We are a party of three families (six adults and six children ages 8-15) who have vacationed annually in different mountain locations for the past three years. Finding a house large enough to host our group comfortably is a challenge. This house worked very well for us. The kids enjoyed sleeping together in the rooms with the lofts, but if privacy is an issue, pick another bedroom as you can hear between the rooms with the connecting lofts.
The kitchen is on the smaller side, but has a lot of kitchen utensils to easily cook and serve 12. The outdoor grill is convenient to the kitchen, but is on the older side and a couple of the burners didn't work as well as the others.
The real winning items in our opinion were the huge screened-in porch overlooking the lake and easy access to the lake with the kayaks, canoe, and paddle boat on the property. These two things made the house a tremendous value. We spent a lot of our time sitting and talking on the porch and a lot of time exploring the lake with the water crafts provided. The porch is next to a large living room and there is also another living room downstairs so there was lots of space to spread out and get quiet time if needed.
There is a binder that tells the story of the house's previous owner and how the house got its name. There are a lot of items in the house from the family matriarch and after a short while you do feel like you are in home rather than a rental house. I found it to be warmer and more interesting than other houses we've rented for the group. That said, it is a house that has been lived in, so if you are looking for new and spotless, this house isn't for you. The shower water sometimes cuts in and out depending on who else turned on the water, so you have to be prepared to roll with it.
Other things we would have liked to know about the house and area:
- You need to bring your own towels and sheets. We didn't realize that, so were not prepared, but the owners were kind enough to bail us out. There are 2 queen beds, 3 full, 6 twins.
- There is a big TV, but there is no cable/sat, so you can watch DVDs on it only.
- There is wifi, but if you are connecting multiple devices or using a VPN line for work, there can be slowness at times.
- There is poor cell service/GPS in the area. Plan ahead for directions.
- Be prepared to drive your trash and recyclables to the transfer station a few miles away.
Loved our stay!!!