Few sights are as synonymous with Muskoka as the beautiful steamships in Gravenhurst at the Muskoka Wharf. And as of August 1st, the Wennonah II – one half of the beloved Muskoka Steamships, the other, named the Segwun – resumed public cruises on the breathtaking blue waters of Lake Muskoka.
For those unfamiliar, this unique Muskoka experience offers passengers the opportunity to see Lake Muskoka in a totally new way. The cruises help showcase just how beautiful Muskoka is and just how special it is to visit or call home. To celebrate the Steamships’ return to sailing this summer, here are 3 tips to make sure you get the most out your visit to the Wharf and a cruise aboard the majestic Steamships.
#1 – Make It Comfy: Bring Us With You
We love cruises and you will too when you’re in your cottage comfy Muskoka Bear Wear! Sometimes the wind on the water can be cool, so we recommend bringing along a Ladies Camp Hoody or Men’s Quarter-Zip. You will enjoy the scenic rocks, trees and wildlife from the deck of the Wennonah II as she effortlessly floats across the water. < relaxing sigh >
#2 – Great Selfie Locations at the Wharf
There are several great spots for selfies worth checking out while you’re at the Wharf. The most obvious one is directly where the beautiful ships are docked as seen above. Another is at the Gazebo located along the boardwalk at the Wharf. And if you want to get a different angle entirely, take a 2-minute drive to the Lions Lookout Park for a great view of the Steamships – from the other side!
#3 – Sale of the Week Items
Be sure to check out this week’s Sale of the Week page on our website for some sweet deals on your favourite Canadian-made Muskoka Bear Wear – including the Ladies Quarter-Zip in Lilac!
To learn more about the Steamships, check out this week’s MBW Shout Out.
In response to the challenging times that we are experiencing together regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to give props to some stellar local businesses who are stepping up to serve our great community.
Featured this Week:
Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre, Gravenhurst Website: www.realmuskoka.com
If you have been to or through Muskoka, there’s a good chance you will recognize the stunning Muskoka Steamships – the Wennonah II and the Segwun. Resting peacefully at the Muskoka Wharf in Gravenhurst for most of the year, these humble, but majestic ships have been offering up public cruises through the major Lakes of Muskoka for decades. With an impressive heritage that spans the entire history of Gravenhurst … literally – the Steamships first set sail in 1866, while Gravenhurst was founded 21 years later in 1887 – the Steamships have been attracting visitors from the around the world to our mini slice of heaven here in Muskoka.
With 2020 however, came COVID-19 and that meant the Steamships had to make the difficult decision to close and cancel their early-season cruises. Locals grew to miss the familiar ship whistle ringing through town as the ships used to come and go from the Wharf. But, with hard work and dedication, the stellar team behind the Steamships and Discovery Centre introduced some new Safety Measures for passengers and were able to resume public cruises on August 1st.
With touch-free temperature checks and pre-cruise screening and contact-tracing, reduced passenger capacity, increased staff training, cleaning and sanitizing along with mandatory masks, physical social distancing and more, the Steamships have really stepped their game up to ensure a safe experience for all who choose to enjoy a cruise this summer.
We would like to acknowledge and give props to the team at the Steamships for their perseverance and their commitment to safety. This certainly has not been an easy or straight forward summer, to be clear, so we’re proud to see the Steamships up and running again and have heard nothing by glowing response from those we know who have already sailed this summer. Way to go to all involved and wishing you a successful, albeit shortened, sailing season and all the best moving forward.
In response to the challenging times that we are experiencing together regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to give props to some stellar local businesses who are stepping up to serve our great community.
For this, our 20th week of MBW Shout Outs, we’re heading to Torrance, Ontario to feature PIE, the Wood-Fired Pizza Joint.
First opened in 2016, PIE was built in an old boat garage on what many see only as a scarcely populated stretch of road between Gravenhurst and Bala. But after some hard work and ingenuity, PIE created a unique space for locals and visitors alike. And they must be doing something right as they’ve served over 200,000+ pizzas since 2016. From the Pepperoni Classic to the Masi Caprese and Green Egg & Ham, they offer a wide variety of unique pizza pies that are sure to offer something for everyone.
Just as it affected everyone else however. Covid-19 came along and forced PIE to rely solely on their takeout service after an initial 14-day closure. Fortunately, with a great team in place, PIE was able to navigate their way through the various re-opening phases and are still doing everything they can to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for their patrons. They have been able to expand on their service options and are doing what they do best: slinging delicious pizzas! They told us how grateful they were for the ongoing support of the community and their stellar team.
Well, we want to congratulate PIE and acknowledge their amazing team for all their hard work and commitment to their business, obviously, but also to serving the community. Delicious, fresh, hot pizza can be a huge mood enhancer and during these tough times, there can never be too many of those. Way to go guys – keep up the terrific work!
While no one wants to admit it, we’re coming into the final few weeks of summer and that means making sure to appreciate as many moments as we can – especially those with our furry best friends. To help out, we’ve compiled a fun, simple bucket list of four things you and your dog can enjoy together before we inevitably fall into fall.
#1 – Take In A Sunset
Sunsets happen each and every single day – albeit sometimes behind a few clouds – but we think everyone could benefit from stopping and enjoying even one special sunset before summer’s end.
#2 – Time On The Dock
If you’re going to be near water between now and the end of summer, we’re prescribing some time on the dock. Is there anything more calming than listening to the water lap up against the side of the dock, the birds, the breeze. Slow things down a bit so you and your puppers can enjoy some time on the dock.
#3 – Matching Outfit Day
• BONUS • For added fun, try a Muskoka Bear Wear Doggie Bandana when coordinating your outfit. They are currently available in a wide variety of colours and sizes for just about any dog! And, that’s not even the best part, with each Doggie Bandana sold, we donate $5 to our local Muskoka OSPCA – so you can feel good knowing you’re supporting local animals while your dog is looking awesome! Now that’s PAWsome!
#4 – Go For A Hike
Next to “Want a treat?”, “Wanna go for a walk?” has to be every dog’s favourite question in the world. With new smells, new sights and getting in some exercise, every walk is an adventure for your dog. Try finding someplace new to explore together, or stopping somewhere just to relax and take it in. We’re confident it won’t just be your dog enjoying the time out!
We think the above ideas make an achievable bucket list, what do you think? Be sure to tag @muskokabearwear on the adventures that you take us and your dogs on!
Oh, and that reminds us… we’re extending our Canada’s Cutest Pet Contest! Send us a pic of your Pet wearing our Ontario Made custom Doggie Bandana for a chance to win a $25 Online MBW Gift Card!
Post your photos with the name of your Pet anytime on Facebook or Instagram& don’t forget to use the hashtag #muskokabearwear or send them by DM.
We’ll be selecting 3 lucky winners each day and we will also be matching that with a $25 Donation for each Winner to our local Muskoka OSPCA. As always, we will continue to donate $5 from each Doggie Bandana sold as well.
The winners will be selected daily from August 14th – 20th 2020 with the final winner announced Friday morning August 21st, 2020 and all will be included in our next social media campaign! Good Luck everyone!
To help inspire you – and just because we love dogs so much – here are some adorable dog pictures that we’ve been tagged in!
Signaling that dinner is ready doesn’t have to be the first time everyone makes their appearance in the kitchen or dining room. Try baking grandma’s recipes together as a family! Or another great way to elevate your family dinner is to get everyone involved in the preparation. Whether that’s washing or chopping ingredients during food prep, or choosing what plates and table settings will be used, there’s plenty of jobs to go around. This is a great opportunity to connect with each other and create lasting memories.
#2 – Grow Your Own Ingredients or Keep It Local!
Few things are healthier or more rewarding than preparing a meal using ingredients that you grew or sourced locally. It’s likely that the more produce you grow, the more fresh fruit and vegetables that will be part of your regular diet. In addition to the boost in nutrients and vitamins for your body, you’re also helping the environment by reducing the environmental impact of food production. So get those green thumbs going, or acquaint yourself with the local food & farmers’ markets and keep it fresh and keep it local for dinner this summer.
#3 – Sale of the Week Items
Whether it’s dinner at home around the table, or BBQ in the backyard, takeout on a patio, a picnic or something else altogether, Muskoka Bear Wear is there for you to help keep it comfy and these Sale of the Week items should help do the trick!
So remember, the 3 ways to elevate family dinner this summer: Do it together, keep it local and rock some comfy Muskoka Bear Wear.
In response to the challenging times that we are experiencing together regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to give props to some stellar local businesses who are stepping up to serve our great community.
Located less than a kilometre from Bala Falls, Cottage Cravings boasts an award-winning café and gift shop and has been serving locals, cottagers and visitors alike in Bala for over 8 years. Offering a wide variety of soups, sandwiches, coffee, ice cream, frozen yogurt, baked goods, a deli counter and an assortment of ready-to-make frozen meals, Cottage Cravings has been hard at work to keep the community well fed!
In March when the pandemic first began to affect businesses here in Muskoka – and throughout the rest of Ontario and Canada – Cottage Cravings braced for what would be a unique summer ahead. Driven by a passion to serve community, they endured to offer take out and expanded upon their selection of frozen meals which enabled them to continue to support essential workers, local contractors and seniors. They installed barriers, sanitized between guests and did everything they could to ensure a safe environment for their team and patrons.
Once permitted to re-open their patio, Cottage Cravings worked with the local municipality of Muskoka Lakes to expand their patio and even introduce an outdoor hand-washing station. As something like this was not mandated or required, it serves to demonstrate their willingness to go above and beyond for their patrons.
We spoke with the owners, Randy & Henny Brown, who remain humble through all of these challenges. They were quick to tell us that without the hard work and dedication of their amazing team that none of it would be possible.
Well, we’re blown away by all the effort that Randy, Henny and their whole team have made to be there for their community and want to recognize and acknowledge that through this Muskoka Bear Wear Shout Out. It certainly makes us feel proud to share the community with such awesome people! Way to go guys!
In response to the challenging times that we are experiencing together regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to give props to some stellar local businesses who are stepping up to serve our great community.
Located at 1295 Muskoka Road South in Gravenhurst, Melody’s Muskoka Ice Cream is hard to miss because of it’s bright blue-turquoise exterior. It’s also hard to miss because of just how amazing their ice cream and frozen treats are! Having first opened in the Spring/Summer of 2019, Melody’s offers a wide variety of frozen delights including Kawartha Dairy ice cream, milkshakes, banana splits and the newly introduced homemade ice cream pies that have been flying off the shelf!
As the pandemic came along, Melody’s wasn’t sure what 2020 would have in store, or whether they would be able to open at all. With community safety in mind, they struggled with what the responsible decision might be. After reflection and support from family, friends and the community, Melody’s decided to step up to the challenge, adapt their service delivery and open to the public.
Opening their doors this summer in the Covid-19 world has meant an increase in operating costs, but Melody’s has not increased their prices as to accommodate for everyone having a tough go this year. So while they opened one month later than 2019 and have seen their margins thin out, they’ve been busy since opening and are just excited to be serving up plenty of smiles.
We want to acknowledge and thank Melody’s Muskoka Ice Cream for their thoughtfulness when it comes to our community and the hard work that has gone into operating through these tough times. Giving people something to smile for and get excited about is super important right now and you’re doing a fantastic job! Congratulations to your entire team!!
If you know a local business who deserves a shout out, send us a direct message with a photo and why they should be featured. #StayComfy
Summer sure has had it’s share of heat and as we enter the second half, we’re serving up some tips on how to stay cool and beat that heat with Muskoka Bear Wear!
#1 Jump in the Lake – Go Swimming!
Whether it’s a pool, a pond or one of the many gorgeous, pristine lakes throughout Muskoka or the rest of Ontario, go jump in!! Make a splash! Few things will cool you off quicker than that first plunge into the water. If you’re sweltering in the heat, don’t wade in, don’t tip your toes in, just shout ‘cowabunga’ and jump right in!
#2 You Scream, I Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream!
Cone, cup, bowl… it doesn’t really matter. If you need to cool off fast, the best and most delicious thing you can do is grab some ice cream or frozen yogurt. With so many flavours and options there has got to be a frozen delight for you. Classic, creamy soft-serve vanilla, banana splits, root beer floats, rainbow sorbet, moose tracks, cookie dough, chopped fruit, nuts, whipped cream, chocolate sauce…. if the heat ails you, ice cream is your salve! Have another scoop, we won’t tell anyone!
And if you’re looking for a great local place to get some ice cream we recommend checking out Melody’s Muskoka Ice Cream in Gravenhurst, Ontario! They just introduced homemade ice cream pies. Need we say more? Learn more by checking out Week 18 in our #MBWShoutouts here.
#3 Grab Some of our Sale of the Week Items!
Whether you’re chilling on the patio, hanging on the beach or any of about ten thousand other fun things this summer, Muskoka Bear Wear is right there with you and your family every paw print of the way! Check out our Sale of the Week page for great deals to help you beat the heat and keep cool this summer!
The summer is usually about getting outside to hit the water or the trails, or to gather around a bonfire under the stars or long list of other great activities outdoors. But sometimes, when that rainy day rolls around, and you feel more inclined to bundle up and get cozy, well for those days, our favourite thing to do is to throw on our comfy Bear Wear threads and watch a couple great movies together with the family.
Assemble the snacks, round up the family and enjoy these Top 5 Summer Movies for the whole family!
Few movies are as synonymous with teenage life in the summer-time as the ‘Summer Lovin’‘ classic Grease. This 1978 musical was based off the 1971 Broadway Musical of the same name and tells the tale of Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) and Danny Zuko’s (John Travolta) summer fling over the summer of ’58. ‘You’re The One That I Want‘, ‘Greased Lightning‘ and ‘Summer Nights‘ remain iconic, instantly-recognizable songs 40+ years after the film first debuted. It’s hard not tap your feet and sing along through at least a half dozen songs on every watch-thru. Summer and Grease just Go Together, like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong.
“Hey You Guuuuuuuys!” No must-watch movie list would be complete without The Goonies. Several members of the young cast have gone on to have lengthy Hollywood careers such as Corey Feldman, Sean Austin, Josh Brolin and Martha Plimpton. The story follows a group of young, adventurous friends who are preparing to say goodbye to one another as a development company plans to demolish their homes and build a golf course unless funding is raised to stop the development. The kids stumble upon a treasure map and embark on an quest to find the treasure in hopes of saving the neighbourhood. They run into several unique challenges along the way that ultimately tests their resolve and their friendship. “Goonies never say die” is one of the famous quotes from the film and is a great message about perseverance. Goonies easily found its way on to our Top 5 Summer Movies for the Whole Family.
“Wait A Minute, Doc. Are You Telling Me You Built A Time Machine…Out Of A DeLorean?” These are the famous words from small-town California teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) before being thrust into a time-travel adventure that has become a cult classic and spawned two sequels. In this, the original, Marty is sent back to the 1950’s where he meets younger versions of his parents, for whom he must convince to fall in love or else he himself will cease to exist. Increasing the stakes for Marty is how he also must return to his own time to save Doc Brown. This 80’s sci-fi comedy is packed with plenty of nostalgia – though, that’s probably fitting for a movie about time travel!
The epitome of a coming-of-age story, The Sandlot is a summer classic about feeling like an outsider, but then finally finding your tribe. Scotty Smalls, a shy 5th-grader moves to a new neighbourhood and manages to make friends with a group of boys who play baseball together. They embark on several funny and heart-warming adventures together – including the retrieval of a very important Babe Ruth-signed baseball that they accidentally knocked over the fence. ‘Legends never die‘, as they say in the film, and this legendary film makes our Top 5 Summer Movies for the Whole Family.
Moving our way through the decades, we land on one of our favourites from the 2000’s… Walt Disney’s Lilo & Stitch. This summer classic revolves around two boisterous, mischievous characters; a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo (Daveigh Chase) and a blue alien that Lilo adopts, thinking him a dog, that she names Stitch (Chris Sanders). This fun, colourful adventure centres on Lilo’s love and belief in ‘ohana‘, the Hawaiian term for family. Stitch is hilarious and this movie has plenty of laughs along the way! Just as Lilo was committed to leave no one behind, we’re certainly not leaving this one off our Top 5 Summer Movies for the Whole Family.
There you have it, our Top 5 Summer Movies for the Whole Family. Cozy up in some comfy Muskoka Bear Wear with the family and try to knock out all five of these movies this summer!
How many of these films have you already seen? What are some of YOUR favourites? Be sure to tell us on one of our social media pages!
In response to the challenging times that we are experiencing together regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to give props to some stellar local businesses who are stepping up to serve our great community.
The Muskoka Drive-In Theatre, located just on the outskirts of Gravenhurst, Ontario has been a draw for movie-lovers for decades. Having first opened in 1952, it is one of, if not the longest-continually-running drive-in movie theatre in all of Canada. Surrounded by indigenous birch and pine trees, the original screen was built on a concrete wall and nestled on beautiful Canadian Shield granite rock. Alongside a children’s playground, a snack bar, box office – and as of 2018, a second screen – The Muskoka Drive-In Theatre offers fun and nostalgia for the whole family.
When the global pandemic first hit, the Muskoka Drive-In was still closed for the Winter season. But as Spring rolled in and hopes to open the Drive-In as per their regular schedule took shape, that’s when they knew things would be different this year. Firstly, they needed to wait for permission to allow Drive-In Theatres to open. When that finally came, it also brought with it several new guidelines and rules that they would need to follow in order to ensure the safety of visitors.
Not afraid of the challenge, The Muskoka Drive-In Theatre stepped up in a big way to meet those guidelines and has been going above and beyond to ensure a safe and fun experience for visitors this year. The opening night for the Drive-In was back on June 4th and on June 25th they were able to re-open the Snack Bar. Things like the playground and mini-putt remain closed to the public for the time being, but, film-lovers and those who miss being able to go see a movie on the big screen have been treated to a sensational lineup of classic movies this Summer. The nostalgic films have included Jurassic Park, Shrek, Back to the Future, Jaws, Grease, Footloose, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and many more.
We want to acknowledge and applaud the Muskoka Drive-In Theatre for their hard work and commitment to serving community. As big movie-fans ourselves, we certainly appreciate that the local Drive-In is available to us and our families. Thank you for all you’re doing!!
If you know a local business who deserves a shout out, send us a direct message with a photo and why they should be featured. #StayComfy
One of our favourite events of the year is the annual Midnight Madness event as hosted by the Huntsville BIA. However, due to COVID-19, all public events have understandably been cancelled.
After some thoughtful planning with the Muskoka Bear Wear team however, we realized that we didn’t want to wait a whole year without connecting… so we’ve decided to host a VIRTUAL MIDNIGHT MADNESS instead!
What does that mean? We’re serving up all kinds of incredible deals on all of your favourite cottage comfy, cool, cozy Muskoka Bear Wear threads for a very special online event. We’ve prepared a special Virtual Midnight Madness page on our website that will go LIVE at 6:00 PM (ET) on Friday, July 17th and will close at midnight.
We’re confident that there will be a little something for everyone as we offer up pieces from our Ladies, Men’s and Kids comfy collections.
Set your alarm clocks, get your smartphones or laptops ready and we hope you’re able to get in on the fun of Midnight Madness this year… even if it is only online! We’ll see you soon at www.muskokabearwear.com!
In response to the challenging times that we are experiencing together regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to give props to some stellar local businesses who are stepping up to serve our great community.
“Arrive with confidence, assured of great food, service and ambiance. Leave tasting life to the fullest.”
3 GUYS And A Stove in Huntsville, Ontario has been wowing visitors for years with their fresh and unique take on casual-fine dining. Their menu showcases multi-level seasoning and multi-layered flavours which are applied to real, honest comfort foods that are healthy, aromatic and addictingly good. From the spice and aroma of the Caribbean, a dash of Southeast Asia and a good dose of southern comfort food, they keep it simple and simply delicious.
As the effects of the pandemic began reaching Ontario and Muskoka, 3 GUYS made the difficult, albeit socially responsible decision to temporarily close the restaurant in mid-March. That did not mean they were not still thinking about the community however, and how they could continue to serve. They participated in the Stay @ Home Gala in May and launched an exciting new project altogether with the On Focaccia Food Truck. By late-May, 3 GUYS began offering Takeout for Curbside Pickup, and now just this week, as the Province enters the next stage of the Re-Opening Framework, 3 GUYS is preparing to re-open their doors for dine-in service.
We want to commend the entire team at 3 GUYS for their hard work and dedication to the community. Their passion for food and serving the community has been shining through these challenging times and been a beacon of inspiration. Way to go guys! We hope Friday is a success and wishing you all the best through the rest of the summer!
