Sherkston Blog: RV Resort, Vacation Homes, Vacation Home Rentals in Ontario, Canada on Lake Erie

Join us for the first annual Sherkston & Sun-N-Fun Petanque Tournament August 13^th & 14^th. Since being introduced at Sun-N-Fun. We hear they’re sending some terrific players, but we’re ready for them. Come out and cheer your favorites onto victory.

The beach and hanging with friends at the FunZone: schools out, the kids are back — along with their parents — and they’re all planning to have some fun in the sun this summer. We took the opportunity to talk to a few of them and get an idea of their plans.

The Tostes
Seven year-old Alyssa Toste likes playing Chocolate Bingo in the FunZone, jumping around on the trampoline and being at the pool. But her absolute favorite thing to do according to Mom, Patricia, is to go to the beach where she can dig for hours, filling and dumping her bucket, building castles in the sand. Mom tells us Alyssa’s not the only member of the family that’s a fan of beach. Piper, the family’s black lab retriever, loves getting his paws in the sand too.

Pat and Don Toste have been coming to Sherkston Shores to camp for years but only this year decided to buy a home in Alfie Lane. They’re already enjoying the privileges of ownership, having spent Family Weekend here in February, Easter in April and Mother’s Day in May. Mom tells us that Alyssa particularly enjoyed the Family Weekend Scavenger Hunt, decorating cupcakes and hunting for Easter Eggs.

With school out Pat, a special needs teacher will spend the summer at Sherkston and Don will visit on the weekends. Alyssa will be busy building castles in the sand. Lots of sand, lots of castles.

The Borgs
Julia and Mark Borg, the parents of eight year-old Abigail and one year-old Gabriel, are also new owners. They’d been to Sherkston a few times and had been thinking about buying, then found their dream vacation cottage in Forest Grove.

“It’s a vacation close to home,” Julia says of the family’s twenty-minute ride to Sherkston, “and it has everything for the kids.” The kids seem to love it all.

Abigail likes riding around in the family’s golf cart, and though she’s not driving it yet that day may not be too far off. Another favorite is going to the beach and collecting shells. Mom tells us Abigail is also excited about the pool and can’t wait to ride SherksZilla – along with every other young and young at heart person at Sherkston. She’s also into the games at the FunZone, having won some tickets at Easter, she ready to return to try her luck again.

Little brother Gabriel, the youngest of the children we sort of spoke with, tells us he loves the water and that his Mom is eager to get him into the pool, but not as eager as he is to learn to swim. He’s also quite the explorer and enjoys going out in his stroller to survey everything near his new summer home.

For Mom, a hair stylist, and Dad, a freelance graphic designer, Sherkston seems like the perfect getaway vacation spot, especially since it’s close to home, but far away from everyday cares. Indeed, Julia says she’s looking forward to sitting on her deck with the kids while Mark barbeques for the family. To which we can only say, what time is dinner?

The Pignatiellos
Chiara and Dante Pignatiello may only be five and three respectively, but they sure know how to have a good time. The first grader and her pre-school brother spend all morning at the beach playing in the sand and water before heading back home for something to eat. After lunch it’s down to the pool to splash around and ride the water slides, spend some time doing arts & crafts, then perhaps a little painting. And of course, there’s always time for everybody favorite FunZone activity – playing chocolate bingo and singing the choc-o-latte song.

“There’s so much to do that by eight the kids are zonked and sound asleep and Natalie and I have the time to open a bottle of wine and spend a little quiet time together relaxing,” Tony says.

The Oakville, Ontario natives first came here last year and rented. By the end of the month they were ready to buy and found a wonderful spot in Eberly Woods from which they could reach the beach in three minutes by golf cart. After seeing how much the kids enjoyed themselves the month they spent there, Tony says it was a no-brainer to buy. And, he explains, the location is ideal, quiet, but close to everything. With kids as active as Chiara and Dante, close to everything is a good idea.

Just in case you haven’t heard, this summer we inaugurate our new Arial Challenge Course, a ropes course adrenalin rush unlike any other you’ve ever experienced. And Sherkston Adventure Scuba is open by the Quarry so you can get everything you need – including your tanks filled – right here. The sky – and bottom of the Quarry – are the limit in summer fun at Sherkston.

Check out Sherkston Adventure Scuba »

There’s something new at Sherkston Shores this season – a challenging, exhilarating adrenalin rush that we think just might change your life forever – our new Aerial Challenge Course. Whether it’s a personal challenge, for family bonding, or corporate team building, the Course will give you new insights into all you can accomplish as an individual and all that can be achieved by a team working together.

For the uninitiated, an Aerial Challenge Course consists of four telephone like poles approximately 45 to 60 feet in height that are set in a square and connected by bridges and ropes. At the top of each is a platform. You’re securely strapped into a safety harness and with the other members of your team perform a variety of tasks that force you to take risks that are cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual in nature: crossing a rickety bridge with a partner, balancing on a beam, and dangling in a maze high above the ground are just a few examples.

Which is why General Manager John O’Brien wanted to bring the course to Sherkston.

“The Aerial Challenge Course is something new, an exciting and challenging activity that can be enjoyed by individuals, families, and groups. And enjoyed in different ways and for different reasons, whether it’s the hope of conquering a fear just for the thrill of it all.

“One of the things I like most about it is that the challenges it offers can be added to and changed. In that way, every time someone does it, the experience changes. That will keep it fresh, exciting, and interesting as we head into the future. I really believe that once people experience it, experience that adrenalin rush and realize all the ways in which it affects them, both as an individual and as part of a team, they’ll want to come back and do it year after year. I do.”

John goes on to explain why he not only took the course, but got his instructor’s certification. “The reason some of us, including me, took the instructor’s course was so that we would be able to tailor the experience to meet the training requirements of different companies that have different team building goals, something the course is just perfect for.”

Guest Services Manager Justin Alsop is the person who will be out there with those doing the course, or as he describes it, pun intended, “taking them through the ropes.” Justin has quite a bit of experience with Aerial Challenge Courses. He earned his instructor’s certification in the U.K. before coming to Sherkston and taking the course again to earn his Canadian certification.

“I enjoy the challenge. It’s something different that takes you out of your everyday role and then makes a contribution to it. In a way, one of the best things about it is there’s always going to be a certain uneasiness that never goes away no matter how many times you do it. But that’s what makes it so exciting and adventurous.”

It was certainly an adventure for Events Coordinator Tiffany McPhee, the team member responsible for booking everything from company retreats and picnics to school groups and birthday parties for the course. She got here instructor’s certification not only so that she’d be able to communicate the course’s benefits, but to also conquer her own fear of heights.

“I never in my wildest dreams imagined I’d be able to jump off a telephone pole. But I did. It was terrifying because I’d never done anything like it before. I came away with more confidence in myself than I’d ever had before and a desire to challenge myself again.”

Team Leader Cherie Moskalyk was another of the team members who took and passed the instructor level course.

“You learn about yourself and your teammates and how much you need to depend on them and how much you can depend on them. Their encouragement is essential to meeting the challenges the course presents. It’s incredibly gratifying not just for you, but for your team as well, because they’ve gotten you through it all,” is how she describes her experience.

You’ll have your own reasons for doing it and you’ll come away with your own insights. You’ll also have a great, fun time. Try it. We challenge you.

The course will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and weekends for guests and visitors. Mondays and Fridays are set aside for special events such as birthday parties and company retreats.

Dora & Joe Carvalho

Twenty-one years ago Dora and Joe Cavalho bought one of the first cottages at Sherkston for weekend getaways. They came to treasure their time here so much that when they retired ten years ago – Dora from her job as an investment specialist for CIBC and Joe from his as a quality auditor for Chrysler Canada – they went to Sherkston’s sister resort, Sun-N-Fun, for the winter.

It didn’t take long for them to fall in love with Sun-N-Fun’s active lifestyle. They bought themselves a vacation cottage there so they could divide their time between the two Resorts.

“They’re very different, but Dora and I love our time at both. Sherkston is for weekends away from our Toronto home; Sun-N-Fun is a community where we live six months a year, pursue our interests and enjoy Sarasota, which we love,” Joe explains. They do both with a passion.

At Sun-N- Fun, Dora takes aquafit classes, swimming lessons and does Zumba. Several mornings a week she joins Joe at a yoga class. She volunteers, helping organize the 50^th wedding anniversary party the Resort throws every year to celebrate those couples who have reached that blessed milestone, and she helps prepare and serve the food for the Resort’s annual variety show’s cast party.

Joe, an avid golfer, who is on teams at both Sun-N-Fun and Sherkston, plays a couple of mornings a week in addition to doing yoga, lawn bowling, and tennis when his elbow permits. Like fellow two-resort guest and Sherkston neighbor, John Kelly, he’s become a big fan of Petanque, a game that originated in Provence, France and is rapidly building a following in the States. Together they hope to introduce it at Sherkston this summer.

In addition to doing yoga together, the couple takes advantage of the Florida weather, going to nearby Lido Beach and enjoying its Gulf waters. And they love to dance, attending bi-weekly parties at Sun-N-Fun’s Woodlawn Hall, as well as a weekly dinner dance at the nearby Bobby Jones golf course. They also enjoy Sarasota and all that it offers; shopping at St. Armand’s Circle, dining at the city’s many fine restaurants, and taking in its rich cultural life.

When at Sherkston, the couple has an established routine. They drive up Thursday afternoon and stay till Sunday night or Monday morning. Joe plays a round of golf on Friday morning while Dora explores the park’s lush 516 acres and two and a half miles of beachfront. Together, they fill their time visiting nearby wineries, going to Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and nearby Port Colborne Marina to stroll, shop, and dine at restaurants like Betty’s near the Falls, Kelsey’s in Fort Erie, and the Lake House on Lake Ontario.  But what they enjoy most, according to Joe, is entertaining friends. With homes at both Sherkston and Sun-N-Fun, there are a lot of friends to entertain.

Susan & John Kelly

This winter, Susan and John Kelly, twenty-year owners at Sherkston Shores, made a happy discovery – our sister resort, Sun-N-Fun in Sarasota, Florida. The couple stayed for three months this winter and has already made plans to come back for five next year.

“The main attraction is the active retirement social life. Within a week or two we made friends, people who are as active and involved as we are,” John says. “That’s the great thing about Sun-N-Fun. You can be active from morning till night.”

And the Kelly’s are. Susan got involved in the walking club, morning aerobics and the swimming club. She’s been creating stained glass, is planning on taking a woodworking class next year and has started playing Mahjong. She’s so taken with the game she’s been helping organize the club, doubling membership in the process.

John has joined the men’s billiards club, is playing lawn bowling and is absolutely dedicated to Petanque.

Together, the couple, both retired college professors – John taught law, Susan public speaking – enjoy Sarasota’s rich cultural life. They’re already subscribing to the Asolo Theater, one of the South’s most important and respected theater venues, the Sarasota Opera, and Sarasota’s Speaker’s Series, a monthly event that this year featured among its guests columnist George Will, Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, his wife, Cherie, and Nobel Prize Laureate, Elie Weisel. They also enjoy the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and the frequent craft fairs that bring artists from all over the country to exhibit their work.

When we spoke with John and Susan, they were headed North in their Airstream, planning to divide their summer between their Toronto condo and their cottage in Forest Grove at Sherkston. Of course, this active couple doesn’t really slow up at Sherkston, where they bike four or five days a week along the Heritage Bike Trail, enjoy the local wineries and attend the nearly all the Shaw Festival’s productions at Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Returning to Sherkston is also an opportunity for Susan to work on the perennial English garden she has spent twenty years developing that is home to migrating Baltimore Orioles, Blue Jays, and very rare hummingbirds. She’s also created a butterfly garden where Monarchs are the main attraction for visitors who stop by to enjoy her efforts.

You might want to as well, and talk to the Kellys and Carvalhos about living life in both of the best possible worlds. Joe summed up his feelings to us, saying,  “Thank God we found these places. They make retirement joyful.”

In the case of those lucky enough to divide their time between both Resort’s – twice as joyful!