Shades of Blue Cottage

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QUICKLINKS

• • About Shades of Blue
  • 2024 Rates & Dates
  • Features Summary
  • What To Bring
  • Conditions
  • What To Know About Cottage Life
  • Important Info for Fido
  • Booking Inquiry Form

About Shades of Blue

Year-round, spacious, lakefront, family cottage just north of Bayfield’s marina on Lake Huron. Stairs to private natural sandy beach with 600-feet of frontage!

Enjoy relaxing vacation lake views watching the sun sparkling on Lake Huron’s famous crystal, clear waters and fabulous sunsets nightly. The cottage is 2.3 km from Bayfield’s downtown core, which is about a 2-minute drive or 8 minutes on bike or 29 minutes on foot.

Walk through the door and you enter the great room filled with sunlight and a direct lake views. Now you know you’re on vacation!

Shades of Blue offers a large great room with a dining table that seats 8 comfortably and the living room is at the rear of the cottage looking out to the lake. A fabulous window seat runs full width of the living room and is wide enough for an afternoon nap. All three bedrooms face the lake, so you’ll wake up to glorious views and in the evening feel lovely cooling breezes to help you sleep.

Bedroom 1 offers a queen bed; Bedroom 2 offers a double bed and a queen bed. Bedroom 3 offers one queen and one double bed. All beds have pillows, mattress and pillow protectors and hotel style blanket – bring your own sheets, pillow cases and comforters. Full 4-piece bathroom (toilet, sink, shower and bath) and 2-piece powder room (sink and toilet).

Rear, lake-facing deck has a gas BBQ and seating for 8. Stairs (built in 2017) lead down to a natural beach. The stairs are shared with the sister cottage – Sandpiper Cottage and there’s about 90 steps divided up into flights of 6 to 8 steps with level platforms in between.

Full size washing machine and dryer – perfect for families. Cottage has WiFi, satellite TV and large screen smart TV when you get tired of lake gazing or if the weather turns unseasonable.

Just minutes to Bayfield marina and shops and short drive to Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend Motorplex, Starlite Drive-In, Pinery Provincial Park, Windmill Lake Wake & Eco Park.

2024 Rates & Dates

Shades of Blue rents from Sunday to Sunday to families and mature groups of adults only. We do not rent to anyone under the age of 25 years and require proof of liability insurance. During July and August rentals are BY THE WEEK ONLY.

Since the cottage has a forced air furnace, it is available year-round. Rates are in Canadian dollars. A security deposit of $500 secures your cottage reservation and is refunded within 7 days of check-out.

2024 Rates & Dates

Other Fees

• Check out is 11am sharp. Please be courteous, our cleaner needs time to do a good job. If you are late leaving the cottage and property, a fee of $50 per hour is charged.
• Dog Guests Cleaning Fee. A cleaning fee of $50 is charged for dog guests (other than non-shedding breeds).

Bookings are confirmed once we receive the security deposit and the cottage agreement is signed and returned. We accept bookings for the succeeding year (i.e. 2025).

Features Summary

• 3 Bedrooms
• 1.5 Bathrooms
• Large screen TV / Satellite TV
• WiFi
• 600-feet of Beach Frontage
• Natural, private sandy beach
• Fire Pit
• Gas BBQ
• Bedroom 1: Queen Bed
• Bedroom 2: Queen & Double beds
• Bedroom 3: Queen & Double beds
• Fully equipped kitchen with fridge (new 2018), stove (new 2019), dishwasher (new 2019), microwave, coffee maker
• Laundry facilities (washing machine & dryer)
• Culligan water conditioning and filtration system (new 2019) offers safe drinking water, so no need for bottled water

What To Bring

LINENS, TOWELS, TOILETRIES, FOOD

• Bed linens – sheets, pillow cases and comforters for 3 queen beds and 2 doubles. (We provide mattress and pillow protectors and one hotel quality blanket per bed)
• Towels – for the bathroom and beach. We provide dish cloths and tea towels.
• Non-perishable products such as paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, soap, dish detergent and laundry soap. We do provide a Starter Kit of 4 rolls of toilet paper, a roll of paper towel, tabs for the dishwasher, dish soap and all purpose cleaner and a scrubby, kitchen and garbage bags. You’ll find a broom and ironing board in the cupboard beside the fridge.
• Personal hygiene supplies, like sunblock, body lotion, soap, shampoo, insect repellant, first aid kit, hair dryer, etc.
• Spices, salt and pepper and whatever other cooking ingredients and seasonings you typically use (cooking oil, condiments). Although the kitchen is fully equipped with cutlery, dishes, frypans, cooking pots etc. we do not supply any food items or ingredient items.
• Flashlight(s) – handy for finding your way from the beach up to the cottage in the evening.
• Lighter is handy for the firepit and BBQ and despite our best efforts these items seem to grow legs and disappear or get used up quickly. We provide a starter pile of firework for the firepit.
• Recreational items – board games, deck of cards, frisbee etc. Previously we had tried to provide these types of items, but quickly found game pieces got lost and items were damaged. You will find a small collection of summer reading type books on the bookcase near the back door.

Sorry, we do not provide canoes, kayaks or portable chairs for the beach.

Conditions

Once we receive your confirmed booking and deposit, we’ll send you the Cottage Rental Agreement for your review and completion. We will ask for

• Your full legal name and contact information and the scanned ID of the contact person
• The names and addresses of all the people, adults and children, who will be staying at the cottage.

The maximum occupancy is 8 people, adults and children. In the event we find that number has been exceeded, there will be a fee of $285 per night per overnight guest over the maximum number.

In the event you need to cancel your booking, if you do so 60 or more days prior to your arrival, then your deposit is 100% refundable. If you cancel 30 to 59 days of your arrival date, then your deposit is 50% refundable. If you cancel  30 days or less of your arrival date, a cancellation fee of the deposit already paid is charged.

Check-in begins at 4pm on Friday for a weekend rental and 4pm on a Sunday for a week rental. Check-out is 11am on Sunday. We cannot alter these times, as our cleaning staff will be arriving at 11am sharp to clean the cottages in time for the next family to check-in.

PLEASE BE COURTEOUS and leave the cottage on time and tidy (as you found it). If our cleaner reports you have not vacated and left the property by 11am, we will charge $50 per extra hour.

The cottage does not have a landline phone, but does have WiFi/Internet available for cellphone use. You will find the WiFi password on the bottom of the router in the living room.

The cottage is pet friendly with the restriction of one dog or one cat on the property at any time. However, we understand some families might have more than one dog and we can accommodate this with prior notification. A $50 Dog Guest Cleaning Fee is charged per dog (except for non-shedding breeds).

Parking is limited to 3 vehicles and must be parked in the designated parking area. Do not drive on any portion of the grass – as you will be driving over the septic bed and could cause thousands of dollars of damage!

Renters agree to comply with the Rental Rules, which are:

• maintain the Property at all times in a good and tidy condition;
• not smoke inside the Property and dispose of any cigarette butts outside the property in a safe manner;
• not invite any persons – other than those listed in the Overnight Guests section – to stay overnight in the property. No tents or trailers permitted.
• not cause or create a nuisance in any way, including, but not limited to, refraining from playing loud music inside or outside the property at any time to cause excessive noise that would disturb the neighbours;
• use and operate all equipment, machinery and appliances at the Property properly and as they were designed;
• not move or rearrange any furniture inside the Property;
• ONLY FLUSH TOILET PAPER down the toilet and WILL NOT flush sanitary items, coffee grounds or any other foreign substance down the toilet. In the event it is discovered otherwise, the Renter will be liable for all cost of damages. Septic systems are sensitive.
• not sit on furniture in wet bathing suits, and shall ensure that sand is removed from shoes and feet before entering the Property;
• place all garbage and recycling in the designated containers and ensure that no garbage or recycling is left in the Cottage on the Departure Date.
• comply with all applicable laws in connection with their use of the Property;

What To Know About Cottage Life

WATER & SEPTIC SYSTEMS

The cottage water comes from a well. A Culligan water conditioning system (installed 2019) with a reverse osmosis system ensures the water is drinkable! You’ll find the reverse osmosis water tap on the left side of the hot water tap at the kitchen sink.  Please be conservative in the use of water or you run the risk of running the well dry.

The cottage is on a SEPTIC SYSTEM and some care is needed to ensure the system works as expected. Septic systems are not as robust as municipal sewage systems. Please use regular toilet paper conservatively. Do not flush feminine hygiene products, Q-tips, cotton balls or prophylactics or coffee grounds down the toilet. Blockages are very expensive to rectify, as well as being extremely inconvenient for you, as a plumber may not be readily available to clear the blockage. We also ask you not deposit foods stuffs or coffee grounds down the kitchen sink. Septic Systems do not do well with food that hasn’t gone through human processing first.

BATHROOMS

The cottage has a 4-piece bathroom (toilet, vanity, shower & tub) and a powder room (sink, vanity, toilet).

TV & VIDEO

There’s a large-screen TV and WiFi unit. To turn it on, push and hold the power button for about 1-second, until the TV Button flashes. Turn off the same way.

BBQ & TANK

When using the BBQ, make sure it’s placed well away from the house, bushes and other flammable materials. Turn main valve on the tank OFF when not in use. If you run out of propane, change out the tank with the spare located next to the BBQ and let us know – we’ll get right on it to ensure the spare is always full. Please also leave the grill clean and clean the grease trap – raccoons and other wildlife regard a dirty BBQ as a source of tasty treats!

OUTDOOR FIRES

Shades of Blue Cottage is located in the Municipality of “Central Huron”. Central Huron allows “recreational fires” in properly setup sites, such as the firepit provided. For your family’s safety and that of the cottage and surrounding trees, ensure an adult monitors the fire at all times while burning.

Place ashes in metal bin provided NOT under trees, by bushes or on grass!

CLEANING UP

Cleaning is included with your stay, but we still ask you to complete a post-stay tidy and clean-up (i.e. leave it the way you found it). This helps expedite the changeover process for the next guests.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL

Central Huron uses an automated garbage pick-up process. You’ll find wheelie bins for this purpose at the entrance to the driveway. Please place ALL garbage in the appropriate bins – you’ll find a handy reference list on the fridge in the kitchen. PLEASE DO NOT leave any garbage outside, as local wildlife will happily redistribute your garbage across the property.

GLASSWARE & BOTTLES

It is extremely important to monitor your use of glassware and glass bottles outside the cottage. Breakages do occur and can cause safety issues not only for you but for other guests. We ask you to be responsible and to take all reasonable measures to remove any glass fragments from the grass or other area where the breakage occurred. For everyone’s safety, please do not take any glass bottles or glassware down onto the beach.

Important Info for Fido

We’re pet owners too, so we know Fido is an important member of your family.

Please respect the neighbours and strongly enforce Fido’s singing voice (bark, woof), and make sure no trace is left of the little angel for the next guests either inside or out (Stoop & Scoop is a MUST).

Please do not let Fido visit neighbouring cottages.

Bring a tie-out for Fido (i.e. playing catch) to ensure s/he is not distracted by children, neighbour pets or wildlife (squirrels, chipmunks, skunks).

Fido is welcome to swim off leash at your area of the beach. Please maintain control and responsibility (Stoop & Scoop).

Ask Fido to stay off the furniture. Bring old sheets or towels to cover furniture (if s/he sneaks up while you’re asleep or in your absence) or to clean-up after a dip in the lake.

If you’re planning a day trip and cannot take Fido, consider using a doggy daycare or dog walking service. Businesses listed here are for your information. We do not endorse one over another and have no vested interest in any.

• PLAY ‘N STAY K-9 DAYCARE & BOARDING: 33923 Grand Bend Road (5 min. drive east on County Rd. 81 from Grand Bend) / 226-378-4955 / www.playnstayk9.com / Member of the Grand Bend & Area Chamber of Commerce.
• LAKESHORE PET CARE: Dog Walking & Pet Sitting. Grand Bend Area / 226-239-4841 / www.lakeshorepetcare.ca
• BAYFIELD DOG BOARDING KENNEL: 37764 Mill Rd., Bayfield (Varna Rd. between Hwy. 21 & Mill Rd.) / 519-565-2046 Facebook.com/Bayfield-Boarding-Kennel-Inc-1008381532510475. DAY STAY: Drop off at 8am and pick-up between 6 & 7pm for full day stay ($17 – includes taxes). Evening to overnight: drop off between 6 & 7pm and pickup between 8 & 9am next day ($17 – includes taxes). 11 runs and one double-run.
• CARLYN MURRAY: Dog Sitting and Dog-Walking. Has provided dog-sitting and walking services for 10 years. $10 per walk. $50 overnight care. $7 per hour for dog-sitting.

VETS

• South Huron Vet Clinic: 20 Main St. W., Zurich / 519-236-4301
• Clinton Veterinary Services: 257 Huron Rd., Clinton / 519-482-3558

Booking Inquiry Form