Hemingway's Hideaway Bear Lake

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Hemingway's Hideaway (Bear Lake, MI): Sleeps 8, Swimming on property, Fishing, Air -Conditioning in bedrooms
Bedrooms

3

Baths

1.5

Sleeps

8

Hemingway's Hideaway on Bear Lake


Bedrooms: 3
Baths: 1.5


Sleeps: 8


*LAKEFRONT (Bear Lake)


*SWIMMING ON PROPERTY


*NO PETS


*GREAT FISHING


*Wi-Fi


*NOT ideal for anyone with mobility concerns.  The spiral staircase leading to the bedrooms and the steps down to the water can be challenging.
*PARKING- TIGHT- 2 CARS MAX- NO TRAILERS (I wish we had more space!)



*Only 2 off-street parking spots available* No trailer or RV's permitted*
 


Ernest Hemingway once said of Northern Michigan, “It is beautiful country... and nobody knows about it but us.” Discover what this famous writer loved about the Mitten State at “Hemingway’s Hideaway” atop a bluff on Bear Lake, just minutes from Lake Michigan and the hottest attractions. Enjoy a cup of coffee or a Hemingway daiquiri from your private deck with the best views of the lake—only a few dozen steps from your private waterfront on this sandy-bottom all-sports 1,800-acre lake.  Lake is crystal clear with approximately 60 yards of shallow water... perfect for young kids wanting to swim.


Minutes from Sleeping Bear Dunes, world-class golf at Arcadia Bluffs, and Little River Casino, this 3-bedroom cottage is perfect for both fun and relaxation. Easily explore the breweries, wineries, restaurants and shops of Northern Michigan during your stay, with an easy drive to Traverse City, Frankfurt, Crystal Lake, and Manistee.


Paying homage to Hemingway’s homes throughout the world, three bedrooms await your stay, and can sleep up to eight guests. The Spanish-inspired “Madrid Master” bedroom has a king bed, en suite half bathroom, a writing desk overlooking the lake, and even a small balcony. The “Key West Wing” bedroom also holds a queen bed and channels the tropical vibes of the Florida Keys. And finally, the “Chicago Loft” bedroom holds two sets of bunk beds: twin over twin + a twin over full. If needed, the main living room has a twin daybed that could be used for a guest or someone who may have trouble navigating the circular staircase. The fully equipped kitchen will suit your needs and the four-season porch overlooking Bear Lake is an idyllic setting for a morning cup of coffee (or an evening cocktail!) and your family’s meals. 

***Winter Time- 4 season porch turns into a 3-season porch with a space heater to heat the room. The space heater heats the room well, and you can leave the door open for more air flow. 


**We ask that our guests be respectful of our great neighbors by keeping quiet hours between 11:00 pm and 9:00 am.



FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:


Air Conditioning: There are remote controlled air conditioning units on the walls of the rooms.


Animals: Expect to see small wildlife like squirrels, birds, and waterfowl.


Bathrooms:


       Bathroom #1: On main level, located off of the kitchen, FULL BATH with shower.


       Bathroom #2: Attached to the Master Bedroom on second floor – HALF BATH with no tub/shower.


Beach/Swimming: You can swim in the lake directly from the property. While kids generally love to swim in front the cottage, they do need to climb down the stairs from the cottage to the dock.  There are rocks along the shoreline. There is not a sandy beach on the shoreline, though our lake access is shallow and has a sandy bottom.


Bedroom Configuration:


        Bedroom #1: Madrid Master (upstairs) – king bed


        Bedroom #2: Key West Wing (upstairs) – queen bed


        Bedroom #3: Chicago Loft (upstairs) – two sets bunk beds- twin over twin + a twin over full


Boats:  There are none at property 


Boat Launch: There is a public boat launch on Bear Lake, however there is no space for trailer parking on the property, nor is there a boat lift available for use.

Boat Rentals:  bearlakefun.com


Bugs: Typical Michigan bugs!


Cable/Satellite TVs: No Cable, but we have a smart TV in the family room area… Bring your Netflix/Hulu/AmazonPrime account information!


Cell phone service: Good!


Coffee Maker: Coffee pot/carafe style, with coffee grinder. Bring your own coffee.


Distances:


* Golf:


     Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club –8 mins


     Crystal Mountain Resort – 15 mins


     Manistee National – 25 mins


     Bear Lake Highlands – 3 mins


* Traverse City – 50 mins


*Manistee – 20 mins


* Airports:


     Cherry City Airport (Traverse City) - 50 mins


     Gerald R. Ford Airport (Grand Rapids) - 2 hours & 15 mins


* Little River Casino – 10 mins


* Sleeping Bear Dunes – 50 mins 


Dock: Yes there is a 60ft. private dock, for swimming or tying your pontoon or water vessel. It is anywhere between 3-5 ft deep.  


Fireplace: Wood-burning stove available for guests to use. You must bring your own wood.


Fire-pit: Yes. There is a fire pit.  Please keep fires manageable and extinguish completely. Provide own wood.


Fishing: Bear Lake is known for its excellent fishing.  Please be sure to bring your own poles as there are none at this property. Also, in order to fish in Michigan lakes and rivers, one is required to hold a fishing license. Click here to purchase your fishing license online.


Grill:  Gas grill (and spare propane tank) available.


Grocery Store: Saddle Up Convenience Store and Bear Lake Market are both located less than a mile away. There’s a Meijer in Manistee (15 min drive).


Handicap Accessible: Guests must be able to navigate circular staircase to access bedrooms on second floor, and several dozen deck stairs to lake access. It is NOT an easy place for anyone with mobility challenges.


Internet: YES!


Linens: Yes, we provide you with basic sheets and linens. Just like a hotel, the beds will be made for you upon arrival. If you are particular about the thread count of your sheets, let us know, and we will make sure we leave a bed open for your sheets.


Parking: 2-car MAXIMUM. 2 cars are able to park in the grassy driveway in front of the house. In addition, there is 1 designated spot for street parking (must be small). NO CAMPERS/TRAILERS. VERY tight parking.


Pets: Pets are not welcome at this home.


Privacy/ Neighbors: There are houses on both side of the home. Neighbors are close-- about 50 ft. away. This is NOT considered a "secluded" property. (If you need something more private and secluded, please ask.) The cottage is alongside a busy road.  While we have not had any complaints of street noise, that is always a possibility.


Smoking: No smoking allowed of any kind, on the property. Due to the close proximity of the neighbors, it is strictly prohibited.


Space: Two floors, with a circular staircase as the only access to the upstairs. All bedrooms are located upstairs.


Towels: Yes, we provide bath towels, hand towels, washcloths, and beach towels. It's always good to bring extra though.


Washer and dryer (Clothes):  YES. Laundry is provided.

Winter Considerations: There is no standard indoor dining in the winter.  The only options are the bar stools for 4 in the kitchen, the coffee table in the living room, or the sun porch (space heater for the sun porch is available and heats the space well) We do not provide daily shoveling of the walkways unless by special request.  We snow-blow/shovel prior to your arrival.  During your stay, if you need the walkway shoveled or snow-blowed, you will need to call/text for assistance. A shovel and salt will be at the property for you to use as well.

 


Wood:  Guests need to bring their own wood for fire pit and wood-burning stove.


Amenities

Property/indoor Amenities
  • Air conditioner unit (window or portable unit)
  • Basic Paper Products (Paper Towel & TP)
  • Blow Dryer
  • Board Games
  • Box Fans
  • Carbon Monoxide Detector
  • Ceiling fans
  • Fireplace-wood-burning
  • Internet/ WiFi
  • Linens & Towels included
  • Smart TV w/ streaming
  • Smoke Detectors
  • Washer & Dryer (plus Detergent and Dryer Sheets)
  • Wood burning stove
Kitchen Amenities
  • Coffee maker
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Refrigerator
  • Standard Kitchenware & Utensils
  • Stove
  • Toaster
Outdoor Amenities
  • Deck/Patio
  • Fire Pit
  • Good Fishing
  • Grill-Propane
  • Patio Chairs
  • Private Boat Dock
  • Swimming on Property
Special Features
  • Booster Seat
  • Pack and Play

Season Period Min.Stay Nightly Weekly
January - December 2024 01/01/2024 - 12/31/2024 2 $149.00
January - December 2025 01/01/2025 - 12/31/2025 2 $0.00

Reviews

4 stars
Really cute place and the lake is beautiful. We enjoyed our stay very much and appreciated the care put into the home. The one suggestion would be to put more comfortable seating in the living room. There’s really only seating for three (daybed not ideal for sitting). Master bed is very comfortable. Would stay again.

FVR RESPONSE:

Thank you for taking the time to review your stay Karin! We are so happy to know you enjoyed your stay, and found the home to be comfortable. We will certainly take your suggestion regarding the daybed into consideration, as we believe in doing what we can, to provide an optimal stay experience for our guests. Hopefully we will get a chance to host you again in the future!
Karin
Aug 2023
Cozy clean cottage!
We liked our stay, used the 3 season porch a lot to play cards, eat meals and have cocktails while enjoying view of the lake. Great place to hang if the weather isn’t cooperating. Bring water shoes for the lake. The lake is shallow at end of dock, sand with rocks here and there. No beach but you can carry chairs down to dock to enjoy sitting by the lake. Overall, nice place to rent.

FVR RESPONSE:

Thank you for reviewing your stay, Denise! We love knowing that you enjoyed your stay, and were able to make good multi-use of the 3 season porch! Hopefully we will have a chance to host you again!
Denise
Jul 2023
Great place and great manager
This place is nice and very well kept. We stay here in the winter time for work but I am considering vacationing there in the summer. Its right on the lake with a beautiful view. A great place to stay!!!!

FVR RESPONSE:

Thank you for such a wonderful review of your stay, Seth! It's great to know that you would like to take in the experience of Hemingway in the summer, and not just for work! With it's location right on the lake, it is definitely a great place to stay for the warmer months! We love knowing that you find the home to be nice and well kept, and can't wait to have you back for another stay.
Seth
Jan 2023
Great getaway!
Hemingway hideaway was a fun place to stay for a long weekend in the fall. The Bear Lake views were wonderful with the changing fall colors 

FVR RESPONSE:

Hi Stephen, it's great to know you found the right time to travel to our Hemingway Hideaway! It's great to know you were able to check out the beautiful fall colors while in the area, and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your stay! Hopefully we can host you again in the future!
Stephen
Oct 2022
Hemingway's hideaway
Beautiful views with a clean and accommodating house. Will definitely return

FVR RESPONSE:

Thank you for sharing your review, Heather. It's great to know you enjoyed your stay, and found the home to be clean and inviting! We would love to host you again!

 
Heather
Sep 2022
Great Views and fun
The Cottage was well appointed and equipped. Very nice kitchen so if you wanted to cook while staying there, there was nothing lacking. Lots of options for sleeping arrangements. The cottage and the deck is position high above the lake so you have great views of the lake. We ate out on the deck since it was so nice. There is a big table in the front room to accommodate a larger set of people. We are very happy with the cottage and enjoyed our stay immensely.

FVR RESPONSE:

Thank you for sharing such a wonderful review Pat! The fact that the kitchen could make you want to cook while on vacation is such a huge compliment! Not only have the owners put in so many great details with the design, but also the deck and views of the lake are something that works out perfect for anyone visiting. Hopefully we can host another stay with you!
Pat
Aug 2022
A Good Time Had By Add
We had a delightful five nights at Hemingway's Hideaway on Bear Lake, in spite of the not-so-great weather; we were looking for a quiet week alone, and the rain and wind didn't faze us, as we had novels and a jigsaw puzzle to keep us busy. The view was beautiful, and we had two of the most gorgeous sunsets we've ever seen. Everything was impeccably clean and easy to use—great service all the way around. The only downside was the traffic on US 31, which was sometimes loud and not infrequently shook the whole house. It was the only thing that lopped off a star. Otherwise, this was a great experience.


FVR RESPONSE
Ken, sometimes rainy weather is the perfect thing for allowing us to really relax.  Reading books and doing puzzles while looking out over the lake gives us time to breathe.  We're so glad that you spend your time with us, and we hope that you coem back again.
Ken
Sep 2021
Wonderful stay
Peaceful retreat on the lake. Feels quite peaceful, some road noise, not a lot of restaurants in the area so be prepared to bring your favorite foods to cook in the well equipped kitchen. Enjoyed our stay.
 

FVR RESPONSE

Kelsey, thank you for taking the time to write this review.  A peaceful retreat on the lake is welcome, especially after the near we've all had. We're happy to know that  you enjoyed your stay, and we hope to work with you again.
Kelsey
Sep 2021
Hemingways Hideaway
Beautiful cottage in a beautiful location. Nice and clean. Me and my family enjoyed our time there.
 

FVR RESPONSE

Cheryl, we're so glad that you all enjoyed Hemingway's Hideaway and the location.  We do hope that you come back again.
Cheryl
Aug 2021
Great stay!
Right when we walked in the cottage was very clean. It had all the amenities and even included beach towels. Loved the Ernest Hemingway theme. Wonderful location on bear lake. Fun to float in the water right off the dock. Close to Frankfort. Even saw a bald eagle on the first and last day of our stay.


FRESHWATER RESPONSE:
Nickey, seeing a magnificent bald eagle is such a treat.  We're glad that you enjoyed floating in the water and Hemingway's Hideaway so much.  We'd love to have you back again!
Nickey
Aug 2021

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