Gray's Log House Bed and Breakfast is located on 40 acres of land a few minutes east of North Bay, Ontario. The establishment comprises two buildings: a two-story log house and a glamping cabin known as the Old Stable. While there are differences in their design and layout, both units offer access to a continental breakfast, satellite TV, WiFi, and linens. Additionally, the log house has two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, a Summer House gazebo, and a living room. The Old Stable is equipped with a kitchenette and an outdoor shower. Nearby attractions include Trout Lake and Lake Nipissing, both of which are commonly visited for canoeing, boating, kayaking, windsurfing, fishing, and ice fishing. Additionally, skiing and snowmobiling locations are at or near North Bay, and the owners can provide guests with supplemental information on other potential points of interest.
Gray's Log House Bed and Breakfast is a 40-acre property near North Bay, Ontario. The land is characterized by two accommodations: an 1870 pioneer log house and a camping cabin, the latter of which is built more like a studio apartment. The log house is a two-story, two-bedroom building with one bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. A satellite TV, a VCR, board games, slippers, and books can also be found in the home, as well as coffee, tea, and microwave popcorn in the kitchen. Both bedrooms are on the second floor with feather double beds and quilts and duvets. The camping cabin, or Old Stable, can accommodate up to three people. It has a kitchenette, electricity, and an outdoor shower. Guests are provided a few additional amenities, such as linens upon arrival, hair dryers, irons, and free WiFi. Heather Gray, one of the property owners, describes both units as rustic, and each is decorated with quilts made by her. Other property features include the Summer House gazebo behind the log house and a creek running through the property.
Most of Gray's Log House Bed and Breakfast's acreage consists of forested land that visitors can explore. Heather explains that it is "within the city limits of North Bay" but claims that passersby cannot see any bed and breakfast buildings from the road. As such, she affirms that the surrounding area is fairly rural.
Heather and her husband, Bill, provide items for a continental breakfast regularly. The log house's and Old Stable's refrigerators and kitchens are typically supplied with fruit, yogurt, juice, bread, jams, cereal, coffee, and tea. Heather remarks that people with dietary restrictions tend to bring their own foodstuffs to accommodate their needs.
A couple of notable attractions near Gray's Log House Bed and Breakfast are Trout Lake and Lake Nipissing. In these two lakes, North Bay visitors tend to fish and participate in activities such as canoeing, boating, kayaking, and windsurfing. Heather adds that ice fishing can be done at both lakes during the winter. Skiing and snowmobiling are also common activities in the area, as North Bay has a Nordic Bay Ski Club cross-country ski trail, a downhill track, and various snowmobiling routes. Regarding dining options, Heather recommends guests visit The Portage, Average Joe's, and Burger World. Each of these restaurants is within a walk or a relatively short drive from the bed and breakfast.
Heather, a Gray's Log House Bed and Breakfast co-owner, says that she wants her visitors to feel at home. She and her husband, Bill, attempt to accomplish this by welcoming people upon arrival, letting them know that they are welcome to access and explore the property, and giving them tips on local activities or locations that are less known in town. A former patron commenting on Heather and Bill's hospitality remarked, "Glamping in the Old Stable was a dream. Listening to the creek from bed is so relaxing. Heather and Bill are phenomenal hosts."
When contemplating what sets her bed and breakfast apart, Heather says the pioneer log house makes her property unique. Aside from the nearby creek, she also notes that the property is relatively calm and quiet. Another visitor said in a review, "I used the Grays' residence to shoot the majority of my first feature film in March. The locations were picturesque, both the indoor cabins and the outdoor scenery, which made for some beautiful shots! Bill & Heather were wonderful hosts, who were very accommodating, flexible, and bent over backward for us."
Heather and Bill have a few policies at Gray's Log House Bed and Breakfast that occupants are required to follow. No indoor smoking is permitted. Pets are allowed but cannot be left unattended at any time. Quiet time begins nightly at 11:00 p.m., meaning all music and loud talking must be shut down. Finally, Heather adds that guests should "leave the place as [they] found it," not build any campfires, and "be respectful" of other people and the property.
The Old Stable is open seasonally from June to September, but the log house can accommodate patrons year-round. Heather indicates that Gray's Log House Bed and Breakfast receives a fairly broad demographic of visitors yearly, including girls' getaway groups, young families, and older couples. She affirms that she and Bill receive several repeat guests.
The log house at Gray's Log House Bed and Breakfast was built in 1870 by a woman known as Granny Mitchell, a woman from Ottowa who came to live with her children. In 1920, the house was moved closer to the property's edge, then a second story was added in the 1950s. Heather and Bill Gray, the current owners, purchased the property in the 1980s and opened it to the hospitality industry in 2000. Both the log house and Old Stable were present before the couple took over, though Heather recalls that they had to perform a series of renovations, particularly to the log house. Such renovations include restoring the house's caved-in cellar, replacing one of its logs, and refurbishing the Old Stable, which Heather describes as "more of a glamping cabin." However, she and Bill do not plan to implement any other significant changes moving forward.
Heather explains that she and Bill converted their property into a hospitality business so the log house "wouldn't fall down." She says that keeping it occupied by guests has allowed them to renovate and preserve the home. "We want to see [the log house] stand for another hundred years," Heather adds, emphasizing their hope that people will continue to visit the property. She also says that they have received some of Granny Mitchell's descendants, along with people from around the world. Their favorite part about their job is receiving these people and getting to know them.
Bed and Breakfast
Heather and Bill Gray
