HISTORIC FARM HOME, QUIET COUNTRY SETTING, NEAR LAKE ANN&TRAVERSE CITY

I was so fortunate to find this wonderful getaway home to vacation with my family from around the world. My relatives from India and England had never been to Northern Michigan and renting this beautifully restored farmhouse was ideal. There were 10 of us altogether and everyone was very comfortable. When Philip, the property manager told us that the house was fully equipped, I didn't really believe him. Everything thing we needed was at the house and then some. I brought extra towels and blankets that we never even unpacked! You do not need to bring a thing. The house was clean, comfortable and cozy, the perfect place for a family reunion. The house is also very centrally located. About a 20 minute drive to Traverse City and Sleeping Bear Dunes. We also enjoyed trips to Glen Arbor and Leland,which weren't much further. While in Lake Ann, a trip to the Stone Oven is a must.....gourmet food at reasonable prices. The Mac n Cheese is the bomb! When cooking at home, don't forget the fresh farm eggs right down the road and the many fruit and vegetable stands close by.
We an unforgettable vacation, thank you Philip and Jeanne.

The Mihelichs, Pathaks and Bentley-Sens

What is great about this house? EVERYTHING! We stayed here with 5 little kids and 3 big ones, two of whom brought friends. We had plenty of room. There are loads of extra towels and linens. We had barbeques on their new grills and enjoyed our meals outdoors. Roasted marshmallows - YUM!

The house has lots of personality. One of the bedrooms is on the first floor, off the living room with its own bath. We gave that section of the house to the big boys. The upstairs has three bedrooms - nice size, more roomy, more closet space than others we stayed in. One smaller bedroom is past one of the larger ones, railroad style.

Like all great properties, this one has location, location, location. We spent one day in Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, voted most beautiful place in America on ABC's Good Morning America; the drive was just 15 minutes. The next day we rented a pontoon boat at Break'n Waves in Traverse City, again just 15 minutes away. Shopping for all the stuff we forgot at home :) was less than 15 minutes away at Meijer's. We could easily have spent two days at the park and another day in Traverse City biking, plus a couple of days at other beautiful parks and beaches nearby, all less than a half hour away.

And yet, our own country house was exactly where we wanted to be when we got home - right in the middle of farming nowhere. Quiet, beautiful, spacious - vast fields surrounded by forests. Fabulous star gazing. Fresh eggs and horseback riding down the road. Just writing about it is making me long to go back!

The property manager, Phil, was exceptional. Whatever we needed, he was on it. Anytime of the day or night, he made it clear he was there to make sure we were happy. We had a couple of minor requests, and he took care of them immediately. Make sure you follow the directions he gives to get there, because the GPS will take you on roads that are...shall we kindly say "unfinished".

The pictures and description do not do this house justice. Go there and love it!

We had an amazing week at this very comfortable, very clean farm house near downtown Lake Ann. We were four adults and two 2.5 year olds, and the house was perfect. It was big enough for all of us to spread out. We ate dinner out at the picnic table several times and used the grill. We got fresh eggs from the farm a couple doors up the road, and went next door to Outrider for pony rides twice, and several more times just to watch the animals (which included a miniature pony and goats, in addition to the horses). We drove the 20-25 minutes to Sleeping Bear Dunes twice, and also went several times to the beaches at Empire -- there was one beach on Lake Michigan and another more kid-friendly beach across the parking lot on a smaller lake/pond. We were also about 20-25 minutes from Traverse City. There are other smaller lakes nearby, and apparently they're working on a public beach in Lake Ann that will probably be open by 2013. We found a trail to walk on through the woods nearby, and the house is located close to several dirt roads that were also nice for walking. All in all a beautiful setting. The kid's cove was a hit with our toddlers. I highly recommend it!