Fantastic!
Review Submitted: November 1, 2009
Date of Stay: October 2009
I have visited "The Lake" in the summer for 30 years, up near Pentwater, MI. Unfortunately, work kept us away this summer. We live about 10 miles from some beautiful beaches on the Jersey Shore, but "The Lake" still beckons. In planning a trip to Notre Dame (about 1/2 hour away) for the Southern Cal football game this October, we got a little creative, used a couple employeer mandated furlough days, and got to see another little slice of heaven at the Lilac Cottage and in its surrounding environs.
Notre Dame is a magical place, even when there isn't a big game; on this trip we also planned one night in Chicago and a performance of the Chicago Symphony. But, it was getting Morrison's confirmation that Lilac was available when we needed it, that totally thrilled us. Having missed summer vacation, the stakes were very high.
How did Lilac stack up: There were only two things disappointing about our visit: 1. We had cloudy skies and record cold temperatures. 2. We couldn't stay longer than 2 nights.
The first "disappointment" was quickly rectified by starting a roaring fire in the wood-stove, taking in the view of the serene and scenic grounds from the many windows, selecting some CDs from the cottage's nice selection and listening on the excellent stereo system, and browsing Lilac's sizable selection of magazines and books. When time came to venture out, we did enjoy the cool and blustery fall majesty of Lake Michigan by venturing down the steep but sturdy staircase, before heading into town. St. Joe has much to offer in galleries, shops and dining. There's much more in the surrounding area. Our stay didn't give us enough time for all the areas has to offer.
Our hosts were most helpful, graceous, and obviously attentive to all the details needed to insure a wonderful stay. Lilac Cottage seems like a great destination in all seasons, but this October we concluded that getting snowed in for a few days in January would be just about as spectacular as the many summer days we've spent on The Lake.
We hope to be back ... often.
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