Parkbridge Resorts Lakes of Wasaga Stay
I am a cottage girl. I have been doing that from the time I was born actually. I don’t think we have ever missed a year. So, cottage season is a big deal here. We are renters. Every single year. We have talked, but never seriously, about buying a cottage. Buying a cottage costs a lot of money and really, how long would we use it? Would we do well with all that upkeep? Would we travel each weekend in the summer to the cottage 3-4 hours away just to cut the lawn? I am not convinced.
We love travel and we try to do so affordably every time we go. Trailers and campers are another way to go, but I am not THAT Mom. My kids know: Mom doesn’t camp. So where does that leave a cottage lover?
Parkbridge Resorts has an interesting model, which gives me food for thought. Towards the end of our really lovely, but occasionally wet summer, we ended up in Wasaga Beach visiting Parkbridge Resorts Lakes of Wasaga. I was not compensated for this post, but we were given four days to stay at Lakes of Wasaga. I decided to post about the property because I think it’s interesting to my Ontario readers who like travel.
This is what I spied the moment I walked in.
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| My favourite girls |
There are four pools in Parkbridge Resorts Lakes of Wasaga. That includes a small beach area near the one pool, a splash pad and an indoor pool too. We tried each of the pools just so we could say we had done it all. The pools are all heated and fairly shallow for family members of all ages. There are regularly scheduled activities at the banquet hall throughout the summer as soon as school is out. So there is a corn roast one afternoon, a trip to the zoo and wagon rides planned throughout the summer. That makes this setting a perfect space for grandparents and extended families.
I spoke to several residents throughout our four day stay and each mentioned how much they loved the atmosphere. I legitimately was interested. But when you ask the people in the know and they also give singing recommendations of how much fun the busy summer months are when kids take their paddle boats and kayaks and remote controlled boats out on the small lake, well that was a really excellent endorsement.
The playground was flanked by a tennis court, an outdoor hockey area, and a small miniature golf course. We were allowed access to all of that and we loved trying everything out. The miniature golf isn’t overly taxing and was extremely popular the day we tried it.
It rained a lot the weekend we stayed, but the cabin was spacious and comfortable and we were able to explore the day we arrived and the day we left. We took several walks just after it rained and counted 35 frogs and toads one afternoon. But that wasn’t all…one night we ran into a person who owns a unit at Lakes of Wasaga who said the lake was usually very busy and she asked us if we had seen the beaver that was living there. I laughed thinking she was joking. But later that day we looked out and Ainsley spied something in the water. In fact, I still didn’t believe her.
But about an hour later I spied a massive brown rock which was definitely moving. We slowly inched up behind the rock and found a beaver sitting there. I was stunned, and the kids were astonished in a good way. That’s our kind of vacation fun, exploring and finding suprise wildlife after a rain.
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So many great areas to take a stroll We stayed for four days at Wasaga Beach Lakes of Wasaga Parkbridge Resorts. The three bedroom cabin was clean and well maintained. Every little thing we could possibly need was there. There were cabins and chalets on the property. They are heated and also can be used well into the fall months. Ours easily slept five but could have slept 7-8 because of the foldout couch in the living room area. There was a moment when I panicked because I bought a bottle of wine with a cork in it. I figured I would end up taking it home, but I happily found a corkscrew in the drawer and managed to open said wine bottle. Happy clapping! What Can You Expect?Cupboards are full equipped with dishes, pots and pans, silverware, cookie sheets, and ours even had a few games in one of the closets. You do need to bring sheets and sleeping bags and towels and toilet paper and items like that. A small note inside one of the cupboards informed me that the unit we were in was owned privately and occasionally rented out, which led me to wonder exactly how Parkbridge Resorts function. So I asked. How Does Parkbridge Work?Units purchased new can be bought outright or you can make a down payment of as little as 10 % and pay the rest with financing. (I found one on sale for $110,000.) If you know cottage prices, then you recognize that this is a very good price. There are also rentals. So you could stay for a four day period as I did. The cost for that appeared to be about $800. There was television inside the unit for the rainy times, but no Wifi, which is never a glitch for me because I travel with portable Wifi so I can work anywhere. Side note: the web site says there is Wifi connection available. The owner has use of the Park, Model/RV or cottage from April to November. A seasonal fee is spread out over the year. The owner of the RV or cottage rents the land the cottage sits on. Lot rentals are broken down into three groups: Premium, Premium Plus and Regular.Lot rates are: $4,085 for Premium Plus, $3795 for Premium, and Regular is $3490. All sites pay a tax assessment surcharge of $175 a year and $220 for municipal water and sewer, hydro and gas are individually metered. Fees increase annually. A portion of the fees are for future development of owner’s resort such as new equipment, pools, or gazebos. Owners are responsible for some maintenance of their site. They must cut their grass for instance. In Ontario Parkbridge Resorts operate 21 resort properties. There are 9 in the Kawarthas, 5 in Georgian Bay and 7 in Southern Ontario Region.Many years we have stayed in Southampton with family. I love the beach and the cottage we often rent there, but the cost to buy there is not manageable for most families. We also often rent with other family members at Sauble Beach, but I am not a huge fan of the actual beach in Sauble. I love the company and enjoy the area, but I also kind of worry about the busy nature of the beach and the cars that are parked all over it. This area called Lakes of Wasaga fills a gap nicely and didn’t have any big draw backs that I could see. The drive from Toronto is only 1.5 hours. From London it is closer to 3 1/2, or 4 hours.So that still doesn’t completely take care of my grass cutting issue. But, I like the price. I liked the area and the community and the cabin/chalet itself. Also new Wasaga Beach has a lot of amenities. Lakes of Wasaga had several restaurants and some retail within a 5 to 10 minute drive. Wasaga is less than 30 minutes to Collingwood. I will be giving this idea some thought and serious financial consideration. I enjoy having the option of getting away and Lakes of Wasaga cabins and chalets met my level of comfort.The Parkbridge Resorts are on Pinterest and Instagram. |
12 Comments
Margarita Ibbott
I cannot thank you enough for taking my son with you. I know he just loved it but who wouldn’t when he had the attention of those two beautiful girls of yours… I loved my stay also. It was so great.
Paula Schuck
It was our pleasure!
Suzanne
We were lucky to stay at a Parkbridge property this summer as well Paula and we had an awesome time #Glamping. I can tell you guys did too!
Annemarie Leblanc
Wow I’ve never heard of this place before, I would love to go their with my family!
Paula Schuck
Highly recommend!
Little Miss Kate
We had our first family beach day this summer at Wasaga. I am hoping we can go back next year with the kids for longer. This looks like a great place to stay.
coffee with julie
Oh, this property looks just so perfect for families! We stayed in a similar type of set-up when we were in Australia this summer and my kids loved the freedom of being able to roam about and play at the playground without constant supervision. As for the adults, we loved the extra room that a cabin gave us (as opposed to a tent or a hotel room).
Renee Kaiman
What a great review. We are also cottagers and also always talk about hoping to one day own a cottage. Obviously the price that comes along with said cottage is always the issue for us too. What a great option to own something that is affordable and comes with amenities or at least a great rental option. I’ve never heard of this resort and will look into it as an option for next summer.
Paula Schuck
Julie: I am totally jealous. This setup in Australia would be a dream!
Anonymous
I am a long time resident of a Resort which was taken over by Parkbridge approximately eight years ago. In the last eight years, our seasonal site fee has more than doubled! Some advice, think long and hard before purchasing a unit in a Parkbridge resort! Speak to other owners and ask lots of questions!
Paula Schuck
I think it’s good advice to always research any major purchase.
Anonymous
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