Fennville, Michigan
COVID-19 MEASURES FOR CLIENT SAFETY. We hope that you and your dear ones are all safe and well. Given the pandemic and all that is going on, we want guests to know about the measures and steps we will be taking to provide a safe and secure home away from home.
* We expanded cleaning protocols to encompass the CDC guidelines and recommendations for cleaning (very thorough)
* We also use use an ozone generator to sterilize all rooms in the cottage between guests.
* Finally, based on the latest evidence, we plan to leave the cottage empty for two days prior to when guests arrive.
* Given the uncertainty of these times, we will use VRBO's more lenient plan for reimbursement of deposits in case you need to cancel.
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Rustic and charming cottage right on Lake Michigan. Sunsets in the evening, stargazing at night. Fires on the bluff. Bike riding through the orchards and around the country roads.
If you prefer rustic, remote, and quiet, this is your place for respite.
The cottage comes with million-dollar views although this is not a million-dollar cottage. This is an old fashioned cottage, not a posh condo. There are no TVs, although there is now Internet. One sometimes has to walk 100 yards up the road to get cell phone connectivity.
When our boys were teenagers, they loved their social media and Internet-based games. When they came to the cottage, however, they ended up being outside all day and reading books in the evening. Many of our guests have written to say how pleased they were to see their own children being immersed in books, rather than screens.
Although the location is remote, the twin-towns of Saugatuck and Douglas are only 8 miles to the North and South Haven is 10 miles to the South. In these towns, there are fantastic restaurants, dozens of art galleries, charter boating, film festivals, crowded beaches (if you prefer that kind of thing) and so much more.
The Wau-ke-na nature preserve is also close and provides a great place to hike in the forests when one needs a break from all the sun and beach. A few tents are available at the cottage. These are wonderful for camping on the beach up or on the bluff. Sometimes it's fun just to set up a tent for children to play in.
If you like wine tasting or cider tasting, there are plenty of vineyards and a few open wine cellars where you can sample the products. Closest to the cottage are Modales Vineyard, Fenn Valley Wine Cellar, and Virtue Cider.
The cottage has a binder with information and descriptions of many of the local attractions. We enjoy them all but--most of all-- the cottage is about respite and doing little or nothing.
The mission of the Rustic Respite cottage includes a commitment to protecting the environment and becoming a carbon-neutral property by 2025. Guests will be expected to sort cans, bottles, and paper products for recycling and they are also expected to use the compost bin for kitchen scraps.
Keywords: Cottage, rustic, Lake Michigan, Saugatuck, South Haven, Fennville, lake house, lakefront, beaches, eco-tourism.
Gary & Anna were wonderful hosts! The most thoughtful and generous you will find. From the time of booking, they were very helpful and sent tips, recommendations, and suggestions of fun things to do around the home and the area. They also left us local treats such as wine, berries, and honey from their bee hives. The home itself has an amazing view of Lake Michigan! We very much enjoyed the deck, sauna, and new seawall down by the water's edge. It was a great spot to relax and enjoy hammocks right by the water. We also appreciated the use of paddle boards and a kayak during our stay. Thank you for a great stay!
Million dollar view, cute little cottage. Thoroughly enjoyed rustic nature of the property. Gary & Anna very attentive owners, more than a rental, it's personal. Nice TLC touches.
We had the most wonderful time at Gary and Anna's cottage. Their hospitality was amazing and their cottage was just perfectly equipped. We especially enjoyed the paddle boards which we took up and down the coast and the sauna on the bluff. My family had one of our best vacations yet up in the area thanks to such lovely hosts and equally lovely cottage!
Just enjoyed 3 beautiful days at this cottage! Everything we needed and really wanted to hook a trailer up to their sleeping porch and take it home! Communication with owner was exceptional! Not for a big group but it was amazing for two!
This funky little place is situated on top of a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan and was perfect for my needs-attending a virtual meditation retreat. Simple and peaceful and with a spectacular view.
This was our first time renting a home like this and this cabin was exactly what we were looking for. Old rustic cabin in the middle of nowhere with the beach in our back yard. I like to paddle board, my husband likes to kayak. Smores by bonfire every night. Gary was an amazing host and really makes sure his guests are happy and taken care of. He gave us tons of options of things to do in the area. We went hiking in the dunes, lots of shopping and restaurants in Saugatuck, wine tasting at Fenn Valley winery, cider tasting at Cranes. We probably had the most fun looking for stones along the beach on the property. Cell service here is non existent but those of us who don't care for technology and social media we're not bothered by this at all. It was actually a nice break from everyone and everything (although my teenage daughter has a much different opinion about this). Over all, a very cute cabin, perfect view of Lake Michigan, lots to do in a 10 minute drive outside of town and Gary will make sure you're well taken care of. Highly recommended.
This vacation to Lake Michigan was made absolutely perfect by Gary and Anna’s cottage and their generous hospitality. They opened their home to us, and let us have a peek at a more quiet, laid back existence for a week. As soon as we pulled into the drive, it felt like we were home. The cottage is adorable and rustic and comfortable. The girls (ages six and eight) loved sleeping in the bunk beds, and my husband and I enjoyed the sleeping porch. Going to sleep to the sound of the waves crashing on our private beach was amazing. The area where the cabin is located is remote, yet it felt extremely safe. We saw a few friendly neighbors over the course of the week, but overall it is very quiet up there. The beauty of the lake combined with the homey feeling of the cottage truly made this an amazing vacation. Gary was in touch just often enough, supplying me with information I may need about the area or the cottage. He really was great, and I would have no qualms about renting from him again and again. Thank you for letting us make memories in your beautiful cottage!
We stayed at the cottage last year and returned again this year and hope to return again. Gary and Anna are wonderful hosts that give an accurate description of the cottage. They were generous with check in and check out time, extending them whenever possible. The views from the bluff, especially the sunsets are beautiful. The sauna and outdoor shower are refreshing! The easy access to paddle boards, kayaks, beach chairs and toys right in your backyard is what really allowed our family to enjoy relaxing days together enjoying the Lake. Even with rain one morning this visit, we enjoyed the puzzles, games and books inside the cozy cabin. It was a great place to unplug and recharge.
Our family of two adults and four teenagers just concluded our vacation at the Rustic Cottage, and I can honestly say I miss it everyday. The view and beach are fantastic; one really can walk and walk and walk. Having the bikes was terrific as well as the other water sports equipment. We had a little glitch with a paddle board, but Gary could not have been more understanding... Thanks again, Gary. A short drive to South Haven and Saugatuck gave us the shopping experience and dining out that we wanted for a day but always looked forward to making it back to the cottage for cooking out and relaxing bluff-side. Fires on the beach and the tent made the trip complete. I only wish we could have stayed longer. See you next year!
My husband & I had a wonderful time creating memories we will cherish forever celebrating our six year wedding anniversary at Gary & Anna's Rustic Lake Michigan Cottage. We visited in Early Fall September of 2015 and spent a relaxing 5 nights at the cottage. From my very first contact with Gary I just knew we made a great choice we would not regret. Gary & Anna were so helpful, welcoming us into their home & even their cottage lifestyle, I almost feel like we have made new friends through our correspondence. We even were blessed to be able to arrive a night early because the cottage ended up being available. Driving down the lane towards the cottage we could hear the sounds of the waves rolling into the beach & we could not get out of our car fast enough to take in our first views of the lake. Breathtaking is putting it mildy! The views from the bluffs are amazing! The tiered deck gives you a different view from every angle. The beach was like having our very own private beach to walk on for miles! Inside the rustic cottage we were greated with fresh flowers & a bottle of wine from the local winery. It was truly everything we hoped it would be and much, much more. We definitely hope to return again! If you are looking for a quaint quiet relaxing Lake Michigan getaway, but close to great small charming towns like South Haven, Saugatuck, Douglas and Fennville this is a great place for a couple or small family!