I come to Washington Island every year to get away from the stress and annoyance that living stacked on top of one another brings via work and life in general. This is the first time I have decided to just rent a house as opposed to going with one of the cottages or Inns. AirBnB is typically my first go to option when making these types of arrangements elsewhere, but after doing a little bit of digging this local establishment on the Island had a much wider selection of properties for rent in far more desirable locations on the Island. Based upon what I know of islanders, I would surmise many of the local property owners are wary of places like AirBnB and prefer to deal with somebody local. That is just how it works up there. So after doing some digging and finding a place that I loved, I reached out to a gentleman named Mike Kickbush who is the main point of contact for the company. The process was simple enough. He emailed me a form with the rules and stipulations of the rental (all of 3 pages), and I signed it and snail mailed it back to him along with a 500.00 deposit. No extensive or exhaustive process or legalities. No demand for everything but a damn DNA sample at all like most similar vendors. It's nice to see that some people on the planet still operate on a basic principle of trust. Quite refreshing. On the day of my arrival, I gave Mike a call from the Ferry over from the mainland and he dropped off the key for in a drop box and I was good to go. That's it. Simple. The place I stayed at was called 107 "The Cove" and if you are not in need of a large place for several people, this location was incredible. It's located right on the water on Hemlock road on the East side of the Island and offers ridiculous post card views at every turn. My photos, nor the ones on the website, really do it justice. The place was basic, but well furnished and equipped with most of the comforts of home, and plenty of cookware and utensils. The only items that I had to bring with me were linens for the beds. At the conclusion of my stay, I dropped the key back off and headed out. This was without question the most hassle free vacation rental I have ever scored. So why 4 stars as opposed to 5? I only cap this for a 2 minor annoyances. The first being that they do not take credit cards whatsoever. While this is hardly uncommon on Washington Island as many places do not accept cards, it is a tad more of an inconvenience for large dollar amount purchases like a rental. Second, the companies website is badly in need of some webmastering and some updates. It's awfully slow and in need of a facelift. This would be far more apt to attract clients, and make their process for checking out properties much easier. Overall, this is still a great option if you are looking to spend some time on Washington Island. As a last parting word of advice, and something that anyone looking for a place in Door County should be mindful of, BOOK EARLY, especially if you are planning your visit during high tourist traffic times. read more

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