My husband and kids (aged 3, 8, and 8), along with my parents, stayed at this lake house for 5 days at the end of June. We appreciated all of the host’s helpful suggestions of things to do in the area, and loved the proximity to numerous beautiful waterfall hikes that were challenging enough but doable even for small kids. The kids loved jumping off the swim platform and Crooked Lake is a nice place to kayak and SUP, etc. The water lilies and lily pads are beautiful though a minor nuisance for boating/swimming. The host has numerous kayaks, a canoe, a stand-up paddle board, and plenty of life jackets to use. There were also tons of fun games for the kids to try, and I actually appreciated the fact that there was no TV in the main room - we played games and read instead of watching TV. The deck was a beautiful place to enjoy a coffee in the morning or a glass of wine in the evening, and there were surprisingly few mosquitos , with a lovely breeze off the water. The views are gorgeous! A few downsides: (1) a few of the days we were there it was VERY hot, and although it is understandable that the house does not have AC, there are also almost no ceiling fans (none in the two bedrooms on the main floor or in the basement) and no box fans. Most of the adults ended up sleeping on couches as it was way too hot in the bedrooms to sleep; (2) When we arrived, the freezer and fridge REEKED of fish, and although it dissipated after we cleaned out a pool of stinking water in the bottom drawer of the fridge, it never really went away. In general, the place could have been cleaner when we arrived; (3) The small TV in the basement is awkwardly placed and there is only one small couch in that room, so that for our family of 7 to watch a movie together most of us had to sit on the floor; (4) The lights in the house were also awkwardly placed (hard to find!) and VERY dim in some places, making it difficult to see anything, particularly in the two bedrooms on the main floor; (5) the ‘fully-stocked’ kitchen does not have much - no measuring spoons, no spices, only two wine glasses, very few large pans/bowls for cooking, etc.
Overall, a *really* nice vacation with kids. We loved the proximity to great hiking, the swim platform, the boats, the abundant towels and life jackets, the beautiful deck and views, and the large shower on the main floor. Fans, more thorough cleaning, more kitchen utensils/supplies, and better lighting/seating would make this five stars.