Sparrow Lake Castle © 2009 Michelle Basic Hendry

I wanted to share this photo of the old Sparrow Beach Lodge (known as the Vanomi in the period before the 1960’s). In this shot it kind of reminds me of a Scottish Castle on the loch…

One of the drawbacks to exploring late in the year is the early sunset, however, the leafless trees make it so much easier to see things normally hidden in the bush and the light quality is good for photography almost all day long.

Sparrow Lake Church © 2009 Michelle Basic Hendry

Sparrow Beach Lodge is a private residence now, but the bare trees gave me a stunning view from the limits of the property. I am expecting to have much more on this gem of South Muskoka in the Spring.

Many of the grand ladies of Muskoka, except for Cleveland’s House, are all but gone. To find this massive 3 story building in such a preserved state was like discovering historic gold.

I got to digging around about the Hotels on Sparrow Lake and they have been a little overshadowed by the reputation of their neighbours to the north, but, it seems to me there is an incredibly rich history of tourism, a history that seems to have outlived many of Muskoka’s hotels. If you are seeking an old fashioned getaway, Delmonte-in-the-Pines is still running housekeeping and Bayview-Wyldwood has absorbed a number of old resorts to create a great spot for conferences and full resort style getaways. There is less of the historic charm, but Port Stanton has a remarkable history worth seeking out. I plan to look more closely when the season opens up again in the Spring.

Now that the snow flies, my explorations are limited. I’ll get out from time to time, but, it can be dangerous when you don’t know what is under the snow. I have a few things lined up for the new season… Stay tuned!