Vacation Rentals by Owner

Our Perfect Vacation at "The Cabin"

Guest: GG (Kent, WA )
Date of Stay: 08/31/11 Review Submitted: 09/10/11

The minute we walked through the doors of the cabin, we knew we found the perfect spot for our vacation retreat. Everything was spectacular! We stayed for a week and the first couple of nights it was just my husband and myself for some time together and then the kids and grandkids came for the Labor Day weekend. When the grandkids (girl's 10 and 6) got there they were so excited. We were out on the bottom deck and they came running out on the top deck pronouncing "We Love this Cabin" It was so perfect for us and had everything we hoped for and more. The log cabin had great ambience and was very cozy. It was well equipped with everything needed. Even a washer and dryer. There was easy access to the lake with a kayak and canoe and we brought our row boat. The lake was bountiful with fish (the community stocks it) and fishing was great - trout 11" - 18". There is a firepit down by the lake for night time fires and of course, S'mores and the firewood provided was plentiful. Bandit, our dog enjoyed his vacation too, playing in the water and roaming around off a leash. It was fenced, so no worries! And everyone's favorite was the hot tub, we all enjoyed looking up trough the trees and out on to the lake. When we rented the cabin, it did say it had WIFI, but Gae sent an e-mail saying it no longer did. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because No WIFI = No Temptation. Had there been WIFI I know I would have used it to look at work stuff etc, but because there wasn't I found that I could really de-compress and relax, read, hot tub, enjoying the lake and quiet, peaceful and serene sorroundings. It was a great place to watch wildlife, we spotted a number of eagles, hawks, cranes and racoons across the lake. We would definetly book this cabin again and will recommend to friends and family. Thank you for sharing your place with others. P.S. When the girl's were leaving they had their arms around the logs holding the awning in front. I asked what they were doing and they said "we are hugging the cabin goodbye". "We Love this Cabin". Needless to say, we had good quality family time together and made some wonderful memories. I snapped a picture and will send it to you Gae. The Husons, Paul, Ginger, Paul Jr, Melissa, Keara and Bella - and Rachael too - our 19 year old who came for a day.

Owner response:It is such a pleasure to house a family who so "gets" what the cabin is all about! Thank you so much for enjoying yourselves so much - that's what it's all about. Please come back again!

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

The Minterwood Escape

Guest: Longterm Cabin Dweller (Tacoma, WA)
Date of Stay: 01/04/11 Review Submitted: 08/10/11

My partner and I lived in this cabin for 6 months, starting January 1st through July 1st. It is incredibly cozy, quiet and nature is right at your fingertips. I loved the ability to be out in the forest, with wonderful walking trails in your backyard, and the patter of a light rain on the roof at night. The cabin is most certainly not infested with spiders. That being said, this is a log cabin. If you don't like the characteristic of log cabins, it might not be for you. This is a classic log cabin in every sense of the word. It is rustic. It is nestled in tall trees. It is wonderfully cozy. It has some dust and some cobwebs, but they are easily manageable. I probably dusted twice a month, and vacuumed about two times a week because the pine needles are ridiculously determined to enter that space. I wouldn't give the trees up though to get rid of their needles. They are wonderful to watch sway in the breeze while lying on the porch, or in the sweet hot tub! And their smell reminds me of deep wood walks and the smell of freshly sawn wood. What it boils down to is that cabin living is not for everyone. This cabin is a wonderful hideout, and Gae and Raph are wonderfully accommodating, but will also leave you be to enjoy your vacation. If you want to get away from the buzz of city life, and have the Olympic Peninsula at your finger tips, stay here. It is wonderfully romantic and beautiful.

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

Absolutely Wonderful Week Get-A-Way

Guest: Bitbox (Portland, OR)
Date of Stay: 07/31/10 Review Submitted: 08/14/10

The host was wonderful to work with; great directions to the property. Lake Minterwood is a great community about ten miles from Gig Harbor--remote, but close to everything and the cabin is brilliantly appointed. Wonderful decorations from Bali and other lands fit well with the rustic feel of the cabin. Plenty of linens, washer dryer, DVD player, satellite and broadband access if you simply must. The deck and hot tub with view out over the lake seal the deal. The yard is fenced; great for dog travelers; the kayak and canoe on site were perfect for enjoying the lake. The grassy shore with chairs, full sun or tree shade (and fire pit) made it great to hang out and simply enjoy. We saw a host of dragon flies, fish jumping to try and catch them, and in the mornings two eagles trying to catch the fish. There is a great Mexican restaurant up the road in Key Center we would recommend as well. Definitely worth your consideration. We would gladly stay again.

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

Cabin Rental

Guest: JT143 (Lexington, NC)
Date of Stay: 07/03/10 Review Submitted: 07/30/11

This is a cute cabin, but we found it in an unsuitable state. The cabin was extremely dirty; cobwebs and dust from floor to ceiling. I don't think this rental has been vacuumed or dusted in quite sometime. Bathroom showers were covered in a thick film of soap scum and mold. Kitchen counters covered in dirt. The hot tub had zero chlorine in it; the water was cloudy and foul smelling. The cabin is also infested with spiders. I expected a few given the location, but the amount present rose to the level of an infestation. We were unable to use the upper deck due to a bees nest. The owner told us on the first day she did not want to kill the bees. My daughter was stung while sitting on the lower deck. The owner was not concerned or apologetic in the least when I spoke with her about this issue. The add for the rental stated the cabin had satellite t.v. and broadband internet, it had neither. It does have a computer as mentioned in the add, however what good is a computer with no internet service. When we arrived the television had no channels set up, cable company came to check and we learned the cabin was equipped with "limited cable" which amounted to less than 25 channels most of which were news or shopping networks. I was counting on the internet service for work purposes and was very disappointed there was no service. On the first day I contacted the owner about this and she was unconcerned and did not even have the decency to apologize for her misrepresentation of the rental. Had the owner been honest in the representation of the cabin, I would not have rented it. Cell service is very poor in and around the cabin; the cabin has no land line phone installed, because the cell service is poor there should be a land line for use in the event of an emergency. The towels in the cabin are old, smelly, and threadbare. The beds, including the master, had only two small flat pillows provided. We had to purchase towels and pillows for our stay. I feel the owner cheated us by misrepresenting the rental and she should have offered to rectify the situation in some way. We informed the owner of our concerns,during and after our stay, she did not respond. The cabin description also listed a gas grill, which it had, but the owner left an empty propane tank which we discovered did not even fit the grill. Of course we found this out after we paid to have the tank filled. I would strongly advise anyone looking at this rental to move on; you do not want to rent this cabin.

Owner response:This traveler definitely had other issues going on. I'm very sorry she took them out on my cabin on her vacation. In no way was anything "covered" in dirt - I met her there and showed her around, I would've thought she would've just declined renting it if it was as bad as she just expressed! There is absolutely no infestation of spiders - there was a bees nest that had made a home in a birds nest, but I left spray for her to use if needed. There is cable T.V. but I have discontinued internet at this time and the ad reflects this. I'm sorry for this traveller and what she felt she encountered, but if you read the other reviews you will see that this is completely out of context with what others have had to say.

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Guest: Cullen and Alison
Date of Stay: 09/05/09 Review Submitted: 09/04/09

Wow! What a perfect getaway for a peaceful and romantic weekend. Gae, thank you so much for the wonderful hospitality & for sharing your gem with us. We'll definitely be back. Not sure who had more fun-us or the dog- but we definitely got in our fair share of good times with the hot tub, BBQing, fireplace and boating. Wonderful memories and looking forward to coming back for more.

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Guest: N & A Wechsler
Date of Stay: 07/11/09 Review Submitted: 07/10/09

We enjoyed our stay in your log cabin in the peaceful and lovely environment. The cottage is very charming-reminds us of our lakeside home in Maine. we are appreciative of the internet access, films, and cd's.

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Guest: Frank and Teresa
Date of Stay: 05/31/09 Review Submitted: 05/30/09

I know a fellow global nomad when I see their place...Thank you for opening your peaceful retreat to us. It has been a wonderfully familiar ambiance, a glorious sunset, the last rays of the day sparkling through the chardonnay. the smell of fire wafting across the lake, peaceful tunes floating in the air. Teresa and I felt a re-confirmation of our dream to one day be able to call a similar place our home...a dream that has now moved closer one big step. Thank you Gae, may you, your family and home be blessed with love, light, and happiness! The healing silence has embraced my heart, my mind and soul. The aches of my body and mind are washed away in the salty sun. The vigor, the vibe, the drive has found me again and refreshed my soul!

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Guest: M. Celaya
Date of Stay: 03/11/09 Review Submitted: 03/10/09

What a splendid retreat! We all had such a marvelous time relaxing, exploring, kayaking, fishing and then more relaxing. The cabin is absolutely amazing. Everything is beautiful and serene. An immediate sense of comfort and well being takes over as soon as you walk through the front door. Thank you so much for sharing your gem with us-we could not have wished for a more perfect time. We will be back-hopefully very soon!

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Guest: Bert and Carolyn
Date of Stay: 03/11/09 Review Submitted: 03/10/09

The cabin is magical. Recommend Chamber's Bay to your golfers. We'll be back.

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Guest: sheila and peter (Igo, CA)
Date of Stay: 09/06/08 Review Submitted: 09/06/08

We stayed at this wonderful lake front cabin this summer. It felt so friendly and comfortable. Private beach on a small lake, nice deck, hot tub was great. I felt as though I was at a friend's cabin.. cozy, personal, clean, and well supplied. We will be back again I am sure.

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Guest: Vegh Family
Date of Stay: 08/11/08 Review Submitted: 08/10/08

We cannot begin to put into words how much we enjoyed our week! Every little detail of this cabin was lovely. We explored the entire house and took advantage of everything here. Everyday we found something new. It is hard to believe you would share such a beautiful place with others. I guess that's why you do..to give us a little piece of heaven. We will be back. Thank you so much.

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Guest: Mikhal Vegh
Date of Stay: 08/11/08 Review Submitted: 08/10/08

I am really enjoying my awesome stay! It makes me feel like I really am home. I could never ask for a better cabin to be vacationing at. I really enjoyed the bathtub and beds upstairs, but everything else was great! We went kayaking and canoeing and it was my first time! And I loved the hot tub - thanks so much for everything. From the Vegh's 10 year old daughter.

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Guest: Jim & Kim Schibley
Date of Stay: 07/16/08 Review Submitted: 07/15/08

Thank you for allowing us to relax and vacation at your house this week! Our children really enjoyed the canoe and Kayak. The weather was perfect and were sad to go back to the heat today! Thank you again "The Cabin" is a perfect place to stay!!

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Guest: Stacey & Craig
Date of Stay: 07/16/08 Review Submitted: 07/15/08

We were dutiful guests and did as we were instructed- Relaxed, Indulged and Enjoyed! I can't imagine a lovelier place to unwind and reconnect with family. The thoughtful touches throughout the cabin were much appreciated, and the natural setting is second to none....Thank you!

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