaczuk May /04)
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"We were very spoiled. Whatever we forgot, you had. We all loved our special time at the Smilin' Moose." "We relaxed and enjoyed. Thanks!!" (N. Ames Fall /03) "Your cottage is very beautiful. Thanks for letting us stay here!" (Christine S. Fall /03) "Where there is room in the heart there is always room in the home. We want to 'THANK YOU' for "Our hearts were thoroughly warmed." (the Sr. Ames Thanksgiving /03) |
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