Vacation Rentals by Owner

Very very nice

Guest: Maureen and Bob (Brown City)
Date of Stay: 10/23/11 Review Submitted: 10/28/11

We had a very nice quiet time at this wonderful get away. We had to reschedule at the last minute and Mike was easy to work with and more than generous in his dealings with us. This get away by the lake is worth every penny. Thank you Mike, I needed a quiet time away from work and your house gave us a peaceful time of refreshing our spirits. Bless you. Bob and Maureen Baker

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

Claudia & Sisters

Guest: Claudia (Fairfax, VA)
Date of Stay: 09/22/11 Review Submitted: 11/04/11

We rented this cabin for a couple nights in September. Unfortunately, the first evening the toilet handle broke, the bathtub didn't drain well, and we smelled a gas-like odor. Didn't get much sleep. I called Mike the next day and said we didn't feel comfortable staying under these conditions. The cabin is small and has cute furnishings and perhaps the problems we experienced have been fixed. But, our time there wasn't good.

Owner response:It is certianly unfortunate that the toilet handel chain did in fact break, this was promply fixed the next day. The cottage has a new, natural gas furnance and stove,I also have never had anyone suggest a "gas odor". The guests plans changed and they decided to leave early and in fact wanted the cost for one nights stay back, this was the real issue. I have had no issues with any guests at all in the past 3-years, but of course you cant please everyone, and this was one of those guests, that I suspect is not happy under any conditions.

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Easy to enjoy this home on Crawford Lake.

Guest: dfav (W. Bloomfield, MI)
Date of Stay: 09/03/11 Review Submitted: 09/26/11

I enjoyed a week's stay at Mike's family home on Crawford Lake. The location is a perfect home base for those wanting to explore the area. My itinerary included hiking in the Traverse City Forest Park, enjoying the beach and small Village of Elk Rapids, taking the number one scenic drive tour of Sleeping Bear Dunes, touring the Mission Point beaches (awesome!) and the wineries, and of course, visiting Traverse City. The accomodations are exceptional for the price, and as others have posted, Mike, the owner, is great to work with! Many thanks for providing this great venue as a home base, and yes, it definitely felt like home! I plan a return visit!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with young children, pet owners, sightseeing.

Adorable cottage in a great location!

Guest: Sherry (New Baltimore, Michigan)
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/03/11

My family stayed here last weekend. Clean and well stocked with eveything you need. The cottage is decorated so....nice. The futon and chair in the living area are so comfortable and nice, I want one for my house. Very close to Traverse City too.The owner is very nice to deal with!!!!!!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, pet owners, sightseeing.

Cute and Cozy Cottage

Guest: Traveler (Clio, Michigan)
Date of Stay: 06/10/11 Review Submitted: 06/12/11

This is a very cute, clean and cozy cottage. The owner is very easy to work with. If you are looking for a reasonably priced place to stay in the Kalkaska area I would recommend you check out this cottage. The reason I am only giving it 4 stars has to do with the amount of Canadian geese droppings that were in the yard. I understand the owner can't control this however we have a young toddler that likes to run around and play so it was a bit of an inconvenience. You can also bring your pet which is a bonus!

Owner response:Thank you for your comments and feedback, I will take steps to have the geese droppings cleaned up once a week by the grounds people.

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

Wonderful Place

Guest: Erin (Brooklyn, MI )
Date of Stay: 05/27/11 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

We were very happy with our choice for Memorial Weekend. It is just what the pictures showed. Mike was great to deal with. Wonderful place, and we would go back there in a minute. Thanks for a wonderful time.

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A Great Place to Stay!!

Guest: Snowmen (Chesaning, Michigan)
Date of Stay: 01/14/11 Review Submitted: 01/17/11

This is the second time that my husband and the boys stayed at the cottage. It is in a good area and kept clean. Both times were in the winter. The owner is a great person to deal with. You could not ask for a nicer person. I would reccomend staying at this property. We will have to try it out in the summer! Thank you again for all our help!

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Great time

Guest: Tony and Brittnay (Marshall, Michigan)
Date of Stay: 12/10/10 Review Submitted: 11/04/11

My family and I stayed here last winter , during a blizzard. It was a blast the cottage we spent most of our weekend inside looking out at the lake and watching the now fall. The area was great, the cottage was cozy and had everything we needed. We cant wait to take another trip hopefully this winter. Mike was very easy to deal with and it was a pleasure doing business with him.

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

from wisconsin

Guest: wisconsin (Green Bay Wisconsin)
Date of Stay: 09/13/10 Review Submitted: 09/25/10

We had a wonderful vacation at this cottage, all pics are true to cabin apperance. Very clean and peaceful, I enjoyed the beautiful scenery looking out over the lake. If avaliable next year I will book my vacation here again! Thank you Mike for sharing your cottage! My dog also had a good time playing in the lake!

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

Great Family Vacation!!

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 08/13/10

This area and cabin have a lot to offer. Our family including the dogs and my parents had a very peaceful week. It was great to be able to within a short drive travel to Traverse City for some sight seeing. The kids enjoyed the sandy beach and fishing from the dock very much!! Cabin is very clean and I would definitely want to go back!! Thank you for sharing it with us!!

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

Very peaceful

Guest: chris (chesterfield)
Date of Stay: 06/19/10 Review Submitted: 07/06/10

Had a great time at the cabin. Never seen a more beautiful cabin and felt like home. Was very quiet and peaceful place to get away. Plan on returning as soon as we can.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great week with 2 large dogs.

Guest: Lisa B. (Michigan)
Date of Stay: 06/12/10 Review Submitted: 10/17/10

My husband and I stayed in June for a week with our 2 dogs. It was a great location we went to the sleeping bear sand dunes a few times, Traverse City and also Mackniac City. The dogs loved the lake they swim whenever we would let them. It was the best priced place out there and it was a wonderful experiance how helpfull Mike was during the booking. We are hoping to go back in 2011 again for another week.

Recommended for:Pet owners, sightseeing.

Guest: Kathy Hendriksen (Burton, MI)
Date of Stay: 08/16/09 Review Submitted: 08/16/09

The cottage is beautiful. It is clean and inviting! The grounds are perfect. Wonderful area! The lake and beach added to our perfect weekend! Very relaxing. A++++++++!

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Guest: Marie Lynn Watts (St. Johns, MI)
Date of Stay: 08/03/09 Review Submitted: 08/03/09

Very cute and cozy little cottage. Lots of fun! We had great campfires at night and the kids had fun on the beach during the day. Wonderful week of rest and relaxation!

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Guest: Michelle Montgomery (birmingham, ohio)
Date of Stay: 07/17/09 Review Submitted: 07/17/09

The cabin is very nicely decorated and kept very clean. A great place for relaxation. We enjoyed sitting by the campfire at night looking across the lake. Everyone we came in contact with was very friendly and helpful. Traverse City Beach and Torch Lake are just a short drive (20 minutes) for a change of scenery. Crawford Lake is perfect for boating, tubing and jet skiing. My 6 year old caught his first fish right from the dock! My family and I had a wonderful time and would for sure like to come back again.

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Guest: Kayelyn B (Kentwood MI)
Date of Stay: 07/10/09 Review Submitted: 07/10/09

We enjoyed our stay at this cozy cabin. We had very warm weather during our stay and liked having the lake a few steps away. The cabin and lake were quiet and relaxing.

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Guest: Brad D (Royal Oak, MI)
Date of Stay: 07/08/09 Review Submitted: 07/08/09

Neat little cabin. Much of the interior has been redone, and it sits on a nice piece of property. As much as the weather was horrific during our stay (coldest July 1st on record.... ever), it is a good place to catch some rest and relaxation. Traverse City is 30 min away if you want to go shopping, or you can spend quiet time on Crawford lake, or one of 3 golf courses within 5 miles.

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RELAX and ENJOY!

Guest: MondayB (Ferndale, Michigan, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/31/08 Review Submitted: 03/26/10

This was my first experience renting a cottage with VBRO and I must say it was great. Mike is a wonderful owner, helpful, accommodating and friendly. He really does make you feel like his home is your home. The neighbors were helpful and gracious. The cottage itself is clean and inviting, family friendly and full of light. We spent almost every evening on the shore with the fire pit, watching the stars. In the daytime we fished off the dock, went paddle boating and my 2 year old son went wading on the lake front with no problems. Be aware though that after 10 feet out from the shoreline, it does get a mucky, but the lake is still shallow and nice for swimming, just bring your swimming shoes! Lake Crawford is a very pretty, quiet lake. There were no "party-all-night" types around, so it's very family friendly and relaxing. My review is a bit late in coming as we rented the cabin for a week in August 2009, but rest assured you will not be sorry if you come to Mike's Crawford Lake Cottage!

Recommended for:Families with young children, pet owners.