This was our first visit to Smith Mountain Lake. My husband, two kids (14 and 10 year old), my 70 year old Mother and our two standard poodles had a fantastic time. We brought our boat and enjoyed being able to keep it in front of the house. The locked neighborhood boat ramp is just the next cove over and you can keep your trailer there during your stay . The water at Smith Mt Lake is deep, clear and the most beautiful color. Everyone in our group enjoyed swimming off the dock. We loved sitting at the dining table and enjoying the view while we ate and played games. The kids loved the basketball shooting machine downstairs and watching the Fourth of July fireworks from the boat. We took walks through the peaceful neighborhood every day. The house had ample kitchen provisions with the exception of serving spoons. A few drawbacks were that the laundry area was not swept when we arrived, the downstairs bed still had someone else’s sheet on it, there were a few ants in the kitchen, the lock in the upstairs bathroom got stuck, the steps down to the lake are in need of repair and there was a mixup with Lake Retreat Properties who told us we could check in early but the cleaning crew was still there. Despite those minor hiccups we thoroughly enjoyed the house and fell in love with Smith Mt Lake. I would highly recommend this wonderful dog friendly retreat.