Private Year Round Waterfront Chalet on Beautiful East Lake

• Perfect

  Perfect

  • Guest Sledhead
  • Date of stay 02/01/13
  • Review Submitted 04/05/13
  This house was a perfect place for our snowmobile trip! Had a great view of the lake and is a great location! The house was in exceptional condition, roomy enough for 6 guys to recoup after a couple hundred mile day! I will do it again next year! Barb was AWESOME to work with and very, very easy to communicate with! Thanks a ton!

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

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• The Perfect Up North Lake Stay

  The Perfect Up North Lake Stay

  • Guest Misty
  • Date of stay 10/12/12
  • Review Submitted 03/06/13
  This vacation spot is priceless! My husband & I enjoyed our 22nd Anniversary on a chilly somewhat rainy weekend - We had a BLAST! No phone, no emails, no work, just a bunch of relaxing going on. For our anniversary dinner we went to The Chamberlain Inn in Kurtis. Absolutely amazing food, service, and live entertainment. Drove back to finish up the night in front of the cozy fireplace. What a restful night sleep both of us had...the bed and bedding was so incredibly comfortable, like a 5 star hotel comfortable! The next day we went to the Tahquamenon Falls for a hike - even in the off season it was awesome. Had lunch in Newberry at Timber Charlies and brought back BBQ ribs for dinner. After dinner we met up with friends at a local Haunted Trail Walk. The four of us had so much fun laughing and getting a good ole scare on:) We left with plates full of baked goods for the ride back and morning breakfast! This home is charming, clean and truly gives you that Up North Feel. We enjoyed every day to the fullest and tried to think of a good excuse to stay one more day. Looking forward to bringing our family of 5 for the next vacation. Thank you Barb for providing such a great place for us to rest, relax and have fun. I have told many of my friends about this and will be competing with them on booking up your calendar.

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

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• No more rooster

  No more rooster

  • Guest Kelly
  • Date of stay 07/29/12
  • Review Submitted 08/24/12
  Hi. I just read the review from the people who stayed at the Retreat the week before us who reported the rooster. Barb must have said something to her neighbor because we didn't hear the rooster during our stay.

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

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• Amazing family vacation

  Amazing family vacation

  • Guest Kelly
  • Date of stay 07/29/12
  • Review Submitted 08/24/12
  Thank you for such a remarkable vacation. It was absolutely fabulous! We felt so very welcomed and comfortable. Although the home is gorgeous and spacious, it feels cozy. The beds are incredibly comfortable and it was a treat to sleep - truly sleep. Then, in the mornings we'd wrap ourselves up in blankets and sit together on the deck, still feeling tucked in while getting back into our bodies. There's no way to explain the inner peace I enjoyed while sipping my first cup of coffee while listening to those beautiful loons call to each other. It was something else to watch the curling fog as the rising sun glimmered on the rippling surface - that's a cup of coffee I will enjoy for a very long time. The Retreat offers such a nice combination of “staying put” with day trips sprinkled in to keep life interesting. Barb was amazing - she provided "insider tips" and suggestions for fun outings. The swimming beach and pier is a terrific place for kids to play and adult to sit ;) The girls swam out to the raft many times every day and they enjoyed playing imaginary games out there on the "island." We also thoroughly enjoyed the lively wild life. In addition to those remarkable loons and we also loved watching eagles soar overhead and turtles swimming down below the pier. We even spotted a river otter scooting around. The water is so clear we could actually watch the fish as they bit our hooks (over and over again). It was a fabulous family vacation and it was good to unplug and feel so very relaxed. Too often I come back from vacations feeling exhausted and crazed. So, thank you for the restful family time. Although we are up to our eyeballs in school already, we're still enjoying an inner calm due to our time away together. So, thank you for such a special family vacation. It was a trip that will stay with us for a very long time in our minds, hearts, and spirits. Kelly, Paul, Mackenzie, and Cameron

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

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• Terrific stay in the UP; would stay again in a heartbeat

  Terrific stay in the UP; would stay again in a heartbeat

  • Guest Dayna M.
  • Date of stay 08/10/12
  • Review Submitted 08/21/12
  This lovely home is in a terrific location for visiting some of the sites in the area. Photos don't do the house justice; it is even nicer than the photos. The listing is accurate; everything clean and maintained. It is on a quiet lake that feels secluded but not isolated. The house had just about everything we needed and the owner was great to work with. No washer/dryer, but there were instructions (and a few quarters!) on how to find the laundromat in Curtis (a cute little town not too far away). Lots of hot water, and really nice towels. The queen bed on the main floor was the best my husband has ever slept on (and he is picky). The slumberjack suite in the basement is nicely done. My 13 YO daughter was reading out on the swimming platform and an eagle swooped down within 10-15 feet of her. She said she could see its nostrils it was so close! One night we laid out on the dock and watched a meteor shower. We saw about 15 falling stars. One morning I woke up and my 9 YO daughter was standing on the dock (in her pink zebra bathrobe) fishing. The fishing here is great for small kids; if you cast in a line from the dock you will get a fish. We went through 5 containers of worms in 5 days. :) Thoroughly enjoyed our campfires with the provided wood. Every night my daughter asked for a "weenie roast." Our 9YO also had fun shooting hoops. Don't get all that in the suburbs! The house and location were perfect. Girls has a great time with the dogs at Nature's Kennel, playing in the lower Taquamenon falls, and hiking the trails/beach at Pictured Rocks (Miners Castle and falls, AuSable lighthouse). The restaurants at the Falls was decent. Didn't care for Oswald's Bear Ranch, but we seem to be in the minority. We also kayaked on the Taquamenon river with "The Woods"...nice but wear a lot of bug spray and sunscreen! Scoop for yummy ice cream. The IGA in Newberry had a surprising variety of items...even 2 kinds of goat cheese. Would definitely recommend this location and this rental.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

  Owner response: We are so happy that this family got to experience some great up-north treasures! We hope to see you at the Retreat again in the future!

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• Nice Vacation

  Nice Vacation

  • Guest Happy Vacationer
  • Date of stay 07/08/12
  • Review Submitted 07/30/12
  We had a fantastic visit to the Upper Peninsula. The retreat was lovely with very comfortable beds. Loved sitting on the deck or at the waterfront with a book. Fishing was a blast. Two reasons for good rather than excellent ranking: 1) No motorboat available for rental as advertised. This was a huge disappointment. 2) The biggest disappointment was the resident rooster living next door. Being in the up north we thought we'd go to sleep with the sounds of nature. We never thought that meant a rooster. We had to sleep windows closed or in the basement. The crowing began around 5:30 am and could be heard on and off all day. Hugely frustrating! Certainly not the retreat owner's fault, but good to know if you'd like a good night's sleep.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, sightseeing.

  Owner response: We were disappointed when our local boat rental supplier could not provide a motor with his boat rental. However, we did offer our guests a 14 foot boat rental with motor from the local commercial boat rental facility, but they were not interested. As far as the rooster, he is long gone. We are sorry for any inconvenience, as we always strive to give our guests the very best.

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• A special place

  A special place

  • Guest Jamie Lee
  • Date of stay 07/04/12
  • Review Submitted 07/18/12
  We enjoyed our stay. The peaceful surroundings provided a great place to relax and make memories. Our family gathered to celebrate our mom's 80th birthday in one of her favorite places-the Upper Penisula. We swam, fished and visited some of our favorite places. The house was perfect and everything was as listed. We highly recommend these accomendations. Barb was easy to work with and even took the time to arrange a boat rental. Do note that there is no central air. Normally that isn't a problem, but the temperature stayed in the 90's the entire visit so the house was warm in the afternoons.

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

  Owner response: We were just thrilled that this family chose the East Lake Retreat to make such special memories on their moms 80th birthday! During their visit, the heat and humidity was relentless in the UP. Because of this beautiful familys comments, we have made the decision to install central air in the Retreat for both the young and young at heart. Watch for it in the spring of 2013!

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• Family Retreat

  Family Retreat

  • Guest Kirk
  • Date of stay 06/09/12
  • Review Submitted 06/25/12
  Eight of us enjoyed a week of fishing, basketball, sightseeing and rest. Everyone enjoyed the location and the space. We had no problems at all with the lake house, and would recommend this to anyone wanting to travel to the UP area. The kids enjoyed the lake and tubing and basketball. My parents loved the deck and watching the birds (there were bald eagles). The fishing was good, even though we were early in the season we caught Bass, Bluegill, and Pike. Grandma loved the strawberry shakes from 'Scoop" in Newberry so we made the short trip there multiple times. It was conveniently located on the way to Ozwalds Bear ranch (fun) and Tahquamenon falls (beautiful). Barb, the owner, was really helpful and made the whole process easy.

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

  Owner response: This was a really fun family! We are so happy that they got to enjoy a special Fathers Day time. Thank you for choosing the Retreat for your family getaway!

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• Minnesota & Michigan Cousins Reunion

  Minnesota & Michigan Cousins Reunion

  • Guest Jan &Don
  • Date of stay 05/16/12
  • Review Submitted 05/23/12
  The house was even better than we thought it would be! Very clean and the fully stocked kitchen was very easy to work in and it was great to have everyone conversing together while we prepared our meals! Barb was so nice to work with and we would definitely rent this again! Newberry was a good "home base" for our travels and sightseeing excursions. Made it so easy to head to the Soo one day, Whitefish Point the next and Pictured Rocks the third day. If you have two places to chose from, this is it!

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

  Owner response: When we saw the pictures that this group shared with us of their excursions, we could almost hear their laughter! What a fantastic family! We would love to see them back again in the future! There are a few pubs that still need exploring.....

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• Home away from home

  Home away from home

  • Guest cossondra
  • Date of stay 04/26/12
  • Review Submitted 05/14/12
  When our house burned down, the owners of this beautiful rental generously opened up their East Lake home to us. What a wonderful place to recouperate and regroup. The home was so well stocked, clean, and comfortable, it made our difficult first two weeks much more bearable. From the cozy and luxurious Slumberjack Suite downstairs with its magnificent log king sized bed, to the gorgeous views from the dining room table of the sunset over the lake, every moment spent there was wonderful. We hope to spend another visit under more happy conditions someday!

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

  Owner response: Having been a victim of a total loss house fire ourselves, our hearts went out to Cossondra and Bill! We were absolutely thrilled to be able to offer them the Retreat so that they could recuperate and catch their breath. On a happy note, they plan to rebuild, so we look forward to meeting them some day soon.

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Jan 1 - Dec 31: .. $225/night - 2 night minimum. 4 night minimum July and August
100% due upon booking.
Security Deposit - $250 - subject to change
Security Deposit refunded within 10 business days after departure
Cleaning fee $150. 6% Michigan Sales tax applicable.

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.