For Laura Jewell, cottage country isn’t just a weekend escape, it’s a way of life. Through her rustic-luxury cottage passion project, H2H Cottage Co., Laura is helping others fall in love with Ontario travel, one lakeside stay at a time.

Laura grew up cottaging in Northern Ontario, first at her dad’s one-room hunt camp, then later at a family cottage, but it was Kennisis Lake, tucked away in Haliburton Highlands, that truly stole her heart.

Determined to have a place of her own there, Laura built her dream cottage from the ground up, literally. In 2016, Laura began renting out her cottage. 

“I really loved being able to welcome families in to enjoy my space and beauty of the area and introduce them to all the neat things to do,” said Laura.

In 2021, she added a second property on nearby Bitter Lake, expanding H2H Cottage Co. into what it is today: two cozy, peaceful retreats, where her guests can find tranquility in nature and escape the stresses of their everyday life in the city.

Inside Laura's Kennisis Lake rustic-luxury cottage.

Spreading the Local Love

These days, with the rising costs of travel, fluctuating exchange rates, and uncertainty about U.S. trips, Laura’s focus has become clear – she wants to spread the word that Ontario has everything you need for a restorative and memorable vacation, only without the hassle of flying.

“We have so much here in Ontario and in particular in the Haliburton Highlands, I see so many inspiring and unique local businesses here that people aren’t even aware of,” said Laura. “With everything that’s been going on geopolitically lately, I realized that a lot of Canadians, including Ontarians are rethinking their U.S. holidays.”

To help spread awareness of the region and inspire visitors to check out Haliburton Highlands, Laura started a blog where she highlights the region and everything it has to offer visitors, including her guests.

Laura explained that in Haliburton Highlands there are so many amazing experiences waiting. For example, Haliburton Highlands is home to the Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve, where you can forage for mushrooms, visit the Haliburton Wolf Centre, or walk among the trees on their Canopy Walk. Nearby, there’s also the Haliburton Sculpture Forest, Skyline Park, Abbey Gardens, along with active arts & culture and food & drink scenes. 

Abbey Gardens is one of the local businesses Laura recommends

Personal Touch, Local Love

As a one-woman operation, Laura does it all, from guest screening to trip planning. She makes sure every visitor knows not just where to stay, but what to do, eat, and explore. She uses her website and blog to spotlight local businesses, linking directly to shops, restaurants, and experiences so guests can support the community while they visit.

“People appreciate the suggestions, a lot of them don’t realize how much there is to do up here until they connect with me and share their dreams for their cottage holiday,” said Laura. “It’s very, very cool what’s going on in this little area.”

Laura’s going the extra mile to inspire visitors to check out Haliburton Highlands, and hopes that this year visitors will rethink crossing the border and instead slow down, unplug, and explore close to home.