Best Rental We've Ever Had

Guest: nancy (grand rapids MI)
Date of Stay: 09/11/11 Review Submitted: 09/21/11

Super clean, cozy place. We felt at home immediately. Everything we could possibly need was thought of in advance for us. Beautiful waterfront out your door in addition to lots of hiking, beaches, great fishing nearby. Tip: Its a bit of a drive to nearest grocery store, so come prepared with at least a few days worth to start out. Deb and Mark are wonderful hosts. Looking forward to renting again.

Owner response:We take great pride in the cleanliness and condition of maintenance of our cottages. While we are 20 miles from the grocery store, the drive is well worth it! It is truly a secret hide-a-way! Peaceful and quiet.

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

PURE MICHIGAN

Guest: Cass (Waterville,Ohio)
Date of Stay: 09/02/11 Review Submitted: 09/21/11

Deb and Mark, Great seeing you again. This was my second trip to the Shadows and folks you just can't find more gracious hosts than Deb/Mark. They made our stay as pleasant as possible and Mark went why above what a host should do to make our trip wonderful!!! Fishing was great even during the rain. My son who hasn't had a vacation in two years was in heaven with all the fish he caught. This cottage has everything you need and this made it like home. Ludington was busy and full of people and seems to have grown since last year. If you really want to experience PURE MICHIGAN then this is the place to go. It's quiet,clean and full of things to do if you just take the time. Kudos on the new cottage Mark. It's beautiful and I only wished I had booked one day sooner. I highly recommend this place for any age group. Your in for a thrill of a lifetime. Only wish we had more time. Tim/Jeremy Cassidy Waterville,Ohio

Owner response:We love to see our friends from year to year. Thank you for the kudos on the new cottage by the lake. It took Mark a lot of hours to make it the beautiful cottage that it is. Next time, bring your wife and try it! We are sure you will love it as much as the cottage you have stay in twice. We look forward to seeing you and/or your family again.

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

Beautiful little spot

Guest: Lindy (cleveland heights, ohio)
Date of Stay: 08/18/11 Review Submitted: 08/31/11

The cottage was great. Really clean, nicely built, and all the amenities you need. The property is beautiful -- you're literally in the middle of the woods (Manistee forest), but right on the shore of Lake Hamlin. Night time sky is beautiful. We enjoyed star gazing at the fire pit at night. Trailheads for beautiful hikes through Manistee National forest just down the road from the place. We took our 12 year old, 6 year old and 5 year old on a mile or so hike that spits you out right onto the shore of Lake Michigan. Pretty dunes. The owners are friendly, warm, down-to-earth people who seem like the type of folks that would bend over backward for you. We did not really explore Hamlin Lake, but probably the best way to do that would be to rent yourself a pontoon and keep it right at the property's dock. Also, unless you're willing to hike to it, like we did, shores/beaches of Lake Michigan are about a 20-25 minute drive away in Ludington (as are grocery stores, etc. So come to the cottage with your food and drink, as nothing is very close). Overall, a really nice stay.

Owner response:The cottage is in the middle of the Manistee National Forest, only 4 miles from Lake Michigan at the Federal Camp Ground. Maps are provided for the trails for hiking as well as to get to Lake Michigan without going into Ludington or Manistee. I usually tell people about shopping before they get to the cottage as it is 14 miles from Manistee and 18 miles from Ludington for grocery shopping. I apologize for neglecting this bit of information and will include it in the description of the property for future reference. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

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

We came back.........

Guest: Mary (South Lyon, Mi)
Date of Stay: 08/13/11 Review Submitted: 08/31/11

This was our second trip back to Shadows of Hamlin Lake, and once again had a great time. Debbie and Mark welcome you in like family. We love taking our jet ski out on Hamlin Lake, especially to Ludington State Park Dunes. The cottage is nicely decorated, clean and has all the amenities you need. Ludington is about 20 miles out, and offers many quaint shops and delicious restaurants. We look forward to coming back!

Owner response:The area us full of places and things to explore. Not only the Manistee National Forest for hiking, trips to Lake Michigan, etc., but also the port city of Manistee. There is a lovely boardwalk that runs from downtown to Lake Michigan. Along the boardwalk there are many little shops to visit and fishing charter boats to see coming in with their catch of the day! There are several eating places and don't forget the ice cream! Just one more place to explore when you come next year!

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

Awesome!!

Guest: Tammy (Fowlerville, MI) (Fowlerville, Michigan)
Date of Stay: 06/18/11 Review Submitted: 08/08/11

This is a great place to kick back and relax for the week. We were quite suprised at it's location. Very remote and nestled in the shadows of the beautiful surrounding forest. The cottage is so clean and cozy and nicely decorated. Our sons found the fishing on Lake Hamlin to be awesome. The best they've ever had--Small and Large Mouthed Bass, Pike, and Walleye. Mark and Deb are great hosts and I would highly recommend to families or couples looking for a great place to escape and relax!

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

Hoosiers

Guest: Hoosiers (Fort Wayne, IN)
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/08/11

The Shadows exceeded our expectations in size and the amount of activities at our fingertips; my husband stated that "we didn't even scratch the surface of Manistee Forest". We canoed, tubed, hiked and spent a lot of time at the beach (my girls' favorite). The biking is limited to mountain-bike style trailing so I wouldn't haul them up unless you have true mountain bike tires, but there are many towns nearby with great trails. If you didn't ever want to leave, you wouldn't have to. Hamlin Lake was clean and provided a very serene setting. We saw many deer and some very cool birds. The owners were wonderful and the cabin was extremely clean. My daughter left her glasses and the owners are sending them back, now that is hospitatlity. It was also an excellent time to visit as blueberry season was in full swing and as we headed south for home, peaches were just coming available. What a great family memory!

Owner response:As you found, there is always plenty to do here, or just relax and enjoy the lakes. The hummingbirds are extremely active right now, must be getting ready to fly south! Blueberry picking is a great family activity at the many farms nearby. Maybe next time.....

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

GREAT VACATION

Guest: Dave & Carla Evans (woodridge Il)
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 08/02/11

This was our second time at the shadows and it was awesome. The lake was great went tubing and swimming at the sand dunes a lot. The girls did some shopping in Ludington, sunsets over lake michigan. The cabin is wonderfully decorated,clean and relaxing. Saw lots of deer,wild turkeys,and a family of foxes, it was like watching national geographic channel. Had wonderful campfires on the lake. Mark and Deb are great host,we will be back. Mark, thanks for the hollow log were still talking about that. Dave,Carla & Haley

Owner response:It was so nice to see you and your family again. You have just scratched the surface on the many adventures that await you here. There is something for everyone, blueberry picking, hikes in the woods, fishing, skiing, and in the winter ice fishing, snowmobiling, or just taking it easy in the cottage watching a good movie. Great to see you again!

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EXCELLENT!

Guest: Joanna (Toledo, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 07/31/11

What a wonderful vacation! The cabin was larger than I expected and wonderfully decorated! It had a great kitchen with all the pots/pans, utensils and dinnerware we could ask for. And what a nice shower with plenty of hot water. Everything was SO clean and there was a real attention to detail. We had a lot of fun fishing throughout the week and brought home a good mess of panfish. When not out in the boat fishing with dad, our 11 year old enjoyed the fishing action from the docks. My husband found the lakeside fish cleaning station very handy. We really enjoyed the beautiful Lake Michigan beach and dunes located close-by in the Manistee National Forest. The wildlife (deer, fox) on and around the property was a real delight. Before we left Ludington, we stopped and picked 2 buckets of big, sweet blueberries -- Debbie had stopped by the cabin one day with a bowl to share with us and told us about the blueberry farm. Mark and Debbie were great hosts and were more than willing help out, answer questions or do anything to make our stay enjoyable. We have already committed to coming back again next year.

Owner response:Fishing has been awesome this year! You started a great streak in catching fish. The fish cleaning station has been used more this year than ever before. There is plenty to do here are you found, beside fishing! Glad you enjoyed the blueberries. Looking forward to seeing you next year.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Wonderful!

Guest: Carol (Ionia, MI)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 07/27/11

Our stay at "The Shadows" was everything we were hoping for and more. The cottage was immaculately clean and well equiped from the kitchen to the bathroom. Our week there was extremely hot and humid so the air conditioning was very much appreciated. Outside was just as nice as the inside. The outside seating, firepit, boat dock, lake breezes and especially the views were excellent. We had a very relaxing week! We had a sneak peak into "The Boathouse"....adorable and every bit as nice!

Owner response:We are so glad you had a wonderful vacation and that all was what you expected. The Boathouse is now done! You can see the pictures on VRBO #367496. With this cottage sleeping 4 and the one you stayed in sleeping 5, perhaps next year your relatives that stayed across the lake can stay here too! The Boathouse also has AC:)

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

Wonderful place to stay!

Guest: Renee S. (Eagan, MN)
Date of Stay: 05/16/11 Review Submitted: 05/31/11

My family recently stayed here for a few days and we had a wonderful time. The owners are very kind and welcoming and we had a wonderful time exploring the woods and enjoying the beautiful lake view.

Owner response:The lake and the woods are always exciting, no matter what the age. Summer especially is a great time to explore the woods and the water. There are many opportunities for boating, swimming, skiing, and just laying around on the dunes or shore. Just wait until you see the summer sunsets over the dunes!! Breathtaking.

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