| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 7:38:08 AM | Could not find a suitable forum to ask this question so I hope this will do.
Specifically Canadians, you see a lot of reference to Cottage, and Cottage Life. What does that mean? I've never heard that term used in the U.S. | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 7:48:41 AM | HI. It means that they enjoy spendint time at the cottage in the summer as for cottage life its the camping life.... So ppl like to spend all summer at their cottages and others go every other week. Its like their home away from home | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 7:50:40 AM | | Do they own cottages or rent them like a camping site? Is this a rich person luxury or a normal person vacation? | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 7:52:00 AM | Cottage life in most cases is sleeping where the tree falls and you can hear it. Waking to mist on the water, smelling campfire smoke on your clothes, a place were make up is not allowed, swim to the spot were the weeds tickle your feet and wonder how big the pike is swimming beneath you, watching the sunset were the only obstruction are the ducks flying across the horizon, a place were time doesn’t exist and phones don’t work, a place to dream, a place to cast a rod and wait, a place were the stars congregate and satellite dishes floating across the night sky is considered entertainment. A place were a wooden shack is considered better than a 5 star hotel.
A place were memories are made. | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 7:54:35 AM | You can own one if you have the $$$$$ or simply rent one........nothing sweeter than going up to a cottage, hanging out in the hammock, sitting around the campfire, and yes we must not forget putting your fishing rod in our beautiful lakes and doing some  | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:03:18 AM | I love going to the cottage. A lot of people have cottages in Ontario- small to large houses on one of the hundreds of lakes and rivers that are north of Toronto. Cottage life is enduring the 2-5 hour drive on a Friday to escape from it all, to enjoy the water, boating, wakeboarding, jetskiing, enjoying the campfire, having friends up for the weekend, walking in nature, BBQing great food. For me, it's about all of the above and more. Rather than go "away" somewhere during our wonderful summer months, we go to the cottage - it's a vacation every weekend. And it would seem if one does not have a cottage, most people know someone who does. Our cottage is a one bedroom house with water, full kitchen, full bathroom and shower and heaters. We could sit until 5am in front of the campfire, laughing, drinking and talking. It's about watching the sun go down, or the sun come up. It's about getting away from the distractions - no TV, no electronics, no video games - just fun in the sun. It's about the kids running free and enjoying frisbee, volleyball, tubing, the water, and family. It's about catching up on all those books you want to read. It's about a leisurly afternoon fishing and not caring if you catch anything or not. It's about memories - even when it rains. It's about seeing a rabbit or deer walk by and loving it for it's simplicity. It's about not having to wake up early to go to the office, about making love under the stars with someone special ;) (I'm still looking for him though).
I'm surprised - do people not have cottages in the US? You are missing out! | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:03:28 AM | | Ok...so basically it's just what we in the U.S. call camping? | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:06:05 AM | | No way, not camping at all.....you have to make it to Canada to find out! | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:07:03 AM | bryan
its like camping... only its better...
its like playing grizzly adams in a
nice little place... with running water. etc.
:)
there are bears in canada you know... not in florida....
big bears...
out in them woods.
:) | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:09:07 AM | Could not find a suitable forum to ask this question so I hope this will do.
This type of question fit into "Off Topic" Forum. We have a friend who owes and live in a cottage out of City Limit with large acres of lands and a horse barn, very relaxing life. | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:13:21 AM | I grew up in canada... at least spent my summers there.....
at a cottage on Bear Lake.
Canada is not like florida...
not at all.
Its not so populated and there is a lot of raw senic beauty...
the lakes have ROCKS at the bottom... not sand...
and the woods are WOODS... like forests... green and so
beautiful you just could not imagine.
There is nothing like that down in the southern USA.
The water is cold...
the air is crisp.....
too bad my parents sold that cabin... *sigh | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:20:23 AM | We Canadians are a different breed with respect to our downtime (I use to live in CT, NJ and Northern VA). Given we have a ton of lakes (I'm not referring to the Great Lakes, you would need to consult a geographical map) across our country, Canadians spend their downtime (if they can afford it) living at a cottage and commuting to work in the summer. Our kids get to swim in clean water, explore their environment (they actually go out and play, build forts, hike) and act as kids should (usually no TV or Video Games, no fast food chains within walking distance). Time is spent visiting with neighbors, reading, playing water sports. In some areas a cottage has a dual purpose, water focus in summer, winter sports in winter.
Cotages are usually permanent no frill homes (there are exceptions, for example the Muskoka's in northern Ontario where a cottage can cost several million), fixer-uppers (yup we enjoy putting in docks, rehabing the property to suit our tastes).
The focus of cottage life is relaxation in whatever form a person choses. | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:22:58 AM | Cottage life to me is hanging at my cabin, ignoring all the improvements I should be doing, having a fire, craking the wine open, talking with the old dudes fishing and petting the stray cats.
AKA...Chilin in da easy. | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:26:55 AM | ummmmmm I love cottage life,, I say we all pack up and head for the cottage!!!   | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:28:00 AM | | Maine is full of cottages and camps, mostly owned by people south of Maine as a home away from home. They come up here to escape the summer heat and humidity. Because most cottages are at or near water, prices have skyrocketed. Most cottages in southern Maine have power and phone and at least 1 television. In northern Maine one can find cottages with no power or phone line, nor TV. On average most cottages are held to make money. During summer months one can rent them by the week for $500 to $1200 a week, and during winter anywhere from $200 a month on up. Cottage life here in Maine has everything to do with having access by boat to a body of water. | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:28:40 AM | I still sometimes have dreams
of that cabin in canada... and being there.
It was on top of a hill that looked down on the lake...
it had a HUGE picture window..... and 2 decks.
It took a long time driving on dirt roads to get to it.
The neighbors were doctors and lawyers kids..
meaning they had NICE boats !
We would blow up latex exam gloves
( to the size of a large pumpkin) and use them for bobbers
when we fished.. LOL
You would sit on the dock and fish would swim by where
you could SEE them in the water ( clear water)
I guess it was the most beautiful
place on earth I ever saw.
the downside... had frogs sooooooooo big
that they were the size of a gallon jar.
Canada green is not like florida green... canada green is dark green..
not dried up half burnt green | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:29:36 AM | We have that in the US....or rather did. It's been phased out as people put more of their investments into a primary residence for whatever reason. Suffice to say that spending your discretionary income in that fashion has fallen out of vogue in the lower 48.
Here in the states it was referred to as a vacation house...we had one when I was a child in the Smokey mountains of N. Carolina. Large rustic cabin atop a mountain outside of Highlands, NC...used to go up for a month or two in the summer to escape the Florida heat/craziness. | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:29:51 AM | Never heard this term before, but I guess I can relate. My Father is a College Professor, and my Mother was a Home maker. During Dads' Semestral breaks (3 months in summer and a month and a half in winter), we had a Cottage in Chatham on Cape Cod for the summer and a Log Cabin in Bennington Vermont for the Winter. Both were essentially like big one room houses, with a seperate bathroom and, the other normal amendities. There was no TV, only a radio at most, and we didn't have all these modern electronic gizmos. In summer we were on the shore or bay all day, and in the winter, out sledding, skiiing, or what have you. I personally loved the cabin in the mountains better than the shore, but that is just my tastes. Is this similar to what you Canucks mean by "Cottaging"? Sounds like a fantastic lifestyle, very simillar to what I dream of doing when I retire.
Have fun ;)! | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:42:56 AM | | my Grandparents (now my Aunt) have a cottage in Algonquin Park which was built in 1920. It has no electricity, no running water, outhouse and a 1/4 mile walk from the road. It is built into a rock face and looks over Joe lake... I took my teenage twin boys up there a couple of weeks ago for the first time.. It was almost impossible to convince them to leave behind their computer games and get them to come along. We canoed, had campfires, walked in the woods( the leaves were just starting to turn colour), did the tours, saw lots of wildlife (even a moose) and the stars at night were amazing. I spent hours floating out on the lake in the mist just meditating, alowing the beauty of nature to fill my soul and letting myself slow down and relax. On the way home my boys surprised me by saying they had a great time, when can they come back and if they could bring a friend next time. Cottage life is the perfect cure for stress and the best way in the world to relax and enjoy life. | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 8:55:11 AM |
there are bears in canada you know... not in florida....
big bears...
lol...actually, there is a significant bear population in Florida. Bobcats too. True statement. | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 9:11:01 AM | ^^^^Bryan: I was just going to point that out but you beat me to it!!
Sans | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 9:15:32 AM | | Cottage life is the best Op. It simply means rest relaxation and reconnection with nature. Camping is similar but is not quite as enjoyable,being you have somewhere to go when it rains. Also Cottage life is enjoyed in the summertime (usually) which isnt all that long in Canada. | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 9:39:05 AM | I remember a buddy telling me about a 500 pound Florida Bear they had to put down a few years ago. In addition to Bobcats the Florida Panther (Courgar, Mt. Lion) grows quite large in tyhe Bayous. Any Canadian thinking Florida is no longer wild should talk to their Dr. before Canoeing anywhere inland in Florida. With all due respect Florida's remaining wilds can kill you quite a bit faster then anything in Canada.
Sorry my Canadian friends, "Cottage Life" is not a Canadian or US tradition, our ancestors brought it here. "Cottages" are usually framed edifices and might have foundations, traditional cabins are made of logs.
When I'm in Wyoming and tired of folks at the ranch I can go to our high country camp. Wall tents, but I get just as much joy out of it as any Cape Codder or Adirondacker. Thorn, my sister has a 1,200' Square "cottage" in Chatham. It's wonderful, on an estuary that I can sea kayak out into Nantucket Sound. I love it, for a week or so, then I need elevation. If I really loved the beach I could have been happily married many times many years ago. | |
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| What is Cottage Life?
Posted: 10/4/2006 10:10:43 AM | Well I must tell you that I'd never heard of such a thing as cottaging or cottage life until I joined POF and it is mentioned on almost every Canadian's profile or at least in thread here or there on the forums.
It has intrigued me to no end.
Now that I've heard what it is, I'm extremely jealous. I want to go cottaging. Is that the correct way to say that? It sounds absolutely restful and intoxicating. | |
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