Location: Shelby, West Central, Michigan, USA (90 mins. NW of Gr. Rapids; 45 mins. N. of Muskegon.)
Accommodations: Beach House, 3 Bedrooms + Sunroom, 3 Baths (Sleeps 10)
Why settle for cold and impersonal when you can stay here in this warm, inviting beach house where you have the beauties of Lake Michigan to admire? The home is directly on the beach. Enjoy the stunning views of the water from nearly every window. The deck overlooks a gorgeous sweep of beach that is perfect for sunning, walking, swimming or whatever your heart desires. There is no bluff. Only 12 steps down to the beach! Year round home offers summer sun and sand, winter's quiet beauty.
The home has a cozy and wonderful appeal. The kitchen has been renovated with slate, custom tile, stainless appliances and dramatic lighting and breakfast bar. The upstairs bath has been remodeled as a full bath with a large tiled shower overlooking the beach.
The main floor full bath has also been fully renovated with custom tile. The sunroom off the kitchen is now a spacious family room with two twin beds set up as a sectional sofa ideal for lounging, dining table and cable TV, pictured in our personal website.
The beach is gorgeous! Not a stone or pebble to hurt your feet, just swaying beach grass and the shhhhh... shhhhh.... shhhhh.... of the waves as the constant counterpoint to your relaxed conversations.
Enjoy the view of the water while you soak in the hot tub and watch little ones play in the sandbox. Have an outdoor fire on the deck at night or down on the beach: there are outdoor fire places in each location. Deck lounge chairs from Ikea, resin adirondack chairs on the beach.
When you want to walk on the beach just step down from the deck. No dangerous bluff to worry about.The water is a very gradual slope that's great for kids: no drop off, lots of sand bars. You can wade out a very long way before you're in deep water. We provide life jackets in many sizes.
The deck is enclosed to provide a secure area for children so you don't have to worry about a small person going to the beach alone. Combination locks on each gate are easy for grown ups, difficult for children.
There is a canoe and lots of beach chairs to make yourself comfortable by the water. We have all the beach towels you'll ever need: just launder them in the washer and dryer before you leave.
You'll love the master bedroom with a view that quite simply takes your breath away and a wonderful Beautyrest King size bed.
The guest room upstairs has two double beds. The guest room downstairs has a new kingsize bed. All linens and towels are provided; simply launder them before you leave.
We want you to enjoy what our family has enjoyed and we invite you to come to stay at this wonderful slice of paradise. You'll love your time here and leave refreshed and happy.
No Smoking, No Pets.
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Washer
- Dryer
- Linens Provided: Just launder before you leave in our washer/dryer - our housekeeper does the folding for you.
- Off Street Parking: Private driveway
- Wood Fireplace: Wood provided.
- Beds
- King Bed (2) : Master bedroom and main floor guest room each have a king size bed.
- Double Bed (2) : Upstairs guest room has two double beds, similar to a hotel room. Great for a couple with young children. Also works well for kids to share.
- Twin/Single Bed (2) : Sunroom has two twin beds set up as a sectional "sofa". It's ideal for lounging, reading, or just watching TV. These are perfect beds for kids. Sunroom has a door that can be closed.
- Crib: Graco pack n play in main floor closet.
- Entertainment
- Cable/Satellite TV (2) : 2 TVs with Dish Network Cable TV: Family channels. PPV available for sports/movies - deducted from security deposit.
- DVD
- VCR (2)
- Video Library: many children's videos, some feature films
- CD Player (2)
- Stereo System
- Private Hot Tub: In-deck hot tub directly outside livingroom sliding doors. Gorgeous view of the Lake from the Hot Tub. Enjoy nighttime stargazing in some of the clearest skies you'll find.
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen: Renovated with slate and tile, new cabinets, lighting, breakfast bar for extra seating, view of lake.
- Cooking Utensils Provided: 4 slice Dualit toaster. Cast iron griddles for pancakes. French press and drip coffee makers.
- Refrigerator
- Dishwasher
- Microwave: built in microwave/hood over stove
- Outdoor Features
- Charcoal BBQ Grill: New grill - summer 2009
- Deck/Patio: Wood deck and grassy area enclosed to provide safety for children. Hammock, two table areas for outdoor meals. Deck chairs and outdoor fireplace.
- View/Location
- Beachfront: Stunning frontage. 12 steps down to sugar sand from your private deck. Deck has nice privacy from neighbors on either side of house. Very restful and private.
- Lakefront: Lake Michigan - gorgeous sandy beach.
- Communications
- Telephone (2) : No long distance access. Use calling card for long distance calls. No reliable cell phone reception.
- Other Amenities
- Outdoor fireplace, Hammock, Ceiling fans in all bedrooms, as well as in the kitchen, the livingroom, the upstairs bath and the sunroom. Baby "clip-on" high chair.
- Suitability
- No Pets Allowed
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Activities (on site and nearby)
- Golf
- Theme Park (Amusement Park)
- Shopping
- Sightseeing
- Restaurants
- Kayaking
- Sailing
- Boating
- Jet Skiing
- Swimming
- Windsurfing
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Cross Country Skiing
- Downhill/Alpine Skiing
- Snowboarding
- Snowmobiling
- Sledding/Tubing
- Wildlife Viewing
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Hunting
- Antiquing
- Miniature golf
- Horseback Riding
- Other Activities
- Waterpark, Horseback riding, Golf, Concerts at nearby Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Paraflight, Jet Skiing (from the Stony Lake public launch), Downhill Skiing (see, Crystal Mountain Ski Resort for fabulous skiing), Sledding, snowmobiling (Association rules prohibit jet skis and snowmobiles inside association, but plenty of areas close by for these activities)
Rate Details (In US Dollars)
Now to May 22/2010: $1,500/week
May 22 to June 12/2009: $2,500/week
June 12 to June 26/2009: $3,000/week
June 26 to September 11th: $3500/week
September 11 to May 21, 2011: $1500/week
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Owner's Profile
Owner Description
Year Purchased: 2000
When we moved back to Michigan from Atlanta in 1998, we got the 'cottage bug' and we couldn't shake it. We looked around at various cottages on various bodies of water and realized we were addicted to big waves, big sunsets, big sandy beaches and big skies. Nothing else gave us the feeling that Lake Michigan did! When we found our cottage, we jumped at it. It needed lots of work and we ended up building on to give us more space, but it was a fabulous cottage on a fabulous beach and we've never looked back. The only thing we regret is how far away we are now - and that we can't use our place ourselves except for the rare exception. But we know it continues to welcome beach goers in our absence and that makes us feel better, somehow.
Why the Owner Chose Shelby
We bought this cottage as an oasis for our family and it's never failed to live up to that aspiration. It's quiet, peaceful and 'other' where. When we're there, we seem to let go of the 'stuff' that's on our minds at home, and I suppose that's the best thing about the place. Getting away from everything usual, going somewhere apart from the ordinary.
The Unique Benefits of this Beach House
This house is comfortable and done up. It's not rustic, not dusty, not basic. It's a real house with real furniture, and that makes it so nice to stay at - even us! We know that you'll agree that it's nicer to stay at a house that's not rickety and spider-webby!
Property Photos
- View of the house from the gorgeous beach - Lake Michigan Beach House
- View of the beach from your deck - Lake Michigan Beach House
- Gorgeous sunsets from your deck - Lake Michigan Beach House
Guest Comments (29)
First (10) of (29). View all comments
Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #62758
There have been 20151 visitors to this page since the counter was last reset in 2005.
This listing was first published here in 2005.
Date last modified - November 04, 2009
Positive Rating
Denny C Howell , Clinton, MI
Positive Rating
Beach House! We love your place. It's beautiful and you can't beat the view! Hope to visit again!
Positive Rating
Great location on the lake and the views could not be better! We had a 3 year old with us who loved spending time on the beach - building sand castles, taking a canoe ride, splashing in the water and flying a kite. We took Mary's advice and visited the town of Pentwater. Had a great lunch at the Village Cafe on the outdoor patio and enjoyed an ice cream at the House of Flavors. Enjoyed lunches and dinners on the deck - switching tables to accommodate the sun. We also enjoyed having the large family room for indoor play and relaxing. Thank you for a wonderful week of great memories! P.S. Cherry Point Market is a must and all the baked goods are wonderful especially the cherry pie!!
Positive Rating
Wonderful weather. Great beds for sleeping. Everything handy. We enjoyed our get together. Great spot!!
Positive Rating
We loved the beach house. My son's family, Alexis (3) & Jonah (1) loved all the toys. We liked the Dune Buggy ride & Alexis really liked the horseback riding. Thanks for sharing your great retreat.
Positive Rating
Had a wonderful time with our 7 month old baby boy! Walked the beach, played in the water, and Mommy & Daddy relaxed in the hot tub. Thank you so much for a wonderful cottage rental. It had everything we were looking for and more. We visited our favorite haunts up here: Whippy Dip - Silver Lake; Brown Bear - Shelby; Cottage Dairy - New Era. Thanks again! Kimberly, Darryl and Benjamin
Positive Rating
We couldn't have picked a more perfect place for our first vacation as a family! It was so fun to watch Brady, just one, explore the sand and water for the very first time! He never stopped smiling and just loved digging in the sand and exploring up and down the beach! A.J. and I enjoyed relaxing on the beach with a good book & building fires under the stars at night. What a beautiful place to get away & relax! We hope to make this an annual trip! Thank you for allowing us to stay in your beautiful home! -- A.J., Therese & Brady
Positive Rating
Weather was great...Walks on the beach, campfires at night, beautiful sunsets, great food - all of these with my wife of almost 30 years... Priceless... Thank you for letting us stay on such short notice -- Jeff We really appreciate you allowing us to come with such short notice. We celebrated my 50th birthday here which was on Sunday. It was so nice just to spend some quiet time together. This is a great place. We truly enjoyed it and felt very comfortable. This was a memorable birthday and such a treat! -- Chris
Positive Rating
Since moving away from Michigan last summer, our return to our beach house for Christmas made me feel like a guest who'd come home, oddly enough. We finally forgot about home improvements, and pretended we WERE guests - just this once - and how we loved it! The kids sledded on the dunes, loving the snow they'd missed out in the Northwest, and we just loved playing Christmas carols on the stereo while Matt kept the fire roaring 24-7. Opening presents Christmas morning, soaking in the hot tub while snowflakes drifted down on us, playing monopoly on the heated slate floor in the sunroom, driving to Grand Rapids for the big family celebration the day after Christmas... It was worth the flight, and we'll be back. Even though it's a bear of a journey, some things are worth the effort.
Positive Rating
Rafael Gacek , Plainfield, IL