We've lovingly restored our 1968 lakefront cottage and welcome you to experience the tranquility of our lake house in a quiet fishing cove. What sets our vacation rental apart are the long range views of the dam across deep water, which is why our listing is coined "Great Dam View." Because our cottage sits on a large grassy lot with very few houses in our cove, it makes for a wonderfully relaxing getaway where you truly feel as if you're away from it all.
Here are our bedding and bathroom arrangements:
Main house:
Master - Queen bed with en suite bathroom with stand up shower and large tub
Guest Room 1 - Full bed
Guest Room 2 - Two twin beds
Guest bathroom with stand up shower
*Optional Space* Garage Bunkhouse with 4 twin beds, 1 full sized futon, and 1 full bathroom
If you do not utilize this space and leave it untouched, you will receive a $150 refund after your stay.
Here are our property amenities:
-Two story dock with two boat slips for your boats
-2 Single Person Kayaks
-2 Stand Up Paddle Boards
-Firepit (firewood unfortunately isn't provided)
-Gas grill, charcoal grill and electric smoker
-Full kitchen with all cookware essentials
-Games & toys such as corn hole, horseshoes, lake floats, fishing poles, etc
-Smart TV's with Disney+, ESPN, Netflix, Amazon Prime TV & Hulu
-Basic toiletries such as shampoo & soap
-5 minutes to downtown Hartwell with shopping and dining, a new grocery store and Walmart
-Less than a mile from a public boat ramp to put your boat in the water
-Pet friendly with $100 pet fee
-Sleeps 12 if you opt to rent the bunkhouse along with the main house
We have guests from all over the North and Southeast looking for a restful spot on the water for their families, or for a peaceful night's sleep during work travels. We've received hundreds of five star reviews because we work very hard to listen to our guests and consider their feedback to enhance the travels of future guests. With that in mind, here are a few comments we feel you should know about prior to booking:
-The Cottage is located in a county without leash laws. We have a few neighborhood dogs who roam without a leash. Two of them are teeny chihuahuas, but a couple others are medium to large sized dogs. If you're afraid of dogs or you plan to bring a dog that wouldn't enjoy our neighborhood pets, you may feel better booking a different property.
-Our driveway is pretty long and easy to access, but it does have a tight turn with overhanging trees that make bringing an RV pretty difficult.
-We have a few neighbors, and while they are spaced out very privately, we want to avoid any loud parties or chaos that would impact their daily lives at their private residences. If you're having a college reunion or a wild shindig, this isn't the right place to rent.
With unbelievable lake views in almost every room of the home, the cottage features a romantic master bedroom with a wood burning fireplace, a large lakeside porch to snuggle in a hammock with a book, and a relaxing two story dock dock ready for fishing or laying in the sun. Enjoy a cup of coffee in the adirondack chairs on the front porch and see the sun rising over the Hartwell dam across the lake. Roast marshmallows around our stone fire pit with vintage lighting and comfortable chairs as you enjoy the lake view.
Rent a boat from Portman Marina and tour around Lake Hartwell or take a long cruise and catch the cheers of a football game at Clemson University with its lakeside stadium (about 45 minutes away). We also love cruising to dinner at a lovely local restaurant called the Galley in Anderson, SC (about 20 minutes away by boat). If you own a boat, easily drop it in the water at the public ramp only one street away and use our covered boat slip at our private dock with power at the dock. Fishing is plentiful at Hartwell and our guests frequently comment on their success in our large, quiet cove. We recently had a family visit who told us their son was so proud of his first catch ever - a five pound catfish!
The Cottage is full of memories from guests playing on the lake, building fires, and running outdoors with the big grassy yard and plenty of yard games. Enjoy the horseshoe pit, ladderball, cornhole, giant Jenga, and our kayaks and stand up paddleboards.
After a day on the water, relax in the open concept living room and kitchen with a wall full of windows showcasing expansive lake views. Cozy up in our comfy couches in the living room with cable tv, a replica Atari video game, or a family board game. With a dining table and a humble kitchen you won't have to leave, but downtown Hartwell is a 5 minute drive away and offers wonderful restaurants with a nostalgic "Main Street" feel. Here you'll find a mix of antique shops, great local cooking, and seasonal events in the downtown square. A large grocery store, Ingles, is less than 5 minutes away. Some of our guests stop by this Ingles on the way in, and enjoy staying at the cottage the entire trip without having to venture out and break up the relaxation time.
We also have a garage bunkhouse that is only available to guests renting the cottage. If you're interested in renting the bunk house for an additional $300 per stay (this fee covers the air conditioning and another housekeeper), we'll give you a separate code for the door. It features four twin sized beds, one full sized futon, and an en suite bathroom with stand up shower. The view from the expansive lakeside window is amazing!! Please keep in mind that this room is above the garage, and the steps are quite steep. The steps would not be suitable for toddlers or those with any difficulty walking. Just let us know if you'd like to rent the bunkhouse and we'll send you an additional payment request for the $300 fee.
We poured our heart and soul into the renovations, and while we still have Pinterest boards full of inspirational photos for future projects, we love the way it turned out. Coming to the lake cottage allows us the chance to escape from our crazy schedules and to take a moment to just relax. Surrounded by vintage furnishings and rustic beauty, we find it easy to lose track of time and soak in the family memories together.
This home is very special to us, and we are so excited to share it with you!
