Best Thanksgiving Ever - big enough for all 17 of us!
Submitted: December 3, 2012
Stayed: November 2012
We stayed in this gorgeous house with 8 adults, 9 children, ages from 2-70 years old for our Thanksgiving weekend. I can’t remember a better Thanksgiving. It was cold, but the views were still beautiful from the house. The fireplaces were awesome, and there was an abundance of firewood outside to use. We only left the house to go to the grocery store and were never bored. There is plenty to do in the house for all ages – books, card games, toys, etc. A special find was the original Nintendo with Mario 3 – lost about 4 hours from 11pm-3am one night playing! The kids and adults bonded over intense games of pool, foosball, and ping pong in the game room while the non sporty people could be away watching tv, reading a book, or spreading out in any of the many spaces in the house. The bunk room upstairs is where all the kids slept, and they loved it – what a great idea! We slept in the basement bedroom with our 2 year old in the crib. It has inspired me to buy blackout curtains because he’s never slept better in his life. We actually got to sleep in! A couple of the guys decided to do the polar plunge and jump into the lake at 23 degrees outside. Definitely a great memory for all of us – and a hilarious facebook post for the family to share. You will not want for anything at the house, the kitchen had everything we needed to prepare Thanksgiving Dinner for 17, and the owners even left us all their holiday dishes and decorations which was really wonderful of them. We broke the wishbones on the last day, and my 5 year old son won his – when we asked him what he wished for he said, “I wish we could stay here for 100 more days”, which really sums up everyone’s feelings. This is not a typical rental. I have rented numerous houses from VRBO over the past 10 years, and this is the most unique house I’ve ever stayed in. This really is someone’s home that they have decided to rent out, not a rental that someone decided to stay in occasionally. My inlaws are huge antique buffs, and loved the decorating. Every day he would find something new and say – “did you see that picture over there?” or “did you see all those antique phones?” It was really private and quiet. I would rent this house again in a moment, and highly recommend it to anyone. We had no problems, and no complaints.
Recommended for:
Girls Getaway,
Families with Teenagers,
Families with Young Children
Owner's Response: Not only are we lucky that such a great family celebrated Thanksgiving at our home, but the bonus is having someone who must've been an A+ English major writing a review for us! Thanks for sharing your fun anecdotes, and especially for bravely embracing our family's Polar Bear Plunge tradition. We're tickled pink that you enjoyed the Mario 3. Next time you visit, though, we might have to impose house rules on you for your own sake. When our kids were little we kept them from getting too carried away by imposing a rule that Nintendo/video games could only be played before breakfast or after dinner, especially when Mother Nature beckons everyone outdoors to play Capture the Flag, engage in a driveway paddle tennis tournament, sled down the hill even if there's just a dusting of snow. On second thought, you can play as long as you want. It's YOUR vacation, and we're so happy you chose to enjoy it at our house. Unless you win the lottery you probably won't be booking for 100 straight nights, but hopefully your son's wish will come true on a smaller scale and you'll return many times in the future.
Helpful votes: 1/1
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
No
