Tucked away in the woods of "Pure Michigan", our place is a great escape from the city, yet so close to everything! Located 20 min. from the University of Notre Dame, 30 min. from downtown South Bend, and 40-50 min. from several Lake Michigan beaches and wineries, you'll find plenty to do! Watch the birds and other wildlife as you sip a drink on the back porch. Gather with friends around the firepit. Cook a meal in our newly remodeled kitchen. Get away. Or just relax in our comfortable home! The space About our Home. This is our family home, once a bustling nest with four children; now, home to two empty-nesters, living the dream! We built our home in 1997 and have recently remodeled the kitchen, master suite, and upstairs guest bathroom. Situated on three acres of wooded property in southwest Michigan, just a mile from the Indiana border, the home is surrounded by shade gardens and tall trees. It’s very peaceful and wildlife sightings of deer, squirrel, wild turkey and many other birds, are common. With these quiet surroundings, you’ll feel like you are far from civilization. In reality, you are only minutes away from many things to do. Here are some of the highlights the area has to offer: Granger (IN) with restaurants, gas stations, supermarket, etc. - 5 min Mishawaka (IN) with University Park Mall, many other shops and restaurants - 15 min University of Notre Dame - 20 min Downtown South Bend - 30 min. Attractions include: East Race Kayak run, Century Center, Studebaker Mansion, Center for History, South Bend Chocolate Company, South Bend Cubs Baseball at Four Winds Field, and a plethora of bars and restaurants! Lake Michigan - 40-50 min. Beaches we recommend: New Buffalo, Weko Beach, Warren Dunes State Park, Silver Beach. Southwest Michigan wineries- 30-90 min. We recommend several in our area attractions binder (in the home) Amish Country (Shipshewana, Middlebury, Nappanee) - approx. 45 minutes. But you needn’t go anywhere! Our home offers a peaceful escape and plenty of amenities. About the Space. As you enter the home through the front door off the big front porch, the “music room” will be on your right. Here you will find a soft chair and end table, book cases, and an upright piano. You are welcome to play! Ahead to the left is the “family room,” with a nice-sized couch, a chair-and-a-half, cushioned bench, and smaller leather chair. There is a smart TV for accessing streaming services (as well as an antenna for local channels) and a sound bar connected to an Amazon Alexa device. You’ll also find a wood-burning fireplace, however this is not available for guests to use at this time. Continuing on to the “Breakfast area” you’ll find a new Amish-made table and chairs. It comfortably seats six, however we can expand it to meet your needs (up to ten, the house limit). There are also two stools at the countertop next to the table. The kitchen has been newly remodeled with a leathered granite countertop, custom cabinets, and all-new stainless steel appliances (refrigerator, microwave, electric smooth-top range, and dishwasher). Just outside the sliding glass doors in the breakfast area, you’ll find our favorite spot–the back porch. The cushioned sectional comfortably seats four, and there are four mesh chairs as well. This screened-in area is a great place to listen to the birds and enjoy the natural surroundings. Down the hall from the kitchen is a guest bath with a sink, toilet, and shower. And finally, there is a mud room where guests are welcome to leave shoes, boots, and other gear. The lower level includes a finished rec room with a large-screen TV, DVD player, and a game system. Board games, card games, puzzles, and DVDs are available for guests to use. There is a small leather chair and two leather couches, one of which is a sofa-sleeper that comfortably sleeps one adult (or two small people). In addition, you will find a large table with chairs. There is a gas fireplace that helps warm things up on chilly days. Upstairs on the second floor, you will find four bedrooms, all with queen-sized beds. The “Llama room” (end of hall on the left) has a Sleep Number mattress which adjusts the firmness with air for each side of the bed, using a remote. It also has a dedicated workspace with a desk and comfortable desk chair. All beds have at least 2 pillows, sheets, blanket, and comforter. The master bedroom has a TV with a firestick for accessing streaming services, as well as an antenna for local stations. Should you have little ones, we have a Graco Pack-n-Play, a changing table, baby gate, and high chair. Please let us know if you need any of these items and we will have them out and ready for you. The recently remodeled master bathroom has two sinks, a corner jacuzzi tub, and separate room with toilet and ceramic tile shower. Also newly remodeled is the upstairs guest bathroom, which has two sinks, a toilet, and tub/shower. The toilet and tub area has a pocket door for added privacy. The master bedroom and one other bedroom have vaulted ceilings, while the other two bedrooms do not. Three bedroom closets and an attic will not be accessible to guests to allow the owners room to store personal items. Guest access Guests will access the house through the front door, using a Smartlock code they will be given in advance. No need to worry about parking. There is room in the driveway for 3 or 4 cars and parking on the cul de sac is also available if you prefer. Guests have access to all areas of the house except for lower level mechanical room/workshop, main level office, and upper-level closets (3 of 4) and attic. Other things to note Our neighborhood is very walkable and friendly. We live at the end of a ½ mile country (development) road. Walking in the woods is not recommended due to areas where poison ivy runs rampant. However, walking around the gardens and yard is encouraged. A cornhole game is available for your use in the backyard. We have a Ring doorbell camera over our front door for your protection and ours. It only alerts us to activity outside the front door. The firepit area in the backyard is a great place for gathering on cool evenings. If using the firepit, strict guidelines (which you will find in the information binder at the house), MUST be adhered to for your safety and for protection of our property and the surrounding habitat. NOTE: We own a cat and while we clean and vacuum before guests arrive, it is not possible to remove all pet dander. The cat will not be in the home when guests are present, but those with allergies should be aware of potential allergens in the home.