Lake Blackwell, 2 Bedroom Retreat with Hot Tub & Deck. Best suited for four

My wife and I enjoyed the time we spent here. We went out on the lake (although it was crisp and windy), and spent time in the hot tub. We also enjoyed the electric fireplace and the ability to make some meals over the four days. We were under the impression that the caretakers were in a nearby house, but they were actually under the same roof. We only saw two people a couple of times and they were polite, so it wasn't any kind of issue. Just unexpected. We would definitely consider coming back for the peace and quiet!

Very enjoyable stay. Very congenial and helpful hosts. Well-kept & landscaped property. Charming small beach area with many water toys for use. Enjoyed our stay in the area with beautiful lakes and two interesting museums.

We had so much fun with out 2 daughters. My family loved the relaxing hot tub which has an open roof so you can see the stars. The house is perfect size and clean.

Over all we enjoyed our stay. It was relaxing and the lake was great. The bungalow was quaint and quiet (except for the very noisy bed). Really liked the kayaking and nearby Alex was welcoming. Found a great little cafe "The Coffee Pot Cafe" that had very good food at a reasonable price. The owners, Glen and Barry were very friendly and when problems arose they were helpful. All that being said, we did have some issues. The Hot tub, which was one of the perks that lead us to choose this property was not in good working order. It kept popping the circuit breakers and had to be reset every time we wanted to use it. Unfortunately that meant the water was not hot so we only used it twice in our weeks stay. The lakeside dock area is nice but needs some TLC. Several loose and warped boards with nails sticking up to catch on your feet. Also, it needs a good cleaning. The dock was not just slippery when wet but slimy. My husband took a fall while trying to rescue one of the kayaks that had come loose. The kayak storage needs work. there was quite a bit of rain and wind that caused the kayaks to drift loose from under the dock several times. There is a really nice bench that goes around the upper deck, BUT no railing for safety. By reading other reviews, it sounds like the owners are absent a good share of the time as was the case during our stay. When planning your stay be sure the kayaks and/or canoes will be available for your use as they sometimes use them for their personal use. They left the day after our arrival and took the canoe, not really a problem as we used the kayaks. They mention limited TV channels, well that is an exaggeration. There are 3 channels but none of them come in regularly, couldn't even watch the evening news. If internet is important to you ( like in the evenings or if the weather isn't cooperating) don't count on it. It is very slow and cuts our frequently. We would definitely return to the area but not necessarily to this property.

I planned a surprise trip here for my husband for our 5 year anniversary and to celebrate him finishing his degree. It was the first time we’ve been able to get away since our honeymoon since we have a medically fragile 4 year old who’s always in the hospital and a 2 year old that make it impossible to get a way. It took a lot of coordinating to be able to come 7hours away but it seemed worth it to get away alone and spend a lot of time on the lake with the kayaks and boats that came with the rental. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed! We were almost to the bungalow before receiving any instructions on how to get in which was stressful. When we arrived there weren’t any instructions on where the kayaks and boats were stored, how to get a demonstration of building a fire in the tipi (which was required before starting one), or how to operate the hot tub which seemed to be broken. We were able to easily get ahold of the owners who were very nice and gave us instructions on how to fix the hot tub and offered to send a technician on Monday if we couldn’t get it ourselves (which we did) and gave us the instructions for the tipi campfire. However, we were informed that the kayaks and boats advertised with the rental would not be available until after Memorial Day. We were so disappointed as that was the main selling point of this rental for us. We tried to find somewhere nearby that rented them out but most of them were booked through our vacation because everyone was out on the lakes. We still had a nice time being being alone without the kids; we sat on the dock, went on walks, had a bonfire, played some games, and sat in the hot tub but if that’s all we wanted, we could’ve stayed closer to home and saved a lot of driving time and money. I’d also like to add that the shower didn’t have much pressure at all so showering took forever! Overall, the owners and their grandson (who was staying in the main house) were nice but the bungalow without the kayaks and boats was not worth it to us and had we known we wouldn’t have access to them, we would have stayed elsewhere.