House Rental in South Haven

In a bit of a twist from the usual city hotel or resort vacation, I joined my family for a long weekend in South Haven, a little town on Lake Michigan favored by both Detroit metro residents and Chicago metro residents.  Rather than stay at one of the many B&Bs situated on or near the shores of Lake Michigan, my family rented a five bedroom, 3 bathroom cottage just a few blocks from the beach (http://www.michiganvacationcottages.com/cottages/michigan-vacation-cottages-233333-details.html).

It didn't have a concierge desk and we had to do our own laundry, but there was plenty of room, lots of outdoor space for grilling and bocce ball, wireless internet (for those who just couldn't break away from the real world) and a great wraparound porch.

This was the first time I had rented (or, more honestly, my family had rented) a cottage and it presented us with a perfect home base for days at the beach, walking through the little stores in the 3 block downtown of South Haven and just spending hours just sitting and relaxing -- not to mention a whole lot of room for extended family and guests.

Although renting a cottage presents some risks (such as when we found out only a week ahead of our trip that wifi hadn't actually been installed), there are plenty of websites that provide pictures, information and reviews so you can do a good deal of research before making your decision.

A cottage on a lake won't give you a city or a beach resort experience, but it's a great in-between vacation -- for a long weekend or a week -- just to relax and let time slow down if just for a little while.