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FOR dinner at Ken and Carol Turner's Woodland Echoes, between Cecebe and Ahmic lakes
at Magnetawan, and you may find yourself coming back to stay for days or weeks.Two qualities seem to endear this secluded vacation spot to visitors: The proprietors firmly believe that small is beautiful; They also try to avoid extra charges for amenities. Tennis courts, mountain bikes, GPS instruments, hot tubs, canoes, kayaks and rowboats are all included, though you do pay extra for an outboard motor. The Turners have 10 deluxe cottages on 8 hectares of river and lakefront at the edge of Magnetawan village, about 72 km north of Huntsville. and 287 km north of Toronto. Two of the cottages are kept open all winter for those who want to take part in dog-sledding, snow shoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. The other eight usually close around the end of October. You'll be welcomed for dinner at Woodland Echoes even if you're not a guest, provided you make an advance reservation. Call 705-387-3866 or visit woodlandechoes.on.ca. For dinner you'll be invited to choose from three entrees which change every day. A typical Wednesday menu could include pork tenderloin, $19.98, homemade turkey a la king, $14.98, or individual zucchini quiche, $12.98. The dining room is licensed. This is a family-style resort, patronized by families and run by a family. Carol Turner's father, George Hurford, bought the property in 1950, built a cottage here and later a fishing camp. Carol and Ken took over in 1981. With help of son, Dave, they developed the place into a full-service resort with a wide range of activities and amenities. These include a good beach, volleyball courts, garden chess, secluded nooks, walking trails, good fishing and a chance to learn a new sport called Geo-caching. Geo-caching is a kind of geologic treasure hunt, sponsored by the Canadian Ecology Centre, at Mattawa. In it, you use a Global Positioning Instrument to locate a cache of historic and geologic information from which you select a small prize and leave a similar item for the next player. On my brief visit to Woodland Echoes I enjoyed meeting a big majestic trumpeter swan named Eddie who lives in the river beside the resort. He accepted a handful of dried corn from my wife, Joyce, and trumpeted loudly in appreciation. The resort offers a wide variety of vacation plans, including a modified American Plan which provides two meals a day and accommodation from $108-$125 per person per day, depending on the season. Housekeeping cottages range from $149 for a one-bedroom unit to $199 for three bedrooms in off seasons. |