Pros: Great value for money Location Amenities Views Cons: You might not want to leave The hosts were very responsive both before, during, and after our stay. The property itself was located in a great area - secluded enough to give you some privacy, but accessible enough to make going to the store a quick drive (the nearest grocery store/shopping center was only about 10min away). The location on the lake was also nice - you have a nice peaceful cove to explore, and are right off the main channel, only a couple minutes by boat away from some beautiful state parks and beaches. The house itself was immaculate when we arrived, and was large enough that our party of 10 (with 3 infants) never felt too crowded, while being small enough to be cozy. The fully screened-in upper level porch was a hit, providing plenty of seating, a nice hammock and couch, and breathtaking views of the mountain. All their pictures are accurate, except I don't think you can capture some of the great views fully on film. The kitchen was well stocked with cookware to cook some great meals in. There were plenty of amenities available, including kayaks, a fire pit, corn hole boards, and more, and all were in good condition. The porch had both a gas grill as well as a charcoal one built into the stonework on the side. I could write another 1500 characters about it, but overall I'd say if you're considering this property, stop considering and book it already - you won't regret it!

My wife and I have stayed at a number of houses on SML over the years and Hickory Cottage was by far the best. Gary (the owner) checked in with me after I booked, before we checked in, during the stay, and again afterwards. Couldn't have been a nicer guy. It's clear that he and his wife take great care of this place - it's well stocked and has everything you could ask for, but has the charm of a place that's clearly their well-loved second home (we've all stayed at places that were generic and clearly just bought/maintained as rentals). The kitchen is exceedingly well stocked, there are puzzles and games in the living room, interesting books on the shelves, ping pong and foosball downstairs, rocking chairs and a hammock on the screened-in porch, and all of the kayaks, deck chairs, noodles and floats, etc., that you'd ever hope for to make for a lovely week at the lake. Incredibly comfortable beds (some sort of pillow top on them?). Oh, and beautiful open water views from the house! Overall, fantastic place and we look forward to staying there again soon.

We had a party of 10 = 6 adults and 4 children it was more than accommodating. This was probably one of the best stocked rentals I have ever had the pleasure to stay at. The house was fully stocked and then some & they also had Kayaks and a so many water toys at our disposal. Although the house was excellent and met all of our needs, we spent the majority of our time on the dock, swimming boating and just relaxing. So many places on this lake will have a ton of steps to get to the dock, not this one, it had a nice little walkway to the water, no stairs required. When we were not on the dock, we were usually enjoying the view from the screened in upper deck, which by the way was the best place to have a cup of morning coffee & watch the world come to life. If you are planning a trip to the lake I highly recommend this location. The owner was awesome and was very quick to respond to all of my questions. Thanks, Gary, for the use of your home, we enjoyed our trip and made some great memories.