Steps from the edge of magnificent Great Pond, this beautiful home has lake views from every room. It is fully renovated with open plan, high ceilings, elegant furniture & new appliances. See spectacular sunsets from the house & screened porch, and swim, boat & relax on your private dock, just 30' from the house. Two large BRs, each over 200 sq ft, plus a 3rd BR loft, will sleep 8. Belgrade Lakes is the most lovely, historical town in this renowned lakes region. The space Our waterfront home in the Belgrade Lakes region is a tranquil retreat on the water’s edge of the iconic Great Pond, which inspired the play and film On Golden Pond. Eugene O’Neill and E. B. White also found inspiration writing on Belgrade Lakes. Great Pond is the largest of the Belgrade Lakes, with an area over 8,533 acres. It is and ideal for swimming, fishing, exploring with family and friends on a pontoon boat, paddling the pine-studded coastline in a kayak, canoe or paddle board, or relaxing on the shore with a book, watching for bald eagles and loons. This beautiful, classic, 1300 sq ft A-frame home sits just 30 feet from the water, with a gentle walk, not a steep climb, to its large, private dock. The house offers expansive lake views from every room, and faces west for stunning sunsets over the lake. This home was a traditional cabin that has been completely renovated and expanded. It is less a ‘rustic cabin’ and more an ‘upscale cabin,’ with all comforts and elegance but still offering the classic Maine lake country experience. The home’s recent renovation includes the finest materials, finishes and appliances (heat, AC, and gas fireplace), with elegant, comfortable furniture and lovely décor—you will feel like you want to stay for a long time! One of the many unique features of this house are the spacious, well-appointed, lovely bedrooms, more typical of a house than a cabin. Both main-floor bedrooms have lake views and patios that open towards the lake, and smart TVs. Either could be the master bedroom: One bedroom (215 sq. ft) has a king size bed, a large closet, two large antique dressers, and a half bath. The other bedroom (220 sq. ft.) has a queen size bed, a wide chair that opens into a single bed, full bath, and opens into an adjacent space that includes a desk, a ‘fireplace style’ wall-mounted heater, dresser and large closet. The third bedroom (198 sq. ft) is an open loft overlooking the living room, with two double beds and a large dresser. All the beds are very comfortable. The house is fully supplied with sheets (700 thread in the two main bedrooms, 400 in the loft), towels for bathrooms and lake, soaps and sundries. There is a pack n' play for the baby. You’ll find lots of family games, and books for adults and kids. A fun extra feature of the cabin is that it is directly across the dirt road from a fenced, outdoor communal play area, with a basketball hoop, tetherball, and volleyball net. The living room, kitchen and dining area adjoin in an open plan, with high ceilings and large windows overlooking the lake. The living room has a smart TV, and a lovely wood-stove style gas fireplace that keeps the house toasty warm in the cool months, and AC that keeps the house cool and comfortable in the summer. The whole house is well insulated. The kitchen is fully equipped, with new small appliances, new supplies, lovely ceramic dishware for dining inside or on the porch, melamine and paper dishes for dining on the dock, and a pantry closet for your groceries. A new Ninja Twisti will provide you with smoothies in the morning and frozen drinks in the evening. The large, lovely screened porch faces the lake, with wicker couches, reclining armchairs, and a dining table. You will enjoy drinking your morning coffee while taking in the expansive view of the lake’s scenic beauty, watching your family and friends enjoying the lake during the day, and drinking wine or enjoying food while watching the sunset over the lake, with Blueberry Hill (one of the best local mountains for hiking) in the backdrop. A new, three-burner Weber grill on the nearby patio is there for you to grill on those evenings that you don’t go out seeking fresh Maine seafood. The short path to the lake is graveled with a gentle slope—this is one of the great advantages of this home, as many houses in the lake regions have steep rocky climbs or long staircases to the water. Older guests can thus comfortably sit near or on the dock and return to the house as frequently as they wish. The dock is wide, perfect for relaxing on the Adirondack chairs with your morning coffee or tea, watching your family and friends swimming and paddling, and sunset meals while watching the loons. The water is lovely for swimming. In addition to the main dock, there is a private floating dock to swim to and rest on. There are two kayaks, two stand-up paddleboards (SUPs), one classic Old Town canoe, and a bunch of inflatables for your use. Great Pond Marina and other businesses in the area rent fishing boats, ski boats, pontoons and more, and there is a private mooring off our dock for your use. You can also get picked up at your dock for a private breakfast, afternoon or dinner guided cruise around the enormous, magnificent Great Pond. The cabin is on a peaceful, secluded peninsula, perfect for long walks, but a 10-minute drive or motorboat ride will take you to downtown Belgrade Lakes, where you can pick up groceries, go out for a meal or ice cream, or stroll around the beautiful town. The cabin is a 10-minute drive from the award-winning Belgrade Lakes Golf Club. Belgrade Lakes is a unique place in Maine: the most lovely town in central Maine’s renowned lake region, with classic New England architecture and charm, cute shops, great food and a vibrant tourist scene. There are 7 lakes in the region, with Belgrade Lakes situated on a stunningly beautiful spot tucked between the two largest lakes, Great Pond and Long Pond. Leisurely dine on the edge of an inlet off of Great Pond at the Village Inn (live music on Sun and Wed, outdoors in the summer, and in the Fireside Lounge in the Fall and Spring), known for exquisite hand-crafted cocktails, gourmet cuisine, 12-hour roast duck, and locally grown vegetables. Then head to the ice cream parlor at Day’s store and enjoy eating at a picnic table overlooking Long Pond. In summer, visit the charming Belgrade Lakes Farmer’s Market on Sundays, or one of the many farm stalls and farms in the area. For a casual but sublime meal try H J Blakes (mid-June through mid-Sept), with the region’s best lobster role, halibut burger, ½ pound hamburger, and home-made French fries; or stop at Hello Good Pie for homemade chowders and salads, gourmet meals to go, and amazing fresh baked goods. Summer offers a wide selection of eateries, while the rest of the year offers a smaller set, but more options 20 minutes away in August and Hallowell. Or head to the coast, visiting the famous Reds Eats, shops and galleries in Wiscasset (50 minutes away) Boothbay Harbor or Camden (75 min away), or Acadia National Park (a little over 2 hours away). Belgrade Lakes is 20 minutes from Augusta, 30 minutes from Waterville, 80 minutes from Portland, and under an hour from Freeport, home of the LL Bean flagship store and many popular outlets. While summer is the most lively season, with all the best Maine has to offer, springtime is pretty and lovely, and autumn is exquisite--the fall colors reflected in and surrounding the lake are breathtaking, and it's pure peace. This spot on Great Pond is truly magic any time of year. Guest access Guests have the entire house to themselves, access to all rooms, and a private dock. Other things to note There is a Saturday to Saturday 7-day minimum stay from June 21 - August 23. Otherwise, the minimum stay is 2 or 3 days, depending on the month and whether a holiday weekend. This is our third year as Air BnB hosts. We had a wonderful first two years, with very nice, considerate guests, and we are looking forward to our second year! As frequent Air BnB guests ourselves, we have supplied our new home with what we most value in our stays--and tried to think of all the details. If there is anything you need, we will really appreciate your letting us know so that we can try to provide this for you and our future guests—we will do our best to accommodate your request within the same or next day. It means a lot to us to make sure that you are comfortable and happy in our home. The wireless is reliable, with a high-quality signal. The TV in the living room and bedrooms are internet-enabled TVs, so you can log into your own accounts for streaming. The home is part of an association, which adheres to “Lake Smart” practices to protect the environment of the Belgrade Lakes region. The homes do not have washing machines or dishwashers. For guests who stay for a week or more and request it, we can provide laundry service for a fee around mid week. The homeowner's association has a few other rules: - The septic tank is sensitive so only single-ply toilet paper should be used. We supply this. -No open fires are allowed because of fire safety concerns. -'Quiet time' is 10 pm to 8 am. - There is a preference for two cars, but if you need to park a third car, there is room in the driveway--just let us know in advance. -The house has security cameras outdoors, with a view of the outdoor entrances. We installed them for security purposes, and may check them on occasion, to be sure that no pets are coming along (this happened last year and did a bunch of damage). We love dogs but have a no pets policy to avoid damage and to enable guests with pet allergies to stay. - There are two large bedrooms on the main floor, one with a king size bed, and one with a queen bed and a chair that folds out to a single bed. Each has their own bathroom. There is one shower (no bath), with great water pressure but small. The full bathroom is attached to the queen bedroom and also accessible from the hallway. - In the loft above the living room, there are two full size (double) beds. There is a full flight of stairs to the loft, not child-proofed, so a small child could instead sleep in the fold out chair-bed downstairs. Please note: The house interior living and dining spaces are each most comfortable for 6 people, while the porch accommodates 8. - The house is best for up to 4 adults and 4 children. Having up to three adult couples is possible, but keep in mind the common space seating described above, and the just one shower. We can accommodate a maximum of 8 people in total, with a maximum of six adults, or in the case of a group of single guests, a maximum of four adults. We thus kindly ask that when you book, please describe who is coming. If you've stayed with us before and have questions about this, please message us. -The common space includes the living room, with a large loveseat, large armchair, cushioned rocking chair, and 2 directors chairs. This space is open to the kitchen/dining area with dining table comfortably seating 6 chairs (8 could squeeze). The large outdoor screened porch facing the lake can seat 6-7 on the sectional couch, up to 6 at the dining table, and has two large reclining chairs. Our private dock is large with a built-in bench. There are four high-quality Adirondack chairs with cushions that can be kept on the dock, for enjoying morning coffee, the day on the lake, and sunset meals. We also have a floating swim dock. We have two canoes, two kayaks and two stand-up paddle boards. The canoes are big enough to fit a kid or adult in the middle. We have 8 life preservers, 4 adult and 4 children of varying sizes. They have information on correct size for weight. We do not have an infant life jacket, as it is safer for you to bring your own. There is a fenced area across the road with a basketball hoop, tetherball, and a volleyball net, for communal use. It is inside old tennis court, no longer functional for tennis but ideal for kids and adults to play. There are usually balls there. The court is easily visible from our cabin's main door (non-lake side), so if your kids are playing there you can check on them from the doorway. Please note that there are a lot of trees around and if there is a storm there is always the chance of a power outage. Power is usually restored within a few hours, but on occasion it could be longer, and we will keep you posted. We will appreciate your patience, but please let us know if it becomes a problem. We are available any time to answer any questions, and solve any problem that may arise. We ask you not to hesitate to contact us at any time about anything. We want you to have a wonderful stay!