Vacation Rentals by Owner

Had a great time

Guest: Fun getaway (Concord, NC)
Date of Stay: 04/11/12 Review Submitted: 04/22/12

The moms from our homeschool coop had a wonderful time at "The Watering Hole". The house was perfect for our time of relaxation. House has a fantatic view of the lake.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway.

Home away from Home

Guest: saltydog (Wilmington,NC)
Date of Stay: 04/06/12 Review Submitted: 04/19/12

My husband and I along with another couple stayed at the watering hole from April 6-9th. What a fabulous time we had. The weather was perfect! Let me start by saying read the reviews they do not lie. This rental home is by no means a "rental" home feel. You can tell by the pictures and once you arrive that the owners have put a lot of love into this home. It has that "homey" feel. The home is very clean. The kitchen is stocked with everything you need. The beds are wonderful just as others have stated. Our group are avid fishermen, so we fished everyday by boat and from the dock at night. We also used their canoe to fish from. It's a very nice canoe, very sturdy, no worries on tipping. We caught Bass, Crappie and Brim while we were their. We cooked out on the grill each night and had the most peaceful and relaxing time. The owners are the nicest and friendliest people to work with. They made sure this home had all the accommodations needed and then some. Their is an air hockey table, ping pong table and a pinball machine in the game room. The bookshelves are stocked with books to read. The downstairs living room has lots of movies and games for adults and children. You will not be disappointed with this home. We can not wait to come back next year. Thanks Darla for sharing your lovely home!

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

Great meeting place

Guest: Bobbie (Conover, NC)
Date of Stay: 03/22/12 Review Submitted: 03/26/12

I am the president of North Carolina Community College Sociology and Psychology Association. We just completed out annual board meeting where we planned out our up coming state-wide conference. Everyone was extremely pleased with the accommodations. We were able to get a lot accomplished in this beautiful, yet quiet area. If available in the future we definitely will go back to this little piece of heaven!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Christmas Vacation wk 2011

Guest: Coral Springs Crew (Coral Springs Fl)
Date of Stay: 12/18/11 Review Submitted: 01/02/12

We absolutely loved our Christmas stay at your property. There were 5 of us including 3 children ages 17, 15 and 7 and everyone one of us had a dreamy time at the lake house. The home was picturesque just as you described, exceptionally clean and very well equipped with all the comforts, luxuries and more. It really can accomodate a large family without any crampness. The kitchen and living area are beautiful not to mention the guest room downstairs that catered to the children and our movie nights. The master suite and bath are beautiful and extremely comfortable. The movies, games, ping pong and air hockey was really fun for all of us. The bikes were great but the hill ride definitely a fitness challenge, but we all loved it. The canoe and kayak you have were used everyday since the lake was tranquil and gorgeous. The local shops as you mentioned were accessible and we agree the local pizza stop very good. We all can't wait to go back. Thank you for sharing your beautiful lakehome. It was dreamy for us busy city life people. Lake badin was beautiful and your home on it spectacular, the pictures online really don't do it complete justice. Our many thanks again, See you this summer.

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

A week in paradise!

Guest: Lee (Birmingham, AL)
Date of Stay: 08/21/11 Review Submitted: 08/30/11

My family and I (6 adults and one 4-year-old) just spent a wonderfully relaxing week at Lake Badin. The lake was pristine and so quiet (school had already started in NC) except for the honks of the Great Blue Herons as they flew from island to island. We swam every day, canoed and kayaked the shorelines. We grilled out and ate dinner every night on the huge screened porch, so we didn't try any restaurants. The best vacation is one where we have time to sit and talk, read, play games, and enjoy being together in a beautiful place. This vacation home exceeded our expectations and the owners couldn't have been more accommodating and helpful throughout the entire process. All the appliances are top of the line, the home was very clean and the beds and linens are super comfy. We enjoyed having the downstairs suite for our granddaughter and her parents - so they could get up early and swim without waking the upstairs crew who wanted to sleep late! Many thanks for sharing this special piece of paradise.

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

Wonderful time at the Watering Hole

Guest: Scott (Salemburg, NC)
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 08/16/11

My family just got back from a nice relaxing week at the Watering Hole. The accomadations were excellent. House is at a great location on the lake. My wife can't stop talking about how good the beds slept. We are going to have to get a mattress to match the mattress as the house. It could not have been better. The only downside was limited parking with a trailer because the owner's boat is currently parked in front of the house.

Owner response:Hi Scott: Thank you so much for leaving a guest review. We are glad to hear you all had a nice relaxing week at the 'Watering Hole!" We are so sorry that you felt that the parking was limited. The carport and driveway can accomodate up to 4 vehicles, and there is parking along the shoulder in front of the home for at least 3 cars and/or a boat trailor. Thanks again and we hope to see you soon at the 'Watering Hole!'

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

Wonderful place for the extended family

Guest: Bumps (New Hampshire)
Date of Stay: 04/23/11 Review Submitted: 05/10/11

We arrived, 8 adults, 3 children & 1 toddler strong and found a clean, comfortable home with room to spare. Plenty of activities, both indoor and outdoor, for the more active members, comfortable scenic and even quiet locations for the less active. Open concept made even cleaning up after meals a pleasure shared by all. In all this property exceeded our expectations, the owners are warm and friendly, and we would strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a place to get away. Oh, the property is located in a no wake zone on the lake, adds to the quiet and tranquility at water front.

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

Awesome House!

Guest: mtrecka (San Antonio, TX)
Date of Stay: 03/11/11 Review Submitted: 05/11/11

We loved this house. It was so immaculately clean and well appointed. We loved playing ping pong, riding in the kayaks & canoe and fishing. It was convenient for us to go to Pinehurst to visit family and then come back to such an awesome awesome house. I loved the morning sunrise from the back porch --- spectacular and worth getting up at 6:00am on vacation to see.

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

This is a very special house

Guest: mlj (San Antonio, TX)
Date of Stay: 03/11/11 Review Submitted: 03/21/11

This was the most relaxing trip ever. My husband called it "smooth". We wanted a vacation that was not a "typical" destination place. We wanted a place that we could just spend time together and do things as a family. This was exactly that place. The house is immaculately cleaned and maintained, I'm talking OCD clean ( I mean that in a good way). I loved how there was not a TV in the main living area (there is one in the master and also in the downstairs game/playroom.) The quiet of just being together was so great without TV as a distraction. We were there mid-March 2011 and the weather and house were awesome. If you can manage to pull yourself out of the super comfy bed in the master by 6am-ish, you won't be disappointed! The master faces the morning sunrise and it is worth getting up early to see for sure. Brillant, huge, orange sun coming up over the water makes a postcard looking photo. Going out in the canoe to fish the cove across the lake from the house was great for catching catfish, bluegill and croppie. We caught about 14 fish in that cove! (We only kept the 2 croppie we caught). My girls caught their first fish ever on this trip. The kayaks were a lot of fun too. We loved coming in in the evening and playing ping pong too. The tub in the master bath was great to soak in in the evenings too. The bed in the master is so comfy, we took note of the mattress & pillow brand for our next purchase! The luxury bed linens are awesome too. The Badin Family restaurant just down the road is great for breakfast and the General Store has a pretty good selection of groceries and supplies if in a pinch. Thank you to the Murphy Family for the use of the house and the memories you helped our family to create.

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

Wonderful Family Gathering

Guest: JB (Florida)
Date of Stay: 12/26/10 Review Submitted: 01/04/11

We stayed here for our Christmas Holiday and it was absolutely wonderful. The place was beautiful and had everything you needed. Danny and Darla were great about answering all of our questions before hand and making sure we got all settled in in spite of the weather. It was a great property that I would highly recommend to anyone.

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Perfect Family Reunion Venue!

Guest: Lynne (Peabody, MA)
Date of Stay: 11/10/10 Review Submitted: 11/20/10

My husband and I decided to have a family get together as two of our kids and their families live in NC, and our daughter and son-in-law live in MA, as do we, so get togethers are few and far between. We found this rental on line quite by happenstance and took the chance based on the reviews. I must say, it is everything and MORE than the photos depict! Though there are a lot of activities we could have done pretty close by, we all opted to stay right where we were, every day, in this beautiful lakeside home. We had a pre-Thanksgiving BBQ, fished, went canoeing and did some welcomed relaxing, laughing and family bonding in the very serene surroundings. I wholly recommend this home for people of all ages (We range from 60 to 3 with two more on the way). You will not be disappointed!

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

Great Home!

Guest: Janet (Wilmington)
Date of Stay: 10/21/10 Review Submitted: 02/08/11

We go on a long-weekend trip with 4 couples every year. This past October we decided to go to Badin Lake and stayed in this beautiful home. We have taken a trip together for the past 6 years and this was our FAVORITE place by far. Living space is important to us such as a big table to all eat together as well as to play games, comfortable family room with lots of seating, and outdoor area to play our favorite outdoor game, cornhole. This place had it ALL, as well as a beautiful porch and dock where we enjoyed a beautiful, warm fall weekend. We never used any of the indoor amenities such as the TV or video games as we had such a nice weekend to enjoy outdoors, but these all sounded great if it had rained! The home was very, very clean and beautifully decorated. Kitchen was super well-equipped for cooking, which we did alot! The only drawback, but it turned out to be so minor, was not having 4 complete separate bedroom spaces. As it turned out, the loft area had plenty of sleeping space, and the area "behind the curtain" was fairly removed from the other section of the loft, so everyone had some privacy. This ever-so-minor problem was so outshadowed by this truly gorgeous, but very comfortable home. We loved all of the Christian books on the bookshelves, too! Would love to come back!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

Beautiful Home

Guest: Barbara (Murfreesboro, TN)
Date of Stay: 09/24/10 Review Submitted: 10/13/10

We had such a wonderful time here. It was a great place to spend quality time with family. The view was amazing and so very peaceful. The house is beautilfully furnished and so well equipped for "everyday" living. I think each of us had a favorite thing about this house. MINE was the screened in porch. I spent many peaceful moments there. Thanks, Danny and Darla, for sharing your home with us.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway.

Total relaxation

Guest: Seahawks (Wilmington,nc)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/15/11

We enjoyed everything about our stay at the watering hole. We were outside every day until 9. Plenty of room for our boats and jet ski. Loved the big dining room table. We didn't even turn on the tv. We visited the Reed goldmine and drive-in movie. Lots of fun. House was very clean and uncluttered. We spent a lot of time relaxing on the porch. The only thing that didnt work good was the grill, it wouldn't get very hot. We are still talking about our vacation and hope to return soon. We also went four wheeling on the many uwharrie trails.

Owner response:Hey guys: Thanks so much for your review! We will take a look at the grill, this is the first negative comment we have ever received about it and we will tend to it as soon as possible! We look forward to seeing you all next year! Blessings! The Murphy's

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

A Great Family Vacation!!!!!!!!!!

Guest: Joe and Sharon (Williamstown, NJ)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/09/10

We had such a wonderful time at the Watering Hole. We enjoyed every minute of it and did not want to leave! There was so much for all of us to do. What we enjoyed the most was the great quality family time we got to spend together. A great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives and just relax! The house is an absolute beautiful, peaceful place! The Murphy's are such a nice and caring family. We hope to be back next year!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Watering Hole

Guest: Laurie (Winston-Salem, NC)
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 07/20/10

Just a great place!! Everyone had something they loved to do there! We rented jet skis and kayaks and tied them right to the Murphy's dock--parents and teenagers had plenty to do and a great house to stay at. This is such a calm, Christian home we left with a sense of peace and time well spent with our family/friends.

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

A nice lakeside getaway for a crowd!

Guest: CJ (Raleigh, N.C.)
Date of Stay: 06/25/10 Review Submitted: 07/07/10

Held our family reunion here for a weekend in June. It was a nice lakeside property right on the water. The house is very spacious for a crowd of 10 adults. We enjoyed sitting outside on the patio while we played a lawn game; enjoyed sitting on the upper deck for early morning breakfast or late night chats; and enjoyed the main living area for comfort and coziness. The kitchen is so bright and roomy that it never felt crowded no matter how many cooks were in there. It was also well stocked. The whole house was in excellent shape - everything looking topnotch in design and condition and cleanliness. The beds were comfy too. Our whole crowd thought it was a good place to meet. It was too hot and we were too busy at the house to venture out too much for sightseeing and such. Good walking neighborhood. The Murphys were very nice and very friendly.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

Guest: Nicole Dawson (-)
Date of Stay: 02/08/10 Review Submitted: 02/08/10

We stayed at the watering hole for 6 weeks over winter and it far excceded our expectations. The house was very nicely furnished and cleaner than any hotel I've stayed in. The setting was absolutely spectacular - I'll never forget watching the sunrise over the lake from the comfort of a king sized bed in the master bedroom! Darla and Danny are both lovely and extremely accommodating while also being very respectful of privacy. They have a lovely family and even helped us out with baby sitting! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, Thankyou.

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Guest: Jeff and Leslie (Charlotte, NC )
Date of Stay: 01/04/10 Review Submitted: 01/04/10

I cannot say enough positive things about this home! Our stay at "The Watering Hole" was the highlight of our summer. The Murphys are so gracious and kind. I would not change a thing! We will most definitely be back.

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Guest: Janet (New York City )
Date of Stay: 08/26/09 Review Submitted: 08/26/09

Great Place to relax and enjoy family time. The home is beautifully decorated and well maintained. Definitely a place to return to.

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Guest: Suzi & Paul Rummel (Walkersville, MD)
Date of Stay: 08/15/09 Review Submitted: 08/15/09

Wonderful relaxing vacation....so comfortable and a wonderful feeling of home away from home!! Can't wait to come back!!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/07/09 Review Submitted: 08/07/09

Wonderful home in a beautiful setting. Situated on a great cove for boating. Hope we can book it for a longer period next summer. The owners are very kind & considerate. Their Christian faith is clearly evident in their home & their actions.

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Guest: Lorin2 (-)
Date of Stay: 07/25/09 Review Submitted: 07/25/09

The Watering Hole is a FABULOUS vacation spot! The pictures do not do it justice... the home is immaculate, comfortable, spacious and beautifully decorated. Danny and Darla are gracious and wonderful owners. We enjoyed the lake toys especially!!! You will not be disappointed with a vacation here!

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Guest: George Y. (-)
Date of Stay: 07/23/09 Review Submitted: 07/23/09

We had a great time at "The Watering Hole". Great location on nice private side of the lake. House was amazing and offered tons of amenities. Thanks again Darla and Danny!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/06/09 Review Submitted: 07/06/09

We had a very relaxing time in this spacious, well maintained home. Danny and Darla were very accomodating for our last minute plans and are very friendly and helpful. The property has a very nice wooded setting. We ate most meals on the screened porch. It was so pleasant! Highly recommended!!!

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Guest: Jennifer Adler-Johnson (Wilmington, N.C.)
Date of Stay: 06/30/09 Review Submitted: 06/30/09

The Watering Hole is one of the most peaceful vacations my family and I have ever experienced! Danny and Darla are warm, wonderful and welcoming! The house is beautiful, spotless and the sheets smell great! We enjoyed swimming in the lake, playing in the game room, reading on the hammock, sharing meals on the lovely screened in porch, exploring the area to include mining for gems, hiking in the Uwharrie Mtns, and the NC Zoo. Probably the best part, however, was the fact that this house and it's surroundings facilitate a reconnection with friends and family members, it allows time for self reflection, prayer and overall rejuvenation of the body and soul! Our family would highly recommend this house to anyone who needs to "get away from it all" and re-discover what is truly important in life! Thank you again to the Murphy Family for sharing this beautiful home with us. Take Care and God Bless.

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Guest: adam & sadie anderson (high point nc)
Date of Stay: 05/23/09 Review Submitted: 05/23/09

i highly recommend this home for a family vacation getaway. beautiful water front home, that is very spacious,immaculately clean,quiet,peaceful, i could go on and on. you wont be disappointed! the owners of this home are so welcoming and friendly. thanks so much we truely enjoyed our stay, and plan on returning

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Guest: Robert and Susan Grady (Kinston, North Carolina)
Date of Stay: 05/05/09 Review Submitted: 05/05/09

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in your beautiful lake house! Everything about it was first class. Your house is situated on such a pretty and peaceful part of the lake. Thanks so much...we hope to be able to rent it again some day.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/02/09 Review Submitted: 05/02/09

Gorgeous home, beautiful setting, very comfortable! Ideal place to vacation with family. Absolutely loved this rental!!

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