3 Bedrooms,
2 Bathrooms,
Sleeps 7
0 miles from Searsport
BirchView is a beautiful summer cottage on a spring-fed lake, five miles inland from Mid-Coast Maine's ocean. It has been our private summer home for over 35 years. Our children are grown and gone with their own families, and so , we have opened it up to rent to selected guests who will love it and care for it as much as we do.
Built in 1924 in a pine grove secluded from the eyes of neighboring cottages, BirchView is large -- 3,000 square feet -- and is completely furnished; 3 bedrooms with new queen-sized beds, one room of which also has a child's bed; 2 full bathrooms; 32-ft eat-in kitchen; a 12 foot dining table in the lake room to enjoy your meals while watching for loons and eagles; a library with a fireplace, two comfy sofas, a reclining chair, thousands of books, and hundreds of family-friendly video tapes; an upstairs living room (adjacent to the bedrooms) with sofas and chairs that overlook the lake. We face west and are blessed with the most beautiful sunsets imaginable!
Please enjoy our private beach, kayak, and giant inner tubes. Fed by 3 fresh-water springs, Swan Lake is pristine, quiet, and small -- only 3 miles long. For those who worry that a Maine lake may be cold, let us assure you that the water temperature is usually 76 degrees, very refreshing. (The nearby ocean, on the other hand, is 55 degrees!)
July and August are our best months weather-wise, but
may I tell you how gleeful I was to experience my first September as a retired teacher? I learned quickly what all Mainers already know: the September lake is still warm and highly swimmable. Days are sunny, nights are cool, and maple trees are busy preparing for Show-and-Tell.
Here's hoping another retiring teacher will love Swan Lake in September as much as I do! October is a mind-blowing kaleidoscope of color, but you will need your down-filled sleeping bag at night!
Sara, a previous guest had this to say about BirchView:
"We had an absolutely wonderful time in this quintessential Maine lake camp. It is right on the lake, and the panoramic beauty of the place is all around you. The lake itself is cool, clean, and there are virtually no motorboats. I went swimming each and every day. Melinda is an engaged and engaging hostess. She knows Birchview like the back of her hand, and was exceptionally generous in sharing her wisdom with us. Thus, we became acquainted with some of its less obvious delights (eagles at dusk, lucky pebbles, etc.) far more quickly than if we had been lurching around on our own. The property is very special. Some aspects of its layout are ingenious - like the attic windows that open, just under the eaves, to let fresh air flow through the house - keeping it lovely and cool, even in the 90° weather we had last week. The fireplace is the soul of the house, and we found ourselves gathering there in the evening to toast marshmallows, watch classic Disney films, read, or do puzzles. The bedrooms, especially the two that face the lake, are incredibly cozy. The place is spacious and open. If I could go back tomorrow and stay a few more weeks, I'd do so in a split second."
As the only guests, you will have full access to the cottage, but please note that Birchview is not wheel-chair accessible. There is a short, easy down-hill walk from the private parking area, and another very short walk down to the lake. (The cottage itself is two floors plus a loft.) Therefore, all guests must be sure-footed and ambulatory.
The cottage is fully supplied. Fresh linens, sheets, and towels will be provided to guests who are flying to Maine. Guests who are driving are welcome to bring their own favorite sheets, blankets, and pillows.
The cottage draws its water from the lake. It is suitable for bathing and washing dishes, but we no longer drink or cook with it. Bottled water will be provided. Please note: By choice we have neither an automatic dishwasher, nor a clothes washer. This is a summer cottage, after all, designed to access the Happy Camper in each of us! There is no internet, but we have tons of books, games, and videos. Cell phone coverage cannot be guaranteed; it depends on your phone and carrier.
I am a rockhound. I spend hours patrolling the beach, looking for interesting rocks. The lore in my family (and others as well) hints that rocks with an unbroken circle are "lucky" rocks. Our beach has loads of them. It also has spectacular green granite rocks. In the library you will find lots of lots of rocks I have collected from our beach throughout the years. Maybe BirchView will encourage you to take up a new hobby!
We suggest that first-time guests to Maine try to arrange a two-week stay because there is so much to do and see, all within driving distance. The cottage rental fees reflect this suggestion. First week, $1500, second week $1300, plus the fees charged by the agency.
Near by we have Acadia National Park; Bar Harbor with shops and whale sight-seeing adventures;, even a fast ferry to Nova Scotia. Mt. Katahdin, the northernmost point of the Appalachian Trail; Belfast, a very charming harbor town with lots of shops and art galleries; Camden, the harbor town which Walter Cronkite called the most beautiful in America; Old Orchard Beach with big ocean waves to jump around in, and Funtown a fantastic water park which delights children and adults alike. For lighthouse buffs, there are several in the area; breakwaters, too. The ferry boat in Rockland goes to the famous, little islands off the Maine coast and welcomes cars, bikes, and pedestrians.