This is a very cute and quirky home with lots of style! Great location at the very base of the legendary Elberta Dunes! Perfect location for exploring the dunes, checking out eclectic downtown Elberta, and hitting Elberta Beach on Lake Michigan! Features high speed Wi-Fi, streaming television, washer and dryer, and a wonderfully peaceful and relaxing backyard at the base of the dunes! Perfect destination for a northern Michigan getaway for an individual, couple, or small group / family!
We have a local property manager who lives in Elberta and is available to address any issues.
The home is in a great location in the downtown residential portion of Elberta at the base of Elberta Dunes. Downtown Elberta, Betsie Lake, the Betsie River, and Betsie River Bike Trail are just a short walk from the property. Downtown Elberta features a few fun shops and restaurants, including The Lighthouse Cafe, which is a great traditional breakfast spot! The home is also just a few blocks from the famous Cabbage Shed restaurant on Betsie Lake, which is great place to enjoy food, drinks, and live music on the water!
The home is also just 0.7 miles from the Elberta Dunes South Natural Area, where you can hike up the dunes to a great lookout area where you can see Lake Michigan, Betsie Lake, downtown Frankfort (across Betsie Lake), and the Betsie River as it empties into Betsie Lake. (Betsie Lake then empties into Lake Michigan.) The home is also just 1 mile from Elberta Beach, which is beautifully quiet and pristine (and where you can legally have bonfires at night). Note that Elberta also has just recently installed a kayak dock on Betsie Lake in downtown Elberta where you can put in your kayak and kayak around Betsie Lake and either go west out to Lake Michigan or go east up the Betsie River. The kayak dock is less than one-half of a mile from the property.
On the other side of Betsie Lake is Frankfort, which is larger than Elberta and has a very charming downtown area with a lovely collection of cafes, restaurants, shops, a vintage movie theater (the Garden Theater), and a microbrewery (Stormcloud). Frankfort also has a very popular public beach (Frankfort Beach) on Lake Michigan and a pier that goes out to a large, famous, and historic lighthouse. It's always fun to walk the pier out to the lighthouse! Downtown Frankfort is less than a 5-minute drive from the property.
Just outside of Elberta and Frankfort, there are also a great many things to see and do. The start of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is just a 15-minute drive from the property to the north. Sleeping Bear Dunes features a incredible collection of hiking trails, biking trails, scenic lookouts on Lake Michigan, and kayaking or tubing down the Platte River through the park and out to Lake Michigan.
Crystal Lake, Point Betsie Lighthouse on Lake Michigan, Crystal Mountain Resort, and the cute beach towns of Arcadia, Beulah, and Empire are all also less than 30 minutes from the house. If you are looking for more excitement and culture, downtown Traverse City, which is the gem of northern Michigan for restaurants, nightlife, and shopping, is only about a 1-hour drive from the house.
Guests have access to the entire property except for the garage, the loft area in the living room, and a couple closets and cabinets that are locked off for owner storage.
The home has a very fun and quirky architecture, while still being very cozy and comfortable. If you like style and character, then we think that you'll love it!
The home has a comfy living room in the back of the house, which opens up to a cute backyard. There is a portable fire pit in the backyard for having great bonfires and s'mores!
In the front of the house, the home has a lovely and charming front porch, which is great for reading, relaxing, chatting, and people watching.
Also, just to clarify the bed situation, the downstairs bedroom has a full-size bed, the upstairs bedroom has a queen-size bed, and there is a trundle day bed (i.e. two twin beds) in the front foyer.
There is bus service in the area, but it is highly recommended that guests have their own vehicle.
Please note the following:
1) The fireplace in the living is not to be used by guests.
2) The jacuzzi tub in the upstairs bathroom can be used as a regular tub, but the jets are not usable.
3) Pets are strictly prohibited at this property.
4) The home does not have air conditioning. (Given the home's proximity to Lake Michigan and the shade from the dunes, this is generally not needed.)
5) The large detached garage next to the house is not available for guest usage.
6) The loft area in the living room is not available for guest usage.
