We had a great 3-week stay at the Half House! Near-perfect accommodations for our family of 4 (adults downstairs, teenagers upstairs) -- clean, well-stocked, and convenient to everything Charlevoix has to offer. Just a short walk to both the beach and downtown.

Amazing sunsets almost every night, and you don't even have to walk to the beach to enjoy them. In fact, one of our favorite activities was just sitting in the adirondack chairs out front, alternating between reading and soaking in the incredible Lake Michigan views.

A couple of mild warnings.

- If you're tall, prepare to duck when walking room to room. I'm 6'2", and it takes only a couple bumps of one's head to learn that a little hunch goes a long way when traversing doorways.

- If you stay around the house more than a couple days, you can't help but memorize the Mushroom House Tour spiel. Plus, among the parade of passing tourists and amateur photographers, some won't register that there are people inside. It's a bit of a fish-bowl experience, but with the right mindset it's also highly amusing.

The owner, Bill, was the ideal remote host. Highly responsive to our questions, always friendly, and he even offered helpful suggestions for fun family activities.

All in all, it was an unforgettable family vacation!