Country Paradise on Little Traverse Bay
Submitted: June 13, 2012
Stayed: June 2012
Stayed at the Carriage House June 11-12. It was a last second trip. I called Douglas, the owner, and while he explained that they normally accommodated longer stays, he would be willing to have me, my wife, my mother-in-law, and my three year old come and stay at their Carriage House for a few days.
While I get the impression that they normally use a cleaning service, because of the short notice (I called him about 6 hours before we arrived) the owner was vacuuming when we arrived. Especially for a non-professional cleaning job, it was very clean. It was actually everything the listing made it appear to be and more. A really beautiful place with spacious rooms and bathroom. We did have trouble finding a few things, but Douglas was very helpful.
A short walk down the deck steps to the private beach, which is absolutely beautiful, but not really swimmable due to being a pretty rocky area. There is a fire pit and a pretty neat log turned into seating as well as a lawn chair or two. It was actually a little too chilly to go swimming anyway for our stay, but apparently there's a nice public beach really close by. Oh, it's 3 miles from downtown Harbor Springs. Which isn't convenient if you want to hang out in town, but being in the country was breathtaking. Douglas made sure to give us a tour of the property and any instructions he thought we'd need. And he was available to answer any questions. (His wife is a brilliant artist and her art decorates the carriage house wonderfully!)
There is no air conditioning, but other than the first hour or two, we didn't need it. I'm guessing because it was closed up before we got there. There were plenty of fans and the ventilation/insulation was good. Tall ceilings, beautiful cherry wood floors. The only real drawback is that there was ZERO hot water for showering and dishes. But again, this is probably because we were the first guests of the season the pilot probably wasn't lit. And, in all fairness, we didn't mention until we left.
All in all, we would definitely stay there again. The price was fair and the setting was unbeatable.
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Adventure Seekers,
Girls Getaway,
Sightseeing,
Families with Young Children,
Romantic Getaway
Owner's Response: Dear Friends, Adam and Katie - A thousand thanks for your thoughtful and thorough review. Regret Lake Michigan water temp in June requires bravery for swimming but we provide guest sandals to overcome rocky shore--35 ft out it is a pure sandy bottom. Yes, your swift arrival interrupted normal duties in place of the housekeeper. How could I forget to turn on the water heater? It only takes a second to flip the switch. Even though my Scottish ancestors advocated cold baths in the morning, I have never found them inspirational. Wish you had told me pronto. But if you return, let me offer a free night's stay for the inconvenience.
D W Marshall, Ph.D.
Helpful votes: 1/1
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