Wild, beautiful memories with family or friends start somewhere. There is still time to make some this summer. In August, hot happenings center around rodeos, music fests, rural and lake life. Pick your focus and go on a getaway in this gorgeous lake peppered slice of Canada, Alberta’s Lakeland.

If the family is up for a new experience, opt for a stay with a difference in a treehouse, tipi, trapper’s tent, RV or cabin.

Treehouse

Hearken back to when you were younger and book a treehouse at Water Spirit Spa & Retreats on Fishing Lake. They also have a Trapper’s Tent, but the idea of staying in a treehouse sounds just too cool. Some August dates are unavailable so contact them for details about openings until mid-October.

For $25 per hour plus cost of materials, you can arrange to set up a two to six hour workshop for such things as beadwork, porcupine quill earrings, fish scale art. Great idea for a lowkey stagette? Is there such a thing?

Hobbit House

Evergreen Birch Lodge, near Cold Lake, has all kinds of options, but the tiny houses are the coolest. One is called the Hobbit House! The tiny houses sit on 142 acres of natural forest with walking trails nearby.

Willow 3, Cedar, and Hobbit cabins would work for couples or couples with a child. They have full kitchenettes with two queen size beds, waterless toilet and sink. Washrooms are a walkable distance to the lodge.

Outside decks on all cottages provide outdoor smoking only.

Hideaway Adventure Grounds

Hideaway Adventure Grounds now offer Luxury Wall Tent Camping on its 160 acres of aspen woods. Tents are on wooden platform, and include a heater and beds. Sites are well treed for shade around the picnic table. Wall tents, or Trappers’ tents as they were called in the fur trade era, were home for many Metis and settlers as they traveled in search of earth’s bounty.

Located two hours northeast of Edmonton, on the Kikino Métis Settlement, the grounds are intended for healing and wellness, and are also used for land-based learning and activities.  Experience the hospitality of the Metis Community while taking a shelter building class or check out other outdoor activities such as making fire-starting sticks, learning Metis dance or sharing bannock over an open fire.

Métis Crossing

Beyond the lodge, Metis Crossing has Trappers’ Tents with two bunk beds. The best part about staying out here is the options for interesting and fun activities along this river locale. The Walk in Our Mocs: Métis Archery Program is a two hour immersive Indigenous experience that blends a perfect mix of culture, outdoors and Métis history.  Try your bow skills, eat a Métis infused lunch, and learn about their way of life, crafts, survival and entrepreneurship of the Métis people.

For this perfect blend of culture, the great outdoors, and Métis history, book online for Saturday, Sunday or holiday Mondays at 1:00 pm. all summer until October 30th.

Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park

Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park, Alberta’s only park on an island, has tipis with private bathrooms with showers, four raised platform beds with optional Hudson Bay bedding. Very cool. Tenters have access to a full serviced enclosed cookhouse with barbecues, outdoor firepit, picnic tables and wood benches.

Indigenous cultural experiences such as jigging can be pre arranged. The park also has lakefront cabins, some of which are open year round.

Try an RV

Many think RVs are the coolest because they have one. But if you are curious about RV stays, you can rent them too. Book one at Smyl RV Centre in St. Paul, starting as low as $120/night for a 20 foot Micro Trailer that sleeps up to four. Find your Lakeland paradise and, for a fee, they will deliver it for you up to 250 kms.

Cabins

Kikino Silver Birch Resort, two hours northeast of Edmonton, has a variety of rustic cabins to stay in along the west shores of Whitefish Lake. Bring your own bedding. The resort is dedicated to the memory of Kikino Métis Settlement elder, historian and poet, Mr. Adrian Hope, who envisioned the resort.

Travel Lakeland has additional cabin and cottage rentals.

Start with cool accommodation, explore there or beyond at Travel Lakeland.