Consider the shoulder months of June and September, which are lovely with less traffic and easier to get into restaurants. Last 7 photos are from a guest in October.

Please contact me through the VRBO inquiry feature prior to booking with any questions so we make sure this cottage is THE ONE :) for your family vacation.

Imagine watching the reflection on a lake of an orange sun rise over a wooded hill; You breathe in the aroma of the towering pines that is quintessential Maine and hear loons calling to each other. Welcome to Isla’s Will; A cottage at the end of a private child safe road, tucked in the woods just 20 feet from the water’s edge. Away from it all, but super close to area amenities: Fun Park, Movie Theatre, and most importantly, ice cream and gourmet deli salads and sandwiches.

Spend your days diving off your private swim float, then eat lunch at the picnic table or deck. Fish off the dock, explore the nearby winery or catch a movie if the weather is inclement. Top off the day with a campfire toasting s’mores on the fire pit or dine at a hip restaurant in Portland with every cuisine imaginable just 40 minutes away.

Waterfront Amenities: There is 100 feet of direct lake front and an additional 100 feet on a ROW shared by everyone on the road. There are 3 steps with a railing to a sandy bottom waterfront. Ideal for the young or elderly. The water temperature in the top 18 inches is 70 degrees by the end of June.

As part of a private association, Isla’s Will offers 2 other swimming venues in addition to your own private lake front. There is also a boat launch facility and a private 20 foot dock where 2 kayaks and a canoe are available for your use only (a $700 rental value). Loons, turtles and ducks will be your constant water companions.

Cottage Amenities: Beds for 6 plus the possibility of two more using the rollaway on the second level and a futon in the bedroom on the first floor. There is a pull out queen sofa in the living room. Queen bed in master bedroom, twin beds in loft. First floor bedroom has a queen and the aforementioned futon twin.

Bathrooms on both floors. 1st floor was remodeled with granite counters and sit down shower. 2nd floor is ensuite with new shower and has clawfoot tub.

The gourmet galley kitchen is fully outfitted (food processor, dish washer, microwave, 2 lobster pots, blender, waffle and crepe maker etc) has Pergo floors and hand painted tile backsplash. There is an unusually large kitchen table with 2 leaves that has room for 6 chairs. Additional seating with 2 bar stools at the breakfast nook.

Other amenities include: High Speed Internet, Full spectrum cable selection, box fans, air conditioning on both floors via a heat pump / mini split system and a ceiling fan in the family room, DVD player, CD player, washer and dryer, cable TV, family games, life jackets, over 100 family videos to choose from. Picnic table.

Just 10 ways we are a cut above the competition.

1. Our linen service ($100 extra) includes making the beds and striping them. It also includes beach towels which the competition does not.

2. Lot is landscaped by a Maine certified Master Gardener. Color everywhere!.

3. When possible we will try to get you early check in depending on what is happening with the cleaner schedule and where we fall in their schedule that week. We try to get the first cleaning slot to get your arrival before 2pm , which is a few hours earlier than other cottages.

5. A land line is provided for safety. The police or fire department will know where you are.

6. Flat panel TV with full cable and high speed internet. Also 50 movies on DVDs are provided.

7. Air conditioners on both floors and 2 box fans to help with circulation if needed.

8. Re-booking policy will hold your rate for 1 additional season.

9. Shampoo, soap, etc are probably there if previous families did not help themselves :(

10. Waterfront entry has a bench and is 3 steps down safe stairs with a railing to sandy entry. No rocks, no weeds, no muck, no sticky clay.

Area Highlights: While very private, the location is not remote. Windham's Fun Park with go carts, sky swing and mini golf, movie theater and mall are 15 minutes in one direction while Naples with a game arcade, old fashioned steamboat ride around Long Lake, water sports, and plane rides is 15 minutes in the other direction.

Day trips under 2 hours: Portland is a great walking city from which you can tour the outer Maine islands via the mail boat or explore Peaks Island via golf cart. Freeport and North Conway for outlet shopping are an hour away. Family outings might include visits to the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray or the Sabbathday Shaker Village in New Gloucester which is the last active Shaker village in the US. Hike any variety of mountains including Shawnee Peak in Bridgton 45 minutes away; an artsy town where there is a wonderful park along a stream, an old time movie theatre, antique shops and art galleries to browse. Closer to the cottage, 5 minutes away is Hacker’s Hill with mesmerizing views of Sebago Lake in one direction and Thomas Pond in the other.

About the lake: Thomas Pond covers 533 acres and has a maximum depth of 64 feet. It is about 1 mile long and a mile wide with nooks and crannies to explore. Very quiet and private with just one neighbor on one side with trees in between. The surface temperature of the water in the summer is 78 degrees. There are 14 different kinds of fish living in the pond including: Brook and Brown trout, white and yellow perch as well as large mouth bass. In 1989, the largest smallmouth bass ever caught in Maine came from Thomas Pond. In the morning you can see the fish from your bedroom window.

Yard Amenities: A private lot is extremely rare in the Lakes Region. Children will enjoy playing in our pesticide/herbicide-free yard. Lots of potted flowers and perennial beds with garden ornaments give the feel of a bed and breakfast. An herb garden is yours for culinary experimentation. Book lovers take notice. We have a large assortment of books for children and adults with topics to please all tastes.

Google 'Isla's Will' for a video on U tube.

I pulled the following paragraphs on Thomas Pond trivia from Jon Whitney a local realtor's blog:
"The mood on Thomas Pond is relaxed. In fact, this is where Nathaniel Hawthorne, the famous 19th century author of The Scarlet Letter and many other works, used to enjoy relaxing as a kid. There is even a granite rock known as Inspiration Chair located along the shoreline that it is said he enjoyed sitting on.

Hawthorne spent some off his boyhood only a stones throw from Thomas Pond at his Uncle Richard Manning's home. According to the Hawthorne in Salem Web site, "Nathaniel and his friends could walk along broad Dingley Brook as it flowed down from its source, Thomas Pond, a half mile away. On its shores was the brickyard run by Jacob Watkins, which made the bricks necessary for the chimneys of the houses. From Thomas Pond, Nathaniel could see Rattlesnake Mountain, several miles away, a view which he loved." Today, family names in the area still include Dingley and Watkins. And in the summertime you can visit Hawthorne's home on nearby Raymond Cape Road in South Casco.

Tall white pines surround the 7.5 miles of shoreline. The lake covers 497 acres and has a maximum depth of 64 feet. The outlet, Dingley Brook, drains directly into Sebago Lake. Seasonal and year-round homes dot the shoreline."

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