Saugatuck / Douglas Vacation Rental cottage

My friend, Joy, and I made our debut trip to Chelsea Cottage in September 2006. What a lovely view and a great private setting! The outdoor hot tub at sunset time was thrilling. Breakfast within the 3-season porch or out on the deck was a feast for the eyes as well as physical nourishment! We had such an awesome experience, and daydreamed about returning.

In September 2008 we were fortunate enought to be able to return, and I brought a second friend, Debbie. We utilized these times as spiritual retreats. We each came with heavy hearts, but eager anticipation. On the morning before we left, Debbie watched an eagle soar majestically across the water. We left with uplifted spirits and many wonderful memories! The photos on this website were taken by me during our first adventure, then eagerly shared with the owner to express the exuberance of our stay. They reflect my love for this place.

There were so many wonderful places to explore and visit while we were there. We took many drives up & down the coast & around Lake Macatawa in nearby Holland. Favorite places in Holland were the downtown area of wonderful shops and a lovely city park, and Holland State Park with the Big Red Lighthouse. Don't miss The Alpenrose, 8th Street Grille, Via Maria and Boatwerks Restaurants, all with great atmosphere and food. Some of our favorite places in Saugatuck are Crane's Pie Pantry & Orchard, Oval Beach, shopping and strolling on the boardwalk along the marina in Saugatuck. We loved our dining experiences (mostly outdoors) at The Butler, Ida Red's, Pumpernickel Eatery, and Everyday People Cafe in Douglas.

We can't wait to return either this fall or next year, and I'm already daydreaming about who else to invite to share our fantastic moments and to explore brand new places with my friends!

My family too enjoys staying at cottages and expects certain "charm" when doing so. However, this poor cottage has seen better days. On the bright side, the location is nothing short of spectacular. The view is incredible, the beach beautiful. The stairway down is part of the adventure, but it is in desparate need of simple maintenance and repair. There are loose and broken stairs. We were most dissapointed in the condition of the cottage. It is in desparate need of a deep cleaning, the carpeting needs to be removed, the refrigerator continues to leak water, etc. All of this could be forgiven if not for the absentee owner's unwillingness to discuss or remedy these issues. In our experience, and we have many renting vacation homes, the owners have always bent over backwards to ensure a good experience, unfortunately, this was not the case. I would not recommend staying at this cottage because ultimately, you have no recourse if you are dissatisfied.

When we travel, we seek out local cottages and find that each one has individualistic charm. Our experiences have always been more enjoyable than when staying in hotels.

We enjoyed our stay at Chelsea Cottage early fall of 08 very much. The setting for the cottage is charming, a wooded lakeside lot that offers one of the most stunning views of Lake Michigan we have seen.

The charm we find in these out of the way places is always accompanied by idiosyncrasies and inconveniences. We enjoy cooking and this extends to the time we are traveling. We have learned to take a kit of essentials with us. We have yet to find a useable kitchen knife anywhere we have stayed! On this occasion, we asked the caretaker if there was a charcoal grill available. We were assured that there was so we packed a bag of charcoal. When we arrived, we found a newly assembled grill and a fresh bag of charcoal.

When traveling, a little humor goes a long way. However, if when you travel, the enjoyment of other peoples' appliances is of high importance, then cottage vacations are not for you. The Ritz Carlton is only 150 miles north in Arcadia. Don't confuse poison ivy with English Ivy - you may roll around in it all day and all you will get are chigger bites. The stairs down to the lake are one of the features of this property. They descend a sheer drop of at least 60 ft. Compared to the beaches of North Carolina, the beaches of Lake Michigan come up a little short - we tried for days to get the hang of catching those 3" waves. (If you are looking for a "beach" vacation, try Saline Beach on St. Bart's!). Despite the really lousy surfing, the beach here is beautiful - wide (for a lake!) and very clean - and is excellent for beach combing. My biggest complaint is there is no cabin boy there to haul my furniture out to the beach! Come to think of it, they don't rake the sand either.

We enjoyed our stay very much. If you are looking for a party atmosphere you will have to take your own - it is an "out of the way" place - which is a real appeal to us. Be prepared, your cell phones will not work.

Saugatuck has a lot of hgh quality tourist shopping. Don't miss the Amaru Leather shop. Nearby there is an excellent winery, next time we will bring back a case of their non-oaked Chardonnay. Also close by are vast apple orchards. And don't miss the pie shop!