Our vacation started in Traverse City where it was extremely busy and our days were packed with activites. The second half of vacation we ventured to Empire to stay in this cabin. We longed to get away from the city and all the traffic and this place did not disappoint. As you drive down the winding driveway you know you're coming up to something special. As you pull up you are greeted with an absolutely gorgeous log cabin surrounded by woods, lavender fields, deer, and a whole lot of peace and quiet. The cabin itself is breathtaking with the perfect wrap around porch. If you sit quietly in the mornings you will see the deer off in the fields. The back patio is where the fun begins. Chilly nights in the pool followed by dips in the hot tub and hanging out in the sauna is what brings it all together. We didn't even want to leave and explore. We found our happy place! The owner was more than hospitable. Even if we forgot something we could find it in the cabin - laundry soap, bandaids, shampoo, even pepto bismol. We loved the idea that if you take something, you leave something. It felt very homey which is something we're not used to on vacation. As for the above review about bees, we had no issues with bees. What we did have was the tiniest frogs, beautiful birds hanging out at the bird feeders, and a butterfly cocoon we were hoping would hatch, but did not. If you find something to complain about here then your life must be pretty miserable to begin with. No words can describe how wonderful this place is. It is worth every penny and we were lucky to have been a guest in this house. The only disappointment is we didn't stay longer. Oh and the diving rock - what can I say - my husband will be hearing about the diving rock until he buys me one. Best part of mom's vacation! Thank you so much for letting us stay in your little slice of paradise. We've traveled to many places and this one is unforgettable.

First, he notified us the week before that he was having problems with bees around the pool but not to be concerned since he said they were docile. However, when we arrived we found out that he was a beekeeper and the bees prevented us from spending time outside during the day. It also says that it sleeps 18. You can sleep 18 but there are only enough beds for 11. The place is beautiful though and the owner was very nice. Had it not been for the bee problem, the rest we could have lived with.

We enjoyed our stay on this beautiful property and very relaxing but there are bee hives nearby in which there was a lot of bees around.

Our get away with a group of 16 (8 adult cousins & spouses) had two purposes, having fun and relaxing. Mickey's place was the perfect for both! As you drive up the winding driveway you see this incredible and massive Log cabin. Once you walk through the front door you notice the unique design and around every corner, some very amazing pieces of furniture, my favorite being the handmade "tree" dining room table. There are many very cool details, fun art and special touches throughout. The large slate patio surrounds a beautiful pool, which is perfectly sized for swimming or lounging on floats. The most unique feature about this property is the Sauna. Not only is its construction amazing eye candy while lying in the pool, it is an excellent addition to the fun! Our guys especially enjoyed cycling between that and cool dips in the pool at night. The hot tub was not working, or we would have used that nightly as well. The Tiki bar was great to have. There is a large, built in deep freeze cooler behind it. The only downfall is it is a dry bar, however, there is a hose and spigot located directly behind it. There are outdoor plugs, which we used to listen to music. There are approximately 14 comfy chairs on the patio. We did bring some extra folding chairs, because of our large group (and for camp fire, although we never got that far). During the day, some of us went on a wine/distillery tasting tour in Traverse City (private transportation available in the area). Others went on hikes around the property. There are sights to see if you go for a drive (Sleeping Bear Dunes). For the most part, we just hung out at the pool every day. As far as the sleeping arrangements, there are enough private bedrooms for 5 couples. There are 2 comfortable couches that can be made into beds (will sleep 4) and enough space in the loft for a couple of additional blow up mattresses. We had 2 couples who brought their campers. Plenty of room to park them. There is cable TV and internet service, but no air conditioning. However, there are many windows and if you open them you get a nice hill top breeze (we did bring small fans). The kitchen is pretty well equipped for any need and there is a nice gas grill on the big wrap around porch. The convenient laundry room in the basement was great for those much used pool towels. Mickey was very helpful and a pleasure to work with. We all thoroughly enjoyed our stay at his beautiful retreat!