We had a lovely week at Kathy's cottage! She was quick to respond to all my questions beforehand, and check-in/check-out was a breeze.
We spent the first half of the week with friends and the second with family. The water is clean and easy to walk into through the sandy beach. My friend's young son has autism and spent HOURS in the shallow trying to catch fish with a bucket. They come right up to you and swim around :) The younger kids loved swimming, the older kids loved fishing off the pier and the moms loved the relaxation, beautiful scenery, and quiet lake. We saw plenty of wildlife...caught a turtle, watched a hawk dive in the lake and catch dinner, saw muskrats, a hummingbird, a red-winged blackbird, baby bunnies and plenty of ducks and geese.
The house is very cottagey. Kitchen is fully stocked. Laundry is in the house and very convenient. There's a new outdoor grill and good size deck. Plenty of extra bedding, towels, toilet paper, etc... There is WiFi in the home, but reception is not great. The pier is a bit rickety, and the ladder off the end is very slippery, so be careful. There’s a nice firepit in the front that we made smores on nightly. Don’t forget your firewood! We had great weather while we were there, and there was plenty of shade in the yard, and also plenty of sun throughout the day. A great combo. The one day it rained, we hung out inside and played the games we brought (plenty of room on the living room floor for Twister and comfy couches along all walls for movie nights). Bring your own games and playing cards just in case.
I suggest renting the paddle boat from Kathy. It was a fun little perk that everyone enjoyed! All in all we had an awesome time on Lake Garver! Nice clean lake and cottage, beautiful views, lots of space, quiet, and fun. It’s also super close to South Bend/Notre Dame, Indiana so that my parents and sister’s family could easily come up for the day.
I highly recommend Kathy’s cottage. It made me realize we need to be doing this every summer. I’ll start saving up now! Thanks Kathy :)