Anam Cara Cabin: Magical retreat on idyllic lake.

Near the tip of Michigan’s beautiful Keweenaw Peninsula, Anam Cara’s secluded 12.5 acres and ½ mile of shoreline on idyllic Lake Medora combines stunning natural and architectural beauty for an unforgettable retreat. Built of stone, timber and bark, nestled in the woods on a rocky point with two sandy coves and a 1+ mile trail hiking-biking trail, it's an inspiring gem that celebrates fine craftsmanship, earthy luxury, creativity, solitude and nature. It's magical, inspiring, rejuvenating. The space "Anam Cara" means soul friend in Gaelic and the name summarizes this unique property, where it's almost impossible not to fall in love with the beauty and feel of this magical place. Anam Cara is a secluded, luxuriously comfortable, dreamy, one-of-a-kind place in one of the most beautiful parts of Upper Michigan. The main cabin is a handcrafted work of art, just 6 miles from Copper Harbor in one direction and Mount Bohemia in the other direction. Some guest comments: "Absolutely Amazing! Probably the most amazing cabin there is.....ANYWHERE! Seriously, it's like opening a storybook and getting lost in a fairy tale. My family and I were awestruck the moment we arrived. The lake, the property, and the cabin are phenomenal!! Fantastic hosts, and their communication was great. Rent with confidence, and enjoy a little piece of Heaven! We'll definitely be back!" - Rich E., June, 2024 "Jaw dropping beautiful. Simply amazing."- John D., Sept. 2021 “An incredibly cozy and thoughtfully built and designed cabin, closer to my ideal of what a lake cabin should be than I have ever seen.” - Rick M., June, 2021 Listed as one of top vacation rentals in Michigan's U.P. - Trips to Discover, 2021, Top 12 Luxury Cabin Rentals in Michigan - Trip 101. Featured in Cabin Life Social Media: AnamCaraCabin, 5-star reviews (140 five-star reviews out of 140 guests). Anam Cara Cabin is a 5.0 Guest Favorite (100% of guest ratings). One of the most loved homes on Airbnb based on ratings, reviews, and reliability. The artistic 1400 square foot cabin sits on a billon-year-old rocky point, surrounded by perennial gardens.  It’s been described as a Hansel-Gretel fairytale house with its stone and bark exterior and tiled roof.  Designed for up to 4 adult guests, Anam Cara can be a romantic get-away, a creative retreat, a gateway to adventure, or simply a time for recharging and comfort. With a special kids’ alcove, it can also be a memorable family vacation. At the end of a winding gravel road, you’ll be welcomed by perennial gardens and a stone path that leads to a secluded cabin that seems lifted straight out of a fairy tale (or in winter - towering snow drifts that conjure a winter wonderland). This is a place for finding balance: outdoor activities, exploration, contemplation and relaxation. The stone/wood/bark cabin has an open first floor plan with expansive lake views, leather window seats, a wood-burning fireplace, modern kitchen with all the conveniences, a living area for dining and lounging, and a half-bath. The entry has a built-in bench seat and two closets, one with a washer-dryer. On the lake side, there’s an expansive enclosed porch that’s perfect for enjoying an evening cocktail. The second floor has two sun-filled bedrooms with queen beds and two luxurious bathrooms. And then there are the unique artistic details that make this an inspiring, one-of-a-kind property. After camping on and exploring the property for several years, when it came time to build a cabin our goal was to honor this enchanted piece of land. The end result can be credited to two teams - John, the artistic builder, and the two owners: David, an artist who works with light, paper and found objects (his one-off creations and 88 handmade lights are your own private art gallery) and Colleen with her taste for simple zen decoration. A comment from a guest who works with architects: “If you’re contemplating building a home or cabin, spend a week at this amazing place. It’ll be the best investment you’ll ever make.” Outside, you're welcome to cut some of the perennials that flank the front and sides of the house. There's an outdoor shower nook where you can have privacy while being surrounded by woods and flowers. Steps away from the porch, is a fire pit and we have a tripod grill available for outdoor grilling over an open fire as well as a propane grill. There's a picnic table near the fire pit and we have plentiful chairs available for relaxing around the fire. A few steps further and you're at our rocky point, a lichen-covered billion year-old promontory parting Lake Medora's waters like a ship's prow. It was what initially drew us to this parcel and it's still one of our favorite places to hang out. Nestled into the point, we've placed a deck, so you've got a variety of places to choose for contemplation, reading, yoga, tossing a fishing line, or sipping your morning java. The 13-acre property, with its 2500 feet of waterfront, can keep you busy for the week. A delightful trail, over one mile long, winds through the property - perfect for hiking, running, snowshoeing or x-skiing. It was built by Aaron Rogers, a Copper Harbor trail builder who's probably the premier mountain bike trail designers and builders in the US. The trail winds past two lakeside decks, a towering white pine that hosts a 1-ton eagle's nest, and two sandy coves for wading and swimming. If you're hot and sweaty, you can jump off the dock for a refreshing swim. There are two canoes for guests; Lake Medora is a beautiful, peaceful 700 acre lake with several picturesque islands, perfect for exploring and picnics. This is a four-season property. Yes, you can experience the wonder of winter at Anam Cara, one of the snowiest destinations in the lower 48 states! For reservations between Nov. 1 and April 30, please contact us for details. Finally, we should mention that there's a separate seasonal structure on our land, 0.15 miles away on a separate point of land. It's a timber-frame structure we call the "Point House" and it may be available for rental as an addition to the overall rental package of the main cabin (contact owner for details). And....we are EV friendly with an outside Level 2 EV charger. Guest access Guests are welcome to roam on the entirety of the property including the hiking/biking trail and the use of two canoes. Other things to note Winter at Anam Cara: WINTER at Anam Cara is absolutely AMAZING and we’d love to host you for a magical visit. We also want you to be fully prepared and informed. For this reason, for all rentals between Nov. 1 thru April 30th, let’s have a conversation before you make a reservation. Also, please know that your SAFETY and welfare comes first so we’d like to work with you to offer you a more liberal cancellation policy than what our booking platforms list. A teaser: “We spent a great winter week here - there must be 6 feet of snow! Mostly we were lazy bums which was everything we hoped it would be. When we got bored we snowshoed the trail, cross-country skied around the lake or mixed an old-fashioned. Mostly though we spent the week sitting and reading in your beautiful cabin, occasionally looking out the window at the blowing wind and snow coating everything. The highlight of the week, besides sleeping in and relaxing, was skiing Mt. Bohemia. Although it was windy and snowing both days, we went and were glad - the skiing and terrain were incredible. Got to say I liked it better than any ski resort out west. Tons of fresh powder, few people, and those we met were such fun! Great week…extremely refreshing...invigorating…relaxing…and just plain wonderful!” - b.c. 2-19 As one of the snowiest locations in the United States, winters in the Keweenaw are simply incredible with soft, billowing lake effect snow falling gently from the sky, often day after day. The annual average is 208 inches and the record is an eye-popping 390 inches. Even the least snowiest year ever (back in 1930) garnered 81 inches - almost seven feet. And Anam Cara is even snowier than the average Keweenaw location - though we don’t keep snowfall records for our specific location, nearby Mount Bohemia averages 273 inches per year. That’s almost 23 feet! Snows are deep up here...really, really deep (take a look at the tiny human figure in the photo at the top of the page). Plowing the 1.8 mile road from Highway 41 to the front door of our cabin can be an incredible challenge; it often requires a specialized tractor blower. At some point every winter the road becomes impassable for even four wheel drive vehicles and requires regular clearing - last winter it was at the end of the first week in December. Of course, it’s unpredictable from year to year. That said, winter is one of our favorite seasons and we've been regular winter visitors ever since we finished building our cabin in late 2011. Likewise our guests. We are pleased to offer you a range of options for accessing our cabin: drive in, ski or snowshoe in, or arrive via snowmobile, (Or you could even land an airplane on frozen Lake Medora, but that’s another longer conversation): 1. WANT TO DRIVE UP TO OUR FRONT DOOR? Great news! With prior notice we can arrange to have a snow removal service clear access all the way to our front door from Highway 41 - a distance of 1.8 miles. This pre-arrival service is FREE for guests who book for 5 nights or more. For guests who book a stay for less than 5 nights, there may be an additional fee (capped at $300 pre-arrival) to partially defray the cost of this expensive service, depending upon snow depth and weather. While more expensive than free ski-in access, it’s a great, convenient option for enjoying the winter magic of Anam Cara - our guests love it! So do we! Please note: should there be heavy snowfall during your stay requiring additional clearing there would be an additional fee for each clearing, charged at our actual cost but capped at $200 max per clearing. In most circumstances, plowing works fine and costs $150. Exceptionally deep snows may require an additional tractor blowing, which can cost up to $550, but again, we cap your cost at $200 so you don't have to worry about it. 2. WANT SOME ADVENTURE? You can ski or snowshoe in like many of our guests choose to do. We’ve had numerous ski-in guests, including a couple from Atlanta who were first time skiers (kudos to them!). At our expense we’ll provide a plowed spot to park about 0.4 miles in from Highway 41. Then it's a short 15-20 minute ski of 0.5 miles across the frozen lake to our cabin. We supply you with detailed instructions before arrival. You’ll have to provide your own skis or snowshoes, though rentals are available in the area. And yes, you can ski/snowshoe in during the evening/night but for safety’s sake we ask that all first time winter guests arrive during daylight for their initial check-in, so you can familiarize yourself with the surroundings before skiing in or out at night. When we ski or snowshoe in we carry our gear and supplies in a cheap plastic sled that we tow from behind, or we carry a backpack. On those rare visits where the lake ice is still dicey (but generally that's only in December and later April), we ski in about 1.4 miles on the private road - better to be safe. We’re not spring chickens but we still ski in regularly - we love the adventure. So do our four grown kids and their families, who regularly ski into our cabin and ski out every day to ski Mt Bohemia. Having said all that and as much as we love skiing or snowshoeing in, now that we've found a reliable service to clear snow all the way to the front door of our secluded cabin, and now that we have experienced the ease of driving in, gotta say...it's a nice option especially if the weather is adverse! 3. SNOWMOBILE: There are snowmobile rentals available in the area and you can possibly arrange for snowmobile drop-off and and pick-up, but those costs are extra. Or bring your own snowmobile. Please note that in winter you’ll have to haul out whatever you haul in, including garbage. The cabin itself is super-insulated and toasty warm - we have a remote thermostat and in-floor heating. It's an enchanting getaway where you can combine outdoor activities and indoor cocooning. It makes for an amazing vacation. But it’s not for everyone! If this is not the kind of adventure you're looking for, we totally understand! If you're still interested, we'd be happy to have a conversation at your convenience to go over details and answer questions. (For-won for for won ate sicks oh ate oh). **************** There’s nothing quite so magical as arriving at a warm cabin, secluded, silent and surrounded by deep, pristine snow. It’s a great place for a winter retreat…curled up by the fire, reading a book, playing a game, starting the first draft of that novel you’ve always been meaning to start writing, leisurely concocting a gourmet meal for the ages. But then there’s the pull of the outdoors. If you’re a snow lover, you’ve literally arrived in heaven with a cornucopia of winter activities to choose from. Downhill skiing or snowboarding at Mount Bohemia, just 9 miles away, should be on every skier’s lifetime list. As of 2021 it has been on USA Today’s Top 5 Ski Resort list for four straight years, currently ranked as the fourth best downhill ski destination in North America. There’s nothing like Mount Bohemia. Period. The first time we visited, its owner, Lonie Glieberman, eyed us and smiled, “You must be new here. Why don’t I take you up to the top and show you around?” Its vertical drop (900 feet) and longest run ( 2 miles) ranks as one of the best east of the Mississippi, but what makes Mountain Bohemia truly special is…ummm…its bohemian nature. The main lodge of this pixie-ish resort is a series of interconnected yurts, its runs are ungroomed, the the lake effect powder and killer views of Lake Superior make for an unforgettable day of skiing, and then there’s the Nordic spa pool party twist at the end of the day. If your’e a cross country skier, you’ve got several different x-ski systems nearby to choose from. Fat tire biking is becoming increasingly popular in the Keweenaw. Closer to home, you can snowshoe the 1+ mile trail around our property, or trek a mile to Meadow Lake, an uninhabited wilderness lake. On a recent trek, I followed a line of solitary wolf tracks for over a half-mile; occasionally there’d be a several foot gap between tracks, the wolf apparently leaping out of sheer exuberance and joy. I could relate. Best part of the snow season? It’s loooonnnngggg….and can last from before Thanksgiving into late April. I’ve skied across Lake Medora in May, thought I don’t recommend it. (Heck, I’ve seen Volkswagen-sized icebergs floating in Keweenaw Bay into mid-June.) So you’ve got tons of time to explore all the different activities: ice fishing, kite sailing on snowboards or skis across frozen Lake Medora or Fannie Hoe, exploring the other-worldly sculpted shoreline of Lake Superior, snowshoeing to frozen waterfalls, dog sledding at the Otter River Sled Dog Center or watching the Copper Dog 150. And let’s not forget the nighttime beauty of the Keweenaw. We've got International Dark Sky status and in winter, there’s nothing like venturing out on a sparkling cold winter night, where the snow shimmers from a night sky strewn with constellations, galaxies and dancing northern lights. Walk a few yards under the frozen surface of Lake Medora. Gaze up. Be stunned. “The peace and quiet of this winter cabin is breathtaking. A fabulous week - when we weren’t basking in the peace and quiet of the cabin or the calm days outside, we skied and snowshoed around the lake braving cold, wind, and whiteness. The blizzard was beautiful as we watched the snow pile up all around us. Cozy fires, good food, and conversation kept us warm and content. Thanks for letting us enjoy this precious, precious place.” k.s. 2-14