Charming 3/2 Bungalow: West Bay views/access, minutes to town, tart tail.

See all properties

Entire home

Fall is a great time to visit with 3 day minimum (June, Sept, Oct)

Time to make some memories. Sit on the porch viewing West Bay.

Backyard: firepit/chairs, Pergola, Grill, table/chairs for 2 in the woods.

Bright Fall day. Sun on the porch and fire in backyard at night. Plenty of wood.

Close to everything if you want to go somewhere or not... 5 minutes to downtown.

Overview
Amenities
Policies
Location
Host

Exceptional

3 bedrooms1+ bathroomSleeps 61450 sq ft

Popular amenities

Beach view
Dryer
Parking available
Pet-friendly
Washer
Barbecue grill

Explore the area

Traverse City, MI

Front Street
‪8 min drive‬
Village at Grand Traverse Commons
‪10 min drive‬
Traverse City Beach
‪15 min drive‬
Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
‪18 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Single Beds

1 bathroom, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio

Porch or lanai

Kitchen

Outdoor play area

Garden

Dining area

About this property

Charming 3 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom country bungalow on a 1.8 acre lot with a partially forested secluded backyard: fire pit/grill /pergola/forest table. Air conditioned, just in case you need it. Beautiful views of West Bay with water access across the street at charming roadside park. 1 well behaved/trained dog allowed. Great location 5 minutes to TC & 3 minutes to: Tart trail, Beautiful Harbor Park beach area, Supermarket, Pharmacy, & Elmwood Marina to launch a boat. Short drive north up the Peninsula to Charming Suttons Bay-Lake Leelanau-Leland. High speed internet. Sleeps 6 comfortably with a King, Queen, two single beds. Fully stocked kitchen, laundry area in basement. Detached two car garage and plenty of parking. Hickory and oak hardwood floors. Cellular blinds throughout the home including blackout in bedrooms.. Two kayaks/life jackets, and 5 bikes/helmets Catch the tart trail 2 minutes away and bike to Suttons Bay or Traverse. Great place for a couple (s) or family vacation. New Upstairs' work area if you need to stay connected. Sorry not a Party home as we want to respect our neighbors and respect str license requirements. Make some great Memories! I hope this home is part of that. As A native of the area, 50+ years, I'm happy to share with you all the great spots and activities in the area that make this place so special. For a wealth of info go to:chrisjcreamer.com You will run out of time long before you run out of things to do. Rents Saturday to Saturday during the summer and 3 day Minimums in June, September, and October. STR License # 2025-81

Property manager

Chris Creamer

Languages

English, Spanish

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Pet-friendly

Free WiFi

Air conditioning

Have a question?

Beta

Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.

Ask a question

Similar properties

Grill, fire pit, deck, outdoor dining table & chairs, lawn, beach chairs, dock, kayaks (3), rowboat, paddle boat

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly

House Rules

Minimum age to rent: 25

Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Children are welcome but should be supervised when

Events

No events allowed

Pets

Pets allowed: dogs less than 9 kg per pet (limit one pet total)

No cats, please.

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

You are welcome to smoke outside on the deck, rear

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited

Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property

Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Traverse City

Located in Traverse City, this holiday home is on the beach. Shoppers can check out Front Street, while everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay. Travelling with kids? Consider Great Lakes Children's Museum, or check out an event or a game at Turtle Creek Stadium. Enjoy the area's slopes with cross-country skiing and snowboarding, and don't miss out on the ice skating and snowmobiling.

Traverse City, MI

What's nearby

Front Street - 8 min drive - 8.6 km
Munson Healthcare - 9 min drive - 8.9 km
Village at Grand Traverse Commons - 10 min drive - 8.7 km
Great Wolf Lodge Water Park - 11 min drive - 11.3 km
Traverse City Beach - 15 min drive - 14.3 km

Getting around

Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital) - 18 min drive

Restaurants

‪North Peak Brewing Company - ‬8 min drive
‪Barrio - ‬9 min drive
‪Folgarelli's Market & Wine Shop - ‬8 min drive
‪Loco Boys Brewing Company - ‬8 min drive
‪Slabtown Burger - ‬8 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Charming 3/2 Bungalow: West Bay views/access, minutes to town, tart tail. pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 1 total) with a maximum weight of up to 9 kg per pet.

What time is check-out at Charming 3/2 Bungalow: West Bay views/access, minutes to town, tart tail.?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Charming 3/2 Bungalow: West Bay views/access, minutes to town, tart tail. located?

Nestled on the beach, this Traverse City holiday home is 0.1 mi (0.2 km) from Lake Michigan and 1.5 mi (2.4 km) from Brengman Brothers. West End Beach and Clinch Park are also within 6 miles (10 km).

9.6

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

Learn more

9.4/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Mary O.

17 Aug, 2024

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

Traverse Bay House

Lovely two week stay in Michigan to escape our Louisiana heat.

Stayed 14 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Julie H.

20 Jul, 2024

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

Summer family vacation

Our family came up for the 4th of July week to stay. Great place to stay. Enjoyed our coffee every morning out back and watched all the birds. Enjoyed the fire pit in the evening and was nice to have wood provided! Extra nice to be able to store our bikes and kayaks in the garage. Chris was alway a pleasure to speak with and always willing to help! Great location for all the hot spots in the area! Made for a great weeks vacation!!

Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024

8/10 Good

Angela W.

2 Aug, 2023

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

Nice Stay

Our family enjoyed our stay. We liked the location between Suttons Bay and Traverse City.

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Benjamin M.

13 Jun, 2023

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

Great location

Great house and location.

Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Shain R.

17 Jun, 2023

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

Close to amenities

Great location and Chris is great!

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Christy B.

5 Sept, 2023

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

Perfect Location and Great Host

Chris is the best. Very informative, great suggestions about the area. We had never been to the area before and he gave awesome suggestions of drives and places to see. House was cute- perfect for our stay. Will definitely be back!

Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Ryan B.

9 Jul, 2022

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

Great week up north

We had a great week up north and staying at this house. This was a great location for a great price. The view was great across the street and it was very easy to take the kayaks out.

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Stephanie F.

21 Oct, 2022

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

Cute Home in Great Location

I have family in the area and have visited Traverse City many times - This is a very convenient location to downtown, and both Leelenau and Old Mission Peninsulas. Cute house that’s cozy and well maintained. Also dog friendly! I’d absolutely stay here again!

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Leslie B.

23 Oct, 2023

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

Great location

This was a great cottage rental. Close to everything that you would want to see. Traverse Bay view. Gorgeous sunrises. Public access across the street. Very nice backyard area. The only disadvantage is that it is on busy M-22, but location, location, location.

Stayed 10 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

gail C., Dekalb

22 Aug, 2018

Great cottage

Very clean house with comfortable beds. We had a lovely time with the kayaks and bikes. The beach towels and bottle of cherry wine were nice touches!

Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Rich S., Milford Charter Township

29 Jun, 2018

Nice Place for a family trip!

My family and I recently stayed here for a week in Traverse City! It worked out great for us! Plenty of stuff to do around town! There were also bikes, and kayaks that were available for us to use which was awesome! I would definitely recommend this for a stay in Traverse City!

Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2018

10/10 Excellent

Anna K.

7 Jun, 2022

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

Bayshore Marathon

I have only great things to say about Chris’s property. It was a convenient location for our marathon, had everything we needed, and absolutely beautiful sunrises!

Stayed 3 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Jada B.

27 Jun, 2022

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

Great location

Our family loved the house and location. The kids (5 and 12) really enjoyed the bay access across the street and having a fire pit in the backyard for the evenings. It was nice of the host to provide the ingredients to make s’mores! The location is a short drive to many great places to explore and eat. Would love to come back in the further!

Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2022

8/10 Good

Jordan G.

29 May, 2023

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

Good location

We were up for Memorial Day weekend and to run the bayshore half marathon. Perfect size for the 4 adults and 2 children we had and a good location to go explore the peninsula or head in to downtown or the other peninsula easily. We were able to use the kayaks one night and enjoyed the fire pit another night and the kitchen had all we needed to make some meals at the house. Great sunrise view across the street if you’re up early.

Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Richard L., Linden, MI

29 Sept, 2018

Very nice vacation home

A very neat and comfortable vacation home. We enjoyed our stay with lots of room for our family get together. The owner's agent was very helpful and returned phone calls quickly. A plumbing problem developed and it was taken care of promptly. It was a great location minutes from Traverse City and right across the road from a small park on the shore of west bay.

Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2018

10/10 Excellent

Kelly H., Indianapolis

8 Jul, 2020

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

Wonderful hosts

Chris was an amazing and attentive host! Very quick to respond to all of our questions. Check-in was a breeze and the house has everything you need while on vacation. This is a vintage property so there are some small quirks but I think that adds the the charm of the house. The location of the home is perfectly situated with easy access to everything. We always enjoy our trips to Traverse City, and I would definitely stay in one of Chris’ properties again.

Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2020

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Ronald S.

24 Jul, 2016

Excellent value

We had a wonderful time during our recent vacation to northern Michigan. The house was well prepared and comfortable. We had three couples staying and the house accommodated us very well. Plenty of dishes and glass ware. Gas grill out back work splendidly. I would definitely recommend this home. Thank you Kim! Ron and Donna

8/10 Good

Dennis M.

10 Jun, 2022

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

House across from the lake

The house is in an amazing location, you can sit on the porch and see the lake across the street. The check in process was easy and Chris was readily available and flexible with our travel plans. There was s’mores ingredients and firewood waiting for us on arrival which was a nice touch! The only thing I would say that could be improved is that the shower had some mold on the wall that was triggering some allergies in our group and seemed like it should be cleaned prior to the stay but overall it was a great place in a great location!

Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Justin K., Chicago, IL

2 Oct, 2020

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

A Wonderful Traverse City Getway!

Truly loved our time in Traverse City and one of the reasons was our wonderful lodging. a perfect location! When we arrived one of the people in our group responded with "this place has everything!" Enjoyed the house and the property, the outdoor fire pit and plenty of firewood was great for the cool September nights. There were 5 of use that stayed at the house and it was perfect and easily could have had two more. Chris is a wonderful host with great communication - he left us when a great guide of things to do. We will definitely book this place again when coming back to Traverse City.

Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

dorie s.

15 Jul, 2019

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

Great little place....

Quaint and comfortable bungalow with a great view of the bay and easy driving access to downtown TC, beaches and wineries. The property is on the main highway so there is a lot of traffic and traffic noise, and no walking or bike path. We did cross the road and used the stairs at the roadside park directly across the street, to access the bay and had a great time kayaking and swimming. Chris was easy to work with and very responsive.

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2019

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer u.

21 Jun, 2016

Charming home, perfect for families and great location

Very cute and charming house. Was perfect for our families needs. Traveled to Traverse City for a Softball Tournament with my family including my parents. My mom uses a walker and was able to get around the house without any difficulties. Home is close to lakes and just a short drive to Downtown Traverse City. Home owners were very responsive to emails! This house is perfect for small and large families. Beautiful area, lakes nearby....Inner tubes and Kayaks were available for use! Absolutely loved staying at the house... I'll be sure to return and rent again!!

6/10 Okay

Jeffery R R., Houston

12 Oct, 2019

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

Overall good stay but some TLC is needed on this house.

This house is located very close to downtown and various wineries. Overall, our stay was good. The house contained everything we needed in terms of cooking, towels, beds, furniture. The toilet seat in the main BR broke mid stay; we reported it but it was never repaired. Both sinks in main and upstairs were pulled from the wall and swayed if you leaned on them. The downstairs shower curtain fell down several times and there were no visible shelving to set toiletries. The back doorknob fell off the first day making the door to the car parking unusable. Bottom line is for the price we paid off season our expectations were not met as problems I spoke of were reported but never resolved during our stay. The master bath is in dire need of a complete update and various other TLC projects need to be completed. We also own a VRBO on a lake in Austin, TX and know you must keep things fresh and working.

Stayed 11 nights in Sep 2019

8/10 Good

NANCY TOM D.

5 Sept, 2018

Cozy cottage

The cottage is cozy, and although it looks pretty new on the outside, it is a 'vintage' model, meaning a bit creaky, and a bit of a musty smell, especially in the kitchen. The upstairs was nice and spacious with a sitting room area, half bath, but there is no electrical outlet in the bathroom (for hair dryer). Full bath on the main floor with bathtub/shower was fine. We used two of the beds (downstairs double and upstairs king) and they were very comfortable. The house is a bit 'musty', likely due to age, and also it was warm and a bit rainy for several days that we stayed there which could have accounted for the stuffiness. M-22 has quite a bit of traffic so be aware of that if you go across the road to the public park area, although it was quiet after about 8 pm. The kitchen was adequate (gas range, dishwasher), and dishware and pots and pans provided were fine. No ice maker or ice cube trays in the freezer, so we bought a couple for our stay. The white fence was a good marker to locate the house especially the first few times driving in.

Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2018

6/10 Okay

Amanda C.

14 Jul, 2020

Liked: Check-in, communication, listing accuracy

A cute place, but a couple of drawbacks

The circumstances surrounding our stay included a pandemic, an unusual heat wave, and flooded beaches on the bay. So it wasn’t ideal, but none of that was the house’s fault! Here’s a list of objective pros and cons: Pros: - It’s a cute vintage house. - It’s a quick and easy drive to town. - There was plenty of room for everybody. - If the weather had cooperated, we would have used the fire pit, which was very inviting, and Chris left s’mores ingredients (but the heat wave precluded this). - If the bay had not flooded, across the street would have been a very nice little spot to put in kayaks, but because it was flooded up over the bottom steps, and I’m a novice kayaker anyway, the kayaks were a no-go. Our car couldn’t tote the kayaks elsewhere for a better put-in spot (not big enough). - Chris is an attentive and kind host. I even got to meet him, which is always nice. Cons: - No air conditioning. Lots of fans, and sleeping was actually fine, but spending time in the house during the day wasn’t so fun, and cooking was a very hot enterprise indeed. Normally, Traverse City doesn’t really get hot enough to need AC, but during our stay it was hot and humid all week. And because it’s a vintage home without AC, it felt extra hot, sticky, and musty inside. Chris has said he’s planning to put AC in for next year, though, so that’s good news! - M-22. This highway runs just past the front yard, and on a holiday weekend, was of course very busy with cars/buses/semis going at highway speeds. Unfortunately, with all the windows open to help with the heat, it was extra loud. Perhaps if we’d been able to close the windows, it would have been fine, but we weren’t, so I can’t tell you if closed windows would keep out most of the noise or not. We also have a young child, and even though he knows better than to run out in the road, he’s still a little kid fascinated with the bay across the road, so I was a tad paranoid/watchful whenever we were outside for anything. It’s also not very peaceful/restful to sit outside on the front porch of an evening as traffic goes zooming by. The wildlife, however, is fun to watch. Chipmunks and black squirrels! - We found the queen bed downstairs uncomfortable. The upstairs, with the king bed, was quite nice and cozy (I love the reading area!), but we at first tried to avoid it because of the heat. On the second night, though, we set up lots of fans upstairs and it was quite comfortable up there.

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Michele G.

15 Oct, 2022

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

The Perfect Place!

The home is immaculate with comfy beds and the property is very well maintained. The backyard features a fire pit and a picnic table with grill. The location, across from the Bay, makes for beautiful mornings. It is a short (10-15 minutes) drive to most of Traverse City's shops and restaurants. While the home is located near a highway (Route 22), we were not bothered by the traffic or noise, which ebbs and flows (mostly ebbs). All in all, highly recommend this property for your trip to the Traverse City area.

Stayed 6 nights in Oct 2022

About the host

Hosted by Chris Creamer

I grew up in the area and met my wife of 20 years in Buenos Aires Argentina and we have 3 kids together. We know how important a nice family vacation is and the sacrifices it often takes to have a vacation so we want to do everything we can to make your vacation enjoyable. Our family handles everything from the boys mowing the yard to my wife and daughter handling the gardening and all of us pitching in. We are always trying to improve the home. We really appreciate your comments and suggestions.

Why they chose this property

We loved the iconic M-22 and this property as it was just charming and has a great location with bay views and close to TC. We tried to keep that charm while making changes and improvements such as hardwood flooring and a large country (eat-in) kitchen, and furnishings. The rear yard is large, wooded backing up to a hill.(over 1.8 acres) and private. We extensively remodeled and refurnished it, and added all new windows, screens, Air conditioning, and siding. We created a master suite (with sitting area and half bath) on the upper level. Every year we try to add something. Last year we added a white picket fence, French doors and stairs off the kitchen.

What makes this property unique

Minutes to downtown Traverse City and old mission peninsula and all that it has to offer. A few minutes to Harbor Park/Marina where you can launch a boat or enjoy the beach/grills/play area.
West Bay access across the road - take a kayak (two included) and enjoy the waters of West Grand Traverse Bay. 5 bikes included if you want to hit the tart trail, 2 minutes away, or bike to town, Leelanau County has a plethora of wineries for fine wine tasting, countless inland lakes to explore, home of the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Park and many other amenities too numerous to mention! You'll run out of time but not things to do. This property has met the strict licensing requirements for Elmwood township including: smoke detectors in all bedrooms, Monoxide detectors on each floor. STR License # 2024-85