Entire home
Lakeside Cottage and detached Guest cabin sleeps 28
Waterfront cottage with kitchen and patio
Photo gallery for Lakeside Cottage and detached Guest cabin sleeps 28





Reviews
10 out of 10
Exceptional
6 bedrooms4 bathroomsSleeps 24371.6 sq m
Popular amenities
Explore the area

- Place, Elk Lake
- Place, Turtle Creek Casino
- Place, Grand Traverse Resort Golf Course
- Airport, Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
Rooms & beds
6 bedrooms (sleeps 24)
Bedroom 1
+2
5 Single Bunk Beds and 1 Double Sofa Bed
Bedroom 2
1 King Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed
Bedroom 3
1 Queen Bed
Bedroom 4
1 Queen Bed
Bedroom 5
4 Single Beds
Bedroom 6
1 King Bed
Living Room 1
1 Double Sofa Bed
4 bathrooms
Bathroom 1
Bathroom 2
Bathroom 3
Bathroom 4
Spaces
Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden
About this property
Lakeside Cottage and detached Guest cabin sleeps 28
150 feet of frontage on beautiful Elk Lake. The property is actually a 2 house compound. The 3500 square foot Main Cabin has 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths, includes bunk room with 5 bunk beds and covered porch with perfect lake views. The very private 1400 square foot back Guest Cabin with gorgeous fire place, 4 twin bed loft, and cozy master bedroom. Perfect for Grandparents that want a get away for the generations to enjoy together. Go swimming, boating and fishing in Northern Michigan's best kept secret Elk Lake. This is private frontage, with a bon fire pit for enjoying the amazing sunsets and personal sand volley ball pit that doubles as a giant sand box for the kids. The composite dock has large steps for swimming, and there is a mooring ball for tying off your boat. (We ask, and strictly enforce, that you not tie to the dock as storms can roll in quickly and we have lost several docks and boats over the years when guests don't use the mooring.) You are only a short boat ride from Downtown Elk Rapids and the World Famous Torch Lake Sandbar. Only about 20 minutes from Traverse City and a little farther to the wineries on Old Mission Penninsula. In wintertime it is a short ride to snowmobile trails and 35 minutes to Shanty Creek and 45 minutes to Boyne. We are able to split the properties for a cheaper rate in the late fall, winter and early spring. Rentals in June, July and August are 7 days Friday to Friday. There is a outbuilding on the property between the main house and the guest house that is not part of the rental and houses our personal items. Please be aware the property to the south is our neighbors and we ask, and will strickly enforce, that you not trespass. We will go over the guidelines on check in.
Add dates for prices
Amenities
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Air conditioning
Outdoor space
Parking available
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House Rules
Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM
Children
Children allowed: ages 0–17
Events
No events allowed
Pets
No pets allowed
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
About the area
Williamsburg
Located in Williamsburg, this cottage is on the waterfront. Shoppers can check out Front Street, while everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of Traverse City Beach and Torch Lake. Travelling with kids? Consider Music House Museum and Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf. Take in the nearby slopes with cross-country skiing and snowboarding, or try out other outdoor activities such as snowmobiling and ice skating.

Williamsburg, MI
What's nearby
- Elk Lake - 1 min walk - 0.0 km
- Turtle Creek Casino - 16 min drive - 11.1 km
- Grand Traverse Resort Golf Course - 22 min drive - 17.3 km
- Torch Lake Park - 24 min drive - 23.3 km
- Torch Lake - 27 min drive - 24.8 km
Getting around
Restaurants
- Season's Buffet - 12 min drive
- Kritters Hide Away - 18 min drive
- Bourbons 72 - 12 min drive
- Johnny's Torch Riviera - 23 min drive
- Mid Level Bar - 12 min drive
Frequently asked questions
About the host
Hosted by Jeff Thewes
We have owned the property since 1997. The original property is part of a piece that was homesteaded as a pig farm in the 1800s and then sold to Chester Drake in 1916. He was sold about 1500 feet of frontage and almost 100 acres for $800. The property was divided and Mr. Drakes family still owns the cottage just to the south of us. They have the original land contract from over 100 years ago. Mr. Drake built a Sears and Roebuck House on the northern part of the property which is 2 doors up from the rental and is still there today. He sold the property for the main house to Mr. Kellyman in the 1960s. You can see that the house has been renovated from a simple cottage to one with a large living room and bunk room. My brothers and sister and I were looking for a vacation cottage in the mid 90s and looked for years for a special place that could accommodate the 6 of us. We had just about given up, but in the summer of 1997, our realtor called us and told us he had the place we would buy.
For us it was love at first site and we closed July 1 of 1997. Over the next few years the 6 of us all got married and had kids. Lots of kids, My parents have 26 grandchildren. With the explosion in family members, we decided to convert the back pole barn into a guest house for expansion in 1999. The neighbor just to the north was also one of Chester Drake's grandchildren, and they were getting older, and sold us their property in 2000. We had those places for 11 years, then we were able to buy the original Sears and Roebuck house and the large timberframe and polebarn that are 2 properties north.
Our mom passed away in November of 2021, the grandkids are getting older, and we don't use the place as much as we would like. It is still our favorite place on earth, and we are glad to share it with others through VRBO.
For us it was love at first site and we closed July 1 of 1997. Over the next few years the 6 of us all got married and had kids. Lots of kids, My parents have 26 grandchildren. With the explosion in family members, we decided to convert the back pole barn into a guest house for expansion in 1999. The neighbor just to the north was also one of Chester Drake's grandchildren, and they were getting older, and sold us their property in 2000. We had those places for 11 years, then we were able to buy the original Sears and Roebuck house and the large timberframe and polebarn that are 2 properties north.
Our mom passed away in November of 2021, the grandkids are getting older, and we don't use the place as much as we would like. It is still our favorite place on earth, and we are glad to share it with others through VRBO.
Why they chose this property
Large amount of frontage and bedrooms can accommodate generations of family members. The lake is pristine, and the place for a perfect "Up North" vacation.
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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