Loved, loved, loved this property. It was open, clean and had all the amenities. Great kitchen to cook in, great deck to enjoy evenings on, and oh so comfortable. Its location is fantastic, whether you want to go to Mt Desert Island and Acadia, or whether you want to explore the truly beautiful Blue Hill Peninsula. This cabin is less that five miles from the Deer Island Bridge, about 1/2 an hour from Ellsworth and its stores. Such a wonderful place to come to after a day of exploring, and cooking in the large and up to date kitchen was a dream. Our family enjoyed meals around the fantastic kitchen island, and we loved having most of our kids downstairs while we were upstairs in the stunning master bedroom. Loved the storage in the bedrooms, and loved the full bookcases as well. Really can't say enough good things about Orchard House and the thoughtfulness of its owners.

Vacation with friends and family. Pulled into the road to the house and it looks just like in the photo. But once inside, it's a beautiful home. The downstairs has a huge laundry, which I wish I had in my own home. Two nice bedrooms on the ground floor and a shared bathroom. Up the stairs, the house is built with an open design with the kitchen and living room. Off the living room was a very nice deck that we were able to view some wild life. A flock of turkeys and some deer. Large master bedroom, very comfy king size bed and a small bedroom with a single bed are off from the living room area. Very large kitchen island was big enough for all 7 of us to eat at. Kitchen is well equipped with lots of dishes, pots & pans and spices. This house is in a very rural area and approximately 1 hour from Arcadia National Park. We made the drive to the park 3 days and visited some local towns the rest of the time. The electric went off on one of the days, but the owner was responsive and had the electric company repairing in no time at all. Enjoyed our time in the area.

Vacation with friends and family. Pulled into the road to the house and it looks just like in the photo. But once inside, it's a beautiful home. The downstairs has a huge laundry, which I wish I had in my own home. Two nice bedrooms on the ground floor and a shared bathroom. Up the stairs, the house is built with an open design with the kitchen and living room. Off the living room was a very nice deck that we were able to view some wild life. A flock of turkeys and some deer. Large master bedroom, very comfy king size bed and a small bedroom with a single bed are off from the living room area. Very large kitchen island was big enough for all 7 of us to eat at. Kitchen is well equipped with lots of dishes, pots & pans and spices. This house is in a very rural area and approximately 1 hour from Arcadia National Park. We made the drive to the park 3 days and visited some local towns the rest of the time. The electric went off on one of the days, but the owner was responsive and had the electric company repairing in no time at all. Enjoyed our time in the area.

We have rented many homes but this one has the most well-stocked kitchen, comfy beds, spacious rooms including a large laundry room. Brooksville is one of many lovely towns on Blue Hill Peninsula. We visited most of them, hiking, touring museums, exploring harbors, kayaking, shopping at Farmers markets and more. The owner has a complete file of local sites and sights. A one hour drive to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park adds to the enjoyment of this area. Plus you can pick blackberries and apples right outside the front door. We've stayed twice with family in the Orchard House and hope to return.

It’s a lovely country location with lots to do in the neighboring towns. One is really far from the “Madding Crowd” when here and that’s a pleasure. The house is clean, well appointed and extremely comfortable. There are, however, a lot of stairs which is a disadvantage for some people. Other than that we loved it.

This house is just close enough to the crazy touristy areas of downeast to make it possible to visit them, but far enough way to be quiet, relaxing, and make you feel like you're really experiencing Maine. When you're tired of the shoulder to shoulder press of people (even at Acadia, that was nuts - I've never seen it so busy) you can head back, take a swim in the "pond" (aka lake), have food at some awesome spots, and we even had our first ever home lobster boil - had everything we needed to do it. Must recommend The Fish Net, Bagaduce, Stonington CoOp, Harbor House and Harbor Cafe for meals. The Tradewinds grocery was big enough to have what we needed. We loved The Meadow in Blue Hill for shopping. The outdoor shower was a multi-generational hit that was used multiple times a day.

My three children and I stayed at this property for a week in August. We had such a wonderful time. The house is beautiful and so well equipped. Everything you could possibly need is there. The kitchen is fitted for actual cooking, linens and towels are provided. The house is also spotlessly clean which I appreciate above everything else. My two boys are teenagers and used the downstairs bedrooms with the bathroom down there. My daughter and I used the upstairs rooms. Everyone loved having their own space while still being together. The house is well stocked with DVD's, games, and books. Two of my kids spent hours in the evenings playing chess and I loved seeing them so focused on something non electronic. The outside shower is an absolute dream, there is nothing like showering outside on a beautiful summer morning. The house location is very private and incredibly quiet and peaceful. We found the location of the property to be excellent for exploring many areas of Maine. We went all over the Blue Hill Peninsula and we drove up to Mount Desert Island quite a few times. It is an easy drive away of just about one hour. Acadia National Park is absolutely breathtaking. The owners clearly take a great deal of pride in their property. Sally is extremely pleasant and helpful. She is very responsive and sent us a detailed email with ideas of places to go and restaurants to eat at. I have rented many places and she was by far the most friendly and helpful owner I have ever dealt with. I would not hesitate to return here and often think longingly of our peaceful week in Maine!

Thank you, Sally, for your the kind words in your e-mail about Jeanie and me as guests in your wonderful Orchard House. We return them to you and Sean manyfold. We totally agree with you that trust and open communication between owners and renters are essential to arrangements such as the ones that VRBO facilitates. And having lived in Orchard House for a whole month, we feel “well met” by you and Sean, even though we haven’t actually met you. I don’t know that Jeanie and I have anything to add to the reviews of Orchard House on the VRBO website, which are all strongly positive, or to the House Book that you have put together, which is a great resource for your guests. Like your other guests we found our own favorite places on the Blue Hill peninsula, as did all of our own family visitors.  For Jeanie and me, the Good Life Center, a/k/a Forest Farm, was of special interest. I’m old enough to have known the Scott and Helen Nearing story from the 1960s on. We got to meet and have conversation with the interns in residence there and even a couple of members of the board that oversees the Forest Farm operation. The Wooden Boat and Haystack Schools were of special interest too, and we made more than one visit to both of them. As for restaurants, we liked your favorites, the Bagduce Cafe for lunch and the Whale’s Rib for dinner, but the Cockatoo Portuguese Restaurant at Goose Cove turned out to be a favorite too, with the walk through the woods and across the sandbar to Barred Island as a kind of bonus to our meal. Everywhere we travel Jeanie has an unerring instinct for finding the most amazing hiking trails, and the Blue Hill peninsula, as you know, because of the Island Trust, proved to have a seemingly endless supply of such trails, a new discovery every day we went out. You may recall my having told you that Jeanie paid her way through college, back in the 1970s, by working six summers at a restaurant in Bar Harbor. So nostalgia called us to Mount Desert Island while we were staying in Orchard House. We took all of our family visitors to Mount Desert too… for hikes and climbs in Acadia and, of course, tea and popovers at the Jordan Pond House.  Our month in Orchard House, escaping at least some of the (almost) unbearable heat of the Florida summer, was, in a favorite phrase of Jeanie’s and mine, “all good.” Here’s wishing you and Sean and your children the same, only and “all good” things.

This was our third stay at Orchard House, but we've been coming to the neighborhood for 15 years. My kids are college students now, and they still dream about coming to Brooksville each summer. This is a gloriously beautiful region, with plenty of low-key activities, including hiking, kayaking, blueberry picking, swimming, beachcombing, bird watching and just taking in a spectacular view around each corner. There are also hundreds of artists and writers who live and work here, wonderful restaurants and small food businesses, and abundant peace and quiet. Orchard House is comfortable sunny and spacious, with a beautifully equipped kitchen. Sally and Sean are wonderful hosts. We love it here and we will certainly be back!

Orchard House is a wonderful place that will draw you back year after year. I know it firsthand because for much of a decade it was my home away from home for an annual fall getaway to Maine. And I was ever so grateful for the warmth and friendship that Sally and Sean offered over time. They are first-rate hosts. I'll always think of their house as a place that held so many good stories for me. At moments, it was a den of solitude. I'd pack a pile of books and old New Yorkers to read (or maybe drop into the Blue Hill Library). And I'd walk many miles in the woods and happen upon a gaggle of wild turkeys or a porcupine on his way. Or sit on the shore of the lake with a cup of coffee and have a good think. It would be a fine place to write. Other times, the house was full of joyful conviviality. I invited friends who'd stop in for a few days and we'd explore the peninsula (guided by the house binder full of good suggestions for adventures) and then come home (often with lobsters fresh off the dock in Stonington) and cook and feast and drink good wine (see Max at the Blue Hill wine shop) and tell tall tales late into the night. It was such fun. And always, at the end of the day, no matter how brisk the late October air, there was a hot shower under a bazillion stars. Pure magic. I'm in a new phase of life now with a sweet pup and a partner who desires to explore more pockets of Maine and beyond. One day we hope to have our own place up north -- and I'll always be grateful to Orchard House and Sally and Sean for making my annual treks to Maine a much-loved respite and ritual -- the very best weeks of the year.

Wonderful time in Blue Hill area. Orchard House was a perfect home base especially if you like to take advantage of all the area farmer's markets and off the boat seafood...come back to a wonderful gourmet kitchen to prepare your finds. Tons of room, nice layout, very helpful owners. I would definitely recommend.

Staying at Orchard House was really a pleasure. The house has a clean, modern interior and was well-provisioned with lots of room to spread out and a great kitchen for cooking and entertaining. We have a young child and appreciated having a child’s room right off of the upstairs master. The friendly owners were very helpful, providing a great book of local recommendations and posting small signs throughout the house which clarified how things worked. Orchard House is in a peaceful wooded setting - no ocean view, but near a large lake (Walker Pond) that has boating, a small beach, and a children's day camp nearby. The location of the house was a perfect starting-off point for many adventures in Blue Hill, Brooksville, Deer Isle, and even Acadia National Park. We highly recommend this property for a wonderful week in Maine!

This was the 3rd year in a row our family of five has stayed at the Orchard House. Like the 1st two years, we were comfy and cozy in a beautiful home that has a great deal to offer in space and function. The kitchen continues to impress! The very private back deck and outdoor shower is actually quite addictive, and the location of this home is perfect for us. Our children, ages 9-12-13 all give this place rave reviews as well and we'll be staying for another week, I'm sure, during the summer of 2015.

We thoroughly enjoyed staying at Orchard House. As a cook, I particularly enjoyed the well equipped kitchen and open floor plan between the kitchen and living area. We used the grill several times, canoed on Walker Pond, and enjoyed the resident loons and wild turkeys. Comfortable beds and the slate shower upstairs were nice. Goor proximity to Blue Hill, Deer Isle, and Castine, and the great restaurants all around. Many thanks for a great week!

For seven years, my family spent a week each summer at Sally's family's resort, Oakland House. The kids talked about it all year, and couldn't wait to go back. When Oakland House sadly closed, we began to spend vacations elsewhere, but it wasn't the same. This summer, with my son heading off to college in the fall, my daughter, son and I decided to rent a house on the Blue Hill Peninsula. What a surprise to discover Sally and Sean's house, just down the road from Oakland House and right on the shore of beautiful Walker Pond! We brought along another 18 year old boy, and they loved swimming and fishing in the Pond, although they didn't catch anything. They particularly enjoyed the outdoor shower, which is quite glorious on a sunny morning. I made muffins and pancakes with blueberries picked on Caterpillar Hill, and we got fresh-off-the-boat lobsters in Stonington ($3.80/lb.!). We did some hiking on Deer Isle and in Acadia National Park, but mostly we relaxed, read, and enjoyed each other's company--and the turkey family on the property. A beautiful spot with most gracious hosts, Sally and Sean have thought of literally everything you might need or enjoy. I'm always sad to leave Brooksville....