Turning It Up A Notch: 6 Good Ways To Fight Boredom At The Cottage This Summer

Oh, the great outdoors! A beautiful hot day, surrounded by nature in the company of friends and family. The quiet and stillness can be at its best: relaxing. At its worse it can begin to get … a little dull. But it doesn’t have to be! Here is a list from cottagemixtape.com of 6 Good Ways To Fight Boredom At The Cottage This Summer!

1. Take A Long Walk Off A Short Dock

Nothing can be more exhilarating than jumping into a lake on a hot summer’s day, so why not take the plunge! Swimming, snorkelling, paddleboarding, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, water polo are all fun activities that can be enjoyed in the lake. Or for those with a more laid-back approach, you can just bask in the sun on your inflatable pool float with a drink!

2. Hit The Beach

No lake, no problem. Ontario has over half a million lakes and waterways and there are plenty of public beaches with day access. Why not make it an adventure? Stick your feet into some hot sand or exfoliate on some Canadian shield. Online resources are an easy way to help you find beaches nearby with a simple word search. Don’t forget to visit Ontario Travel Information Centres for free maps and brochures:

Ontario Travel (Beaches): www.ontariotravel.net/en/play/beaches

Ontario Travel Information Centres: www.ontariotravel.net/en/plan/otics

3. Take a Hike or Ride A Bike

Get moving by exploring nearby trails by foot or bike. Contact your local parks information centre for hiking trail suggestions and maps. There are different levels of difficulties for everyone from easy to more difficult trails for the more adventurous. But if you are going to be a trail blazer maybe learn the trail signs (blazes) to make sure you are always going in the right direction.

Look up trails in Ontario at ontariotrails.on.ca: www.ontariotrails.on.ca/trails/activity/cycling—roads-paths

4. Explore Nearby Towns

All roads lead to… somewhere. So why not travel out to your nearest small-town to stock up and, while you are there, why not check out the unique things they have to offer (antiques, food, breweries, tours). Often, you will find places not even listed online through your conventional sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor or Google Maps. For those who are really daring, you can even visit nearby ghost towns. Sometimes accessibility to these ghost towns can be restricted or difficult, so it is important to do some investigating and probably take the car that has 4-wheel drive. Proceed (to have fun) with caution.

5. Make Some Food

When you are out in nature, it’s all about the fundamentals and what can be more fundamental than eating delicious food. Deciding on what to eat could require a fair amount of planning. Grocery stores could be far away or limited and depending on the kitchen you are using it may have its own limitations: size; counter space; fridge space; what you are cooking on. So, plan well ahead in order to make cooking a breeze. Have a good mix of simple foods and maybe a couple of really epic dinners. Taking in consideration, what fresh food should be eaten first. You don’t want waste, it can attract animals to your cottage or campsite. But if you are outside and have the option why not barbecue? For meat eaters and vegetarians alike it adds a flavour that is unique to summer.

6. Listen to the Cottage Country Mix (of course)

Ultimately, the best way of turning it up a notch is by turning it up notch and listening to Dougie Boom’s Cottage Country Mix right here. With 23 volumes with over 25 hours of rock and roll mixed by DJ Dougie Boom it’s a good way shake up the most stifled party, when you need it.