Vacation Rentals by Owner

Perfect relaxing getaway!

Guest: Suzanne (Taunton, MA)
Date of Stay: 08/13/11 Review Submitted: 09/08/11

Picking Grandview 14 from the many Maine vacation choices was one of my best decisions. It was such a peaceful experience in the warm, cozy home with the lake right outside your door. We even saw a bald eagle while drinking coffee on the dock one morning. The owners are the kind of people you'd like as friends and they gave us a warm welcome, including a bottle of cider. Steve was nice enough to give us a ride in their boat too. We enjoyed kayaking and canoeing and all the other things Maine offers, which were not too far away and when it was raining, which unfortunately it did, we were happy to relax in comfort inside. The only bad thing was we had to leave...thanks, Steve and Valancy!

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

Wonderful holiday

Guest: roxycook (London)
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 08/23/11

We had a wonderful week here. As soon as we had seen the pictures on the website, we knew we wanted to stay here and we were not disappointed. The house is in the most beautiful setting imaginable and we were entranced by the views. We have two daughters aged 19 and 16 and they really enjoyed themselves too. We did not know whether to stay put and swim and kayak or simply sunbathe on the deck or go out and explore Maine so we did some of each on alternate days. Steve and Valancy provide a list of suggested things to do and amongst others from the list, we enjoyed lobster at Cape Elizabeth, a boat trip from Portland on Casco Bay Ferries and Bowdoin College Museum of Art. Closer to home, we sampled fesh cooked lobster from the nearby pond, onion rings at Vandy's and breakfast at the Peppermill. The house is very comfortable and well equipped and spotlessly clean. Steve and Valancy welcomed us warmly and showed us round and we felt that if we had needed any advice or run into a problem, they would have been very happy to help. They have put a lot of thought into creating such a lovely property and we would definitely recommend it. We thank them for their hospitality.

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

Our Maine Getaway

Guest: Laurie (New York)
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 07/27/11

What a wonderful time we had here! My boys loved the playground, fishing, swimming, etc etc! They loved it so much they asked if we could move here. Great spacious house, with all the accomodations a family could need. Owners were so gracious and helpful, they even provide a list of things to do in the area. I think we were able to accomplish 13 altogether. Need to comeback to complete the list!

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

Happy PA Travelers

Guest: Maneval family (Richfield, PA USA)
Date of Stay: 06/12/10 Review Submitted: 08/09/10

Great property! Plenty of fun for our family with 2 girl, - ages 3 and 6, and 2 boys - ages 14 and 16. The house was immaculate, and Steve and Valancy are great hosts. Great fishing - more than 100 fish - right from the dock! This was the perfect place for our family. We would recommend it to anyone. This particular property is very quiet and the sunsets were remarkable. We especially enjoyed the wood-fired hot tub. Nothing better than a cool Maine night spent under the stars soaking in a steaming hot tub. To anyone we would say "Stay at this place, you will not be disappointed."

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

The Morrow's - Texans in the Maine Land

Guest: The Morrows (Arlington, Texas)
Date of Stay: 06/05/10 Review Submitted: 06/13/10

This place is a must stay! Our first great experience was contacting the owners. They are wonderful people and will do everything they can to ensure your stay is "wicked awesome" (a local slang). The lakehouse is much larger than we expected, with plenty to keep our 4 year old son and 15 month old daughter busy. The owners even left age appropriate gifts for our kiddos and a beverage for us. The drive to Old Orchard, Portland, Ogunquit and Kennebunk beaches are all nearby. Our favorite was Ogunquit, because there were lots of people there, lots of beach for the kiddos and some shops for us. Stop at the Portland Headlight (lighthouse commissioned by George Washington) and do your souvenir shopping there. The prices are lower than other places and all monies made support the lighthouse. At the lake house, we all relaxed in the wood burning hot tub, my son and I caught as much fish as we wanted, the kiddos played on the playground areas on the property, we took the row boat out for a peaceful tour of lake arrowhead and slept in the hammock. We cooked lobster for the first time and it was incredible. There were so many moments captured and so much for us to do. We have traveled all over the U.S. and this was the most relaxing, fun vacation we have ever had. We took the sunset cruise from Portland and were entertained by a local Junior High drama club. The record collection there (real vinyl) is incredible and we all danced to good ole rock-n-roll. TVs in two rooms make it nice for dual entertainment on rainy afternoons. You've got to have pizza from the local parlor, eat onion rings from Vandys and have barbeque and pastries made by "the Steve" (he has a passion for his cooking and baking) at Raven's Hill Bakery. If you choose this place for your vacation you'll have a great time - totes fa` shotes (another local slang)!! The people of Maine are wonderful. We WILL be going back. We thank ya'll kindly for reading our review.

Owner response:So many of our guests become our lifelong friends and the Morrow family will be in that category. We hope to see them in years to come as their younguns grow up loving their summer excursions to Maine. They truly took our 50 + things to do list and tried to cover them all and yet still found time to enjoy some R&R...Maine... the way life should be!

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

Guest: Richard and Gloria Pluimer (Spearfish, SD)
Date of Stay: 10/21/09 Review Submitted: 10/21/09

This property was every bit as represented, and in many ways exceeded expectations. We so enjoyed our stay. This was a trip with Gloria's parents to see Maine and the fall colors. I was in charge of booking. Thanks to the Owners, I looked really good in the eyes of my mother in law! Priceless! Valancy and Steve made every effort to make us welcome, and were accessible to answer any questions and make recommendations. We would love to return in the future. Dick and Gloria Pluimer Spearfish SD

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/14/09 Review Submitted: 06/14/09

My husband, 2 1/2 year old son and I stayed here in mid June and had a fantastic vacation. The location is superb and the fishing was out of this world. We caught fish (bass and pickerel) right off the dock but also enjoyed use of the canoe, kayak and row boat on the beautiful lake. The house had everything we needed and was very comfortable and beautiful. We felt very welcomed by Steve and Valancy. There are several great places nearby...a lobster pound, homemade ice cream and easy access to grocery stores and coastal towns. We can't say enough about this great rental...we will definitely be back.

Owner response:We really enjoyed meeting Lise and Louis. We were so excited that their 2 1/2 yr old caught his first fish right off our dock and ALL BY HIMSELF! They treated our property with great respect and left it exactly as they had found it. Louis even helped us do a little reposistioning of our dock that had been moved by all the high water. Many of our guests become lifelong friends and we are hopeful this family will be return guests for years to come.

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Guest: Kim & Pete (Massachusetts)
Date of Stay: 08/20/07 Review Submitted: 08/20/07

What a perfect vacation. We have four young daughters and this was just the best spot. Beautiful, safe and a lovely home with all the conveniences. The girls were out from 7am to 7pm every day, swimming, playing on the swings, boating, fishing and catching "bugs." If you want a vacation free from the hustle and bustle, this is it. My husband and I even relaxed. Perfect is all I can say. Steve and Valancy are wonderful hosts. Thank You!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/26/07 Review Submitted: 06/26/07

Grandview 14 was spotless. The owners clean it themselves. The property is beautiful and well maintained. Lots of modern amenities provided to keep you entertained rain or shine. The owners, Steve and Valancy are wonderful. It was great to wake up to a gorgeous view of the lake every morning. We had a fantastic time and would do it again in a heartbeat! Oh, did I mention the house was spotless?

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Guest: Tina Hamilton (frisco, tx)
Date of Stay: 06/26/07 Review Submitted: 06/26/07

We stayed at Grandview 14, and we loved it. The house had everything that we needed. The view was breathtaking, and the owners were wonderful. We hope to visit again, The Hamiltons

Owner response:We enjoyed having the Hamilton's at our property all the way from Texas. They had not ever been to Maine before and they did it all, from deep sea fishing to shopping to having seafood at one of our very favorite places to recommend to our guests, The Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth. The kids had not seen the ocean before and the views out at the lobster shack are some of the best around.

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Guest: Paul D1 (Houston, Texas)
Date of Stay: 07/20/06 Review Submitted: 07/20/06

Wonderful getaway. Beautiful location exactly as described. Lots of modern amenities provided by the owners to keep you entertained rain or shine. Great vacation, would visit again.

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Guest: Katy D. (Sugar Land, TX)
Date of Stay: 07/16/06 Review Submitted: 07/16/06

We stayed in the Lakehouse for a little more than two weeks. The property is beautiful and well maintained. Steve and Valancy are wonderful people that take their properties and their guests seriously. It was great to wake up to a gorgeous view of the lake every morning and roast marshmallows on the campfire before bed! We all had a fantastic time and would do it again in a heartbeat. Take Care Steve and Valancy! Sincerely, Katy D.

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