Finding an isolated vacation cabin in Michigan
February 6, 2011 8:05 PM Subscribe
How can I find a nice, but isolated, Michigan cabin to stay in on vacation? Everything I find online is both 1) not isolated, 2) unnecessarily large for me and my wife, and 3) doesn't allow us to bring our dog.
My wife and I want to take a vacation into Northern Michigan (but probably not in the upper peninsula). We just can't find the kind of place we're looking for though. It would just be the two of us, so it doesn't need to be big (think cabin). And we would like to take our dog and have room to wander around in the woods without running into other people. But everything we find when we look online tends to be both in a popular vacation spot and larger than what we need.
How do we find a place like we are looking for? Or, if you know of a place that fits this description, that would be even better.
Couple of additional things we're looking for. Within an hour of some skiing or other winter activities would be good. And for the sake of my wife, something relatively clean and well-maintained would probably go along way towards making my life more pleasant.
Thanks!
My wife and I want to take a vacation into Northern Michigan (but probably not in the upper peninsula). We just can't find the kind of place we're looking for though. It would just be the two of us, so it doesn't need to be big (think cabin). And we would like to take our dog and have room to wander around in the woods without running into other people. But everything we find when we look online tends to be both in a popular vacation spot and larger than what we need.
How do we find a place like we are looking for? Or, if you know of a place that fits this description, that would be even better.
Couple of additional things we're looking for. Within an hour of some skiing or other winter activities would be good. And for the sake of my wife, something relatively clean and well-maintained would probably go along way towards making my life more pleasant.
Thanks!
Response by poster: It's finding cabins that are isolated that seems to be the main problem for me. Everything that I find seems to be in a town or built-up vacation destination, but I would like to find something in the middle of a forest. Am I just not looking in the right place?
posted by quam6246 at 4:05 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by quam6246 at 4:05 AM on February 7, 2011
Are the State Park Cabins in the area you're wanting? (also - they have yurts!)
posted by aimedwander at 5:17 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by aimedwander at 5:17 AM on February 7, 2011
Argh, I tried valiantly but it did not make a link.
I think it's a problem with the silly-looking address more than with me.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10365_24196-66551--,00.html
posted by aimedwander at 5:19 AM on February 7, 2011
I think it's a problem with the silly-looking address more than with me.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10365_24196-66551--,00.html
posted by aimedwander at 5:19 AM on February 7, 2011
For the dog, you might try offering the cabin owner a guarantee that the dog will leave no trace (no hair on the furniture or carpets, no mud inside, no smell, no unscooped poop outside), and double your security deposit to back it up. Not everyone will be flexible, but many will. We've managed to bring our dog along on vacation every year this way.
posted by philokalia at 6:24 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by philokalia at 6:24 AM on February 7, 2011
Are you for sure stuck on the lower peninsula? Would you be willing to head to Canada?
posted by dpx.mfx at 6:30 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by dpx.mfx at 6:30 AM on February 7, 2011
Response by poster: aimedwander: For me the State Park Cabins would be great (and I had not thought of those), but I know my wife would want a few more conveniences (like appliances, and I know she wouldn't go for an outhouse). I will look into them some more though to make sure that they don't have anything that would work.
philokalia: Thanks for the tip. I just assumed that most places wouldn't be flexible on dogs. Ours is very well-behaved, so I'll have to give that a try.
dpx.mfx: We would be willing to go to Canada. We live near Detroit, so Canada wouldn't be far at all. I hadn't really considered Canada before because I thought that taking our dog across the border would be a big hassle, but after looking into it online, it doesn't sound like it is that big of a deal as long as the animal has her rabies vaccine.
posted by quam6246 at 6:55 AM on February 7, 2011
philokalia: Thanks for the tip. I just assumed that most places wouldn't be flexible on dogs. Ours is very well-behaved, so I'll have to give that a try.
dpx.mfx: We would be willing to go to Canada. We live near Detroit, so Canada wouldn't be far at all. I hadn't really considered Canada before because I thought that taking our dog across the border would be a big hassle, but after looking into it online, it doesn't sound like it is that big of a deal as long as the animal has her rabies vaccine.
posted by quam6246 at 6:55 AM on February 7, 2011
Quam, I'm near detroit as well (hi!); we used to spend our summers near Georgian Bay - about a four-five hour drive. We stayed on cottages that are actually on islands in the bay (Honey Harbour). It's beautiful; where we went wasn't exactly remote, but I bet it would be in the winter. Lots of easy access to remote places. I think you're much more likely to find what you want if you cross the border (or are willing to go to the UP). I just don't think that you're going to find anything that remote, especially within an hour of skiing, anywhere in the LP.
It looks like there is skiing in Collingwood, Ontario (4 hours from Pt. Huron). I've never been, but if you look for some rentals within an hour of that, I bet you'll find something. Maybe start here? For searching purposes, try "cottage" as opposed to "cabin"?
posted by dpx.mfx at 7:56 AM on February 7, 2011
It looks like there is skiing in Collingwood, Ontario (4 hours from Pt. Huron). I've never been, but if you look for some rentals within an hour of that, I bet you'll find something. Maybe start here? For searching purposes, try "cottage" as opposed to "cabin"?
posted by dpx.mfx at 7:56 AM on February 7, 2011
And, depending on when you want to go, if you really, really want to hike around and not see other people, wait until April and go to Isle Royale!
posted by dpx.mfx at 7:59 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by dpx.mfx at 7:59 AM on February 7, 2011
(which is, of course, way north of what you're talking about, but thought I would throw it out there).
posted by dpx.mfx at 8:00 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by dpx.mfx at 8:00 AM on February 7, 2011
Have you tried Vacation Rentals By Owner? They seem to have a good selection of Michigan properties with reviews available and include pet-friendly rentals.
posted by Athanasius at 11:06 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by Athanasius at 11:06 AM on February 7, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
Are you looking for interior or closer to the great lakes?
Cabins for rent are abundent paricularly this time of year.
posted by handbanana at 8:30 PM on February 6, 2011