More details and 200 more pictures at the website that we built just for our house - they won't let us post the website here, but it's below in the notes to the rates.
Nestled among trees on 7 hilly wooded acres with 500 ft of shoreline, two waterfalls and two brooks, our house insulates you from the outside world with a 1000-foot driveway, but it's only 8 miles to Mount Snow. It's a summer paradise: pebbled beach, large dock, picnic areas, 2-level sleeping porch with deck, 2 campfire areas, gas grill, wood grill, house deck, and 5 boats. Half a mile to large public sand beach. Also a great winter hideaway! Fireplace, new deck in 2010, 6-burner dinner grill on one deck, two burner lunch grill on another, two campfire areas, boot room, full basement for storage, firewood, dishwasher, washer and dryer, linens provided.
Updates in 2011: Blu-Ray Player, HD Satellite with DVR, dishwasher, DSL, Ethernet, and WiFi, washer, Internet/iPhone Thermostats to remotely control heater, new hair dryers in both bathrooms, space heater in bathroom.
New update for 2012: 47' LCD TV
Why This House?: There are several rentals among the 40 houses on and near the lake. Apart from the number of bedrooms, how to choose? Here are some questions to ask:
- How far is the house from the road? (Our driveway is 1000 feet long, safer for kids)
- Do I need to cross a road to get to the lake? (No)
- If the house isn't really on the lake, do I have a private dock, or do I share the dock with other houses? (Two private docks)
- How close will I be to the lake? (The house is about 30 feet from the lake)
- Can I see the lake from the house? (Absolutely)
The House: Nestled among trees, overlooking the lake, our cozy home has 2 bdrms/1.5 baths, sleeps 8 with pullout couch, 6 otherwise. There are also six beds in the summer porch - great for kids, & four beds in the unfinished basement, which are great if it's a warm evening. The house has oil heat, fireplace in main room, front and rear decks, phone, large TV, VCR, DVD, tape player & stereo. Wood is provided. The well-equipped kitchen has a refrigerator, dishwasher, Keurig k-cup coffee maker, microwave, dishes, pots and pans, KitchenAid professional 600 series six-quart stand mixer, new 2011 washing machine, DSL, Ethernet, and WiFi.
Five boats:
Fiberglass 14' canoe
13' 3-seat, 5-person aluminum v-hull fishing boat w/electric trolling motor & two batteries
2-person kayak (Perception Keowee III, very stable)
Kids' kayak (1-seat)
Sunfish
Not too big, not too small, Lake Raponda is the ideal size for safe family fun. Large enough for a good water-ski run, the lake has plenty of nooks and crannies to be explored in a kayak.
The Summer Porch: The screened porch is the perfect place to enjoy a sunny afternoon by the lake. Well, the hammock is pretty nice too, but the porch holds more people. 1000 square feet on two floors, the porch has a 16x24 screened room downstairs, a 16x16 enclosed room upstairs, and two open spaces, one upstairs, one down. We've had dinners for two out there, and dinners for 27. About 10 feet from the lake, and near one dock and the beach, the porch accommodates books, games, napping, over-nighting, and general family togetherness. Have a look at the pictures and see if you can picture yourself there.
More about the Lake:
It's large enough to sail on, but not so large that the waves ever get more than a few inches high on the windiest days. Raponda's resident association enforces decorum among boat owners, and the state has banned jet skis after repeated incidents of unsafe skiing.
