Ryan and Becky

Guest: Di (Crystal Lake, Il)
Date of Stay: 08/05/10 Review Submitted: 08/23/11

Mariya and Ian are attentive and gracious hosts. We had great weather and few mosquitoes!??? My son said this was the best vacation ever! There is a kids camp close by - one day ($12) or up to 8 weeks; you choose. Playground and beach walking distance. We went to the dunes, Capt Mike's fun park, and St. Josephs has a splash park and carousel right on the beach. The house is charming and clean,clean. This was our second year and we hope to come back.

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

What a wonderful vacation!!

Guest: Happy Vacationer (Midwest)
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 08/03/11

My family and I spent a week at Dreamwold and could not have been happier!! The cottage was fantastic. To call it a cottage may imply it is smallish in size, but that is not the case. Beautifully decorated, so clean and tucked in a wooded area. We played cards on the screened in porch when the weather did not allow us to enjoy Lake Michigan. Ian and Mariya provided for everything and anything we could have needed. They were available but not at all intrusive...and so friendly!! We were so sad to leave!! Thank you Ian and Mariya!!!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, families with young children, age 55+.

Lake Michigan vacation

Guest: Elevenacres (Kentucky)
Date of Stay: 07/15/11 Review Submitted: 08/01/11

We decide to try Lake Michigan as a beach vacation, not sure what to expect, but was was very pleased. Most people in the lower Midwest might not think to go north for a beach, but I highly recommend it. No salt, no crowds, no excessive heat, easier to swim, not overly commercialized. The Dreamwold Cottage was a very short walk to a very nice white sand beach. Very comfortable, had all the right amenities and the hosts were very attentive. I would recommend this for families and singles. The village of Michiana Shores is very relaxed, complete walking biking neighborhood, very quite and private. The cottages are amazingly maintained with beautiful gardens.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, families with young children, age 55+.

Awesome Place

Guest: pg (Detroit, MI)
Date of Stay: 07/20/11 Review Submitted: 07/26/11

My family and I spent three wonderful days at this lovely cottage. I would highly recommend it!!! Clean, cozy and comfortable.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children.

Another restful, relaxing week at Dreamwold!

Guest: Roscoe (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Date of Stay: 07/01/11 Review Submitted: 07/12/11

We had a lovely time with friends who spent the week with us at Dreamwold this year! We love coming to the Michiana Shores area each summer, and particularly staying at cozy, comfortable Dreamwold Cottage! We always look forward to spending a quiet, restful week at this delightful, homey cottage, surrounded by woods and wildlife. The rooms are all large, spotlessly clean and vey nicely appointed; the kitchen is fully equipped and we even took advantage of the gas grill and had a great barbeque! We spent time in the spacious screen porch putting together one of the 1,000-piece puzzles provided by the owners. We love the fact that there are many restaurants and wonderful beaches so nearby. This year, in addition to spending time at Michiana Shores Beach, we went to New Buffalo Beach and Weko Beach at Bridgman. It was amazing to spend the day at these pristine beaches, which are never very crowded, even on holidays. We went to the Saturday morning Michigan City Farmer's Market for fresh produce and flowers; we visited the antique shops on the Red Arrow Highway; we had a delicious cherry pie from the Whistle Stop Grocery. We enjoyed freshly made wood-fired pizza at Stop 50; we indulged in a delicious burger from Redamak's, followed by an ice cream from Oink's! The guys had a great time at the Hesston Steam Museum, and we stopped in at quaint Three Oaks for a great afternoon. These and many other enjoyable experiences are becoming traditions for us, and we will definitely be returning to Dreamwold soon to make more happy memories!

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

Charming cottage in woods, very nice owner, but....black mold spotted in 2 rooms

Guest: L (Indiana)
Date of Stay: 06/28/11 Review Submitted: 07/01/11

First impressions of the house were good. Mariya was welcoming and greeted us with a big smile and showed us what we had access to in the garage which included beach toys, a wagon and grill. The house was clean, furnishings were antique-looking and it was decorated nicely. You enter the house on the back porch which is screened and sort of dark but nice. Off the porch is the kitchen and the living area with a sliding glass door which if left open can make your living space quite large. This house could easily sleep 6 (if 2 don't mind twin beds). The kitchen is a decent size and the bedrooms are comfortable. The house had everything you would need for a vacation very close to the beach. It took us about 10 minutes to walk to the beach which was quite pretty and private. Now onto the negative part of my review: The house needs some renovating due to black mold. I noticed the mold that first night in the upstairs bedroom with the 2 twin beds. It was a very large black area about 8 inches by 5 inches and above it, it looked like the wall had been repainted at one point. There were more black spots where the wall met the ceiling and there were additional spots downstairs above the fireplace, where the wall met the ceiling....which looked to be directly below the bedroom. Now my daughter was supposed to sleep in that bedroom while my husband and I slept in the other upstairs bedroom and after seeing this, I couldn't possibly let her sleep in that room. So....my daughter and I slept in the downstairs bedroom while my husband slept in the other upstairs bedroom, not quite what we wanted for romantic evenings. My daughter is 3 and I didn't want her sleeping on a different floor. Also, after seeing the mold, I wanted the windows open to bring the outside air in, for air circulation...to lessen breathing in possible toxic mold spores. Now I don't know if the mold was toxic but it was black and scary looking. For the way this house was kept, with the care and attention to detail, there is no way that the owners didn't know about these areas. These "spots" were not just markings on the wall. Doors within the house had little decorative sacs of potpourri hanging from them, possibly to disguise a musty odor and there was a dehumidifier running constantly in the basement. We had already paid for the few days we were there, kept the window open to ventilate and stayed out of the house as long as possible. Can't recommend unless issue resolved.

Owner response:CHIMNEY PATCHED AND ONE SQUARE FOOT OF WALL REPLACED IN BEDROOM We are aware of rain damage around the chimney which produced seepage of water. When winds blow a certain way on this north wall rain would seep in at the halfway point of the chimney.This caused puffing of the wall at the base of the wall ( one square foot) in the upstairs bedroom and a four inch (looks like a caterpillar) stain on the ceiling above the fireplace in the living room. The living room is below the bedroom. *A roofing contractor inspected the damage and agreed to come during a week of dry weather to caulk along the chimney area while a contractor replaced one sqauare foot of the wall to repair the water damage at the base of the bedroom wall. The bedroom wall ispainted a pearl gray so the area that was damp appeared as a lighter color. from the wetness. *We did not view the four inch stain above the fireplace as hazardous and knew the repair would be done as soon as dry weather allowed. We have experienced significant rain this June. * Since we had a period of heavy storms, work was scheduled for the first week of consecutive dry days. Contractors are arriving July 6 as this whole week has sunny dry weather. * As for the dehumidifier in the basement, it runs year round to keep the basement fresh. * The potpourri hung on door knobs is "Seascape" which is a light fresh scent. The house is surrounded by trees and woods which allows for a cool shady screened in porch. When you open the sliding door to the living room a breeze comes in that is refreshing. The potpourri adds to the scent. It is not there to disguise any musty smell as there is none. We have rented our home for ten years. This is our first complaint. It is unfortunate that the rains have been significant causing a delay in repair. However, the prolem has been identified and repaired with no significant damage.

Recommended for:

Guest: Cindy, Jessica, Kayla, Phyllis, Michelle (-)
Date of Stay: 10/01/10 Review Submitted: 02/13/11

Thank you so much for providing such a warm and cozy environment to enjoy a weekend of family and friends. Your cottage was perfect to celebrate a bridal shower and create many wonderful memories. We enjoyed the amazing fall weather, beautiful views, and trips to the beach and dunes. Thanks again for a weekend of laughter, love and family. Many blessings to you!

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Guest: Vonnie and Brian Ontario Canada (-)
Date of Stay: 09/12/10 Review Submitted: 02/13/11

What an enjoyable stay we had in your beautiful cottage. We hate to leave but know that is the only way we wil be able to come back. Our "short" walks turned into fabulous adventures lasting nearly two hours. We loved looking at the deer and trying to sneak up for some good close ups. We surely did get our exercise while biking around the streets and on our day trip to the dunes. Thanks for sharing your place with us;it was more than we could have imagined.

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Guest: Howie,Mary,Celia,Sarah,Genesis (-)
Date of Stay: 08/22/10 Review Submitted: 02/13/11

Eight years! Hard to believe. Our first entry in this journal was August 2003. So many years. So many changes. Some happy some sad...the ebb and flow of life. Sarah will always remember this as her childhood vacation spot. As for Mary, my mom , and myself it is our yearly place of respite and escape well earned from the business of life. Thanks Ian and Mariya for your graciousness and kindness. Your house lovely as always, truly a home away from home. We feel rested and refreshed and will return again and again. See you soon.

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Guest: Ralph,Diane,Justin,Aaron,Valerie,Kristy,Elijah (-)
Date of Stay: 08/02/10 Review Submitted: 02/13/11

We were very busy the first week with children and grandchildren. Great times and wonderful memories were made. It's great to spend the dog days of August so near Lake Michigan. The water was so perfect. Some days big waves and other days as calm as could be. Your house is so comfortable and we very much enjoyed all the amenities. We hope to see you both next year! Thanks.

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