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Socrates Place Resort on Lake Van Etten in Oscoda, Michigan

Photo gallery for Socrates Place Resort on Lake Van Etten in Oscoda, Michigan

Typical Summer Sunset
Lake Patio-Boat Dock-Pontoon
Living Room With Pull Out Bed
T.V. In Living Room
Microwave Off Kitchen

Reviews

10 out of 10, Loved by Guests
Top 10% of guest reviews in this area
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 6

Popular amenities

  • Onsite parking available
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Air-conditioning
  • Barbecue grill
  • Deck or patio

Explore the area

View in a map
Oscoda, MI
  • Place, beach near Shared Greenspace
    ‪16 min walk‬
  • Place, beach near Green Cedars Sculpture Walk
    ‪1 min drive‬
  • Place, Lakewood Shores Resort - The Gailes Golf Course
    ‪6 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Master Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

The Second Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Separate dining area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Socrates Place Resort on Lake Van Etten in Oscoda, Michigan

Socrates Place Resort is a beautifully appointed upscale resort located on the scenic Van Etten Lake in Oscoda, Michigan. Van Etten Lake is a year round all sports Lake for boating, fishing, kayaking, jet skiing, canoeing, water skiing, tubing, swimming, ice fishing and snowmobiling. Relax dockside or by the fire pit in your comfortable Adirondack chair while roasting hot dogs or s’mores and watch the beautiful sunset over the lake. View the bald eagles that fly overhead or watch the mallard ducks and her babies as they feed at our mallard sanctuary. Tie up your own boat, jet skis (boat, jet skis, and motor bike rentals are available in the Oscoda area) or kayak to the dock, or wait for Jim and Joy to take you out for a cruise on the lake on their pontoon boat -- "Socrates Place." The extended dock has a comfortable bench with dock umbrellas and fishing holders so that you can relax and fish. If you are new to fishing, Jim will provide you with fishing poles, equipment and bait. End your day of dreams and happiness with a swim in the crystal clear waters of sandy bottom Van Etten Lake. The Resort is a fully furnished and newly remodeled private resort (all new furnishings including new beds, refrigerator, stove and microwave, bedding and linens). Two dining tables with chairs will provide your family with plenty of space for your meals. Two fully furnished bedrooms provide magnificent new queen size beds with new linens and new Berber carpets. The fully furnished living room includes a new Samsung 32” 720p LED HDTV, with cable and WiFi service. The living room sofa pulls out for a comfortable queen size bed. Cook your freshly caught fish (perch, bass, walleye, northern pike and other pan fish) in the fully appointed kitchen that includes a new refrigerator with freezer, electric stove and oven, microwave oven, coffee maker with complimentary coffee, pots and pans, mixer, dishes, glasses, omelet maker, waffle maker, baking ware, cutlery, steak knives, and cutting board. Crock pot, bread maker and other speciality items will be added to the resort with vacationer requests. A new furnace provides a cool or warm resort, along with a new hot water tank, and ceiling fans in each room provide overall comfort for your relaxing stay. A laundry room with a full-size washer and dryer, (and laundry soap included), provides you with the convenience of a care-free vacation. City water and Culligan Filtered water are provided for our guests. Relax on your private patio with a table and two shade umbrellas, and view the lake while you listen to the peaceful sounds of nature. Yard games, for example, bean bag toss are provided for our guests. We have two new kayaks on the property which are available for half or full day rental. The kayaks are a Triton 100 sit-on-top, and an Envoy 106 sit-on-top tandem kayak. We provide the life jackets and the paddles. Two grills are available for outdoor cooking. The fire pit by the lakeside is also your private area for building a fire and relaxing. Lumberman’s Monument, the scenic Au Sable River, and the shores of Lake Huron with the beautiful Oscoda Beach which provides sandy beaches and water that stays shallow for quite a distance for children’s safety, picnic areas with grills, a playground, bathroom facilities, basketball hoops, a skateboard ramp, free movies on the beach, arts and crafts shows in the summer, and a scenic pier are just a quick five minute drive away. The Huron-Manistee National Forests are 9 minutes away for hiking, fishing, horseback riding, picnics, nature and bird-watching, swimming, biking, cross-country skiing, and down hill skiing. Deer and duck hunting in season are popular attraction in the area. Eagle Run Trails runs along the south shore of the Au Sable River where 7 miles of trails are available for vacationers in both the summer and winter months. The Au Sable River Canoe Marathon Race takes place the last weekend of July and is a 120 mile canoe race from Grayling to Oscoda. The YMCA campground Nissokone is on Lake Van Etten and several of our Socrates Place Resort guests have been families whose children are at the camp having fun. Be sure to travel the River Road Scenic Byway where you will discover Foote Dam and Champagne Hill with panoramic river scenery and bald eagles, and interpretative signs in the area to tell you about the natural history of the area, and how the Forest Service protects the habitat of the bald eagle. Take a cruise on the River Queen paddleboat and view swans, bald eagles, mallard ducks, turtles, and geese on the Au Sable River. Visit Wurtsmith Air Base Museum where you will learn the history of the Wurtsmith Air Base (slated to become the new Air Space Rocket Launcher facility), visit the Veterans Memorial, and stop by the Park Rangers Station at the entrance to Wurtsmith where you can get free maps and guides of the area that will show you hiking, biking, swimming, fishing areas, and snowmobile trails, in the National Forests. Visit Largo Springs which features viewing decks and boardwalk paths though the natural springs. Visit the Tawas Point Lighthouse on Tawas Bay on Lake Huron for a tour of the Victorian-era lighthouse, a gift shop, swimming, foot and bike paths through the park, and picnic areas. Visit Newmann Street in Tawas for a day of shopping in unique boutiques, gift shops, speciality shops, candy shops, and restaurants.Tawas City hosts numerous festivals throughout the year including a jazz fest, wine fest, chill cook off, car show, and fishing fest. And In September, the Paul Bunyan Festival is held in Oscoda, and the Harrisville Art Fair is held in Harrisville just north of us. In the fall, the tree leaves change-of-color is a beautiful display that you don't want to miss! For the avid golfer, there are several well-groomed golf courses in the area. Mackinac Island is 117 miles from Socrates Place Resort. Also nearby are grocery stores, pharmacies, shopping and restaurants, as well as coffee shops and ice cream parlors complete your dream vacation at Socrates Place Resort on beautiful Van Etten Lake. Come visit Socrates Place Resort; we promise you that you will return again!!

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About the area

Oscoda

Oscoda is home to this holiday home. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Lake Huron and Harrisville State Park, while Iosco County Historical Museum and Lumbering History Exhibit Area are cultural highlights. Discover the area's water adventures with nearby swimming, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking and cycling.
View more Holiday homes in OscodaOpens in a new window
Map
Oscoda, MI

What's nearby

  • beach near Shared Greenspace - 16 min walk - 1.4 km
  • beach near Green Cedars Sculpture Walk - 1 min drive - 1.1 km
  • Lakewood Shores Resort - The Gailes Golf Course - 6 min drive - 6.5 km
  • Lakewood Shores Resort - Serradella Golf Course - 6 min drive - 6.5 km
  • Lakewood Shores Resort - Blackshire Golf Course - 13 min drive - 10.5 km

Getting around

  • Alpena, MI (APN-Alpena County Regional) - 60 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Blue Collar - ‬19 min walk
  • ‪Wiltse's Brew & Family Restaurant - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Mancino's Featuring Rob's BBQ & RDSJ Catering - ‬2 min drive
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Hilltop Saloon - ‬6 min drive

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 52 out of 54 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 54 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 54 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 54 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 54 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Tiberiu M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great location everything was perfect
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

harry c.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Wonderful host and very responsive. We enjoyed our week-long stay.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

alissa M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful and comforting

Felt the care of the owners. Perfect spot for our family trip.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kathy C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Oscoda

The location was perfect Plenty of amenities in the kitchen and enjoyed the kayaks
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Debby M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Splendid Stay!

Property is clean, well equipped, grounds are meticulous including a host that cleans up the duck poop several times a day! I can’t recommend this place enough and Joy was a j-o-y!!! You won’t be disappointed!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Charlene B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing

We could not be happier about our stay. EVERYTHING was gorgeous! Im already thinking of booking for the next available weekend!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jeffrey B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent stay . Beautiful site. Accommodations were great!

Beautiful home. So many of your needs were already established in the house like furniture, utensils towels anything you might need. The host was on site but gave you your freedom and space to enjoy your time which was greatly appreciated. Highly recommend!!!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jason P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great property, great hosts

Really enjoyed the stay and Jim and Joy are great hosts. Highly recommend.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jeanie S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Enjoyed our stay!

Joy is an excellent host and made us feel very welcome and comfortable with the little extras, showing us around and being available should we need anything. Living room has a view of the lake with great places to sit outside to enjoy the lake and sunshine. Although we did not use them, nice kayaks are available and would be a fun way to enjoy the lake.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dianne V.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice place and would love to stay there again

We had a great time, the kids loved fishing. Jim and Joy are great hosts and made us some yummy cupcakes. Place is very clean and in a good location.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 10 Aug, 2022
Dianne and Art: We loved having you stay at Socrates Place Resort. It was so neat to see how your grandchildren got so excited catching fish off the dock. We hope to see you again in the near future. Your hosts Jim and Joy
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Christina L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Very welcoming!

Cozy house, well appointed, convenient location. Great hosts that made us feel right at home. We would have stayed longer if they’d had availability!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kari B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Vacation

We had a lovely stay at Socrates Place. The property was very clean, well stocked, and comfortable. Our hosts were attentive and very gracious. We had a wonderful stay and enjoyed our time in Oscoda. Hoping to return soon!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 11 Aug, 2022
We too hope you return soon. Your host Jim and Joy
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kathy W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Long Weekend in Michigan

We enjoyed kayaking on the lake and cooking meals on the grill. Kitchen was well stocked with a good variety of cookware and kitchen tools. Nice views of the lake and we enjoyed sitting by the firepit too! Really convenient to the National Forest for some hiking.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Anthony W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Days at the lake

As always, it was an amazing getaway. It was our third time at this property and we are already looking forward to going back.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 10 Aug, 2022
Joy and I were so happy when we saw your name on the reservation list. You guys are really a neat couple and your ALWAYS welcome at Socrates Place Resort. Your hosts ~ Jim and Joy
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ruth B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Oscoda

Terrific location, very clean, great amenities. Highly recommend.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 20 Aug, 2022
Ruth, The 3 of you ladies were wonderful and exceptional guests and your welcome at Socrates Place at any time you care to visit us. We really do hope you come back again soon. Your hosts, Joy and Jim Neumann Socrates Place Resort.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kelly

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication
This lovely 2 bedroom retreat has everything you could want for a getaway, and more. Quiet setting, yet a lot to do in the area. Perfect blend. The host is very pleasant and accommodating.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Anthony W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing as always!

It was our 5th stay at Socrates Place and it is always amazing. Jim and Joy truly have something special and the fact that they share it with others is incredibly special.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Doreen E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Girls trip

Beautiful location. Owners were very helpful. The home was very close to railroad tracks, and trains ran twice during the night.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Sara N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great family vacation

We were so happy with our stay here. The hosts are wonderful, they go above and beyond to make sure you are satisfied with everything. We spent most days out and about but came back to a wonderfully comfortable place at the end of the day. We enjoyed fishing off the dock almost every evening. Thank you Jim and Joy for a wonderful family vacation!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Julie G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful home away from home

Jim and Joy are amazing hosts. The home was absolutely clean, comfortable and had everything you needed and stuff you didn’t realize you needed. Very enjoyable sitting outside and enjoying the views. The sunsets are AMAZING. I will stay here again.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Michelle E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Trip

We had a nice stay. The apartment was clean and had everything we needed. Nice areas to sit outside and the dock worked good for our boat. My boys enjoyed fishing off the dock. Too many weeds for them to swim near the dock, so we made a few trips to the beach in Oscoda. Owners are very nice and welcoming.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

8/10 Good

Jennifer S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cozy getaway

We loved meeting Jim and Joy, they were very nice and sweet to our boys. We had a great time on our weekend trip. The washer and dryer came in handy with two little ones! The kitchen was stocked with any need we could of had and was super clean! We will Come back for a nice quiet trip without the boys!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Caralynn R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful vacation at Socrates Place Resort!

The hosts, Jim and Joy, went above and beyond to make our stay perfect! The rental is situated with a lovely private deck/lake view. We also enjoyed the dock privileges for our boat and the fire pit with comfy chairs--amazing sunsets. The house was super clean and had everything we needed for our stay. Also, it was so nice to have central air--our week was a hot one! Highly recommend Socrates Place for a nice, relaxing getaway. We hope to visit there again soon.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Sarah G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful little cottage with an amazing view. Bring your fishing rods. We caught some fish on Lake Van Etten. We swam in the water which was nice. There are stairs to get in and out of the water and when you go out towards the middle of lake the bottom is sand. Bring a roku stick as cable is provided. Washer and Dryer. Large kitchen. Plenty of pillows, sheets, blankets, towels etc. The hosts are wonderful! P.S. the train comes 2x at night.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Susan T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Socrates Place Review

The property was in an excellent place on Lake VanEtten. The owners were very kind and responded to all questions promptly. We relaxed, read books, completed jigsaw puzzles. It was too windy to go out on the pontoon boat, but we enjoyed all the little towns around Oscoda. We would rent Socrates Place again in a heartbeat.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023
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