Beautiful Oceanfront Home in Estate Setting in Gloucester, near Annisquam

If you read through all the wonderful reviews of this rental property and looked at the pictures on this site, you can clearly see that it is a special spot. The house itself and the features within are wonderful. Hard to imagine a better set-up for relaxing on vacation. We especially liked the kitchen since we like to make meal preparation a central part of our family vacation experience. It is superbly equipped. The highlight of the house however is the wrap around deck which affords wonderful views of the pond and the Atlantic ocean beyond. We saw a number of Green and Blue Herons during our stay along with countless other birds. One of the great things about renting in the Butler/Ames Estate is that one has access to two of the most wonderful beaches around that are not open to general public access. In all the years that we have vacationed on the estate, we have never seen a busy day at the beach. Many days during the week, even at high summer, you might be one of only a few people there. There are rafts at each beach that are perfect for jumping off and are great for younger children. Cape Ann and the Ipswich Bay area are special places indeed. There are lots of great places to eat and local sites to see that are only minutes from the house.

The owners have been great to deal with. Our family will definitely be back!

we really enjoyed our stay at this wonderful house ilocated in a very beautiful area of Gloucester. Thoroughly enjoyed just sitting on the deck with a nice glass of wine soaking in both the excellent view and the salty air. The two private beaches are really a blessing when you have young childre( grandchildren) and you don't have to make a major move to take them to a beach 5 miles away.this house has a well equipped kitchen and toy room.most impressive was the wide array of options for having fun on the water. We certainly created some fantastic memories during our week here.highly recommend staying here

My extended family and I just completed our wonderful week at this beautiful property. My family resides in Boston and we day trip to Cape Ann numerous times throughout the summer and fall. This year we decided to spend a week in Cape Ann and invited the extended family to spend time with us, we could not have chosen a better property! The house hosted several adults and college age youth very comfortably. My parents who are both in their 80's easily managed the short flights of stairs and easy walk to the private beach with its calm waters. We all enjoyed the views whether they were early morning sunrises or sunsets over the ocean. We even toasted the sunset with champagne on our last night of the stay.

Our host provided everything we could have ever wanted for our vacation week, there was something for everyone. The setting was ideal and perfect. The house overlooks a pond, which provided a backdrop of all kinds of small wildlife; bullfrogs, herons, birds and rabbits. Along with the sea creatures found in the ocean, our biology minded relatives loved the location.

For those in my family who love shopping, the quaint village of Rockport and downtown Gloucester along with Rocky Neck were only about a 15 drive minute away. The college aged youth had fun with the SUP's, kayaks and ping pong table. I appreciated having access to the beach chairs, beach towels, beach toys and umbrellas. My husband aka The Chef appreciated the kitchen. He was able to set up shop and prepare delicious chowder, spaghetti, grill burgers & dogs, muffins, scones and waffles.

The house was immaculate and so comfortable, we settled right in. I felt we were staying at a good friend's house and not a rental property.

A big thank you to our hosts for sharing their home with us. We plan on returning to this little oasis next year. I can’t say enough on how wonderful this spot is, I would prefer to keep it a secret so I can be sure to have a place to return next year, but that would be a disservice to our wonderful hosts. They have a beautiful property and anyone would find himself or herself lucky to stay there.

Perfect for us who range in age from 3 to 64. Very clean and comfortable home with beautiful views off the large rear deck and from all the rear facing windows. Easy short walk to beach and water fun. The ever changing tide makes for great shoreline exploration. Thoughtful and well equipped kitchen to enjoy! Yard with bunnies an occasional fox, and a marsh with all sorts of birds, frogs and lilly pads. We are always delighted to stay here!!! The owners are very responsive and wonderful to communicate with.

Every time I step into this bright and cheery house, I feel welcomed and immediately at home. We have been coming here for years and the owners have gone out of their way to make their home a place to share and love together—from the liquid refreshments and fresh strawberries they leave as welcome gifts, to the handcrafted soaps and amenity kits.

Every year there is something new—and all is meticulously maintained—so each time we arrive there is something to discover. Last year there were four new paddle boards and a new outdoor umbrella with lights, the year before some new garden developments to enhance the views from the house. This year, two new couches, a charcoal grill, new beach toys and garden plantings.

With high ceilings and a sunny, open floor plan that combines the kitchen, dining and living area, it is ideal space for an extended family gathering. And there is something in this house for everyone! Besides making multiple daily trips to the beach and playing ball in the large yard, I couldn’t get my nephews out of the game room, replete with a ping pong table, building structures and multiple board games. My brother and his wife went kayaking (there are kayaks, too) and my mother-in-law couldn’t get enough of the extensive collection of art books.

The secret beauty to this house is that even when the weather doesn’t cooperate, it’s a great place to hang out—with a working fireplace, three large flat screen tvs, every kind of cooking implement to make a gastronomic feast, and enough books and comfortable couches to make any day relaxing and fun. With so much to see outside through the large glass windows and doors, you almost feel like you’re outside even when you’re inside!

The two bedrooms on the top level share their own bathroom complete with a luxurious shower with water jets that were a huge source of curiosity for my nephews. The two bedrooms on the bottom level are private, light and nicely decorated. All the beds were firm and comfortable with soft sheets and fluffy duvets. Almost every room in the house has ocean views (three unique vantage points) and of the quiet little pond which attracts egrets, great blue herons, goldfinches, chickadees, cedar waxwings, woodpeckers and, of course, beavers! There were bunnies and a fox one night, and lots of nesting birds which made for a very peaceful environment. We never like to leave, that’s the only problem!

Needless to say, I have already booked this house again for next year.