Woodlands Retreat Straw Bale Cottage is a **Birders Delight**! A cosy, comfortable 1 bedroom, self contained one level space. As an addition to the main house, the lock off door provides complete privacy. Nestled on beautiful acreage 15 mins from Orillia, surrounded by trees, woods, wildlife and complete serenity, you will have a chance to find yourself again, unplug, reconnect with nature and recharge your batteries. The space In 2006/7 we built the main house and the cottage was completed in 2019. It is a cosy ground floor (no stairs) Straw Bale Cottage. This means the walls are super thick (and yes, they 'breathe'), the insulation factor is very high ( R40 to 50), therefore no Air conditioning required). It is heated by GeoThermal in non summer months, that runs heat through the pipes in the floor, called radiant floor heating, in winter. This self contained one bedroom cottage invites you to 'decompress', 'let it all go', feed your soul with nature and reconnect with your roots. Guest access During your stay here, you will have access to all the nature trails on the property (some are actually named and you will have access to a map to navigate). You are Welcome to find a comfortable spot anywhere in the extensive garden, that has many unique features and sitting areas, or by the fire pit (seasonal). You could fly a kite on the open area ,(weather dependant of course) play badminton, croquette, or just sit and meditate. In winter, you can explore the trails on the property with our complimentary snow shoes. With abundant bird life right outside your door, you can witness (Spring) Bluebirds looking for a nesting box, Baltimore Orioles feeding, Woodpeckers that will come so close you could almost touch them, and so many other kinds of birds and wildlife too numerous to mention. Go for a gentle hike (sturdy footwear advised) into the back 40, on our well maintained trails. *Please note you assume all responsibility for your health & well being by virtue of using the trails. Bring your binoculars and camera. And don't forget the sunscreen and bug spray.. we do live in the country after all! We Welcome bookings for a min of 2 nights or more. ** Please note, long weekends are a minimum of 3 nights booking** Other things to note Unfortunately, if you are a smoker, this is not the destination for you. We have zero tolerance for smoking (anything) ANYWHERE on the property. You will be asked to leave immediately if you violate this rule. Please note, we have 2 dogs and a cat. The kitchen is equipped with the following appliances : 2 burner induction cook top, toaster oven (capable of cooking a whole chicken or pizza), inverter microwave, toaster, kettle, blender, coffee maker, keurig machine (bring your own pods) and outside we have a full size BBQ (non snow months only) . We do not have a stove. Kitchen is fully stocked with pots, pans, fry pans, dishes and cutlery, storage containers, bowls, glassware, utensils etc. Everything you'll need during your stay! We have a TV, with basic cable and DVD's with a very decent selection of movies. Maybe you prefer to play some games from the selection in the living room cabinet, or croquet or badminton outside on the grass. We even have a kite you can fly! In the interest of guests who will follow you, we ask that you leave heavily scented perfumes, aftershaves, potions, lotions & sprays etc at home. We attempt to keep the artificial 'scents' to a minimum and to that end, we air dry all linens & towels, either outside or on the Eco rack inside. We do not use any fabric softeners or harsh cleaning chemicals. To limit the use of plastic we provide pump liquid hand soap and a bottle of '5 in 1' for the shower.