Bridgman, Michigan
This metal sided lodge with a metal roof was once offices for a construction company. The owners happened to be our landlords when we rented their cottage across the field. We fell in love with the 2000 acre park behind us and wanted to create our own space.
Since we renovate homes for a living, we were able to collect a lot of items along the way that didn't fit someone else's vision for their new space. There was also the mismeasured door or cabinet or window that needed a new home. All of these lovely items found a new home in our converted structure.The screened porch was a covered dirt floor for lumber. Our great room was a garage and the bedrooms were offices.As you can see from the pictures, it has come a long way.
It is hard to get the experience of feeling you are a million miles away from everything unless you take out a second mortgage on your home and head to the Polynesian Islands. Fortunately for us, we found this crown jewel of a 2000 acre park called Warren Dunes on the lake one hour and twenty minutes from Chicago. We are on the North end of the park away from the main entrance so it is like owning your own private estate on the lake. We hardly run into a soul all year round. Since we can not enjoy all the time ourselves, we decided to share the secret with you..
Second time staying at this home and the overall amenities are great! The hot tub, big screened in porch, and easy walk to the dunes are the reason my friends and I come back. The home is a little run down and instructions for check in/how to take care of and use the home are a little unclear. For 3 it was plenty of space. Would definitely be cramped with more than 4.
We had a relaxing Fall weekend, despite the rain. As others have shared, the only challenging part of our stay was arriving and the confusion over how to get in and find the right door for entry. Also, the 3-point locks can be confusing if you have never used them before. Be sure to check out the helpful diagram provided, for your stay. Once inside, the place was very clean and had almost everything we needed for a family weekend away. Bring your own extra toilet paper and paper towels if you have a bigger group, as only starter rolls are provided. Plus, you might want to bring some baking pans if you plan to use the oven. We truly appreciate that this place is dog friendly, and the ease of renting through vrbo was convenient. Patti, is very helpful and responsive. She answered all our questions almost immediately. There is limited baking and cookware in the kitchen, but enough items for some simple meals. And yes, the house isn't right on the lake, but the walk to get there isn't too bad if you have the stamina and endurance for the walk down and back up the dunes. We have older dogs and one with a bed knee so we decided against the trek down the dunes. But the views were wonderful, after the rain stopped. It's also very close to the busy highway so you hear the traffic and local train at night and early morning. The screened in porch and hot tub are nice bonus amenities. It was chilly at night so the fireplace is a treat too. We would stay here again in the future
This is a perfect spot for a family wanting close access to the beach or a place to relax around a fire and cook out. Our day of arrival was raining and we still enjoyed the hot tub and a nice meal thanks to the screened in porch.
The house itself is huge and can host a large group of people. We loved taking advantage of the hot tub and screened in porch. However, i was disappointed with a few things. The property needs a major deep clean and some tlc. There were quite a few knats, bugs, and cobwebs inside. The water pressure isnt the greatest, but there is almost no hot water. I was really looking forward to the bath tub, but I dont think the water got above 100 degrees. The beds were very clean and soft. The internet connection is almost non existent, it was hard to stream anything, they do have a nice collection of vhs tapes though. I wish they had cleaning products their for us to use, they only had dish soap. You can tell the pics in the listing are probably a couple years old.
The house was clean and comfortable. We used the hot tub daily and the dogs enjoyed the fenced-in back yard. Our host checked to verify we were okay. We visited other towns so the location of the house was perfect.
Nice location for a family getaway. You can choose to go to the Dunes, Captain Mike's fun park, wineries, or St Josrph beach area all within minutes. If you like an fitness challenge, property is on the road that leads to the dunes trails that end at the water. It was beautiful when you made it.
This house was perfect for our Michigan respite. Great views and special places to relax. We found the door locks confusing but highly recommend this place overall.
Big place, lots of room. Well appointed. Great for dogs. Great location near the state park. Wonderful for hikes over and around the dunes.
Unless you are pretty fit you’ll probably want to drive to the nearby beaches. But the dunes are gorgeous that you can walk to from the house, but the way back was a little much for me (I have lupus and RA and am not in the best shape) and our smallest dog. And this is before it was hot out. I’ve stayed here before a few years back and the property could use a little TLC since then, but overall enjoyable. The mattresses are pretty shot and there are screens that need to be replaced on the porch to avoid bugs coming in. The nearby restaurants are not impressive and we really needed to drive about 15 minutes to get to quality restaurants in nearby towns. If you don’t mind that, it’s sort of nice that it’s a less congested area than some of the nearby beach towns. The owner was very responsive. I have trouble with the lockbox and thought I might need a late checks out and she was extremely kind and flexible. Hard to find a place that is open to dogs so that’s a huge advantage to this property.
Great stay again! We enjoyed our stay. Highly recommend it!
Your dates are Available!
Total
Includes taxes and fees