Secluded 4+br home: short walk to private association beach
Vineyard Haven, Makonikey, off Lambert's Cove Vacation Rental - ID 3695

10 year returning renter: ''We have been renting the Wallas/Hallen house since is was built in 1998. In fact, we were the first renters there. The photos on the internet don't do justice to the house. It is set in the trees with a grassy yard. There are neighbors but they are mostly hidden by the woods. It's a short walk to the beach. I usually get up very early and walk down to the beach with my cup of coffee for some quiet time before everyone is up. There are small children in our group and it is wonderful not to need to pile in the car to get to the beach. ''The beach is private and we are often the only family on the beach. It's a little rocky in the water and there's been lots of seaweed some years. The beach has beautiful white sand for building sand castles and walking. It's perfect for small children since there is very little surf and the water is shallow going out. There's miles of beach for walking and shell collecting. Again, there's no one on the beach for miles. My husband likes to surf cast from the beach - doesn't catch much but has fun. One year my son brought his sail boat. He docked it at Vineyard Haven and sailed over every day. He would anchor off shore and we could swim out to the boat and go for a sail. Last year we rented kayaks in town. The cottage is close enough to the beach so we could carry the kayak to the beach every day for paddling around. ''The cottage is comfortable and very clean. We have stayed at other houses on the Vineyard that are elegant but we prefer the more relaxed feel of the Hallen's place. The layout is ideal for my family. We have four generations and there is room to be together as well as room for people to have some quiet time. On the first floor there's a den with a television and a full bath. The den can be closed off from the rest of the downstairs so people can watch tv while others are talking or reading in the living room. The kitchen is well equipped and there is a gas grill on the porch. We love to cook and the kitchen is efficient and can accommodate several cooks at once. We spend lots of time on the porch that wraps around the east and north side of the house. There are comfortable chairs for reading in the shade and we enjoy eating al fresco by candle light at the table on the porch after a day at the beach. The location is quiet and away from the traffic and tourists in town. The island is small and it's just a short drive to just about anywhere on the island. We really love the tucked away solitude. There have been years when we have not left the cottage for the whole week except to go to the grocery store. . . . . .Every couple of years we think we should try another location on the Vineyard. We work with the realtor and spend a weekend on the Vineyard in freezing February driving past some of the places. At the end of the weekend we wonder why we bothered to look. We always go back to the Hallens.'' show moreshow less

''Just a little note to you to tell you just how much we enjoyed spending our New Year in your wonderful Vineyard Home. We were very much surprised on how well equipped your kitchen is. I don't think we have ever rented a property with so much to offer.''