We had a fun week at Orchard House

Guest: Chris (Toledo, OH)
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 09/07/11

My family and I (wife and four children 17, 15, 13, & 11) found Orchard House to be a very nice vacation home. The open floor plan, the comfy furniture, the eat-in kitchen, the deck, the woods, the pond, the solitude; were all very relaxing. Additionally, the attractive décor, the well stocked kitchen (w/ lobster pot), the large side-by-side refrigerator, the grill, the stereo (with indoor and outdoor speakers), the large variety of books and videos, the large laundry area, the ceiling fans, and windows on every wall of the house that can be opened up to let the fresh air in, are some of the things you don’t necessarily see in the pictures, that make Orchard House special. The local information provided by the owner was appreciated as well. We very much enjoyed El El Frijoles, the Stonington Co-Op, and especially Barncastle Pizza (with blueberry wine). My wife and daughters also loved the many cookbooks provided. Besides the recipe for steaming lobsters (which was very helpful for us Ohioans), we tried several of the desert recipes. All were excellent. We found plenty of nearby beaches and lighthouses. We went to Sand Beach in Stonington, Sand Beach in Acadia, the Beach at Echo Lake, Causeway Beach, the beach in front of the Pumpkin Island Lighthouse, Bass Harbor Head Light, and Dyce Head Light in Castine, not to mention swimming in Walker Pond 3 different times. My girls found many interesting and colorful stones, seashells, and bits of sea glass on the various beaches, and made their own jewelry on the lone rainy afternoon we experienced. Our stay at Orchard House was definitely a comfortable, memorable, and enjoyable vacation.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

Wonderful place to stay!

Guest: Sally (Seacoast, NH)
Date of Stay: 09/02/11 Review Submitted: 09/05/11

What a beautiful home and fantastic owners! Sally and Sean have done a fantastic job of making every guest feel very welcome, and informed about places to go and things to see. The kitchen is amazing - didn't want to eat out! The home was spotless, with wonderful light and made you just want to relax. The house is beautiful! The outdoor activities in the area are plentiful. Holbrook Santuary - kayaking over to Castine. The islands off Deer Isle...beautiful! Listening to the Loons - fantastic! It was always nice to come home to Orchard House after a full day's activity. I would highly recommend visiting Orchard House. I can't wait to go back!

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Gracious Owners, Lovely House...Go and Relax!

Guest: Heather W.
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 08/25/11

Don't get me wrong...the house is wonderful. But it's the owners and the way they manage the house and the process that makes renting this house a five-star experience. From the initial response to my inquiry (friendly and super fast) to the directions and "what-to-do binder" that everyone talks about (informative and thorough) to help with and follow-up on a (very minor) issue we had upon arrival ...Sally & Sean were the most extraordinarily gracious and thoughtful hosts. As for the house itself...the pictures pretty much speak for themselves. It's lovely (hand-built by Sean...see the photo album) and spotless and proved to be a warm & cozy "home" to return to after our time out & about during an often rainy week. We didn't know the area at all and found that we were a little further off the beaten path than we expected. But, given the fact that we were just looking to relax, the area proved to be perfect (when the weather cooperated) to just head out and see what we could see. We loved mooching around in Blue Hill and made C Shells our go-to spot for breakfast and lunch (try the lobster roll - 2 full lbs. of lobster meat - yum!). We also have to give a shout out to Morton's Moo in Ellsworth for fresh, homemade ice cream. It is a hike (though on the way to Acadia/Bar Harbor) but its owners are so delightful and the treats so tasty that we ended up planning a night's dinner in the area just to go back a second time!

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

Beautiful home in Maine!!

Guest: Theresa (Rocky Hill, CT)
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/09/11

My family of 7 recently stayed at the Orchard House for a week. We had a great time and found Orchard House very relaxing and comfortable. Very clean, organized and plenty of room for our 5 children. We played soccer and football in the yard. We enjoyed visiting Acadia many days and returning to Orchard House for an enjoyable evening. Sally, the owner, was extrememly helpful and pleasant to work with. We loved having the windows open and breathing that cool mountain air. We would highly recommend this vacation home to families and those wishing to visit Maine. Thank you Sally and Sean for opening your house to us...we all have truly wonderful memories of our stay at Orchard House.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

The perfect Maine vacation!

Guest: Chris (SE, Pennsylvania)
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 08/05/11

My family and I (wife and two children, 12 & 10) could not have been happier with our first vacation in Maine, and no small part of this awesome week was due to the Orchard House! Being a family that likes to cook (and eat), we found the kitchen to be perfect. The island was great for reading, playing games, watching tv and of course for the big end of the week Lobster dinner! (You HAVE to get your lobsters at the Stonington Co-Op! Directions are in the book on the coffee table of course.) We did some fishing down at Walker Pond and like the last reviewer, I saw the Eagle too. The Eagle had more luck than I did that morning unfortunately. We also saw the family of turkeys and the deer. Sitting out on the deck at night and enjoying the absolute quite and the stars was a nice way to relax after a busy day. The bed in the master bedroom was so comfortable, and with the windows open and the cool air coming in we slept better than we do at home! Sean & Sally provided incredible information on local places to eat, shop and sight see. Included in the information were addresses, phone numbers, websites, menus and directions from Orchard House. I recommend Bagaduce Lunch, El El Frijoles and the Barncastle for lunch or dinner. All were great. We visited several places in Blue Hill. Blue Hill Books, the Blue Hill Co-Op and the town park. The kids enjoyed the rocky beach at low tide. We recommend reading through the big book of info on the coffee table and the guest book. The only things we knew we wanted to do in Maine was visit Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. Everything else we found was listed in these books. The Orchard House is a place I could have stayed at for MUCH longer than a week. I would recommend it to anyone and would certainly stay there again!

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

Wow! We loved this place!

Guest: Sam (San Antonio TX)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 07/27/11

The description of this house was spot on and we found it super clean and ready for us upon arrival. Sally/Sean were great hosts, from the well stocked kitchen to the beautiful spacious home, great sound system and comfy bed. Sally provided great "things to do" in the local area and the information in the home was very helpful in steering us toward some great places to eat and shop. This was the perfect quiet setting for our honeymoon and a great stay in Maine. It is convenient to Blue Hill, Ellsworth, Castine, Stonington and Acadia National Park. The lake setting was glorious, with sightings of an eagle eating a fish on the rock on the shoreline of the property, turkey in the yard and deer roaming the property. We rented kayaks and paddled the lake every day. The outside shower was a great addition to this home…the setting was private and we loved showering there every day at least once. The indoor shower (with the heated towel rack) was great and we also enjoyed it once or twice as well This is a beautiful place to stay and I would recommend it to anyone wanting a great location, a beautiful setting in the best of what Maine has to offer. RENT IT NOW BEFORE SOMEBODY ELSE DOES!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

what a getaway

Guest: Lisa (La Porte, Texas (Gulf Coast))
Date of Stay: 10/02/10 Review Submitted: 10/19/10

The Orchard House is both luxurious and comfortable. If you are looking for a getaway tucked into the woods but very near the Maine coast, look no further. The kitchen is outstanding. Loved the deck - great for star gazing, cook out, reading a book, or just hanging out. And that shower!!! For a long stay, you can't beat that huge utility room. Can I just move in? To future guests who might have trouble maneuvering stairs, keep in mind that the living area is on the second floor. Which makes the deck so much more enjoyable.

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

Orchard House - Memories for Life!

Guest: Lisa (Adrian, MI)
Date of Stay: 08/02/10 Review Submitted: 09/11/10

Our stay at the Orchard House was in August 2010. We traveled with our three Teen/Young Adult Children. What a wonderful trip! The Orchard House was clean, beautiful and spacious. Our children enjoyed having their own private spaces(something they are not use to in the travel trailer)! The home was clean and the furnishings were top notch! We thought the photos showed a beautiful home, but in person it was magnificant. We especially enjoyed the kitchen area where we could cook together and played many games at the counter/table! The kids favorite activity was purchasing lobsters off the dock at Stonington Coop and cooking our own lobster dinners at the Orchard House. Yes... the library had a cookbook we found very helpful! We appreciated the book put together by Sally and Sean containing information on places to eat and attractions to visit. Thank you to Sean and Sally for sharing their home that allowed us to have the "Best Vacation Ever"! (quote from the 20 year old) We tell everyone what a wonderful rental place we had and would recommend it to our very best friends!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

Wonderful Way to relax after touring Maine

Guest: Charles Winters (Kansas City)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 08/06/10

By the end of a typical vacation the lack of creature comforts associated with your home makes one yearn to return. This is NOT the case at Orchard House. I slept better than I do in KC - the king bed in the master bedroom is very comfortable and the temperatures at night are perfect. By the end of the week the only reason I wanted to return was because I was missing my pets. Knowing that I had such an oasis of comfort and charm made me more willing to explore Maine and drive the wild and wooly roads (ME-15, ME-175, etc) at night... I knew that once I got back to Orchard House I would sleep the awesome sleep of the tired and wake in the morning as refreshed as ever. Having the kitchen that was so easy to use and worked so well allowed me to cook my pancakes and eggs for the kids in the mornings (and have my coffee!). I could spread materials out and make an omelet with crab meat or lobster meat. The kitchen was easy to clean, too - and the materials available were excellent... In the evenings we would use the Weber grill on the deck. The ability to eat in is something that really helps to establish a comfort level. The house was big enough to easily accomodate my family (wife and two teenagers) and then my parents stayed with us for 3 nights and it was still very roomy. The owners have videos and books available. I found this very helpful as I prefer to read prior to sleeping and had neglected to bring my book for the week. The owners leave brochures and descriptions from more attractions than you could hit in 3 weeks. We got to Bagaduce Lunch (yes, try the Haddock Sandwich, it is awesome), Deer Isle (just outside of town, try Nervous Nellies), the Holbrook Sanctuary, Blue Hill (there's an Ocean Studies Place in town, a good grocery and a good library where my wife could work on her masters projects that were due that week), Castine and all its stuff, Acadia National Park and its MANY attractions... we even did a whale cruise - and EVERYTHING that we found had information available in the awesome white binder the owners leave you. I look forward to happy returns. I hope to have several.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guest: David Donson (Brooklyn, NY)
Date of Stay: 09/01/09 Review Submitted: 09/01/09

This house was an awesome place to stay with my family! It is more beautiful that the pictures suggest and Sean and Sally are great people to rent from. They provided everything we could possibly need to make our vacation perfect. It is certainly a place we would stay again. - The Donsons

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