Great place to get away and connect with family!

Guest: Natalie 4 (Chicago, Illinois)
Date of Stay: 08/27/11 Review Submitted: 09/14/11

Our family of five (parents and 3 kids nine and under) spent 5 nights at this cottage at the end of August. What a beautiful and comfortable home! Very clean, decorated beautifully. Very private. The house was nicely equipped, especially the kitchen. Our kids went on lots of hikes, collecting toads, and making forts in the woods. Very relaxing and a great place to unwind! The owner is very nice and accommodating. The 2 bunk beds in the first floor bedroom were perfect, and my husband and I enjoyed the privacy of the bedroom upstairs. We came from Chicago, and the cottage is a great place to escape the city and reconnect with nature. Wouldn't have minded the hot tub working! And, the beach is rocky and full of shells. We wore our beach shoes (Keens), and it was ok. While my husband was frustrated with no cell service, and the kids were unhappy without tv, everyone adjusted and had a great time! We will return to the cottage!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with young children.

michigan cottage along lakeshore

Guest: petosky hunters (Ohio)
Date of Stay: 08/13/11 Review Submitted: 08/21/11

PRO's:beautiful drive along lakeshore, Legg's Inn is a must (you would NEVER guess how beautiful it is based on the outside!), plenty of brochures provided for things to do, great for rock hunting,reconnect as a family ( no TV means plenty of time for game playing) secluded and quiet for plenty of R&R, owner enthusiastic,plenty of wildlife to see(red fox, black squirrels,wild turkey, deer), fall asleep to the sound of the waves. CON's: old musty/mildew/pet urine (?) smell when we arrived. Took 4 days for the odor to dissipate about 75%. Not good for allergy sufferers. Beach was completely rocky when we stayed and filled with shell shards... difficult to walk even with beach shoes. BIG ANT PROBLEM. had to buy paper and plastic goods to eat off of for the entire week because they were even in the utensil drawer. No cell service...cannot get calls/ messages. Jacuzzi at home is non functioning and would have been a nice perk to use. NO TV for renters despite a paper listing channels... not sure why cable/DISH is not connected but TV was not listed in the write up. Renter advertised DVD player but we were unable to get it to work. no hammock...just hammock stand .bunk bed on first floor.... not a good layout for families with kids. Owner would have to come back to the home a few times for things....she sent an email but since there was no cell service, how could we read it? Ideal for a couple, not ideal for a family because everything is such a drive to get to...... overall, it was a relaxing week, but slightly disappointing.......

Owner response:Thank you for the nice thank you note and thank you gift from your "favorite organic farm/wine visit. Pond Hill is one of my favorites too. I am so sorry you had ant problems. I noticed a few on the counter and left the ant spray. I wish you would have called me to take care of it. Everyone gets ants for a short time up here. Most of us in Cross Village do not find the need for television because their are just to many other enjoyable things to do. I do not advertise it like you said. There are 2 DVD players with one built into the television. I do not advertise the hot tub because it is in need of a major repairs and does not work. Did you leave the dehumidifier on during your stay? I find it necessary in the hot humid summer living on the beach and wooded lot to prevent a slight beach house odor. Again, if you had called me I could have attended to your concern and made your stay more pleasant. I only stopped by upon your arrival for the week to meet you and be sure you did not have any questions. The storm must have washed rocks onto to the beach. The beach changes daily as you must have found. High winds/water will wash them back out. I hope you moved to a sandier spot on the beach. I did tell you and it is in the rental agreement that cell service is not available where the cottage is located despite a AT&T cell tower in Cross Village. It is true that anything you want to do is 20 to 30 minutes away from the peace and quiet of the cottage. It is so nice to return to the quiet cottage/beach after a busy day out. We love it up here.

Recommended for:Age 55+.

Great place to get away!

Guest: Girls Getaway (Woodstock, GA)
Date of Stay: 08/05/11 Review Submitted: 08/07/11

The cottage is more spacious & charming than in the photos. Enjoy lake Mi sunsets, fish on the grill ,long walks on the beach, daytrips to Harbor Springs, Wilderness Park & Macinaw I. We found it to be clean & well tended & the owner accomodating. We recommend it as a great place to get away from it all & plan to return.

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

A lovely setting for a week of vacation.

Guest: Senior Swimmers (Northern California)
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 07/20/10

A lovely setting for a week of vacation. The house is very quaint, beautifully restored and well kept with a nice view of the lake from upstairs and downstairs. The yard, gardens and beach create a wonderful atmosphere. We enjoyed swimming in Lake Michigan. We were disappointed that the upstairs bed, while comfortable, is not a queen sized bed as advertized but a double bed. This was a problem because we would not have rented the property if we had known it was a double bed. We also missed cereal bowls because there is not a complete set of dishes but odds and ends of plates, saucers and serving bowls. We had to ask for a reasonable set of pots and pans because we were unable to cook with what was at the cottage (old aluminum with teflon peeling off). The owner was cheerful and available when we had questions or concerns. While this is not a cottage for entertaining or hosting a family, the two of us had a cozy week and enjoyed nearby Cross Village. We ate a delicious lunch at the famous Leggs Inn. I would recommend this rental to a friend or relative if it had a queen sized bed, a full matched set of dishes, stainless steel pots and pans and a full set of matching glasses and wine glasses.

Owner response:These renters are very disgruntled because I would not sell them my cottage (furnished at that). The cottage was featured in Traverse Magazine's Northern Home & Cottage. I replaced the double long mattress (I thought it was a queen) with a very good queen mattress. There is a full set of Caphalon pans and a matching set of dishes (with bowls) with a variety of grandma's china accessory bowls, platters etc. You will be very happy here and enjoy all the amenities!

Recommended for:Age 55+.