Vacation Rentals by Owner

Family Retreat

Guest: Family Man (Prior Lake, MN)
Date of Stay: 04/05/12 Review Submitted: 04/30/12

We had three families gather together at this awesome property for Easter 2012! The cabin was well stocked with everything we needed and wanted. The photos make it look nice but can not capture the size and quality and beauty of this property. This place is huge. The wood burning fire place and the knotty pine everywhere gave it a rustic feel. All of the furnishings were top notch! The horse shoe pit was lots of fun. The lake is super clear. The cabin is private with only one cabin even close. We brought our dog and he was fine running the land, swimming and staying in the walk out basement. We cooked all our meals and every utensil was readily available. The upstairs loft / bedroom is a 5 star accommodation! The wrap around deck is huge and a perfect way to wander outside for a relaxing time away from the group. We all had a blast staying up late and playing Texas Hold'em. Walking through the woods added to the adventure. We visited the nostalgic down town Hayward for an afternoon, much fun! The whole rental process was easy. We had the pleasure of meeting Jason when he came out to put the dock in. Really really nice guy! We all enjoyed everything about this cabin and our experience. We have already recommended it to our friends and plan to visit here again!

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

A Great Time for our Group!

Guest: Michelle (United States)
Date of Stay: 03/10/12 Review Submitted: 04/09/12

My group of friends and I stayed at the cabin last year, and we had such an enjoyable experience that we recently came back for another stay. The property is very accommodating, comfortable, and conducive in having a relaxing getaway. Even though we accidentally damaged a bed frame and faucet during our stay, Jason was great to work with and he was more than reasonable in coming to a financial settlement with regard to the items we accidentally damaged. I would definitely recommend the property!!

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

Weekend retreat

Guest: Pam (Eden Prairie, MN)
Date of Stay: 02/03/12 Review Submitted: 02/21/12

We really enjoyed ourselves at your beautiful cabin! It was a perfect place for our annual girlfriend weekend. It was a very relaxing time and so peaceful to look at the lake during that very frosty weekend. We loved the game room downstairs and everyone was happy with the sleeping arrangements. We also enjoyed your large dining table for sharing meals and playing cards and dominoes. We just wanted to say "Thank you" and hopefully we can book with you again! GNO group, Minneapolis, Feb 2012

Recommended for:Girls getaway

Great Place

Guest: None (Richfield WI)
Date of Stay: 11/16/11 Review Submitted: 12/08/11

Stayed for hunting in 2011. Owner is great and very helpful. Property is great and I would say better than what listing states.

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

Great House

Guest: Kerry B. (Green Bay, WI)
Date of Stay: 09/29/11 Review Submitted: 11/02/11

I would encourage anybody considering renting this property to "do it"!! Our entire group was totally impressed with everything about this home. Plenty of space, everything you would possibly need. We didn't use the lake because we were preoccupied with other activities (golf) but it looked beautiful. Rental process was a breeze. Thanks again Jason and Kathy.

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

Big Bass Lake

Guest: Odd's & Fremstad's
Date of Stay: 09/12/11 Review Submitted: 11/02/11

Thank you for letting us use your beautiful cabin. Everything was perfect for us. The weather was unbelievable, 83 – 85 degrees everyday. Fishing for Bluegills off the dock was super. Swimming’s great. Surely must be the greatest spot in the north.

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Big Bass Lake

Guest: The Tooley’s, Swanson’s & Kopp’s
Date of Stay: 09/02/11 Review Submitted: 11/02/11

This house was the perfect size for our family. We came from 3 different locations and were able to reconnect with each other for more than a couple of hours at a holiday dinner. Thank you for a wonderful setting.

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Big Bass Lake

Guest: The Quist’s, Wrich’s, Wolfe’s & Thompson’s
Date of Stay: 08/26/11 Review Submitted: 11/02/11

Thank you for the use of your beautiful Northwoods retreat. We had a great time celebrating our parent’s 50th wedding anniversary. The house worked perfectly for our family of 13, but was also cozy for the five of us who were left after the weekend. Found this to be the perfect place for a family get-together.

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Paradise

Guest: Annie and Jim (Eagan, MN.)
Date of Stay: 08/13/11 Review Submitted: 08/22/11

This was, by far, the most relaxing vacation my family and I have ever been on with the exception of our daughter's wedding in Jamaica. The attention to detail provided in this home exceeded every expectation of renting a "cabin" on the lake. You were absolutely correct in chosing the term "chalet." Thank you for sharing a piece of heaven with us.

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

Big Bass Lake

Guest: Mike & Betty O’Leary
Date of Stay: 08/12/11 Review Submitted: 11/02/11

We had a great time. The house is beautiful and very comfortable. The kids and grandkids enjoyed the lake fishing, tubing, boating and swimming. We all had a super time.

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Early August 2011

Guest: JR (Frankfort, IL)
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/17/11

We rented this property for our kids and grandkids the first week of August 2011. The house was very well kept, beautifully decorated and clean. Also very spacious with a lovely view off the back deck. The grounds are really well kept, and we spent alot of our time down on the water. Gorgeous lake with terrific fishing and boating. The grandkids especially liked the swimming area next to the dock-it was a very gradual slope and hardly any weeds, perfect for 2 year olds. Being on a bluff about 35' above the lake and with a west exposure, we had ideal sunsets every night! Can't wait to go back there again.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway.

Spectacular!!

Guest: Joyce (Rochester Mn)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 08/15/11

This is our 2nd year renting this beautiful house and hoping to rent again after we figure everyone's schedule. The owners are terrific, Kathy came to the rescue with a baby monitor and Jason was helpful with tree removal after a wild storm. I can't say enough good things about this cabin or the owners!!

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

David & Donna A., Stevens Point, WI

Guest: Dave (Stevens Point, WI)
Date of Stay: 06/25/11 Review Submitted: 09/19/11

We reserved this beautiful home for two weeks in 2011, after doing an on-site inspection of this and several other properties during the summer of 2010 (for our 50th Wedding Anniversary). The home has a great layout for large groups, with bedrooms and bathrooms on all 3 levels and a ‘game room’ in the basement, which was great for the kids. It is located on a dead-end road with only one neighbor, so there is a lot of privacy. The water was warm, the beach sandy and the quiet lake was great for fishing, swimming, boating and jet-skiing. We thoroughly enjoyed our lengthy stay here – with one exception – the ’50 year storm’ as it is being called up there. There were straight line winds approaching nearly 100 mph on Friday, July 1st so the entire area was badly damaged during the storm. Thankfully we were all safe and the home sustained no major damage other than some missing shingles – which the owner repaired a few days later. With a storm of this magnitude, the small Town was obviously overwhelmed with tree covered roads and we did lose power for a few days (we were told it has never been out than long before). The storm happened at 9pm on Friday, July 1st and the owner (who lives nearby) and a tree service he hired immediately, came in to cut trees off this dead end road that night until 3am (with the help of a large John Deere tractor the owner has). They then came back on Saturday morning to finish clearing the road (with the help of our sons – who borrowed the neighbors chainsaw). So even though this was a very bad storm, the road was cleared of over 100 trees the following day (it took the town 3-4 full days to clear most of the town roads from trees and other debris). So while this was obviously an inconvenience, it could have been much worse. The owner also brought us a very large 8000 watt generator the next morning, and gasoline for a few days as well. This allowed us to stay on site, even without power, and we had lights, fans and of course power to keep the 2 refrigerators full of food from spoiling. In addition, we found out later that the owner has both of his properties commercially insured (including business interruption coverage), so he was able to refund us our rent for the days the power was out! In the end, the storm situation could have been a whole lot worse, if not for the planning and quick response from the owner. We will make sure to check out properties for proof of business interruption coverage in the future.

Owner response:NOTE: The commercial business interruption policy we carry on both of our rental properties is one of the features that helps distinguishes our vacation rentals from others (others are often owner occupied part of the year and usually not eligible for this type of insuranace policy). In the rare situation that this policy is needed, it allows us to refund the majority of your rent should a natural disaster, power outage or other covered situation interrupt your 5+ day vacation stay with us. So book today at www.haywardvacationrentals.com!

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

Big Bass Lake

Guest: Paul, April, Alecs, Kate, and Chris
Date of Stay: 06/20/11 Review Submitted: 11/02/11

Thank you so much for this wonderful place to enjoy! This is by far the nicest VRBO home we have ever stayed in! The home was spotless and so well stocked. The view was out of this world. And the home is so beautifully furnished and finished. With so many amenities we didn’t want to leave! We’ll definitely be back!

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Big Bass Lake

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/15/11 Review Submitted: 11/02/11

Sometimes you need to break free. Sometimes you need to escape the congestion of downtown city life. Sometimes you need to gather with your closest friends in Wisconsin and discover what life is all about. That’s what we realized this weekend. Life isn’t about profit margins, or cost reduction. It’s about spending time with your closest friends in a place that you enjoy. You’ve allowed us to do that. Many Thanks!

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Big Bass Lake

Guest: The Woolson's
Date of Stay: 02/28/11 Review Submitted: 11/02/11

I loved the cabin last year and I’m sure I will love it this year and all other years I will come here. We all had a great time exploring the many surprises of the house. It was great to just get away from the real world and just relax. It felt like all the pressure on my shoulders kinda melted as soon as I walked in the door. Some quotes: “This house is so snapping cool” – Jack “I just love this house” – Lucy “I love waking up and seeing the sunrise on the lake” – Jenn “The homey feel is just enough that it isn’t too much like home, but it isn’t like a hotel” – Phoebe

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Big Bass Lake

Guest: Kris and Doug
Date of Stay: 01/30/11 Review Submitted: 11/02/11

Thanks for the use of your amazing cabin. We enjoyed the Totogatic and Trego Lake Ski Trails. Awesome! Perfect weather and perfect snow. Beautifully appointed chalet, warm fireplace, and we especially enjoyed foosball and ping pong! Thanks again and best wishes.

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Big Bass Lake

Guest: Heather and Bob
Date of Stay: 01/24/11 Review Submitted: 11/02/11

A stress reliever weekend! Thanks so much for allowing us to stay here at your beautiful house. Enjoyed the peace and quiet and winter beauty. I got to experience snowmobiling for the first time. Thanks again for blessing us with this time!

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Guest: P. Kremer, L. Brown, R. Wagner, C. Smith
Date of Stay: 10/16/10 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

Girl's Get Away Weekend! We had a fabulous time and loved seeing the deer and an eagle that flew by the lake and sat in a tree by the porch! Also the black squirrel-gorgeous! Would've liked a little more sun (rained 2 days), but that doesn't stop us from having a great time. We watched movies, ate appetizers, sat on the porch (deck) with a beverage and just talked the weekend away. Great cabin. Worked wonderfully for our get-away

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Very good cabin, but a little rough around the edges

Guest: Jeff (Madison, WI)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10 Review Submitted: 08/14/10

Spent a week with 14 others at this cabin in summer 2010. View of the lake is great with big deck, access to private dock and small beach was very nice. Spent a lot of time across lake at county beach. Good fishing (sunfish/bass) and boating. Landscaping and grounds were very nice. Though advertised as sleeping up to 16, we were crammed, especially when hanging out inside. A/C was appreciated but couldn't keep up during 85+ degree days. Washer/dryer and extra fridge were helpful. Overpriced pontoon boat was torn, moldy, and had engine problems. Trash policy was very stringent and a inconvenient for this large group over a week.

Owner response:This review wasn't from the renter but from someone in their party. The layout of beds and rooms is described in detail for renters before they reserve and I have many groups of 14 or more each year that feel the space is more than adequate (lots of repeat renters - see other reviews/testimonials). The A/C will keep up fine if people close the blinds on very hot days as we instruct them to do at check-in. The home is all windows in the front and faces the West (beautiful sunsets!) so it will get warmer in the afternoon but this is the only complaint I've ever heard regarding A/C in the past 7 years. Overpriced pontoon comment is hard to understand. It rents for about half what local rental places charge and it was indeed torn last year. We redid the upholstery this winter and last Spring we emailed a picture of the pontoon to every renter before they rented it and told them about the ripped upholstery and that they did not have to rent the pontoon if they didn't want to (we even gave each renter phone numbers of other places locally that rent). It has a great, reliable 75 hp Mercury engine which has had very few problems over the years (our policy is to refund you the prorated pontoon rental fee if there's a problem with it - and we have a local repair guy that responds quickly to service calls). Trash policy isn't stringent at all. There is a 50 gallon recyclable container on site and 2 50 gallon trash cans on site that can be left full of trash at checkout. If you have a lot of trash over your week there are also directions on site to my dumpster (1 mile away) and the town trash station as well (5 miles awayl. Even with these 'complaints' this renter still gave us 5 Stars - Go Figure!

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

Guest: The DeMaa's
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful home with us. We had awesome weather and we just about lived in the water. Some of our grandbabes learned how to knee-board and ski and all but the baby went tubing. We have many sad faces tonight because nobody wants to leave. Thanks so much for the wonderful memories - they will be cherished forever.

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Guest: The MEL Family Vacation Clan (McCaslands/Elders/La
Date of Stay: 06/19/10 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

We had such a great time! What sets this lake house apart from others is: the wi-fi, air conditioning, ping-pong, plenty of sleeping quarters, firepit, swimming raft, and much more. We enjoyed Wilderness Walk (in Hayward - a must for kids), Anglers for lunch, couple movies in Hayward and some shopping downtown. We made many memories here with our family including fishing, sandcastles, karaoke, boating, padddleboating, reading, grilling out, late night games, lawn games, capfires, and so much more. The little 14 month old slept perfectly in the master bedroom closet! We came from all over the US. Illnois, Minnesota, and Massachusetts! Thank you so much for opening your lake home up to others to create long lasting memories. We hope to come back next summer! (From the owner: they rebooked 10 minutes after leaving the driveway).

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Guest: The Brost Family
Date of Stay: 06/05/10 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

Thanks so much for sharing your home with us. We made many wonderful family memories this week. We had great weather with lots of floating and fishing. The little ones loved catching fish and playing on the beach. Our family came from WI Rapids, Sheldon, Eau Claire, and Washburn. Our Minnesota son came from Rochester. We enjoyed having our 4 children, 5.9 grandchildren, and our grand-dog together for the week. We couldn't seem to find a better word to describe our stay than simply - PERFECT.

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Guest: The Matzke Family
Date of Stay: 01/16/10 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

Thank you for sharing your wonderful cabin! We had a fabulous week filled with ice fishing, snowmobiling, and much more family fun! What a great winter get-away? We hope to make it a family tradition! Now back to reality

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Guest: Lincoln High School Grads '82-'83.
Date of Stay: 01/09/10 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

"Guys weekend 10+": First time in WI after 10 years near Lake Mille Lacs MN. Warm 25-30 degree weather in the warm sunshine make for some great sledding Thurs and Fri. Jeff and Bruce got in some cross country skiing and hiking around the lake Saturday. After we spent the afternoon relaxing, playing cribbage and watching the Saints/Cards game. Fun was had by all. Next year back?? We hope so! The Guys' weekend.

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Guest: The Gross Family
Date of Stay: 10/31/09 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

Thank you very much for letting us stay at your lovely cabin. We all had a wonderful weekend! The weather was not the best but we made the best out of it! We hopefully will be back for another weekend stay. Once again thank you for opening up your cabin to us.

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Guest: The Prescotts and Niellys
Date of Stay: 10/17/09 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

Thank you for opening up your lovely cabin and making us feel so welcome. Our family was able to come together from WI, MN and WY. The lake is beautiful and we spent many hours hiking in the woods.

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Beautiful cabin with a great view over the lake!

Guest: Dan S. (Madison, WI)
Date of Stay: 05/02/09 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

The four of us arrived at Big Bass Lake and found a beautiful cabin, furnished with everything we could possibly need. There was tons of space and the game room downstairs was great entertainment after a day on the lake. Fishing was nothing short of spectacular, with 20 or more nice largemouth bass caught each day, plus lots of pike and panfish. Had a great stay and would recommend this cabin to anyone looking for a nice quiet stay on the lake.

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

fun

Guest: Boop (Winona)
Date of Stay: 04/13/09 Review Submitted: 04/24/11

We had a good time, we had that wilderness feeling but the homey feeling as well

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: The Arditos, Wintzs' and Marchants
Date of Stay: 02/23/08 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

What a great long weekend we had at your beautiful lake home! Everyone had a wonderful time - we especially loved the wood burning fireplace! What a treat. We hope to return next year!

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Guest: The Christiansens (Mindoro, WI)
Date of Stay: 01/12/08 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

We loved the charm and view of your lake home. We celebrated 4 birthdays within our family. Snowmobiled, snow-shoed, sledding, nature walks. Lots of ice fishing activity on the lake Saturday afternoon. Played a lot of games.

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Guest: The Wood Family (Oconomoc, WI)
Date of Stay: 10/13/07 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

We enjoyed our time here. Would love to stay longer. We saw several deer, one eagle, and no bears. Enjoyed shopping in Hayward and dinner at the Longbranch Saloon. Very relaxing and beautiful sunsets.

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Guest: The Demeis Family (Union Grove, WI)
Date of Stay: 08/18/07 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

What a relaxing week. Your cabin was well furnished. Had a few days of rain, so the foosball table got a workout. Caught some nice northern. Thank you, hope to be back.

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Guest: Baker Family
Date of Stay: 07/07/07 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

The Baker clan enjoyed their first gathering at Big Bass Lake. Fourteen of us and Bogie the dog. There was something to enjoy for all ages, the little ones loved fishing on the dock. Day trips to Hayward and Duluth were fun too. Weather was awesome. I think we'll be back!

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Guest: The Larson Family (Elmwood, WI)
Date of Stay: 01/06/07 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

Twelve members of our family were able to spend a great time at the 'Chalet,' the home away from home on Big Bass Lake. We were celebrating a belated Christmas, as we were in Florida during the holidays. We enjoyed walks and sledding. On Sunday, a light snow was falling and it added just the perfect finishing touch to our "winter weekend." The accommodations were excellent. Thanks, Jason and Kathy for trying to meet our needs. Kathy, you were very helpful. May 2007 to be another great time at Big Bass Lake.

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Guest: The Levake Family
Date of Stay: 08/05/06 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

This cabin is beautiful and is well-supplied! Thanks again!

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Guest: The Sutters and Fearheileys (Kirkwood, MO)
Date of Stay: 07/15/06 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

We had a wonderful, relaxing time during our stay at Big Bass Lake! We loved watching the beautiful sunsets each day from the dock, and the thousands of stars after dark. It was a great vacation!

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Guest: The Green Family (Stillwater, MN)
Date of Stay: 04/15/06 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

We couldn't have asked for a more relaxing week. Thank you for letting us rent your beautiful lake home. The accommodations were outstanding...comfortable beds, furniture, etc. Can't think of a better place to go get away from it all! Thank you! We'll be back.

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Guest: The Schneiders (Indiana)
Date of Stay: 12/10/05 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

This was wonderful! Our three families had plenty of room to spread out and enjoy themselves. This is a beautiful cabin and had everything we needed to make it seem like home. Thank you for making it available for us to vacation in.

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Guest: The Morlocks (Chicago, IL)
Date of Stay: 10/15/05 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

This was exactly the sort of long weekend we had in mind when we booked the trip, a quiet lake, beautiful autumn colors, and, most importantly, a comfortable place to stay. It was also great for our puppy, who has so far only known city life, to have a chance to run around outside most of the day. Maybe we'll build a similar cabin one day...until then, we hope to keep coming here. Thanks a bunch!

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Guest: The Barnicks (Texas)
Date of Stay: 06/04/05 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

Wow! What a wonderful stay. The views from the home were breath taking. Jason was a most gracious host checking in on us although the house was so fully furnished we wanted for nothing. Your cabin was even more beautiful in person than any picture could do justice. We were blessed to be able to fish all six days 200 plus fish. Wonderful people, great food, interesting towns. It was well worth the 30 hour drive. You are definitely in "God's Country."

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