What’s In A View When Renting A Cottage Or Vacation Home?

By Author: Alexis Gibson
Total Articles: 9
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We are often asked which way our cottage or vacation home faces the sun and the water. For a long time it never occurred to me that this was something religious or cultural, but more of a personal preference. Who wouldn’t want to wake up in the morning and step out onto the deck, or beach to watch the sunrise? Or conversely, enjoy a nice cold beer or glass of Pino Grigio while watching the sun set? Cottage and Chalet rentals that have a breathtaking view of the sun and the water are bound to be a rewarding vacation and getaway experience.

First, there is one thing that everyone who looks for the perfect cottage rental MUST understand and wrap their heads around: the front of the cottage or chalet is the side that FACES the lake, hence the term “lakefront”. This still makes me laugh every time I provide a tour to my guests from the driveway, and they say, “oh yes, let’s go look at the back before we go inside….” referencing the lakefront. LOL.
Second, the sun ALWAYS rising in the EAST, and ALWAYS sets in the WEST. This is a fact of nature. So keeping these two important facts in mind ...
... will help families understand what their preferences are going to be. If they have kids who rise with roosters at 5 am, MAYBE getting a cottage rental that has a very large easterly view might not be a good idea if mom and dad want to catch a few extra winks before 6 or 7 am.

South Westerly Exposure
These are the most popular view points, for a lot of obvious reasons. Sunsets are romantic and in Northern Ontario, they are absolutely breathtaking. “The sun has a sweater mommy!” This is what my daughter would yell at me when we would watch the sunset by my campfire. The sun will set in the west and our southerly positioning of the campfire, lakefront and cottage provides a clear view for all of it. When you couple it with 100 feet of shoreline, you have a nice piece of land to enjoy nature’s TV.

Easterly Exposure
There are a few cultures and religions that prefer to have all sleeping beds positioned to the east with all heads facing east. I had no idea how important this was until one of my rental guests rearranged the entire furnishings in my cottage to accommodate this. It took us 2 hours to put everything back before their departure. I was slightly more than annoyed. Folks if you need this for religious purposes, it might not be a bad idea to let your proprietor in on it in advance, and give yourselves a bit more time for departure inspections. If you are an early riser and prefer to see a sun rise by your water’s edge, opt for the north-easterly view point. Sipping on your hot cup of java with your favorite book and slippers by your side, there is nothing like the relaxing sound of a loon in the background as you watch the sun make its climb above the beach. For a moment you think you are in the Caribbean…nope, you are in Sable Beach, Ontario!

Northern Exposure
Have you ever rented a chalet in St. Sauveur? Blue Mountain or Collingwood? Imagine the experience of opening your sliding doors to an awesome view of the snow covered mountains. There really is nothing like it. I am not a skier but I have rented them and I can honestly say, you feel the wonder of the Canadian Shield when you witness it from your cottage front.

My personal preference is south westerly view points with a large enough piece of property to allow for a bistro set in a quiet little nook off to the north east end for my spouse and I to enjoy a quiet cup of java first thing in the morning. We are early risers ourselves, where our kids are NOT, thank Goodness! It gives us an hour to enjoy the quiet calm of nature all around us, while we sip our coffee, read our newspapers and mentally prepare ourselves for glorious vacation day with 5 kids and one very large dog. Whatever your preferences are for your perfect getaway cottage rental, remember to ask about the view. Chances are, if it is as amazing as it is described the owners will have a photograph of it to share with you!

Articles writer for vacation rental site CottageMe.com that advertises vacation rental properties - cottages, condos, vacation rental homes, villas, cabins and B&B from Owners and Management companies. They offers the ultimate variety in cottage rental and vacation home rentals from Canada, USA, Mexico and Caribbean. These areas include the popular Collingwood, Muskoka, Haliburton, Kawartha, Northern Ontario, Laurentides, Mont Tremblant, Florida, Orlando regions. This site is not a broker - for inquiries on rent cottage or homes travelers need to contact directly the individual owners or managers either by phone or by email. Web site's goal is to help you find the best vacation place to meet your demanding needs completely free.