Notes from the host
Wilcox Cortes Lodge Near Gorge Harbour Government Wharf
The Wilcox Lodge is a serene retreat nestled on 5 wooded acres on the shore of Gorge Harbour, Cortes Island, considered by many to be the best of the Evergreen Islands. These islands are located on the famed 'inside passage' used by ships going to and from Alaska and are sheltered from winter Pacific storms by Vancouver Island, one of the largest and most interesting islands in the Northern Hemisphere. Cortes Island is served by regular scheduled ferry service from Campbell River. Campbell River on the east side of Vancouver Island has scheduled airline service from Vancouver (host city to the 2010 Winter Olympics), and charter service direct to Gorge Harbour is available from Seattle, Victoria, Vancouver and Campbell River.
Cortes Island is in the 'rain shadow' of Vancouver Island and has far less precipitation than Victoria or Vancouver. Weather is usually warm and sunny with cool evenings May thru October.
The Lodge is situated just above the beach with a panoramic view of the harbour and a view thru the harbour entrance of Vancouver Island mountains in the distance. Wildlife abounds. You may see bald eagles and many varieties of birds, deer down by the beach or out the kitchen window, sea lions, seals or an otter playfully swimming by, mink, and perhaps dolphins or a whale on the ferry ride over.
With nearly 1,500 sq. ft of living space, this rustic Lodge has all modern conveniences, a full well-equipped kitchen, comfortable and spacious living/dining area that opens onto a large 750+ sq. ft. L-shaped deck overlooking the beach and harbour. Hot tub on the deck. 2 chaise lounges make for lazy sunbathing/reading afternoons on the deck and the cafe & dining tables are a perfect spot for outdoor dining. Anyone for oysters on the barbeque??? Stairs off the deck provide access to the beach over a short but bumpy path. Kayak available for guest use. The Lodge sleeps 6: 2 in the lower loft (California King sleigh bed with McCroskey firm mattress & box spring), 4 in the upper loft (double bed and trundle bed with 2 twin mattresses). The Lodge is an 'A' frame with an open floor plan, the upper loft is accessed thru the lower loft and both lofts are partially open to the main living area (so no bedroom privacy). The bathroom has a sink, toilet, shower and a clothes washer (dry your clothes outside on the clothes line, they will smell so fresh and good); there is also an outhouse. There is ample parking for several cars. There is a land line phone for local calls & limited long distance, WiFi internet, 32' Sony flat screen TV w/DVD player in the lower loft (no TV channels, cable or satellite, just for DVDs), CD player and record player w/record collection just for old times sake. We also have a collection of books, some by local authors, and some board games for the chance rainy day. Feel free to add a shell or two to our display case coffee table in the upper loft or a beach combing find to our entry way beach combers wall. You'll also find a kayak under the house which you can use during your stay... Main thing is to unwind, have fun, enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings...
Note this is a rustic beach house......not a modern city home transported to water's edge....we are continually upgrading the property but not everything is 'all perfect'...although we keep making improvements each year.
Also note that the private driveway is a bit rough and bumpy in places. You need to drive very slowly and carefully to avoid scraping the bottom of the car on the driveway or bushes along side the driveway.
The Lodge is not as remote as it sounds, one neighbor's cottage is very close by and can be seen from the deck & from the lower loft bedroom bay window, there is a small cabin in the woods up the road not visible from the main house, others are within walking distance as is the Gorge Marina with restaurant, small grocery, laundromat, gasoline, and a new beautiful outdoor swimming pool & hot tub overlooking the harbour/marina and open to the public. The Lodge is 2 1/2 miles from downtown Whaletown with government dock, post office, church and mini-library.
When you tire of hanging out around the Lodge, numerous outdoor recreational opportunities abound: fishing, boating, sailing, kayaking, hiking, biking, swimming at the Marina pool or Hague Lake, Hollyhock retreat center courses, other beaches to explore, skate board park...
Call now to reserve for summer 2018, availability in June, July, August, Sept and Oct. All are great vacation months!
Keywords: house, beach house, villa, cabin, cottage
