Enjoy staying in our fully renovated 1939 colonial with a view of Lake Michigan. Listen to the waves just across the road as you drift off to sleep. A beautiful sandy public beach is only a short 5-minute walk down the quiet, tree-lined lane where we live. Our road is beautiful and picturesque. It winds along the seafront through sand dunes sprinkled with rustic summer homes and beach houses.
We are located in the resort area of Saugatuck and Douglas on the shores of Lake Michigan, an immense fresh water sea 100 km wide by 400km long… one of the five Great Lakes in the heartland of America. Lake Michigan offers wonderful sailing, boating, swimming and fishing charters. The surrounding dunes and parks offer hiking and picnicking in the natural hardwood and Pine forests of Michigan. Or, bicycle the country roads that wind through Michigan’s orchards, vineyards and forests. Saugatuck and Douglas are right next to each other… quaint resort villages built around a natural harbor which empties into Lake Michigan. Saugatuck has often been called the Cape Cod of the Midwest, offering relaxing, small-town vacation opportunities to the residents of Chicago and Detroit only a short 2-3 hours away. There are over 25 art galleries and artist’s studios as well as the famous Oxbow Artist’s Colony run by the Art Institute of Chicago. We have numerous gourmet restaurants and world class shopping. If you are looking for a day or two of big city life during your stay, drive to Chicago or Detroit, or take the train from nearby Holland. Go to www.Saugatuck.com to check out the area for yourself!
Our home was extensively renovated in 2003. We have new hardwood floors throughout the first floor and new carpeting in the four bedrooms on the second floor. You will find a fabulous gourmet kitchen with all brand new stainless steel appliances and an oversized dual fuel range. There is a screened in porch on the rear of the house that opens onto a huge new deck complete with a Weber gas grill and a fire pit for campfires. The second floor has a sitting deck which is a great place to watch the deer frolic in the large backyard. The house also offers wide screen TV, cable TV with 60 channels to choose from, DVD, VCR, stereo, a large CD collection, fax and high speed internet connections. We supply two bikes, beach toys and chairs, a volleyball set, and a small (but good) library of books, puzzles and games. We have a golden retriever dog and a cat. They won't be here for your stay, but if you have alergies sensitive to pet dander, our home may be a problem for you. Our home is, however, a smoke-free environment. No smokers, please.
TRADING HOMES:
We are both artists and media producers. We are self-employed so our schedules are flexible. We'd be interested in considering home trades in Europe.
SUMMER RENTAL:
Our home is available for weekly rental during the summer months. We prefer that weekly rentals begin at 4pm on Saturday afternoon and end by the following Saturday at 11am. Weekly rentals are $2200/week. We require a 50% deposit plus a $500 damage deposit to hold your dates with the balance due before you move in. Your $500 damage deposit will be returned to you within 30 days of the end of your rental.We prefer payments by check. Credit card payments are also acceptable but we must add 5% for processing.
Check the calendar at the bottom of this page for availability. To reserve your dates, please contact John Leben or Marcia Leben either by phone or email:
Here is the front of our house at 321 Lakeshore Drive. We live in one of the most sought-after neighborhoods of Saugatuck/Douglas, along a tree-lined road along Lake Michigan, just a 5-minute walk to the public beach.
Here's the back of our house, with a large 1st floor deck, a quaint 2nd floor balcony and beautiful flowers and landscaping. We like to be outdoors during the summer, so our outdoor firepit and Weber gas grill get a lot of use. There is also a sun room between our deck and our living room and a huge grassy back yard that is great for the kids.
The entire first floor has new hardwood floors. The comfortable living room (right) has a natural wood-burning fireplace. Living room is also equipped with a stereo with CD changer and a library of over 200 CDs. There is a high-definition TV with a built-in DVD player. Oh yes... our home has central air conditioning for those really hot days.
Opposite the living room is our formal dining room... great for dinner parties. The antique Oak Table opens up to a full 4x8 feet in size. Far left is the hallway between the living room and dining room and the stairway going up to the 2nd floor.
Recently renovated with new stainless steel appliances and a 5-burner, dual fuel, double oven stove for gourmet cooking. The hallway on the right leads to the dining room.
There are four bedrooms (4th bedroom is not pictured because it is currently being used as a home office. It will be converted to a bedroom with a full-sized bed similar to the master bedroom pictured above on the left.)
BATHROOMS:
We have two bathrooms. the first floor bathroom (left) is brand new, with a stand-up shower. The upstairs bathroom has a tub and shower.
Lake Michigan is one of our biggest assets in Michigan. It is a beautiful, clean, freshwater sea... one of the biggest lakes in the world. The beach pictured here is across the road from our home. Access to the beach is a short walk to the public beach.
2007 RENTAL CALENDAR
To reserve your dates, please contact John Leben or Marcia Leben either by phone or email:
jleben@lebenproductions.com
marcia@bumbley.com
269-857-4780
Note: Color indicates dates that are booked.
Labor Day week-end (Aug.31-Sept.3) available for $350/night
Click here for the 2007 Rental Agreement and Contract
