turning leaf cottage: Testimonials

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Testimonials

When I am looking for a place to stay, it is helpful to know what others say about a destination. This afternoon as I am getting our cottage ready for guests, I noticed our guest books. Yes, we have two of them. One is a traditional guest book. The other is a journal that I put out for guests to draw a picture, share a poem, reflect on an "Ah-Ha" moment, or a quotation.

Here are some of the guest book entries. Come to the cottage yourself to read the rest:

"Thanks so much for the wonderful weekend at your "resort." Your lodge is elegant and comfortable. We read a great book together, watched a couple of your DVD's and worked on a puzzle. The view is beautiful no matter what time of year." Chris and Marg, Illinois, March, 2008

"Thank you! This was a wonderful place to have our Thanksgiving gathering...cozy, welcoming, and with a beautiful kitchen for socializing. We had a great time (and enjoyed a few wonderful dinners) watching the sunsets!" Marisa and Victor, Seattle, WA, November, 2007

"Thanks for sharing Turning Leaf Cottage....we loved it...may come back when it's not so cool and enjoy your deck and firepit." Betty, Minnesota, October, 2007

Everything was wonderful-it couldn't have been better than it was. Thanks for your hospitality. We had a great time, wonderful rest and will have a beautiful memory! It was the best!! Mary and Greg, Texas, 2007

"What a wonderful family vacation we had! The weather was spectular--fishing was fantastic. We enjoyed playing cards and games at night. Your home is beautiful. Thanks for sharing it. We'd like to come back." Pat and Paul, Minnesota, 2007

"Thank you for providing such an enjoyable and relaxing time! Dick and Pat, Rhode Island, 2007

"Thank you for a wonderful stay! The house is beautiful and the views stunning! Will recommend to all my friends!" Julie, London, England, 2007

"No grumpy old man here! This truly was a vacation where I escaped and enjoyed. A beautiful, delightful stay. The generosity and warm spirit of the Glennys is evident all around. " Rich and Christie, Bermuda, 2007

"We had such a relaxing and enjoyable time. The wild life and serenity of the lake is hard to come by these days, but it's truly surreal. Thank you for its usage. Danielle, Bermuda, 2007

"Ahh, a wonderful relaxing time. What more could we ask for? A fantastic meal at Paradise Landing-a hot game of dominos-sleeping in-good coffee - good friends. Thanks, Bruce and Jean, Minnesota, 2007

" Thanks for letting us enjoy your cabin! We had a great time! We even bought a cabin of our own...it was nice to have a place to stay while we got the other cabin situated." Heather, Minnesota, 2006.

"Thanks for your hospitality in sharing your lovely home with our family. It had all the conveniences. We had a great time here." John and Cindy, Illinois, 2006

"Thank you for a beautiful stay in your home.....Everyone remarked what a lovely home and location you have! Thanks again." Jenni and Ross, Illinois, 2006

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Refections of end of a season - County Boards and cleaning

We just finished our fourth rental season. It is amazing to meet so many wonderful people in the world- literally! It has been a pleasure to share our cabin with others. For years we had one daughter who lived in Manila, Phillipines, and the other gal was in Edinburgh, Scotland. Therefore, the cabin sat unused. We are glad to share with others, who for a variety of reasons don't have their own cabin and desire an old-fashioned "week at the lake."

It sometimes takes a lot of trust to have strangers use our home. However, when we have traveled abroad, we make it our practice to rent homes and apartments of people in England, Scotland, etc. We try to treat their homes as we would our own.

That being said it is also obvious that every family has their own set of values and priorities. The guests that we seek to rent our home to are those who will respect the property, will not disturb the neighbors, and enjoy the outdoors.

Polk County Board Ordinance

Polk County Board put in an ordinance in 2008 for limiting private cottage rentals to smaller, quiet groups. This means no unsupervised campfires. Quiet hours between 11 p.m and 7 a.m. Limited cars parked on the property. In other words, we are seeking quiet groups that will not jeapordize our rental licensure.

Cleaning

We try to make the cabin rental as affordable as possible. One way we have tried to help groups save money is by asking that they do light cleaning before they leave the cabin. This also helps the group to go over the property to ensure they have collected all their possessions.

For the coming season we are taking a slightly different approach. We will charge you a $100 cleaning fee up front with the cabin rental fee. If you leave the cabin as you found it, we will refund the fee. The items we would ask you do are as follows: empty wastebaskets, strip sheets from beds, start a load or so of laundry, vacuum and sweep floors, clean out frig.

Golf Courses near the cabin

There are several good golf courses near to Turning Leaf Cottage. One of our guests, who came in the fall for a golf week end with several other couples, summarized it this way in the guest book:

"Luck Golf Course- great layout and very challenging. Amery Golf Course - good layout and very enjoyable to play. St. Croix National - a must play for above average golfer, great views, and challenging. Spooner - okay course but the others were much nicer."

Other activities there group enjoyed was the boat cruise at Taylor's Falls and several restuarants in the area.