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12 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday August 23, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Killarney Mountain Lodge is special vacation retreat K BEAVER TRAILS TO PERU: Chris Spencer and Carolina Azcona and their son Cole took The Oakville Beaver to Machu Picchu in Peru. Take along a copy of The Oakville Beaver on your next vacation and send it in for publication to Beaver Trails, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4 or e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. Cruisin' . . . You ain't seen nothin' yet . . . We've just received a preview of the new cruise ships that will be coming on the market in the next 36 months and they are awesome. Here are some highlights . . . CELEBRITY CRUISES' three 122,000 ton Solstice Class ships ­ Solstice, Equinox and Eclipse will carry s x e 2,850 passengers and feature "The Club" ­ a half-acre lawn for sports and sunny relaxation on the topmost deck. No Astroturf here, this is real grass! This is the home to cruising's first bocce ball courts, a putting green and patio coffee house. MSC CRUISES' Fantasia and Splendida will feature exclusive Yacht Club accommodation with just 99 a a suites measuring up to 700 square feet and a Swarovski crystal floor where even the steps connecting the Yacht Club to the rest of the ship will be made of crystal, illuminated by LED lights. A transparent ceiling allows Yacht Club guests to enjoy the star-studded sky. ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL'S Oasis Class ship Oasis of the Seas will weigh in at 220,000 tons s s and carry 5,400 guests and feature loft suites, 7 themed areas for a "neighborhood" concept, a merrygo-round and a zip line suspended 9-decks high! That's on top of the Flow Rider surf pool and the Rising Tide bar that ascends 3 decks into the Central Park neighborhood! NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE'S third-generation Freestyle ships dubbed F3 will feature a Scandinavian Ice e Bar; POSH, an exclusive, adults-only top deck beach club with private cabanas and DJ and SPICE H2O, a second adult-only pool deck experience. HOLLAND AMERICA LINE'S Signature Class ms Eurodam brings new pan-Asian and Italian restaurants, m spa staterooms and thoughtful in-stateroom amenities as well. On deck, airy, tented cabanas furnished with woven chaises, ottomans and upholstered settees, robes, towels and pre-loaded iPods are offered. ONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT! Oceania Cruises promotion offering Free Airfare and 2 For 1 Cruise Fares on select 2008-09 Winter and 2009 European Collection Sailing ends on 31AUG08. Call us for details. Visit McTavish At: www.mctavishtravel.com illarney Mountain Lodge is a very special place, situated in the midst of perhaps Ontario's most beautiful and varied scenery, steps away from a small fishing village on the north shore of Georgian Bay. Perhaps because the road wasn't in until the '60s, and the resort is at the end of it, it is easy to imagine it way back when it was founded by French Canadian Voyageurs to be a fur trading post. Annabelle and Maury East have been charming hosts to their rustic wilderness lodge for forty years. It seemed very much like the resort of my childhood established by my great grandfather Tom Salmon, except that the beds are much more comfortable. There's a distinctly '70s flavour to the property set off by the sounds of the Bee Gee's, Carpenters and Gordie Lightfoot playing in the background. "My wife and daughters call the décor retro" chuckles Maury. Guests can choose a lodge room, comfy cabin or a cottage, spread out amongst the rocks, pines and shore line. Dogs are VIP guests if their humans choose a cottage. There is no extra charge for polite on leash pooches. Georgian Bay is right there, and so is an inviting pool and sauna. Boaters are welcome to tie up for a small overnight docking fee, and entitled to use the pool, sauna and handy showers. This brings an interesting dimension to the property, as boaters joined us at the pool, often for meals and in the bar. We had interesting conversations with boaters hailing from all over Canada and as far away as Florida. "We are specialists in guided and self guided adventures with five adventure levels and the unique geography to offer a wide range of choices. All our guides are certified recreation directors, and our skippers certified with Transport Canada," says Maury. Everyday there are adventure choices. A morning interpretive canoe trip, a full-day trek to Silver Peak, the highest point in Killarney point or a Gourmet Kayak and Cruise, topped off with an evening Motor Cruise and that is just Monday. There are afternoon sailing cruises, a Killarney Park all day canoeing adventure, a fullday sea kayak with a hike to Covered Portage Cove, a full day Baie Fine Fjord Motor Cruise, and a Georgian Bay Sailing Cruise. My partner took a morning kayaking course, which included the basics, and then learning how to get back in the kayak after dumping it in the pool and then following the path of the voyageurs on Georgian Bay. I read my book, and enjoyed the stunning scenery. You can buy various types of holidays and then include the extra adventures you'd like, or a multi-night adventure package which includes lodging, three meals daily and your choice of guided outdoor day trips. And that brings me to the food. "We feel much of our success is due to the food we serve. People tell us it is exactly what they want" say the owners. We loved Bev's fresh baking and Aunt Millie's wonderful meals. Aunt Millie and the rest of the kitchen staff live in Killarney Village. Aunt Millie in fact has ruled the kitchen for 30 years. The food is homestyle cooking with a contemporary flair. Pan-seared pickerel, stews, steaks and daily vegetarian dishes tempt an appetite that is starving anyway after the exercise and fresh air. Breads and rolls are home made, deserts are fabulous. After dinner the place to be is in the Carousel Lounge listening to Andy Lowe. He composes songs with a local theme but can also do most any request. It was fun to talk to the boaters about where they've been and where they're going. Coming up in the fall are various specialty escapes. From Sept. 18-21 there is a photography workshop led by instructor and international photographer Rob Stimpson. From Oct.5-10 you can join a five night paint escape in Group of Seven country with Canadian artist Jane Champagne. Bridge fanatics can stay and play non-stop for two nights and three days, and there is a special Gal Pal Getaway for three nights. No trip to Killarney is complete without a visit to Herbert Fisheries Fish and Chips right on the pier. You watch the fishing boats come in, offload the catch and then see it go right into the kitchen. This is without a doubt the best fish and chips I've ever eaten. It was hard to leave. Sam Ion can ber reached at sion10@cogeco.ca Voted Best Travel Agency Best Cruise Company Best Travel Agent Thanks Oakville! Hopedale Shopping Centre 1515 Rebecca Street, Oakville Relax... you're with us 221 Lakeshore Road E. (905) 827-1100 fax: (905) 827-4982 e-mail: travel@mctavish.com 905-337-2228 www.hookedoncruising.com