Although our stay began with wet weather it didn't dampen our spirits when we saw the beautiful setting as Molasses Pond was quiet and remote enough to enjoy the nature around us. We enjoyed kayaking and fishing there as well as nearby Tunk and Long Lake. Hiked Tunk Mt and The WAS Preserve off Beals Island too, so many choices within an hours drive. The Bartlett Winery just off Rt 1 in Gouldsboro was a perfect end to our day sharing delicious wines with wonderful people. Ellsworth and it's many restaurants and shopping is close enough and the convenience store in Franklin has all you would need. It was all we wanted and needed for our week away together and watching and hearing the loons made it extra special...Thanks Karen for sharing your Artist Retreat!

Quiet location with a great sand beach. Cabin has everything you need during your stay. Lots of books, puzzles, and movies for a rainy day. Perfect place to escape for some great family time.

Everything was as advertised. A true get away. Lots of bird life, loved the loons.

The views cannot be beat. The water in the pond is clean and lovely! If you are looking for a get-a-way that is truly unplugged...this is the place.

Maybe it was the end of the season but this cabin is extremely secluded. Difficult to find as the directions all ran together instead of separating the directions by direction from which you were coming. Arriving at dark made this even more difficult, no yard light (motion sense ones aren’t expensive) . The linens on the bed were very old, patched and came off all corners every night, the bedspread was grimy and the thin blanket all looked from goodwill. Covered the one lounge chair with a towel to sit on it. So the stairs up to the bedroom are dangerous. Steep with no hand rail at all. Bedside lamp is a sure fire hazard with faulty wiring. The bedroom has a double bed, bunk beds and a daybed. The downstairs has zero curtains so it is a fishbowl at night. There is no additional chain on the entrance door, so anyone can have a duplicate key. I did not feel safe the entire week. Every item of furniture is beat up. Maybe at half the price this would have felt reasonable but that’s personal preference. Maybe it’s so worn out looking because it’s dog friendly, but if you’re looking for any level of comfort take a hard pass. No cell coverage even for emergencies.

I haven’t taken a vacation since 2004. I needed to go somewhere to relax. It was perfect. I took my mom, a friend and my 2 dogs with me. I’ve been looking for a lake house in Maine for 4 years now. The virus hit and made it impossible for me. Had a great time and would definitely come back.

We loved our stay at Karen's place on Molasses Pond. The pond was lovely, clean water, nice beach, great for swimming and kayaking. We saw so many birds and ducks and hardly any people.. The house is not fancy, but was very comfortable and had everything we needed. It was a beautiful, quiet and relaxing getaway.

This is a wonderful, comfortable house, stocked with both everyday needs and joyful, delightful, unexpected bits of art. It is just steps from the lake with chairs at the shoreline to relax in. The sun shines all day by the water. The water is quite shallow for many feet out; we didn't love this aspect, but it is great for kids or people less comfortable in the water. Deep Cove, where the cottage is located, is peaceful and serene.

Second time vacationing here and will make it a tradition, and made sure to do two weeks this time which was perfect. Crystal clear pond, cozy camp, wonderful neighbors, kids and dog ran free and barefoot. Truly soul reviving! Thank you!

We thoroughly enjoyed the peace and quiet this property offered. The property owners did a great job preparing for our rental. The swimming was great and the water so clear you could see straight through to the bottom. It was a great getaway

We had such a great time at this rental. The house was super cozy and the lake was perfect for swimming. We really enjoyed it!

Just as it is described. A perfect relaxing getaway spot. Dog friendly. Swimming. Kayaking. Loons. Reading. Fire pit. Wave lapping. We would come back and will...

Karen's cabin is quiet simplicity right on the edge of pristine Molasses Pond. This was the second time staying here with my two kids, 23 &17 and once again we had a really nice vacation. Karen really has everything you need here. Well stocked kitchen, loads of towels and a fun collection of games (and cassette tapes!) You feel like you are staying in someone's house as their guest rather than a generic rental. The pond is fantastic, we sat and read by the water edge every morning watching king fishers and comorants and loons in the evening. Great quiet family get away. Cook, read, hike, kayak, repeat. :)

Had everything we needed and the property was very nice just what we wanted.

Place is great to do nothing but read, sleep, canoe and swim. Would definitely do again. Owner is nice to deal with, even though I had no issues while there. I also had my 2 dogs with me, and they were in the water every day. Bring insect spray for night, you will need it if outside, or completely cover up. Perfect vacation for us.

This is a perfect place to go for a peaceful vacation. Very limited cell service and no internet really makes you disconnect from social media. It makes you to take in and appreciate the immense beauty surrounding you. The cabin was adorable and well equipped. We loved the fire pit and sitting outside listening to the loons. The best part was we could bring our fur baby Ralphy. He had a blast running up and down the sandy beach and attempting to swim lol. We hope to visit again!

This was a nice relaxing place to get away from it all. An easy drive to Acadia. The wildlife viewing was great. I sure hope we can get back there!

This is our second year enjoying Karen’s cottage on Molasses Pond. We can’t say enough good things about our peaceful, relaxing stay. It is the perfect get away from it all place yet convenient to Bar Harbor and other amenities. We love it! Thanks Karen for sharing your wonderful spot with us!

This is a nicely equipped cottage on a very quiet lake. There were days when we were the only people around. There is a neighboring cottage and they are lovely people. A child in that family helped our grandsons find frogs, led us all on a swim to the point, and shared water slide privileges with us. We were all appreciative of the many artistic and decorative touches that made the cottage unique. The bedroom was larger than I imagined and the windows throughout the house work very well. Loons and frogs were the only nighttime noise we heard. Other things we did: Tunk Mountain, Pigeon Hill, Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge, Woodlawn Museum and Gardens, and Carter Beach Trail in Hancock.

Do not use your GPS to get to the cabin - it brings you to the wrong side of the pond. The cabin was small but did have an open floor plan which helped. The Queen bed mattress was old and very uncomfortable. Do not drink the tap water as it upset both of our stomachs - buy bottled water. The pond and pond view was pretty nice. Some of the windows were broken and did not open. The refrigerator froze some of our food so be careful. Dogs had a blast in the water. The cabin was close to another cabin and not as private as we had hoped. The neighbor next door was nice, however, we did have minor problems with her unfriendly dog coming over and growling at our dogs!!! There was a few times we had to keep our dogs in the cabin just so we could relax on the beach. The radio in the cabin pout out nice sound and the two person kayak was fun.

This was one of the best vacations my family has ever had. It was so restorative, and we felt so connected to nature around us. The kids loved playing in the water all day. I really appreciated the hospitality and welcome Of the neighbors. The cottage was comfortable, and had everything we needed to camp out for the week. We plan to return for an extended time. Thank you for sharing your home with us.

We had a very nice stay at this lakefront retreat. The sound of the water lapping along the shore made for a calming and peaceful sense of tranquility, and lulled you to sleep.. Beds were very comfortable. Location was as expected in the write up. There was a tv, but no cable, so we rented redbox from the local Walmart. We really were there being tourists. Acadia national park was beautiful. lots of hikes, and we walked across the "Bar" in Bar Harbor.

We cannot say enough good things about our stay! We had an amazingly wonderful, relaxing vacation. A quiet lakeside location, loons, eagles, frogs and a great view! The sandy lakeside was perfect for our 9 month old grandson too! All the amenities are right there at your fingertips. Convenient to Bar Harbor for tourist stuff and Ellsworth for necessities that were forgotten by us. Our only complaint was that we only rented one week! We won't make that mistake again! Thank you, Karen, for sharing your cottage with us! We hated to leave! The Nixon's

We really enjoyed our stay at Molasses Pond! The loons visited the cove every day and the weather was fabulous!

Yes, like other renters noted, this is a home in a small series of camps that ends with this home. To the right are two abandoned spots, so you get a LONG stretch of beach to the right that our dogs loved to dart up and down. No, it is not secluded as in you are the only home standing in a field of swaying grass and lake, but this price is very good for what you are getting. The neighbors are very nice and super considerate; we had no issues, especially because Karen's camp has a lot of little nooks to hang out in that can give you seclusion if desired. Lake: perfect swimming; some days it was as flat as glass and you could see your reflection, other days it was choppy and you got to fall asleep to the sound of the crashing waves. Loons and frogs and nature galore; this spot is truly a gem. You may want to bring water shoes if you aren't a local, it is a gritty sand and I have those soft southern sand feet; haha. I can't stress how truly special this spot is; the stars are crazy at night, fire pit is huge, plenty of seating, canoe and kayak. This is about 25/30 minutes to Bar Harbor and 45 to Acadia - we found this to be totally manageable and a great trade off for not having to stay in the more congested places that don't have privacy or your own lake outside your door steps. The home itself is adorable with a lot of games, VHS, cassettes, DVD player, books. It is just incredibly charming. Kitchen is well equipped - we cooked most meals and had no issues finding things we needed. Lots of linens,blankets and towels; super helpful as no W/D on site; there is apparently a spot close by to do laundry, but we just packed accordingly. Upstairs there is a ton of sleeping spots and it is all in one nice and large room; great for families or close friends who don't mind a snore or two. There is no AC in the home, but windows open and we had cold nights and mornings; only one day was warm but there is a fan upstairs and that helped a lot; slept fine. Living space has a comfy couch and reclining chair; upstairs has a day bed with a lake view that is Super for reading and naps. The bathroom - saloon doors and a curtain over for privacy, no real door. We managed, but did do some schedule coordinating ;) It is a very large bathroom though. Not a ton of hot water as previously mentioned, but it was fine. We just didn't shower back to back and each enjoyed very hot showers. Overall, AWESOME spot on the lake, in Maine and we had an amazing time with our dogs!

Cottage had everything you need to enjoy a vacation. My granddaughters loved swimming and the beach area was quite large. The only drawback was not being able to watch TV, but we purchased a Ruko and connected to our cell phone hotspot. Hubby was able to watch local news. I would certainly rent this cottage again.

This is our second time at the Artist's retreat. The quiet beach setting brought us back and I am sure it will again.

Everything you need to go off the grid and find your inner peace.

We had a great time. With 2 teenagers, it's hard to find something that appeals to everyone. This house was perfect. We could bring our dog, kayak and fish. Play family games lots of Uno...read books, nap, generally unwind from our crazy busy schedules. Close to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park...Thanks so much for a lifetime of memories!

Rustic but well equipped cabin with the best lot on the lake. Expansive beach in a perfect cove that blocks the wind & provides gorgeous views! Perfect water for swimming. Lovely & very friendly neighbors. Cabin has everything you need, including games, pots & pans, dishes, linens, towels, kayaks for 3, paddleboards, a great firepit, and picnic table. Come prepared for no washer or dryer though. And possibly no internet or phone, depending on your service. An easy drive to Acadia & BarHarbor. Looking forward to coming again!

The camp we easy to access and very clean! Very quiet area...everything we needed was right there...we brought our own food and clothes. There was even a stack of wood for the fire pit!!

My family and I were extremely disappointed with this cabin. The description was very misleading. The cabin was much smaller than indicated in the advertisement. Athough advertised as having a living room with pull-out couch, there was neither. One enters the cabin directly into a small kitchen containing a small table with four chairs. A sliding glass door overlooks a (very pretty) lake, but there is no family or living room, no den, or any other type of gathering area. There was a separate shed area near the cabin (with an old couch in it), but unless I truly disliked my children, I wouldn't think of sending them out there (I might never have seen them again!). The only bathroom shares space with the laundry facilities; in fact the bathroom sink serves also as the laundry sink. The bathroom/laundry room is accessed through swinging doors, so there is absolutely no privacy. The house was not clean. It was dusty with stained carpeting upstairs, cobwebs and lots of little bugs and spiders for company. Neither the VCR nor the dishwasher worked. I not only wouldn't recommend this place to a friend, but I wouldn't recommend it to an enemy, either.