A typical Toronto family finds themselves in the wilds of Muskoka,  occupying the worst rental in cottage country. Due to an unfortunate miscalculation with explosives by his son Parker, Bruce, his wife Penny and Parker's sister Dayna have to stick it out for the entire summer roughing it in the bush. To their mutual surprise, living in each other as pockets brings them closer together and a surprise ending demonstrates that everyone has improved by taking Cottaging 101!