How to spend a fabulous week...
Submitted: June 11, 2012
Stayed: June 2012
My husband and I just returned with our 11-month-old daughter from a week-long stay at this cottage. It was nothing short of amazing. The weather was beautiful and the place was perfect. It's clean, simple and has everything you need. There was plenty of room for the three of us. We set our daughter's playpen up in the second bedroom beside the double bed (show in the pictures) and it just fit. There are three beds, two are double-sized. The mattress in the non-bunk bed room is quite soft but the other one is better. The kitchen is well set up and there's a charcoal grill outside. We bought delicious food from Oryana in Traverse City and had lots of memorable meals sitting in the shade outside the cottage. The lot is very deep (you could play bocce ball!) and has a perfect entry into the water for babies. Because of the sandbar, water isn't over your knees for about 25m. The water isn't too cold, especially compared to other lakes in the area. We also enjoyed just hanging out on the dock. The lake was ridiculously quiet (we only saw one or two speedboats go by the entire week, although we noticed a lot of people had jetskis on their docks -- it may get busier later in the season.
The cottage-owner was super relaxed but sent prompt replies in e-mail communication and provided helpful tips, like not to forget our linens and towels (I definitely would have forgotten!). The parents of the cottage owner live year-round next door and they were wonderful. We found it reassuring to know that we could ask them any cottage-related questions we had (e.g., how does one use a charcoal grill?!). The cottages are all relatively close together (at least compared to Ontario cottage country!) but we still felt like we had privacy.
The area around this cottage is fantastic. We adored the taco stand in Cedar and the Cedar General Store. Adorable surrounding towns (Leland's Fishtown is really cool) and don't miss the Sleeping Bear National Park -- the Scenic Drive is a must. North Bar Lake is great and a good way to see a quieter Lake Michigan shore, too. Traverse City is fantastic. I had no idea Michigan had all these great places.
If you're traveling with a little person, you may want to consider bring a few portable child-proofing safety measures, like electrical outlet covers, a gate, or cupboard door latches.
If you're on the fence about this place, I think you should go for it. You won't regret it.
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Adventure Seekers,
Girls Getaway,
Sightseeing,
Families with Teenagers,
Families with Young Children,
Romantic Getaway
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