Long Weekend Road Trips and Custom Cottage Signs

Road Trips and Tourist Attractions

We want to ensure your long weekend is a fun one.  The best way is to have a great plan in place.  Start by checking out our ROAD TRIP PACKING LIST post to see our list of the TOP 10 items you should make sure you pack for your next road trip.  Now that you have everything in place it’s time to download a playlist for the trip.  We have created one full of songs about driving and travel.  Have a look at our ROAD TRIP PLAYLIST to see if you agree with our selections.  We think it will help you chill out on the journey.

While some times the road trip is about the journey, other times it’s about the destination.  We have a great list of Ontario Tourist Attractions that might peak your interest.  We would love to know which ones you have visited and which ones you plan to.  Perhaps you might even be interested in some of the Historic Sites in the picture below.

Cottage Country and Custom Cottage Signs

Maybe a trip to the cottage is more your style.  We have lots of info to ensure you have a fun time at the cottage.  Hopefully our road trip lists above have helped you enjoy the trip to cottage country and now that you have arrived it is time to enjoy long weekend.  Bird watching is great way to pass the time at the cottage.  Learn about some of the more popular birds we have put on cottage signs by visiting our post about the NATIONAL BIRD PROJECT.

Another great thing about spending time at a cottage is cooking over an open flame.  You can see our list of recipes to try at your cottage or cabin by checking out our CAMPFIRE RECIPE list.  Are you having guests join you at the cottage? Make sure they can spot your site with an address marker or family cottage sign.

We hope these ideas help with your long weekend!

 

Is The Gray Jay The Next Big Thing For Cottage Signs?

The National Bird Project

The GRAY JAY was announced as the Canada’s National Bird by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Canadian Geographic through their National Bird Project.  The gray jay was selected because it’s a bird that can be found year round (yes that includes the frosty winter months) in all of Canada’s provinces and territories.

Here at Sign Depot we are wondering if we will begin to receive requests for the gray jay on new orders of custom cottage signs?

Custom Signs With Bird Designs

Over the years we have created several custom signs with birds that are found in Canada, but these species tend to migrate south for the winter. The Canada Goose and Canadian Loon (also known as the Common Loon) have appeared on custom signs created here in the Sign Depot workshop.

Now with announcement of the gray jay being added to the list of popular birds found in our country, we may start to see requests for sign designs with this species of bird included in the sign artwork. We think it’s perfect pairing for our sandblasted cedar cottage signs as they weather the elements year round as well.

Be Ahead Of The Trend

Are you thinking of getting a custom wood cottage sign or residential sign?  You might want to consider having a gray jay added to your sign design. It could end up  being the next big thing in cottage signs.  We see many different trends when it comes to our custom signs. Why not be ahead of the trend? All it takes to order a gray jay cottage sign is a bit of information on your part and a visit to our CONTACT US page.

Within a few weeks of receiving your order, you too can be a proud owner of a trendy custom cottage sign.

Creative Custom Wood Cottage Signs

“How much does a custom cottage sign cost”? That is a question we regularly get asked.  As you can see by all the factors below that price has a lot to do with your taste and style.

Ordering A Cottage Sign

Are you wondering how to order a custom wood cottage sign? We often receive inquiries about how to go about ordering a sign for a cottage.

We always say start with the size, text, colours, graphics and whether your cottage sign will be single or double sided. You will also need to know if your custom sign requires any hanging brackets or posts and if it requires onsite installation or just shipping. This gives the estimator a good idea of the work that would be involved in creating your wood sign.

Do you want to know the cost of a cottage sign? The price varies on the items listed above.  It is a good idea to know your budget for the cottage sign.  Start with base price listed below and figure out how many custom options you will want included on your sign.

 

Cottage Sign Examples

Below are just a few examples of cottage signs made by The Sign Depot.

Customization options are virtually endless when it comes to cottage signs., and as you can see creative custom wood cottage signs are our speciality! For more examples of the custom sign work created here at The Sign Depot be sure to visit our portfolio.  After you find something that suits your cottage and its surroundings, head to the CONTACT US page and request your free quote.  Make sure to include the details from the items listed above and we will have one of our sign designers contact you with the approximate cost of the sign.  After approval you are on your way to receiving a creative custom designed wood cottage sign.

Custom Cottage Signs And Address Markers

Cottage Signs That Stand Out From The Rest

Big or small, custom crafted cottage signs can prove to be great address markers.  When your guests are looking to find your cottage or cabin, there are some important details to think about to ensure your sign is getting the job done. When the expert signmakers here at The Sign Depot created The SCHWANS sign in the image above, the following three items were considered.

Font Size

A large font is always a good choice.  If the font is too small it will be difficult to read from a distance.  When it comes to address markers for your cottage/cabin it is better to be seen and not passed by.

Colour Choice

When finishing a cottage sign, choosing colours that create contrast assist with increasing visibility.  In this case, the bright letters stand out much better against the dark background.  This is also important for wayfinding purposes.

Creating Dimesion

This wood sign was sandblasted. This means the wood was carved into to create the background leaving the letters raised and creating dimension in the sign, once again increasing visibility of your sign.

If the above three items are considered when designing a cottage sign and/or address marker, you are certain to find the results you are looking for. Plus you can rest easy knowing that your visitors will be able to find you.

There are lots of other ways to customize a cottage sign to your personal taste.  When you choose to have a custom sign shop create your cottage sign possiblities are endless.  Read more about it on our post about the Advantages Of Working With A Custom Sign Shop.

Heading to a cottage or cabin in the near future? Be sure to check out our list of the Best Campfire Recipes To Try Out At Your Cottage Or Cabin.

Best Campfire Recipes To Try Out At Your Cottage Or Cabin

Creating A Campfire For More Than Marshmallows

Now that the warm weather is here, many become weekend warriors and head for their cottage or cabin.  There are only so many roasted marshmallows that one can eat over the summer, so here is our list of the best campfire recipes for you to try this cottage season.

Best Campfire Recipes

Stock up on tinfoil and long bbq tongs, heavy duty metal skewers and oven mitts . It’s time to take campfire cooking to the next level!

Campfire Corn On The Cob

Leave the husks on your ears of corn and soak them in a bucket or cooler of water for an hour. Next with either use your long bbq tongs or heavy duty metal skewers (depending on grip or weight) to roast the corn over the open flame until the husk becomes a very dark brown.  Set roasted corn aside to let the steam to do the work and finish the cooking.  After that put on your oven mitts and remove the husks from the corn and serve.

Spider Hot Dogs

This brings a bit of fun to the typical weiner roast. Start by scoring cross or x pattern into the ends of the hot dog with a knife. You are begining to start the legs of the spider. Now slice into your scoring a bit but not too far into the weiner. You don’t want the legs to char and fall off.  Then insert your metal skewer into the hot dog and roast over the campfire.  As it cooks you will see 4 legs form on each end of the hot dog, because as the weiner roasts the ends begin to curl up.

Tacos In A Bag

Being that your are at the cottage/cabin chances are you plan on grilling some hamburgers.  Put a few extra on the grill and save the leftovers for this campfire recipe.

Start with a small bag of nacho chips (Doritos work best as their bags are foil lined and chips are flavoured already). Squish the bag a bit to crunch up the chips into smaller bite size pieces.  Next chop up your cooked burgers and taco toppings (lettuce, peppers, cheese etc). Open the top of the nacho chip bag, add the toppings, roll up the top and give it a good shake. Then use the bbq tongs to hold the bags over the fire so that the cheese melts.  Next set aside until the nacho chip bags are cool enough to hold. Slowly and carefully open the bags to let out the steam.  Then once the bag and toppings are cool to the touch, eat the concoction right out of the bag, splitting it down the side as you get deeper into the filling (or eat with forks).

Campfire Cones

Think of it as all the fun of s’mores in an easier to manage ice cream cone.  Begin with a sugar cone and fill with your sweet toppings, marshmallows, chocolate chips, caramel sauce, berries or any dessert toppings you like.  Wrap the cone in foil.  Use the bbq tongs to hold the package cone over the campfire to cook the ingredients.  After that, let it cool and unwrap this portable dessert.

Memorable Moments At The Summer Cottage / Family Cabin

We know that campfires are just one of the memorable moments at the summer cottage and/or family cabin.  Let us know in the comment section if you have traditions for your summer vacation getaways to the lake.  We want to know what makes it memorable for you.  You may even want to incorporate those memories into a custom cottage sign.

Our expert sign designers can craft a custom wood cottage sign with the text, colours and graphics that are personalized to your satisfaction. Visit our CONTACT US page for more information.

For additional Outdoor Living Ideas check out the One Big Outdoor Extravaganza post

Signs That Cottage Season Is Over For Another Year

Signing Off On Cottage Season

Being a company that makes custom cottage signs, we thought this news may come easier from us. We wanted to let you know that cottage season is once again coming to close.  While you may not want to believe it, we have proof.

 Signs That Cottage Season Is Over For Another Year

Normally the signs that cottage season is ending and fall is beginning include leaves turning red

and geese flying south for the winter.

This is not the case this year. In case you missed it, The Weather Network posted this image on their facebook page yesterday (Sept 10 2014) of the conditions happening in Calgary.

We think this is one of the biggest warning signs we have that it is time to prepare the cottage for the winter. Last year we provided you 5 Websites To Help You Close Your Cottage For The Winter and with the unpredictable weather we thought it would be best to give you some more places to look for information on winterizing your cottage.

More Websites To Help You Close Your Cottage For The Winter

1. Cottage Closing Electrical Safety Tips
2. Cottage Closing Checklist From Hydro One
3. Seasons from The Practical Cottager
4. Winterizing Your Cottage from Trusted Pros
5. Winterizing Your Summer Cabin Or Vacation Home

The tips above are give you a good idea about the workload ahead of you when prep your family cottage for the winter season. Our tip is to protect your exterior custom cottage sign from winter damage by following these steps

• Wash it with soap and water.  A mild liquid dish detergent will do the trick
• Let it dry
• Give it a polish with a spray car wax (ie Turtle Wax)

This will add luster to the wood sign and serve as a protectant against the winter elements.

So while we have you thinking of winter, we just want to remind you that Personalized Cottage Signs make great Christmas Gifts and it’s never too early to CONTACT US and get your order in!

Top Ten Things To Pack For The Long Weekend Road Trip

Bring on the Summer

With the warm weather days upon us, long weekends are full of fireworks, fishing, and fun which usually means road trips.  The best way to ensure a fun and relaxing time is by being prepared for the excursion.  Most travelers already carry a vehicle emergency kit with First Aid items, booster cables, a can of quick tire inflater etc.  To ensure that road trip is enjoyable for everyone,  here is a list of some items to be sure to pack for that long weekend road trip!

Ready for the Road

1. Bottles of water
2. Granola bars or something that can tide you over until your next stop
3. Baby wipes – great for those in car spills
4. Change of clothing – see above
5. Extra batteries or car chargers for music players/cell phones/laptops etc
6. Travel pillows & blankets (the comfy kind, not those crinkly emergency blankets)
7. Portable entertainment IE DVDs, deck of cards, magnetic travel games, hand held video games
8. Sunscreen (daytime travel)
9. Booklight (nightime travel)
10. Large Ziploc bags – great for garbage

In addition it is also a good idea to have a bit of cash (in case your next stop doesn’t take credit or debit), also make sure to bring a map in case your GPS signal is lost.  You want to make sure to find that “hideaway” without having to worry about where it is hiding!  If you’re are inviting guests to your cottage, make sure they can identify your getaway from the everyday by adding a custom sandblasted cedar cottage sign to identify your neck of the woods.

Enjoy the Long Weekend and remember to kick back and relax once the travelling part is done.   It won’t be long before you are on the road again, so be sure to stream our ROAD TRIP PLAYLIST Have any road trip tips you want to pass along? Make sure to add them to the comments, send us tweet or find us on facebook.