Apologies to Blackberry devices, cell phones and laptops…your services are not needed in Muskoka, ON, heart of Canada’s Cottage Country and site of the upcoming 2010 G8 Summit.
Here, just two hours north of Toronto, Ontario’s big-city hubbub, it’s all about kicking back and soakin’ up the best of a Canadian summer. People don’t come here to plug in—they come to drift away. Fortunately, water is one Muskoka’s main draws: here you can swim in it, stare at it, play in it, lie by it, fish in it—even cruise on it.
The R.M.S. Segwun is North America’s oldest operating steamship—a real beauty, even though she’s almost 125 years old. Take a dinner cruise around Lake Muskoka, and watch herons soar above craggy rock faces and feathery pine trees as the sun sinks one shade at a time into the horizon. 
When the sun’s back up, consider a good long saunter through The Tree Museum, a free outdoor sculpture park spread over 200 acres of pristine woodland. Then take in a performance at the grand Gravenhurst Opera House, a restored century-old theatre that still features plays, classical music, jazz and comedy shows. And don’t forget the dress code: shorts and sandals are de rigeur.
For a further dose of Canadian culture, be sure to visit to the Bala’s Museum in the house where Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of the internationally popular Anne of Green Gables books, spent her summer holiday in 1922—the inspiration behind The Blue Castle. Anne fans from all over the world make the trek here to pay homage to their heroine.
But don’t overdo things. When you’re worn out from all that relaxing, recharge your batteries at one of the area’s many beaches. Find out why Canada’s signature Muskoka chair should be considered the real power chair at this year’s G8 Summit…
www.discovermuskoka.ca
www.realmuskoka.com
www.ontariotravel.net