Welcome to 'The Mancamp'! This beautiful home boasts 250' of private lakefront on Locke Pond. If you're looking to spend a week just kicking back, relaxing in the hammock, fishing, kayaking, and relaxing in the private hot tub, you've found the right place. This home sleeps 7 and has 2 king sized beds, one full size bed and a full/twin bunk. It has one large bathroom on the main floor of living with washer and dryer, and the basement has a small second bathroom with toilet/small vanity/shower. This home boasts a beautiful western view and amazingly dark beautiful night time skies. The decks wrap almost all the way around the house to maximize your outdoor living, with a private 6 man hot tub to the north and a screen porch to the south, all with fantastic views of the lake. The house is on a hill as is seen in the photos, so older legs may have a bit of a hard time and that should be a factor in your consideration of this house. The basement is partially finished, it's a work in progress (you can see the photos). If "partially finished" freaks you out, then this is not the place for you. Whenever I get a chance I do additional work on the house. It's not a danger zone or a construction zone, but I do want to point out that not all the finish carpentry is done, so you can see some of the wiring/plumbing/insulation in the basement.
This home comes with everything you need to enjoy your stay, all linens are included and the house is professionally cleaned prior to your arrival. Included in your rental are 3 wall mounted TVs, DirecTV access, xBox and Wii, 2 kayaks, a paddle boat, a swimming area, and swim float, a standalone air conditioner (not central air), WiFi, etc... the only thing not included is my pontoon boat, that can be rented separately for the week. The house has been designed with the views in mind, all rooms that face the lake are wall to wall glass and the well furnished decks maximize these beautiful views.
The lake itself, Locke pond in chesterville, is a spring fed pond that’s 135 acres total. It is just under one mile long and ½ mile wide. The frontage has a suitable swim area to the right (north), I rake it out every year to keep it clean and swimmable. The water drops off gradually and a swim float is provided. The substrate is a cross between rock, sand and silt, I’ve always worn sandals when I swim here. The lake is primarily a warm water fishery, the large mouth bass fishing has always been fantastic. Other fish that are common are yellow and white perch, catfish and pickerel.
Please note, I offer two types of rentals, 5 night and 7 night, all 5 night rentals are from Sunday evening to Friday evening, and 7 night rentals are Friday – Friday, no exception. I do this to offer a good discount on 5 night rentals, but also to maximize the number of weekends that I get up to use the house.
On a personal note, this home has been a labor of love for me, I purchased a small camp 12 years ago and have been adding to it ever since. I’ve fallen in love with the area, the lake, the wildlife, you name it, I love it. It’s a get away from it all for sure, nice and quiet, very very secluded and peaceful. If you’re looking for a quiet rest away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, then this is your place. The college town of Farmington is only 15 minutes away, so as secluded as this is, it’s also not far away from all the restaurants, movie theaters, quaint shops, etc…
Oh! One other thing, if you’re into cycling, then this is a mecca for you, there are hills everywhere, and if you’re looking for some good challenging rides, then let me know, I’d be happy to share some of the routes I’ve mapped out over the years.
Pets… if your dog is quiet, then he/she is welcome. I’m allergic to cats so I can’t allow them.
Finally, a word on winter rentals. Maine is an extraordinary place, year round, including winter, as a matter of fact, I enjoy the house far more in the winter then I do in the summer, I'm just that kind of guy. I am hesitant to rent the house out in the winter time for no other reason then "life is difficult" in Maine in the winter, so it takes someone who is winter hearty to enjoy a rental in the winter time. For me to even consider renting to you in the winter, please let me know that you have experience with nasty new england winters, you have no aversion to shoveling should you need to, you are not a complainer, you can handle cold and you are truly a "go with the flow" kind of person. Far too many people envision driving up on a heated driveway with a perfectly cleared walkway to a 72 degree chalet overlooking gentle flurries in the mountains. That's not this house. You will likely need 4wd to get to the house, crampons on your feet to make it down the hill without falling down, good winter clothing, a good attitude, when the wind comes off the lake the house can be drafty (I put window insulation up to minimize this)... what I'm getting at is I'm willing to rent, but only if you're from hearty stock. There are two propane heaters in the house which can keep the house warm. There is a generator in case of emergency. 4 night minimum, there's just too much expense (opening the house, shutting down the house, cleaning, etc...) to allow for less. I may (or may not) have a snowmobile or two available for an extra $150 per night per snowmobile, waiver required.