Cozy, lakeside cottage for your family vacation

The cottage, the setting and the location were all very nice, and we all (two adults and four kids) enjoyed our week there. The cottage is a perfect mix of rustic and homey, and though it’s modest in size, its layout made it easy for the six of us to prepare meals, relax and entertain ourselves without feeling crowded or in each other’s way.

As long as casual paddling, swimming and fishing are your speed (which are for us), the pond (feels more like a lake) is ideal - not too big, and not too small. There are some nice canoeing/kayaking destinations that make for nice adventures - including a family of Bald Eagles nesting on one of the islands. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that there were hardly any power boats on the water - 2 or 3 sightings all week.

With all the benefits of the cottage, there are a few things that you do need to be aware of. For example, the proximity of Rt. 26, as pointed out in other reviews, is really pretty close to the cottage and lake’s edge, and yes as pointed out in other reviews car and truck noise is present. Rt. 26 isn’t a major highway, but there is fast moving traffic that can be heard and seen from the dock. I was able to ignore the noise after the first day, but my wife had a harder time of it. Also, there are train tracks on the other side of 26, and on at least a few nights during the week freight trains blowing their horns rumbled by at 11:00pm and 3:30am - waking and scaring members of our family. So, if you have light sleepers with you, you should be aware of this.

The sleeping arrangements have 4 bunk beds (2 sets of 2) and a full size bed in one large bunk room and separate bedroom on the second floor. Given the “rustic” nature of the cottage, the bunk room isn’t very well isolated from the dish washing noise and conversations downstairs. Again, not a deal-breaker, but something to be aware of when thinking about the fit for your family - for some this will not be an issue, for other with sleep issues, you should be aware.

Finally, in the spirit of being aware… there is no dishwasher or laundry on site. We used the laundry facilities at the camp ground on the other side of Rt. 26. Again, just some things to keep in mind when planning.

All-and-all, it was very nice stay.

We had a great 5 days at the cottage. It was a perfect size for my family of 4 plus two grandparents. We enjoyed having no TV and played lots of games but we would heave liked the option of Wifi to be able to work on-the-go if needed. The kids enjoyed the canoe and rock island, we enjoyed the porch and the sunset over the pond. There was everything we needed in the way of kitchen items, games and water toys. There is street noise, as they mention, but nothing that we didn't get over very quickly. :) We'd definitely come back!

The porch was wonderful and it was a relaxing stay. The large rock in the middle of the pond is also wonderful for jumping off of. We had a wonderful week, after two of us spent considerable time cleaning mouse droppings out of the cupboard, washing dishes, cleaning sticky surfaces and changing out a dirty shower curtain. We were also disappointed that the dock is not deep enough to jump off of and the area in front of the camp is not great for swimming because it’s mucky. The fire pit was nice, the sunsets were beautiful and the pond was clean. We adjusted, used kayaks to get to the large rock so the kids could swim out there and read on the lovely porch seat. It was a great week but we would not book this place again. In addition, we are certain we left the key but the owner charged us for not leaving the key.

This lakeside cottage gave relaxation and restoration. The cleanliness and ease walking into the cottage for our stay gave us that. Everything we needed was there. The natural surroundings, mountains, water, beautiful animal life is tranquil. The moment we booked the cottage and all the ease of information for our stay was so helpful especially for a first time user of VRBO. Thank you.

The cottage was adorable with everything needed for a rustic getaway. The lake was great for swimming with the rock island and my husband caught a 5lb bass. He was over the moon! Road noise was noticeable. We loved the surrounding area and had great food and amazing pies from puzzle mountain bakery.