What's included, what's next door, what's nearby.
Dock and beach
Sixty-foot floating dock, twenty paces from the kitchen door — coffee here at seven is the reason we built the kitchen door where we did. The water is cold in May, twenty-four degrees by late August (warmer than the Pacific gets all year). Sand shelves gradually for about twenty feet — the right slope for a four-year-old's first try at swimming. Glass until eleven, when the southerly comes up; that's also when the paddleboards stop being free entertainment and start being a workout. There's a basket by the back door for the wet bathing suits. The hooks fall down. Use the basket.
Finnish sauna
Cedar Finnish sauna at the water's edge. Wood interior, electric heater, ninety degrees Celsius in forty minutes — turn it on when you get back from the cellar door at five and it'll be ready by seven. Holds eight, comfortably six. The lake is twelve paces away when you can't take any more — most guests stop counting laps by the second night. The eucalyptus is on the shelf to the right of the heater. Two drops in the water bucket is plenty; three is too much, we've tested it.
Six-person hot tub on the deck above the sauna, lake-facing, 102°F year-round. In February you can watch your breath go up and the stars come out at the same time. Cover is heavy — there's a counterweight on the right.
Pickleball court
Regulation pickleball court (twenty by forty-four feet). Paddles and balls in the bin by the gate. The kids play until dark; bracket play tends to break out by Saturday.
Home theatre
Eighty-five-inch screen, eight-seat sectional, Apple TV — and there's also a small library of DVDs we keep around for our own kids. Yours will probably refuse to watch them.
Ping-pong table and a shelf of board games and puzzles in the games room — the rainy-day default.
Gym
Cardio and free weights in the lower level, so you can pretend you'll use them before spending the afternoon on the dock instead.
Hiking
Trailheads within a ten-minute drive: Mt Baldy, Cobble Hill, Hillbilly Trail, Christie Falls. Brianna walks them most weekends; she'll text you the trail report on Friday morning if you ask. Mt Baldy in spring before the heat; Christie Falls in October when the maples go.
The rest of the house
What you'll find when you walk through the door.
Kitchen
Wolf six-burner range. Sub-Zero. Double ovens. The island seats six and faces west — every sunset shows up uninvited. Big enough to cook for fifteen without anyone in your way. The good knives are in the block, the everyday ones are in the second drawer down. The third drawer sticks; lift it slightly.
Bunk room
Four single bunks, two over two, with reading lights and curtains. Kids love it; adults tolerate it. Our youngest insisted on her sixth birthday in there and slept through the loons. The top bunks are five inches from the ceiling — anyone over twelve takes the bottom.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi at about 300 Mbps — fast enough that thirty minutes of Zoom won't bring it down. Works on the dock.
Heat pump
Heat pump throughout — heat in February, AC in August.
Paddleboards and kayaks
Two paddleboards and two kayaks in the boathouse, May to October. Life jackets in the bin under the dock.
Firepit
Stone firepit on the lawn. Firewood is stacked under the eaves; matches in the kitchen drawer.
None of the below is "extra." It's just what we'd have had stocked if we were the ones arriving Friday after work.
Included with every stay
- All linens and lake towels
- Firewood for the fireplace
- Propane for the BBQ
- Wi-Fi at about 300 Mbps
- Coffee, tea, salt, pepper, oil
- Dish soap, hand soap, all toiletries
- Use of the sauna, hot tub, dock, beach, pickleball court
- Two paddleboards and two kayaks (May–October)
- Heat pump for AC
Not included
- Groceries — we'll send a list of what's open and how late.
- Catering — Brianna can arrange, minimum two weeks' notice.
- Boat rental — Shawnigan Lake Marina, ten minutes north, can sort you out.
Hold a weekend
Book the property direct. Brianna replies within four hours.