The Life Aquatic - Gorgeous Lakefront Home with Kayaks Included!

Alpena, Michigan
$345 avg/night
Bed 4

Bed

Bath 2

Bath

Home Private Vacation Home

Property Type

Sleep 10

Max Sleeps

This is a gorgeous lakefront vacation rental home that is right on Lake Huron in Alpena, Michigan! It has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and sleeps 10. It has a large and gated yard for kids and dogs to play! The rental of the house also includes the use of 2 kayaks and the use of the boathouse on the property, so you can walk out the front door and immediately be in your boat and on the lake! Please note that a liability waiver must be signed before using the boathouse and/or the kayaks.
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GUEST INTERACTION:

We have a wonderful local property manager that lives nearby and meets guests in person. After check-in, she is available to address any questions or issues as needed.


NEIGHBORHOOD:

Alpena is a wonderful and rather affordable getaway to nature and water in northern Michigan! Downtown Alpena is approx. a 10 to 15 minute drive from the house, depending upon where you are going. It has a nice historic downtown area with some excellent restaurants and shops. The area is renowned for beaches, swimming, fishing, kayaking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and exploring the beauty of nature in general!

Here are some additional details regarding local activities:

* Boat Rentals: We have had several guests ask about boat rentals in the Alpena area. We would suggest contacting Dodge Marine in Alpena if you are interested in boat rentals.

* Ice Fishing: Ice fishing is a popular winter sport in the area. Please visit www . icefishingalpena . com for more information on local ice fishing.

* Snowmobiling: There is a wonderful 70-mile snowmobiling trail runs from downtown Alpena to Cheboygan, and then continues either north to Mackinac City or south to Gaylord. Maps of this trail are available online.


GUEST ACCESS:

Guests have access to the entire property, including the boathouse. The only thing that is off-limits to guests is the apartment that is attached to the boathouse.


THE SPACE:

There are a few other items that we should mention regarding this vacation rental property:

* The lake bottom in front of the house is rather mucky, so for swimming we recommend going to one of the nearby public beaches, which are less than a 10-minute drive from the house. (Right in front of the lake wall, the lake is also approx. 3 feet deep. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH CHILDREN!)

* There is a separate small apartment on the property that is attached to the boathouse and is used by the property owner. At any time it is possible that the property owner may be staying in the boathouse apartment.

* The vacation house is pet-friendly and up to 2 dogs are permitted. Cats are not allowed. For other pets or more than 2 dogs, please discuss things with us first.

* The vacation home includes high-speed Wi-Fi. There is also a streaming television provided.

* There is a gated entrance (opened and closed by hand) that allows the large yard to be completely fenced in for kids and dogs.

* The house features a modern, large, and well-stocked kitchen with a gas range as well as a gorgeous view of of the lake while cooking.

* There are both indoor and outdoor dining tables for 6 people.

* The vacation home has a front loading washer and dryer in the downstairs bedroom. (The washer and dryer are in the bedroom closet.)

* There is a very nice fire ring with adirondack chairs for having wonderful bonfires and s'mores!

* Although not shown in the photos, there is a charcoal barbeque grill provided.

* The name of this vacation home, The Life Aquatic, derives from the property owner's passion for scuba diving as well as his love for Wes Anderson movies and is an allusion to the 2004 motion picture The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.


TRANSIT:

We would suggest that guests have their own vehicle.


PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

(1) WATER LEVEL: Please note that the level of Lake Huron varies significantly. As such, the boat house may or may not be usable by boats depending upon the lake level. If you are interested in using the boat house for your boat, please contact us to discuss water levels and feasibility before making plans to use the boat house.

(2) PROPERTY NAME: The name, The Life Aquatic, derives from the property owner's passion for scuba diving as well as his love for Wes Anderson movies. :-)

(3) BOAT RENTALS: We have had several guests ask about boat rentals. We would suggest contacting Dodge Marine in Alpena if you are interested in boat rentals.

(4) SECURITY CAMERA: There is an exterior security camera at the property. There are no interior cameras though.

(5) PET POLICY: Up to 2 dogs are permitted at the property. If bringing 1 or 2 dogs, please make certain that they are included on the reservation and that the pet fee is appropriately paid. More than 2 dogs is strictly prohibited and any pets other than dogs are also strictly prohibited.

(6) NUMBER OF GUESTS: Please note that our pricing is based upon the number of guests, with pricing being higher with each additional guest that is included on the reservation. Please make certain that the correct number of guests is specified on the reservation so that the pricing is correct.

(7) EARLY CHECK-IN: Our policy is to allow early check-in on the day of arrival if the property is available for check-in. We will not know until the day before arrival whether or not the property will be available for early check-in or not. You can check with our local property manager the day before arrival or on your arrival day to see if the property will be available for early check-in or not.

(8) LATE CHECK-OUT: We maintain a very strict and structured cleaning schedule. As such, late check-outs are strictly prohibited.

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  • Feature Features
  • Map Map
  • School District Availability
  • Review Review

Feature Features

  • PETS

    Pet Friendly
  • DINING

    Dining Table
  • SAFETY

    Carbon Monoxide Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Carbon Monoxide Detector On The Property) Fire Extinguisher Smoke Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Smoke Detector On The Property)
  • BEDROOM

    4 Bedrooms Bed Sheets Provided Sofa Bed
  • GENERAL

    Unit Size: 2672 Sq Ft (248 Sq M)
  • KITCHEN

    Coffee/tea Maker Cookware/dishes/utensils Dishwasher Microwave Oven Refrigerator Stovetop
  • LAUNDRY

    Laundry Facilities Washing Machine And Dryer
  • PARKING

    Onsite Parking
  • INTERNET

    Free WiFi, With Speed Of 250+ Mbps (good For 3–5 People Or Up To 10 Devices)
  • OUTDOORS

    Barbecue Grill Fenced Yard Garden Patio
  • BATHROOMS

    2.5 Bathrooms Bathrobes Hair Dryer Towels Provided
  • LANGS SPOKEN

    English Spanish
  • ENTERTAINMENT

    Smart TV
  • LIVING SPACES

    Fireplace
  • CLIMATE CONTROL

    Air Conditioning Heating
  • LOCATION HIGHLIGHTS

    On The Lake On The Waterfront
  • SUITABILITY/ACCESSIBILITY

    Smoke-free Property

CheckIn Check-in : 04:00 PM CheckOut Check-out : 11:00 AM
No Wheelchair No smoking No pets Children allowed
Occupancy Max occupancy : 10

Map Map

School District Availability

Review Review

  • Patricia R.

    Submitted Sep 3, 2025

    Stayed Aug 29, 2025

    We had a great time staying at the beautiful home this past weekend! We were able to get on the lake, do some hiking, some fishing, and had a few bonfires complete with s'mores! The beds and linens were very comfortable and the grounds were very conducive for our family and our dog. We loved all the different areas to spend time together for meals, and games. We look forward to spending time at your home next year. The hosts were very helpful and always available when we had questions. They were very helpful in keeping this home in tip top condition!

  • Elizabeth S.

    Submitted Aug 23, 2025

    Stayed Aug 9, 2025

    We came for a family vacation. We were very happy with the house. It had everything we needed. It was very spacious and comfortable We brought my elderly mother and it was very easy for her to get around. Nice having a main floor bedroom and full bath. We loved sitting outside. Beautiful view and very peaceful. It was close to town and conveniently located to everything we wanted to do. We would definitely stay again!

  • Kristina O.

    Submitted Aug 19, 2025

    Stayed Jul 27, 2025

    We enjoyed our stay at this property, but there were several concerns future guests should be aware of. One of the chairs was already cracked and broke and still set around the fire pit during our stay (which eventually cracked more and we got charged for it), and the advertised charcoal grill was not functional — requiring us to purchase our own for 100. The kitchen windows were noticeably dirty on arrival, with the garbage cans already full (we had 3-4 days before we could take the cans out to the curb)The greater disappointment, however, was in the handling of the security deposit. While we accepted responsibility for the items we did damage, additional charges were applied for pre-existing issues and normal wear. In hindsight, I wish I had taken photos at check-in, but I had assumed these matters would have been properly documented prior to our arrival. I would strongly recommend that future guests carefully note and photograph any issues upon arrival to avoid being unfairly charged.

  • Brent J.

    Submitted Aug 16, 2025

    Stayed Aug 2, 2025

    Nice views from most rooms in the home.

  • Korina N.

    Submitted Jul 14, 2025

    Stayed Jul 5, 2025

    Great property! Everything was just like it was explained. Beautiful!!

  • stacy b.

    Submitted May 29, 2025

    Stayed May 18, 2025

    My workers enjoyed the property

  • Tamara W.

    Submitted May 18, 2025

    Stayed May 15, 2025

    Beautiful property, communication was excellent. Viewed awesome lightening show from inside the house and eagles , bunnies & turtles…..nature abounds…would stay again!

  • Scott S.

    Submitted Oct 19, 2024

    Stayed Oct 12, 2024

    Really enjoyed our stay.. view were gorgeous ?

  • Mike S.

    Submitted Oct 9, 2024

    Stayed Oct 4, 2024

    Awesome property. Loved the fenced in yard and lake views.

  • Douglas P.

    Submitted Sep 12, 2024

    Stayed Dec 31, 1969

    After a rather stressful week before, we had a wonderful relaxing getaway time at Life Aquatic. The view is awesome and the house was exactly what we wanted. Watched the resident egret, 2 pair of trumpet swans and their constant duck companions. The water is perfect for kayaking and paddle boards. Almost no waves. The house is maintained and clean. It's very pet friendly. Our dogs loved the fenced in yard. We highly recommend this place in the Alpena Michigan area.

  • PaulM

    Submitted Aug 30, 2024

    Stayed Dec 31, 1969

    Your home had nice accommodations, comfortable beds, and a very quiet/peaceful stay. The CO2 sensor went bad during the stay and had to have the batteries removed (replacement batteries did not work as the device was at end of life). The main floor toilet had an internal seal that was in need of replacement and had to be manually reset on occasion as it would not stop running. This really should be repaired prior to the next rental. Other than these two issues, it was a very nice home with sufficient support material to it quite enjoyable.

  • Joe T.

    Submitted Aug 20, 2024

    Stayed Jul 12, 2024

    Wonderful spot on the lake, great house - will stay again.

  • Colin F.

    Submitted Jul 3, 2024

    Stayed Jun 14, 2024

    Great property for a family trip with large yard and great view of Lake Huron.

  • Sarah H.

    Submitted Jun 17, 2024

    Stayed Dec 31, 1969

    We had an awesome stay at The Life Aquatic. We enjoyed the kayaks, lawn games, and fire pit. The kitchen had everything we needed to prepare our meals. Thanks for a wonderful stay.

  • Sherry T.

    Submitted Jun 6, 2024

    Stayed May 24, 2024

    We had a fantastic memorial weekend. It was everything that we thought it would be planned on being frequent flyers. Would love to share pictures!!!!!!!!

  • Carley F.

    Submitted May 23, 2024

    Stayed May 17, 2024

    love staying here. several rooms with several beds. overall the place was pretty clean but there were a few pillows that had marks on them and had dog hairs. other than that, i’d recommend staying here.

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Total

Includes taxes and fees
$345+
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