This is a highly recommended property with tremendous character! Beautiful vistas, lots of natural lighting, comfortably furnished, elegant artistic touches throughout. We drove out from Boston, and despite being only 45 minutes from home, felt totally transported during this enchanted idyll at Ellen's "Tree house".
The third floor "penthouse" is very spacious and private, with a beautiful skylight that lets in the moonlight - perfect for a romantic getaway. And with two other bedrooms on the second floor, this property is equally well-suited for accommodating families or a group of friends.
When this house is not a rental property it is a home, and as a rental retains the feel of a home in the best possible sense - warm, inviting, comfortable, thoughtfully decorated, and fully equipped with cookware, dishes, appliances, towels, linens, books, internet, TV/Blu-ray/DVD, stereo, music. Aside from the character of the house itself, the lighting is outstanding. The sitting room off the kitchen features floor to ceiling windows, letting natural light pour in from sunrise to twilight and affording vistas onto the trees and sky and the eclectic and historic neighboring houses. We loved drinking morning coffee, listening to Mozart, and reading by the windows so much that it took us great effort to finally get out of the house by noon to see the local sites.
Crane Beach is only a 10 to 15 minute drive from the house and is a truly magical place. The Crane Estate itself was closed when we were there (end of March), but the grounds are open year round and are very beautiful to walk - forest paths, pine bluffs, misty marshes, miles of beaches. We picnicked on the promontory at the base of the Grand Allee - a half mile long, 100-foot grassy corridor delineated by rows of stately trees, where southward in the distance stands the shimmering estate and to the north plum island and eternity. It's one of the most beautiful places in New England.
If you're looking for an enchanting and relaxing getaway that's not as conspicuously on the tourist radar as other locales, and where the rental is more than a place to shower and sleep, we recommend that you come to Ipswich and stay here. The owner, Ellen, is so kind, gracious, and charming, full of interesting stories and positive energy, and is a great resource for local recommendations in the area. We had a wonderful time and met a wonderful friend in Ellen. We're looking forward to our next return.
