Cape Cod Cottage on Private Pond! (the 'Cast Off')

• Perfect

  Perfect

  • Guest Cathy D.
  • Date of stay 08/06/11
  • Review Submitted 09/04/11
  I'm going to keep my review very short and simple........The Cast Away Cottage on Minister Pond is PERFECT! It holds my family of 5 perfectly (kids 12,10,6) with a bunk bed for 3 in 1st bedroom and a 2nd bed room w/ a queen size bed. The kitchen/living area is spacious and has all the modern conveniences of home. The outside shower is a fantastic bonus, I think the only cottage w/ one in that location. The cottage is ALWAYS very clean, neat, organized and clutter free which I totally appreciate. It is decorated very tastefully unlike some other places I have visited...... The pond is great for fishing, boating, and exploring and provides hours of entertainment for the kids. It is centrally located to almost anywhere you need to go from the bay, ocean, shopping, resturants......you name it! Thanks Ed and Sara, you do a terrific job with your home away from home and appreciate that you open it to us every year!

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• perfect getaway

  perfect getaway

  • Guest Wendy M.
  • Date of stay 07/16/11
  • Review Submitted 09/02/11
  I can make this short and sweet- I have been coming to Cape Cod for 40+ years and this is my absolute favorite place to stay. I feel like we can have a perfectly relaxing vacation while never leaving Nauset Haven. The ocean, bay, great restaurants and never disappointing trails are all just a bonus... The immaculately clean cottage, the comfortable accomodations, the fully stocked kitchen, and the options for WiFi, air conditioning, and out door showering make this cottage choice a no-brainer to all people who can respect the beauty of the Cape... LOVE IT!

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Charming Honeymoon Spot For Outdoor Lovers!!

  Charming Honeymoon Spot For Outdoor Lovers!!

  • Guest Just Married!
  • Date of stay 09/20/10
  • Review Submitted 10/01/10
  My husband and I recently stayed a week at the Cast Off Cottage for our honeymoon. We went in September and the weather was seasonably warm and gorgeous every day! We enjoyed the beautiful views from each room, how clean the place was, and the great location to all things we like to do. We kayaked all around Minister’s Pond and rode our bikes to the Nauset bike path and Cape Cod Rail Trail right from our doorstep! Another nice place for kayaking and biking was Nickerson State Park with its very sandy and lovely fresh water lakes. The cottage interior with its vaulted ceiling is very spacious for two people, the kitchen has everything you could need, and the decor in every room is charming. The queen bed was soooo comfortable!! I can’t remember when I’ve had such a deep, mind-numbing sleep! It was nice having the additional room with extra closet space and beds for storage. Our only complaint was the number of spiders we found inside the cottage, my husband walked through a web at least once a day (fortunately they got him & missed me)!! But we understand that is the nature of the woods and a small price to pay for being so close to nature. The long handled broom in the closet took care of them. As stated by other reviewers, the owners are very organized, easy to contact, and the whole rental process was easily done by mail. It was a very memorable week and we look forward to staying there again in the future!

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Beautiful cottage in the perfect location!

  Beautiful cottage in the perfect location!

  • Guest Erin
  • Date of stay 09/26/09
  • Review Submitted 09/11/10
  This was exactly what our family was looking for. Eastham is so close to so many things-there's something for everyone! We did the biketrail, went hiking, spent the day at a few different beaches, saw a beautiful sunset at Rock harbor beach, took a daytrip to P-town and the Pilgrim Monument, visited and did a shellfishing demonstrations at the National Seashore where the kids got there Jr. Rangers badges! But one of the best things about this cottage was the pond. There the kids could just be kids! They loved swimming out to and jumping off the dock, taking out the rowboats, fishing, and making new friends-they even spotted the large turtle! The cottage is so nice and bright and the perfect size for a small family. It had every amenity and was nicely updated, but nothing is over the top so it still had that nice "cottage" feel. The owners were so friendly and it was a very smooth last minute rental!

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Great spot, tidy and adorable cottage

  Great spot, tidy and adorable cottage

  • Guest Beachy-keen
  • Date of stay 08/07/10
  • Review Submitted 08/26/10
  We spent a lovely week here with our girls, aged almost 4 and 7, and look forward to returning next year. The location is perfect for us: near the beach at Cole Road, Nauset Light, the bicycle paths, and the Super Stop&Shop in Orleans. The views onto Ministers Pond are lovely, as are all the bird songs you can hear. We never heard our human neighbours. The interior is clean and cheery, finished thoughtfully and in good taste. Outside, there is a nice shower, a hammock and seating area, a picnic table, and a clothesline. Since the cottage is in the trees, we were concerned about mosquitoes. However, when we were there in early August, there were no bothersome insects to interfere with enjoying all of these outdoor areas. Yes, the cottage is small, and if you had a week of rain and 6 people it would probably feel quite overly so. However, we are four and our girls are small, so we loved playing indoors and out. We had great weather and were able to really enjoy being on the hammock and picnic table outside, as well as at the pond. Our girls were also thrilled by the novelty of sleeping in a bunk bed. Surprisingly, we also were really thankful for the cable TV and DVD player - we would let the kids watch a bit in the early morning so my husband and I could ease into the day a little more gradually (the first morning we were there, they were so excited, they got up at 5am!). And at the end of the day, kids tucked away, we finally got to crack into our MadMen DVD gift set. Indulgence for everyone! This was our first time at this cottage and we brought everything we could think of. Turns out, we didn't need our fans (they have ceiling fans and window fan). They also have a window a/c that we didn't need to use, but we were sure happy to have the option! Our only inconvenience was a lack of bathtub, since our girls are still not comfortable with showers, esp. washing hair. The kitchen sink does have a spray hose however for a "salon wash". Searching for a vacation place online can be such a gamble, but we feel very lucky to have found this little gem and look forward to making it part of our summer tradition.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, girls getaway, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• location location location...

  location location location...

  • Guest Wendy & family
  • Date of stay 07/24/10
  • Review Submitted 08/06/10
  Our family has been visiting the Cape at Nauset Haven for about eight years. We "tested" three other cottages in the same area that accomodate our family size, and have stuck with Cast Off Cottage #7 for the last four years. We are so happy there! The property is always clean and very well maintained. It does not feel at all like a rental, but more like a smaller home away from home... The master bedroom has a wonderful window right by our heads as we sleep, and we have never once needed to use the air conditioner between the fresh breeze rolling in and the ceiling fans throughout the cottage. (it's nice to know that there's an option though!) The second bedroom is super convenient, too. The bottom bunk is a full size bed, and the top is a twin. My kids and their pillows switch every single night so they get to enjoy both sleeping high and sleeping wide :). Mornings on the Cape are heavenly, because my children wake up and are down at the pond every single morning looking for the turtles and frogs, and trying their luck on their fishing lines.. They have become confident rowers, and we have even rented Kayaks that were delivered directly to the pond. So much fun!! As far as activities go, the best parf of staying in Nauset Haven is that you can stay 'home' and relax and have a perfectly wonderful day. If you must leave, Rock Harbor during a sundown and a low tide is perhaps our favorite time and place in the world. It's serene, yet exciting, and the bay never fails to impress us with its wonders under the water. This year we found an enormous anchor that some ship must have lost- so cool! We always visit Nauset beach in Orleans, and Mandy's Cape Creamery has some of the most delicious ice cream around. For me personally, I have been coming to Cape Cod since I was an infant. I grew up vacationing on the Cape, and there is one specific thing that I will never compromise when it comes to looking for a cottage- location on the water. Cast Off satisfies all of the cleanliness and convenience needs, but most importantly for me, we are located directly on the water. We do not have to leave our home and drive to have a day by the water and sand. We do not have to pack up the buckets and shovels, the boogie boards and fishing poles. We simply get up and walk down to the pond. This, (trust me) is truly priceless for a vacation cottage on the Cape. Thanks Ed and Sara for being the most generous, organized, and helpful hosts we could ask for!

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

Rentals Begin Saturdays at 3pm & End the Following Saturday at 10am.
Jun 16-Sep 1 .. $1400/week.
Off Season Rates Are Also Available at Reduced Rate

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.