Vacation Rentals by Owner

LOVE this place!

Guest: The Moody Family (North Olmsted, OH)
Date of Stay: 09/10/11 Review Submitted: 04/28/12

My family has been staying in this area (Port Clinton, Huron, Vermillion) for the last 25 years. I believe that we have finally found the house that is our 'keeper'. Right on the bay...could you ask for anything more? Why yes, PRIVATE right on the bay. The house is AMAZING - better linens then in my own home. Very well appointed in all rooms. TVs in all bedrooms (including in the caboose). Tons of extras - beach chairs, foos ball table, toys for my son to play with, floats for in the water, fabulous grill, extra fridge, I could go on and on. Everything was not only available, but in good and working condition. And the caboose on the property - perfect for sleeping for the children. We collected shells on the beach and took many dips in the bay which is fantastic. Trust us, we stayed in a great house on the lake side in Vermillion a few years back, and you could not even go in the water because of all of the debris and lack of sand - it was very disappointing. Not this house. The beach is well taken care of and had a pit for us to make a fire (many places prohibit them). The home is exactly as described - although I was still surprised by how secluded it really was. I am hoping that my family will be able to make this our regular vacation spot in years to come! Thank you for sharing your special home with us!

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Sandusky Bay - Port Clinton Vacation

Guest: Donna (Avon Lake, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 08/24/11 Review Submitted: 08/29/11

Excellent vacation rental for the Sandusky / Lake Erie Islands area. We gathered here for our annual girls getaway and had an excellent time. The only thing missing was the "Cabana Boy" to serve us drinks on the beach. Very convenient for jet skiers with a boat launch only 10 minutes down the street (Hanks on the Bay). We were close enough to enjoy a jet ski trip down the river (a must do!) and a few drinks at the Cove. The beach was beautiful and we enjoyed it all day and night (campfires). The house was roomy and the caboose was perfect for the girls that wanted to get away and get some shut-eye. We didn't leave the property except to enjoy a jet ski ride or two (we were able to keep them on the beach at night - saving us time from launchinig everyday). Great place and we plan on going back next year. The owners were very helpful and even left us a nice welcome gift. (something rarely heard of these days!). I highly recommend this place for families and a girls getaway weekend.

Owner response:Thank You it was our pleasure

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

North Coast vacation

Guest: DonV (Dayton, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 08/13/11 Review Submitted: 08/23/11

Bay House was a charming place and we loved the privacy. The great room was wonderful; we could all be together. Loved the patio with the umbrella tables. It was so fun to eat out there. The kitchen was very well equipped. The second refrigerator was fabulous. We felt right at home.

Owner response:Thank you. It was our pleasure

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children.

Family vacation

Guest: Jennifer Solnosky (Kirtland, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 08/18/11

My husband and our family vacationed at this home with two other families and we had a fantastic time. The house is positioned ideally next to the lake and the mornings and evenings are really lovely. The kids loved playing on the beach and there was plenty of lawn for the adults to indulge in a cornhole tournament! The house was stocked with all kitchen needs - the only thing we could have used more of were kitchen towels to dry the dishes since there is no dishwasher. Also, if you have a large group like we did (6 adults and 6 children) you may want to bring a few extra bath towels. Other than that - the house has everything you will need to have a comfortable and enjoyable vacation. The owner is great to work with - available to answer any questions. Thanks Mike!!!

Owner response:Thank you. It was our pleasure and we have added more towels.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Not very good for swimming

Guest: The Duck (Pittsburgh, PA)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 02/15/12

We stayed here on a family vacation in July 2011 - 5 adults and 4 children ages 5 through 10. The house itself was great and the owner was very friendly&responsive. The house was clean, well furnished & stocked. The location however left a lot to be desired. The house is on Sandusky Bay in Port Clinton which we learned was extremely nasty. There was literally garbage all over the bay. Every time we went swimming we would find many pieces of construction debris in the water, either floating or at the bottom. From full lengths of pvc&metal pipes to wooden 2x4s WITH RUSTY NAILS in them, to chunks of concrete. There was a terrible algae that contaminated the water several days that was so thick it looked like the bay was filled with green-blue paint. We researched this online and it sounded like it was not safe to swim in so we stayed out of the water those days. There were always a few large dead fish washed up in the morning and the beach smelled fishy most of the time. On top of that the water was so warm that it wasn't even refreshing, which makes you wonder what else could be breeding in there. Because we were stuck with it (even the public beaches in Port Clinton were disgusting and littered with trash everywhere), we still went swimming and just showered really, really well afterwards, but we will not go back to that bay ever again. The other bummer that we were actually really excited about was the caboose. It was a very neat little hideaway for the older kids,but the portable a/c floor unit barely cooled off its small corner in sweltering mid-July heat due to metal walls with no insulation.Also, the top bunks, which were the kids' first choice were about 7 feet off the ground and had no guardrails. Even our 9 & 10 yr old boys decided it was safer to sleep in the queen bed on the floor.They couldn't sleep in the lower bunks because there was a roof leak and rainwater kept coming in (at least it was on the opposite end of where they spent most of their time in the caboose).The last drawback was the immense population of bugs (they call them midges). which come out in droves at dusk. These things swarm every entrance to the house and even though there are screens, tons of them still get in the house. If you want any lighting so you can see your way, you have to keep the spotlights on but then you're cutting through a wall of bugs to get inside. These things, especially the condition of the water, would have been good to know before booking.

Owner response:First of all, thank you for providing feedback as we want our future guests to get a good feel for our bay house from those that have experienced it first-hand. As this is the only 2-star review we have received, I wanted to address a few of the comments in your review as well as assure our guests that we take these items seriously. The bulk of your review seems to point out that when you were at our house last year, the bay & "the beaches in Port Clinton" were "fishy," "nasty," and "disgusting." You were also disappointed in that it was "warm." Our previous tenants did seem to have better experiences:” The beach was beautiful and we enjoyed it all day and night (campfires)." "The house is positioned ideally next to the lake and the mornings and evenings are really lovely." “We spent every day either relaxing, swimming. We even enjoyed a fire on the beach.” My grand kids loved sleeping in the caboose and enjoyed the big yard and beach.” My two little boys had so much fun sleeping in the caboose every night and playing on the beach every day." Similarly, you had a bad experience with what we call "midges" which are another natural phenomenon in and around the Lake Erie . Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about the bug population, but I will say that this is usually not an issue that our visitors have to deal with. We have owned the home for many years and the midges have only become a minor issue after consecutive days of no wind during a certain time of year. It is unfortunate that you had to deal with this. We see the caboose as an added bonus in the functionality of the property, a visual focal point, and extra sleeping space complete with air conditioner and HD TV feed. You are the first to have anything but positive things to say about it, but we are sorry your boys did not like their stay there. Lastly, you mention that you wish you knew a few of these things before booking. This is particularly confusing for us as we sent you an email and left you a letter explaining the very things you took issue with. From our letter:” Please understand that the beach is natural and from time to time a dead fish or two do come in." and "Also being on the water brings in midges from time to time and its best to keep the lights off in the living room.” We are sorry that the natural elements surrounding the week of your stay did not meet your expectations. Thank you for being so complimentary in the cleanliness and condition of the house.

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Caboose/ house--good time

Guest: Grandma (Pickerington, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 06/11/11 Review Submitted: 06/20/11

The house was really clean and comfortable. We so enjoyed the view with the eagles, heron, and all birds. Had good fiishing. Close to lots of fun things to do--Cedar Point, Put-in-Bay, African Safari Park. We had beautiful weather so didn't spend much time indoors. Owners were very helpful. We were celebration our 50th Wedding Anniversary with our family. It was great.

Owner response:Thank You. It was our pleasure.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Great Vacation Home

Guest: A visiting grandma (Fredericktown, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10 Review Submitted: 08/14/10

What a lovely vacation home on Sandusky Bay! We loved the view of the bay as soon as we stepped inside. We enjoyed reading in the loft, on the swing and on the beach. It was a great place for our family to spend time together. The caboose is a fun place for guests to spend the night. We were a short drive from Marblehead Lighthouse and the Kelly's Island Ferry. Other attractions not too far away included Seneca Caverns and the Rutherford B Hayes home and presidential library.

Recommended for:Age 55+

Great family vacation

Guest: Gina (Cleveland)
Date of Stay: 07/31/10 Review Submitted: 08/07/10

Family from Cleveland, Columbus and Illinois met for the first time to vacation together A total of 9 adults and 2 kids. The home provided plenty of room for people to be together or to have their own space. The caboose was a neat experience for the kids. The views of the bay were awesome. We spent every day either relaxing, swimming, or sight seeing at Cedar Point Amusement Park, Put-n-Bay and the light house at Marblehead. We even enjoyed a fire on the beach. Would highly recommend a vacation here.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

July 24, 2010 great vacation!

Guest: Ted (Farmington, MI)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 07/26/10

What a great place! We had a great family time with children & grand children. The weather was wonderful, the cottage is very well maintained and equipped and the caboose was a big hit! The owner was great to work with! Great location - lots of privacy during the week, not overloaded on the weekend and close to lots of activity and reasonable shopping for food and supplies.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Family Vacation - Very Good

Guest: Gale (Brook Park, OH)
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 07/29/10

Our family had leased this house for a week of R & R -- and we certainly had that ! The atmosphere and scenery was wonderful. The house was very spacious, and we definitely enjoyed relaxing in the large great room. The caboose was definitely inviting. Thank you for this wonderful week.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/04/09 Review Submitted: 08/04/09

We were fortunate enough to spend a week at this awesome house on the Sandusky Bay. My grandkids loved sleeping in the caboose and enjoyed the big yard and beach. It was very private but close to everything we wanted. It was so nice to have the extra frig in the garage and all the outdoor chairs came in handy for our group. I would highly recommend this home on the bay and hope to spend another vacation here in the future.

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Guest: Rebecca83 (Troy, MI)
Date of Stay: 08/05/08 Review Submitted: 08/05/08

FANTASTIC! My family and I had a wonderful time. The house was beautiful and the bay view was breath taking. We had a great time eating outside on the patio and playing Bocce ball in the big spacious yard. My two little boys had so much fun sleeping in the caboose every night and playing on the beach every day. The beach house is close to a lot of fun places. I highly recommend going to the African Safari and of course Put-in-Bay. The Marblehead light house was close by and easy to get to so was Mon Ami winery and restaurant. (They have children's menus) I would definitely stay here again.

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Guest: Carl Milstead (Houston, Texas)
Date of Stay: 06/18/08 Review Submitted: 06/18/08

The Milsteads June, 2008 This place is gorgeous; the house was very comfortable and had everything you could want. The beach was beautiful and very private. My family had a great time relaxing and visiting some of the local attractions. Thanks so much Mike!

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Guest: Janna Marsh (Pittsburgh, PA)
Date of Stay: 08/19/07 Review Submitted: 08/19/07

WOW!! This house was so beautiful! The open floor plan was great. It was so cozy and comfortable. The caboose is awesome, it has such character and charm! The private beach was incredible! The view was gorgeous. I sat on the patio every morning with my cup of tea and enjoyed the beauty that surrounds this home. What a pleasure. It is close to everything you need even though you feel so secluded! The owners were so friendly and kind. They treated us like we were old friends. I definately would recommend this home to anyone looking for a relaxing and fun-filled vacation!

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Guest: Kevin Metzger (Cleveland, OH)
Date of Stay: 06/22/07 Review Submitted: 06/22/07

WOW! That's all I can say. My family and I spent the entire week basking in the sun on the beach while the kids swam and played in the enormous yard. The views of the Bay could not get any better. I recommend sleeping in the caboose. The kids thought it was the greatest thing in the world. What an experience! Kudos I say, Kudos! Plan on seeing us again next year. Thanks!

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