CHARMING COTTAGE AT THE CREST OF SPRUCE HEAD ISLAND

We arrived at Crest House after an extended drive due to car difficulties. What a pleasant surprise when we opened the front door of the cottage.The house is decorated just as you would imagine a Maine Cottage to look like. Karen and Brian have gone out of their way to supply guests with items (paper supplies, soaps, linens, towels, etc.) that in many rentals we have had to supply ourselves . All you need to bring are your clothes and your food. The area is a good jumping off point to explore Maine.There is an abundance of information at the cottage to help you plan your Maine adventures. If you walk across the street, you are looking down on Atwood Lobster Company. There is also Jesse's Fish Market in Rockland. If you want your seafood cooked, there are plenty of eating places in the nearby areas (see the supply of menus and ideas in the basket in living room. One of our favorite places is Cappy's in Camden (north on Rt. 1). While there, you should explore the harbor area and visit the many shops in the village. The island gave us the opportunity to take short walks - Karen will give you directions to one of the small beaches. We definitely give Crest House a thumbs up and hope to return in the future.

Every time I think back of our time last summer at the Crest House, I start smiling and get cheerful and full of joy and energy. It has been a wonderful time. I live in Boston and my family from France joined me to discover the coast of Maine. The 5 of us (3 adults and 2 young children) could not have had a better time. The house is wonderful: it is beautiful, spacious, cozy, conveniently furnished and very well-maintained. The location is perfect, pretty little towns, gorgeous beaches and picturesque lighthouses all within a short drive, and nice walks on the island from the house. We particularly appreciated all the helpful information that Karen and Brian shared with us about the best local beaches, lobster shacks and local trips. We just wished we had more time to explore them all! I still had to work some days but working from the deck (thanks to the wifi) with such a wonderful view does not feel like work anyways! And the local food (especially the lobsters that we prepared ourselves, but also the local cheeses) is right up there with french standards and dreams...

I am just back from France where I met my family again and we could not stop talking about the good time we had last summer at the Crest House and go over the pictures. That's what a perfect vacation is: it brings a family together for many years to come.

I would definitely highly recommend this place to anyone and moreover I do hope to come back in the future!

A big MERCI to Karen and Brian for sharing their house and their love for Maine with us.

We spent a week at this Spruce Head cottage during the summer of 2010. We had two families, me and my husband and our kids, and our brother and sister-in-law from France with their kids, so a total of 4 adults and 5 children ranging from 21 months up to 10 years.

The house was very clean and had all the amenities included in the online description. There were plenty of sheets and towels, the bedrooms and bathrooms were all good sized and overall the house was well organized and very comfortable, even for our large group. We all had plenty of room to spread out and never felt like we were "on top of each other", and there were plenty of windows for fresh air.

We were very lucky in that we had spectacular weather. There were plenty of things to see and do in the area, and I wish we had been there for two weeks instead of one. We walked on the island to the private beach, we ordered lobster (pre-cooked is the way to go, I am telling you) from the local place, we visited local state parks and beaches and the nearby towns of Camden and Rockland, sat and read on the porch, and the guys played golf.

Karen and Brian were very welcoming and helpful. We arrived to find that the washing machine had suddenly broken, and Karen was extremely and helpful in finding a solution and making sure that our vacation wasn't marred by this unforeseen event. With all the kids, we had a ton of laundry, and Karen offered to reimburse us for the money we had to spend at the local laundromat.

The only potential downside was with my 21 month old; I had to keep a keenly watchful eye on him around the stairs, downstairs bathrooms, and the deck, but that would have been an issue anywhere (except at home, where I have the baby gates set up).

But overall it was a wonderful place, and my family praised me repeatedly for the great job I did finding such a vacation gem. They are very discerning, so this meant a lot!