Cottage in Beaver Island

Welcome to BeaverTales, your private lakefront getaway. 153' of Lake Michigan shore, with a cozy interior. Very private, with a single cottage barely visible to the south, and endless unspoiled beach to the north. Walk or bike to Lake Geneserath or Beaver Head Light. Gas grill, charcoal grill, well-equipped kitchen with staples. Well behaved dogs are welcome. You will enjoy beautiful sunrises, preparing you for each day of fun on Beaver Island. The space BeaverTales comes with a canoe and kayak. You are welcome to gently use those vessels as long as you return them as you found them. Our beach is sometimes sandy but frequently rocky. We recommend water shoes. If the beach is rocky during your stay and you’d like a sandy beach, there are many public sandy beaches on the island (our favorites are Little Sand Bay and Iron Ore Bay). Our house is on the beach but nestled into the woods. This means you may encounter mosquitos and other bugs. If you enjoy the serenity of nature, this is the place for you. We provide sheets, blankets, bath towels, hand towels, wash cloths, and kitchen towels. We take care of cleaning, including washing your towels and sheets. We do ask that you wash towels if you use a lot of them. There is a washer and a dryer available to you. BeaverTales is equipped with WiFi, a small tv, and blue-ray DVD player. We have a collection DVDs available for your use. Please put them back in their cases after you are done watching. The tv is smart so you may log into your Netflix, Hulu, DirecTV Now, HBO Go, ATT TV, Disney+, and various other accounts. Guest access BeaverTales is all yours while you are a guest! Other things to note Dogs We love dogs but unfortunately have family members who are allergic to them so we need your help to be able to continue allowing dog guests. - Only well-behaved dogs. - NO CATS. - BeaverTales has no fenced area, so bring a leash or tie-out. - You are responsible for making sure all dog hair is removed from all surfaces in the house including beds, floors, furniture, counters, etc. before you check out. - If your dog tends to get on beds or furniture, you must bring a sheet to cover those surfaces. - You are responsible for any damage caused by your dog. By booking, you agree to pay for any pet related damages within 14 days of being notified of those damages. Getting to BeaverTales If you are a veteran Beaver Islander, you can skip down a bit. By Ferry The Beaver Island Boat Co. will bring you and all of your stuff to the island. Round trip fares are approximately $65 per person, $25 per dog, and $220 per car. Your bikes ride for free on the back of your car. There’s an extra charge if you send your car over without you. The ferry takes 2-2.5 hours from Charlevoix, depending on conditions. If you want to bring your car, make your reservation now. Space for cars is limited. By Air Island Airways and Fresh Air are competitively priced at approximately $110 per person round trip. Both airlines will help you get to a rental car on request. The airlines allow you 30-40 pounds of cargo for free, but the charge for extra weight is around 25 cents per pound. However, they guarantee only 25 pounds person can accompany you on your flight; the rest will come space available, usually the next flight and almost always the same day. If you are bringing a lot of stuff with you, pack so that you know what you will need with you from the start of your visit. Cars and Car Rental It costs around $220 roundtrip to bring your car to the island (if you aren’t also riding the ferry then the price goes up) and space for cars is limited on the ferry, so if your stay is less than 5 days you may decide to rent. If you are not going to bring your own car, you will want to rent a car from Duffy’s Rentals or Burton Car Rentals. Eating Most things that you may want or need are available on the Island. McDonough’s has a surprising variety of grocery products (tahini, quinoa, fresh herbs, wraps) along with all of the staples you may need. If there’s anything that you can’t live without, then by all means bring it. Our kitchen has many of the staples you might need, such as mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, sugar, flour, baking powder, spices, etc. Please use anything you’d like, but replace anything that you use the last of. If you don’t plan to cook, you definitely will not starve. Our favorite places to eat are Circle M, Dalwhinnie, and Daddy Frank’s. The Shamrock has good pub food (and shuffleboard!). The Lodge is the best place to watch the sunset with a tasty cocktail in your hand. Firewood Firewood for use in the wood stove or firepit is generally available from various roadside racks on the island, from the hardware store, or from McDonough’s. The hardware store in town also sells fire bricks. Please don’t bring firewood to the island. The Island’s small ecosystem is especially vulnerable to pests and invasive species that could come from firewood from the mainland. What To Bring Sunscreen Insect repellent Bathing suit Fishing gear Life jackets (3 adult jackets are at the cottage; bring extras or child jackets if you’ll need them) Water shoes We are very happy to have you in our home away from home. Please enjoy it as if it were yours. Use anything that you want to use. Please put it back where you found it, and if you use the last of something, please replace it so the next guest can use it. Cycling BeaverTales is approximately 14 miles from St. James, which is a comfortable bike ride for some, or a butt beater for others. The roads are mostly dirt and gravel, so a mountain bike or fat tire bike is more fun. There are endless trails where a bike will get you into the heart of the Island. Bikes are also for rent in town. Electric bikes are for rent through Burton Car Rentals. Water Use You are on an island and are using a septic system. We ask that you use all the water you need, but please don’t let water run unnecessarily. From the kitchen window you’ll see a post with a light on it. If the red light is lit or blinking, it means that the septic system is not working properly. You should not see the light on during your stay, but if you do please call us immediately. The Toilet Your grandparents may have told you, “When it’s yellow, let it mellow. When it’s brown, flush it down.” Feel free to follow this suggestion if it doesn’t offend you. PLEASE do not flush anything other than toilet paper. Refuse Trash goes to the Transfer Center, on East Side Drive between King’s Highway and Welke Airport/Island Airways. You must put all of your trash into a purchased “green bag,” which is how the Transfer Center covers its operating costs. A small bag ($3.00) holds 2-3 full kitchen garbage bags; a large bag ($5.00) holds approximately twice that much. We provide one small bag per guest. Additional bags may be purchased at McDonough’s, the gas station, or the Transfer Station. Do not burn trash (especially plastic and stryofoam) in the fire pit! Beaver Island has a robust recycling program, which is good for the Earth and reduces how much trash you pay to dispose of. Take your recycling to the Transfer Center during regular business hours, usually 8-5, Monday through Saturday. There you will sort your recycling yourself. Styrofoam must be in a plastic bag by itself. You can also leave returnables at the Transit Center, where the deposit is a donation to Beaver Island Community Schools. All trash and recycling must be removed, or will be charged against your security deposit. The Beach The beach right in front of BeaverTales can be hit or miss, with rocks and plant material coming in as the winds and tide decide. If you walk 10 minutes to the left/north, you will find Cable’s Bay, with beautiful sand both on the beach and in the water. You can also drive to any of the lovely swimming beaches on Beaver Island. We like Sand Bay, Little Sand Bay, and Iron Ore Bay. We’ve done our best to offer helpful suggestions for your vacation on Beaver Island. If we’ve forgotten anything, we welcome your input. Please read the house manual that’s on the kitchen table when you arrive and refer to it for suggestions and information relevant to your stay.