As advertised, this is a cozy lakefront cabin with everything you need to have a relaxing stay. We were particularly impressed by the quantity and variety of dishes/cooking instruments in the kitchen, which we have found to be lacking in other cabin rentals. Oh, and lots of beach towels which we hadn't expected!
The outdoor deck area is very spacious and we loved reading on the two comfy loungers or taking time to relax in the well-kept hot tub. The view down to the dock and lake is just what we were hoping for in a cabin getaway. We had two children (aged 9 and 10) who had a blast taking out the stand-up paddle boards to swim in the lake--it's worth noting that you can't really just jump in and swim from the dock as it is very shallow and very weedy (we spotted a leech on our floaty as well). Not a big deal as the kids were happy to row out and tie up to the buoy, but I mention it in case anyone has their heart set on running and cannon-balling into the lake. The lake itself is quite small and warm, which is great for swimming. A canoe ride to watch the beautiful sunset was a special treat we will fondly remember.
The location was convenient for ferry travel and pretty close to the grocery store/Saturday farmer's market/bakery/liquor store. FYI: The cherry pie from the Farmer's Market was one of the BEST we've had, would love to go back for more! We enjoyed going out to nearby Thieves Bay to sit and (attempt to) spot whales, grabbing some onion rings and milkshakes from The Stand at the ferry terminal, and checking out the charming Pender Island Museum. We were fortunate to meet friendly neighbours kayaking by while we swam in the lake, and found the entire island very welcoming and friendly (particularly the cashier at Tru Value Foods!).
As mentioned in the ad, noise travels on this small lake and there are lots of neighbours nearby. We heard people laughing and enjoying themselves from across the lake into the evening, which we appreciated on a holiday long weekend, but others...apparently not so much. We were two older couples and two kids...pretty boring by party-animal standards, and even though we were in bed by 11-11:30 at night, we still received a noise complaint. We felt terrible that we had disrupted someone's evening (even though Neil was very polite when relaying the message) and made a point to keep the kids quiet and to go indoors after 9 the next evening. If you have rambunctious kids or wish to enjoy a glass of wine and have a chat in the evening it's probably best to do so inside with the windows closed.
Our first trip to Pender Island was a great one and we can't wait to return and explore some more, we're so grateful to Neil and his family for sharing their little piece of lakefront paradise!