At Red Shutters you fall asleep in front of a roaring fire and wake to deer grazing in the yard. The accommodations are clean, the bed comfortable, and the kitchen well stocked with cooking gear and dried spices. The propane stove in the main room was nice when the weather turned colder. It’s lovely to be surrounded by dense woods and just 3 blocks from Lake Michigan and Crystal Lake. A wonderful retreat.

This is a cute but rustic cabin. Pros: place was clean and the primary suite bed very comfortable. There is good internet and a small smart TV. The private access to Lake Michigan was awesome, especially for rock hunters like us. There was plenty of hot water and a nice gas fireplace in the living room for cooler nights/mornings. Linens were provided and there is a washer/dryer. The location is great - quick drive into town, to Point Betsie, or to our family’s cottage on South Shore. Cons: The CSA charges you to register cars and people, so it was like $275 extra just for the privilege of being on the property. The shower is super tiny - okay for us as none of us are super tall, but bigger people might have struggled in the shower. The kitchen is tiny - and almost nonfunctional for meal prep beyond the basics. Communication was good and efficient. Overall, it worked for us!

wonderful rustic house in a great location

The location is fantastic! If you are not familiar with the Congregational Summer Assembly (CSA), it is an association of cottages established in 1918. There is a common activity building, tennis/pickleball courts, a private beach area on Crystal Lake, private beach access to Lake MI, and daily activities (tennis, swim lessons, crafts, etc.). The cottage is within walking distance of both Lake MI and Crystal Lake, which makes for the ultimate MI lake vacation. It is a 30-minute drive to Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, which is filled with hikes with amazing views of Lake Michigan from high on the bluffs. The cottage is rustic (e.g., no drywall in the place), but was very clean. If you are looking for luxurious or modern accommodations, you might want to look elsewhere, but this suited my family just fine. The beds were comfortable. If you are into cooking, it may be helpful to know that the kitchen is quite small with a diet-sized refrigerator and skinny stove. However, there is a grill! This wasn’t mentioned in the listing, so we were delighted to find one. There a plenty of places to sit in the cottage, but the furniture could use a little updating. The house provided plenty of linens, but you will need to have other household supplies upon arrival—soap, paper towels, toilet paper, and trash bags (there were no “starter supplies”). Again, if you are looking for a fantastic location and a clean (but basic) cottage, we highly recommend this place!