Shelby, Michigan
Description of ~~ WINDY DUNE ~~
This property is located in Shelby, MI, a small town about equidistant from
Muskegon to the south and Ludington to the north, about ¼ mile south of the Little
Point Sable Lighthouse, which is a landmark usually shown on maps.
The area surrounding the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline is largely an
agricultural one, with acres and acres of cherry, apple and peach orchards, many
fields of strawberries, blueberries, and vegetables, especially asparagus, and corn,
both sweet and feed types, as well as several large family-owned dairy farms.
The cottage is secluded within 24 acres of privately owned woods and has 900 feet of pristine beach. It is accessed by a 1/2 mile long gravel private road which winds through the woods, past 2 other cottages, and culminates in a large sunny meadow where this cottage is sited.
The cottage has 3 bedrooms, 1-1/2 bathrooms (the half bath is upstairs) and it
sleeps a maximum of 8 comfortably (with 2 in twin-size bunk beds).
Three steps down from the entry-level is a large open concept living space with a large sitting area, a counter height island that seats 7, a small coffee bar (sets 2-3) and a fully equipped all-electric kitchen. The seating area has a cathedral ceiling, a mid-century fireplace, and many windows that flood the space with lots of natural light. Off the living room and kitchen is a Westward-facing deck overlooking Lake Michigan - the prime viewing spot for the many gorgeous sunsets, each one a little bit different, but all stunning! As kids, we used to grade the sunsets 1 to 10.
Two bedrooms (1 Queen bed and 1 Full bed) and a full bath are
located on the first floor. The upstairs bedroom, with windows and
a balcony, faces the Lake and has a twin-size bunk bed and a full-size sleeper
sofa. A small powder room is on the second floor.
The cottage is equipped with Wi-FI, satellite TV, with built-in DVD player, Cell phone service isn't always perfect, but you can use the landline for local and domestic long-distance calls.
A path through the woods with a total of 30 stairs, separated into 3 sections of 10 steps each (one section has an attached bench for sit-downs if needed) leads you from the cottage to the large private beach.
Entertain yourselves on the beautiful beach, which has very fine white sand -
like confectioner’s sugar - great for building sandcastles and beachcombing; enjoy
swimming and frolicking in the crystal clear water of the Lake; walking north, about
¼ mile along the beach to the Little Point Sable Lighthouse www.splka.org. Enjoy
sitting around a beach fire, roasting marshmallows, telling scary stories, looking out
for shooting stars and if you are staying towards the end of the summer be on the
lookout for the Northern Lights.
You are encouraged to hike in the surrounding woods and dunes; following
one of the many deer paths makes the going a bit easier.
If you feel the need for more activity venture out to enjoy the many nearby
attractions.
• Fifteen minutes away is Silver Lake with its spectacular giant sand dunes.
There you can find dune buggy rentals and rides,www.macwoodsdunerides.com, go-carts, arcade games, boat, and ATV rentals, mini-golf, t-shirt shops, pizza, ice cream, and a small park store, that carries limited fresh food, liquor, and ice.
• Cherry Point Market, has traditional Scandinavian fish boils, pancake
breakfasts, and of course, fresh seasonal fruits, and vegetables, jams, and
delicious cherry baked goods www.cherrypointmarket.net, The market owner,
Barbara Bull is also the author of numerous books set in this part of MI.
• Wine tasting at nearby Fox Barn Winery, www.foxbarnwinery.com,
• Biking on the Hart-Montague Bicycle Trail, www.michigandnr.com., bring your own bikes or rent them.
• Touring the Country Dairy Farm, eating lunch, and savoring fresh homemade
ice cream. New Era, MI, www.countrydairy.com. They also have a great
selection of fresh prime meats
• Browsing quaint shops and art galleries in nearby Pentwater,
www.visitpentwatermichigan.com.
• Golfing at nearby courses:
www.benonashores.com and www.oceanagolfclub.com in Shelby
www.colonialgolfhart.com, Hart
www.goldensandsgolfcourse.com, Mears
www.doublrjj.com in New Era,
• Tubing and a playground at nearby Stony Lake,
• Historic White Pine Village in Ludington
Secluded cottage nestled in beautiful Lake Michigan dunes with incredible, clean, private beach. Cottage was perfect for the whole family. We like to cook from scratch and the kitchen was smartly equipped with good quality pans, cutlery, etc. The walk down to the beach is a lovely stroll and the 30 or stairs are well worth it! The beach is huge and the view of the lighthouse can't be best.
We were a group of four 55+ childhood girlfriends who vacation every August on the shores of Lake Michigan together. Our visit to Laura’s beautiful home was a wonderful experience. The view from the front deck was spectacular, along with the cozy 70’s vibe of the home. The pictures do not do it justice. The trek down to the beach was a little bit of a job for us older gals, but holy cow, once you get there you have the entire beach to yourself. It was AMAZING! We loved how secluded and private the home was. The road up to the house was a little more than we anticipated, but we got used to the drive after a day or two. The newer deck in the front of the home was beautiful, along with a new guard rail on the front deck. We had a wonderful week at The Windy Dune and hope to come back next year! Thank you Laura for sharing your beautiful family home with us. We just adore it!!
My husband and I had a wonderful week of long beach walks, leisurely meals, and wonderful afternoons of swimming and reading on the HUGE beach! We have visited before, and we were happy to return again. The kitchen and entranceway deck have been updated, and a raised guard rail around the big deck make for some nice improvements since our last visit 4 years ago. If you are looking for a quiet vacation with privacy and beautiful scenery, this is the place for you!
When we got here it was great to see some of the deck was replaced. We settled in to what we hoped was a great time. But there was a problem with bugs. First, we just saw a lot of dead bugs, in the window tracks, doorwal track, along the heaters in the bedrooms, and a couple on the kitchen/ living room floor. Then we started seeing more and more bugs! The carpenter ant problem is pretty significant, and we started seeing what we identified as roaches. The bugs became a bigger and bigger problem as the week went on. I did not call the manager because by the time the bug problem was overwhelming, it was time to leave. This place needs a Professional bug program ASAP. We went to the hardware store and bought roach traps and threw out all opened food. We had to take all kinds of measures to make sure we didn't bring them back home. We stayed here last year and it was not like this. Unfortunately, as much as we will miss this place, we will not be staying here again.
The cottage was on a piece of paradise in Michigan. The beach was perfection! The home was all we needed, nothing we wanted for. We chose to leave a day early because the exterminator was coming out and we have asthma. That was our choice and nothing that had to do with the owner in any way. We felt like all was very well cared for! Enjoyed the time we had! We appreciate you sharing your slice of heaven with us!
as expected
Overall we had a nice stay. The beach was nice. I loved morning jogs to the lighthouse, playing at the beach during the day, and campfires at night. The house was farther away from the beach than my husband would have liked, but it was only like a 3 minute walk. We stayed at the end of August and I was concerned about the house not having air conditioning, but the temperature inside the house was comfortable with the windows open. One bedroom smelled especially musky, but we got used to it. One night a fire alarm went off in the house. It woke us all up. We had to remove the batteries from the alarm and were disappointed to see the date of the alarm as 2009. As this is a place people rent to stay it is important to maintain safety. The expired fire alarm did not make us feel safe. The entire house, except the kitchen which was recently updated, felt a little outdated, but the beach made up for it. I was concerned about the deck off the house as the railing was very short. I was concerned that my 3 year old child could easy fall off the railing as it was about 1/2 to 2/3rd of her height. Lastly, I think it would be nice to know what is the included beach access of this property. One night we saw a random person camping on the beach. They were close to the walk way access. This property was described as being private, but there was nothing private about a random person camping nearby. We enjoyed our stay, but as mentioned in my review there are things that could have made our stay improved.
Very secluded home with a fantastic beach. The pictures online are old and outdated, the inside is completely different and very fun.
We had a relaxing, rejuvenating and peaceful time at this lovely cottage way back in the woods! The pictures don’t quite do it justice. We had a party of 4 for most of the time and it was perfect for that number; it can definitely hold and sleep more. Has a definite ‘up- north/cottage’ feel with a big updated kitchen. The road to get back there was narrow in parts and had gotten a little washed out with some rain, but it’s fine if you take it slow. Would 100% go back and have recommended the place to other family and friends. Very private and just the Lake Michigan trip we needed!
Wonderful family trip! Host, Laura, was wonderful. Nothing better than a pure Michigan vacation with sunsets over the fresh water ocean, Lake Michigan. Making memories.
Highly recommend. Nicely updated kitchen, comfy beds, large deck for eating, reading, playing games with a Lake view. Best of all, secluded and peaceful with a pristine, quiet beach just a quick walk down the hill. Perfect.
Our family enjoyed our stay. We spent hours on the beach and tooled around to find vineyards, and cherry deserts. Silver lake sand dunes were amazing to look at and even more amazing to drive on. The cabin’s upstairs bedroom was perfect for kids to hang out. The kitchen is well stocked with quality cookware. We used the provided beach chairs and toys. Thank you.
We had such a good time! Thank you so much for everything! You have helped give us memories that will last a lifetime! God bless you and your family. Thank you again! Chris L. and family
We've been vacationing in Oceana County annually for years, and have rarely found a cottage that was nestled in the dune and woods with such a great, secluded and peaceful location (though quite the narrow winding road and driveway to get there!). It was a great find. The view from the cottage was fantastic, especially for sunsets, and although a bit of a walk down the dune and through the woods to the beach (as advertised in the listing), the beach area was well equipped with 6 chairs, making it the perfect place to spend the afternoons by the water and walk to the nearby lighthouse at Silver Lake State Park. As another reviewer mentioned, the photos we saw didn't reflect a very updated kitchen - which is especially nice since it overlooks the lake! Deck was also especially nice because it had good amounts of shady areas at any given point in the day - and the table was perfectly shaded during dinner time for eating outside.
no disappointments
Can’t beat the remote nature of this house and being able to go down to your own private beach but also zip into silver lake for an ice cream cone. Updated kitchen is perfect. Thanks for another great year!
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Total
Includes taxes and fees