Let me start by saying, I took a lot of time to reflect on my review, as I do not like leaving negative reviews. Having said that, I don’t want another family coming away disillusioned and disappointed with their vacation.
Pros:
1. Main areas of the house were clean and tidy. (Bedrooms, bathrooms, living room, and kitchen). As advertised.
2. Internet access and access to Netflix and Prime was much appreciated. We didn’t get to use the sound system outside, but that it’s a nice feature when spending time on the balcony.
3. My family really loved the pool table.
4. The above ground pool was clean.
5. Entry was easy with the keyless lock.
Cons:
1. THE PUTRID SMELL from the lake hits you blocks away from the house, every time you open any door, and lingers inside the house. The lake for a long time has had a problem with the toxic algae called cyanobacteria, also referred to as blue-green algae, the drought has exasperated the problem and the heat didn’t help. Some areas of the lake are worse than others and that’s where the house is located. The owner/manager only mentioned it to me after I asked about a fishing license to fish from the pier 11 days before our arrival. The water or “sludge” (as my kids described it) level was shallow at the base of the pier, so you could not fish, jump off the pier, use the slide or even launch any inflatable thing off the pier. What is the point of renting a house on the lake with a pier if you cannot even use it? The current pictures posted for the rental are in my opinion false advertisement, or at the very least, dishonest. We spent most of our time exploring the northern part of the lake where the smell was not so bad, and we were able to kayak. We had to toss every article of clothing we used directly into the wash because the smell clung to our clothes like a bad nightmare.
2. The house has these beautiful windows with the view of the lake and distant mountains and sunset, unfortunately, we couldn’t close the blinds because they were broken. Not a big deal, but the sun beaming on you as you watch TV, not fun.
3. The listing states it the house has an above ground pool and a communal pool, there is not communal pool, another false advertisement. My youngest daughter enjoyed it because she was small enough, but my older kids did not enjoy it. This was the only “water” activity they had since we could not go in the lake.
Part 1 of 2 of our review