10/10 Excellent
Eric M.
20 August 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Eric M.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2025
Entire home
Halcyon House - 5 BR/3 BA House - Traverse City, Michigan
Lakefront holiday home with kitchen and patio
Photo gallery for Halcyon House - 5 BR/3 BA House - Traverse City, Michigan
Reviews
9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
5 bedrooms3 bathroomsSleeps 10297.3 sq m
Popular amenities
Explore the area
- Place, Great Wolf Lodge Water Park
- Place, Village at Grand Traverse Commons
- Place, Front Street
- Airport, Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
Rooms & beds
5 bedrooms (sleeps 10)
King master bedroom
1 King Bed
Queen #2
1 Queen Bed
Queen futon room
1 Double Futon
Queen Master
1 Queen Bed
Twin bedroom
2 Single Beds
3 bathrooms
Hall bathroom
Toilet · Shower only
King master
Toilet · Shower only
Queen master
Bathtub or shower · Toilet
Spaces
Deck or patio
Kitchen
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area
About this property
Halcyon House - 5 BR/3 BA House - Traverse City, Michigan
Long Lake Township Short-Term Rentals Certificate # STR-008938
Halcyon House is a unique property ideally suited for a superb vacation at a fantastic value. The location is wonderful and everything you would like to do is within reach. Swimming is across the street, the boat launch is 1/2-mile down the road, and tennis/pickleball courts are 1/2 mile the other way at the Long Lake Township Park. Moomers - voted the nation's best ice cream shop in 2008 by the viewers of ABC's Good Morning America - is just 2 miles away.
Downtown Traverse City with its excellent restaurants, brew pubs, beaches, and festivals is 6 miles east and the wonderful performances at Interlochen Center for the Arts are just 8 miles south. Within 20 miles of Halcyon House are 19 champion golf courses, 25 wineries, 2 casinos, Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa (Ski Magazine's #1 Resort in the Midwest for 2005), and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
While the location is fantastic, Halcyon House provides everything you need to make your vacation unforgettable. At over 3000 square feet, there's room to relax and play. This 5 bedroom home has one king and two queen beds with pillow-top mattresses for a luxurious night's sleep. In addition, one bedroom has two twin beds and the 5th bedroom/library has a queen futon. The large, full service kitchen has bamboo flooring, a gas range, full-size refrigerator and is well-stocked - just bring the food and coffee (we have both Keurig and drip coffee makers). There's cable television with about 175 channels plus all the offerings available on the Max and Paramount+ apps. A DVD player with additional streaming capability, stereo system and wireless cable internet round out the offerings. We supply all linens, and two washers & dryers for your convenience. One vehicle may be parked in the attached garage (although it's a tight fit with the kayaks), and there's plenty of parking for additional cars.
If you have never been to Traverse City, you're in for a real treat, and with the 2,860-acre, all-sports Long Lake across the street, Halcyon House is the perfect place to enjoy it all.
Halcyon House is a unique property ideally suited for a superb vacation at a fantastic value. The location is wonderful and everything you would like to do is within reach. Swimming is across the street, the boat launch is 1/2-mile down the road, and tennis/pickleball courts are 1/2 mile the other way at the Long Lake Township Park. Moomers - voted the nation's best ice cream shop in 2008 by the viewers of ABC's Good Morning America - is just 2 miles away.
Downtown Traverse City with its excellent restaurants, brew pubs, beaches, and festivals is 6 miles east and the wonderful performances at Interlochen Center for the Arts are just 8 miles south. Within 20 miles of Halcyon House are 19 champion golf courses, 25 wineries, 2 casinos, Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa (Ski Magazine's #1 Resort in the Midwest for 2005), and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
While the location is fantastic, Halcyon House provides everything you need to make your vacation unforgettable. At over 3000 square feet, there's room to relax and play. This 5 bedroom home has one king and two queen beds with pillow-top mattresses for a luxurious night's sleep. In addition, one bedroom has two twin beds and the 5th bedroom/library has a queen futon. The large, full service kitchen has bamboo flooring, a gas range, full-size refrigerator and is well-stocked - just bring the food and coffee (we have both Keurig and drip coffee makers). There's cable television with about 175 channels plus all the offerings available on the Max and Paramount+ apps. A DVD player with additional streaming capability, stereo system and wireless cable internet round out the offerings. We supply all linens, and two washers & dryers for your convenience. One vehicle may be parked in the attached garage (although it's a tight fit with the kayaks), and there's plenty of parking for additional cars.
If you have never been to Traverse City, you're in for a real treat, and with the 2,860-acre, all-sports Long Lake across the street, Halcyon House is the perfect place to enjoy it all.
Add dates for prices
Amenities
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Free WiFi
Air conditioning
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House Rules
Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 18
Check out before 10:00 AM
Children
Children allowed: ages 0–17
Events
No events allowed
Pets
Pets allowed: dogs (limit 1 total)
Dogs only
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadlock
Property Registration Number STR008938
About the area
Traverse City
Located in Traverse City, this holiday home is near theme parks and on a lake. Shoppers can check out Front Street, while everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of Lake Michigan and Traverse City Beach. Travelling with kids? Consider Burnett Park and Great Wolf Lodge Water Park. Enjoy the area's slopes with cross-country skiing and snowboarding, and don't miss out on the snowmobiling and sledging.
Traverse City, MI
What's nearby
- Great Wolf Lodge Water Park - 9 min drive - 12.0 km
- Village at Grand Traverse Commons - 9 min drive - 13.1 km
- Front Street - 11 min drive - 15.2 km
- Bass Lake - 11 min drive - 12.3 km
- Turtle Creek Stadium - 14 min drive - 18.8 km
Getting around
Restaurants
- Starbucks - 9 min drive
- Chick-fil-A - 11 min drive
- McDonald's - 9 min drive
- Cracker Barrel - 11 min drive
- Moomers Homemade Ice Cream - 3 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Reviews
9.6
Exceptional
9.4/10
Cleanliness
10/10
Check-in
10/10
Communication
9.8/10
Location
9.8/10
Listing accuracy
Reviews
10/10 Excellent
Anne I.
1 July 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great place with all we needed!
Anne I.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
8/10 Good
Sara M.
22 August 2023
Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great location
Sara M.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023
10/10 Excellent
John L.
4 September 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Labor Day Weekend at Halcyon House
John L.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023
8/10 Good
David V.
16 October 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family Gathering
David V.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
10/10 Excellent
Tyler K.
4 July 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
4th in the north at long lake
Tyler K.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023
10/10 Excellent
PHILIP M.
6 July 2020
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great experience!
PHILIP M.
Stayed 9 nights in Jun 2020
10/10 Excellent
Tawn K.
5 June 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Plenty of room
Tawn K.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
10/10 Excellent
Jeff P.
22 June 2022
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Traverse city getaway
Jeff P.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2022
10/10 Excellent
Elaine L.
13 September 2022
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Fantastic Vacation!
Elaine L.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2022
10/10 Excellent
Suzette S., LANCASTER
24 July 2018
Home away from home
Suzette S.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2018
8/10 Good
Michelle M.
24 August 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Michelle M.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025
10/10 Excellent
Katie I.
9 August 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Katie I.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025
10/10 Excellent
Morgan B.
1 August 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family vacation
Morgan B.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2025
10/10 Excellent
Kate s.
19 July 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Kate s.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2025
10/10 Excellent
Rose C.
7 July 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family Fun
Rose C.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2025
10/10 Excellent
Marlene S.
16 September 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family Reunion
Marlene S.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2024
10/10 Excellent
Matt K.
8 August 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Nice location!
Matt K.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024
10/10 Excellent
Teri L.
30 July 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family Vacation
Teri L.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024
10/10 Excellent
Sarah B.
20 July 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Perfect for a family getaway
Sarah B.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2024
10/10 Excellent
Diana C.
6 July 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great stay next to Long Lake
Diana C.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024
10/10 Excellent
Verified traveller
2 July 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Super Location
Verified traveller
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024
10/10 Excellent
Paula B.
4 October 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Spacious House close to lake.
Paula B.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023
10/10 Excellent
Janet S.
10 September 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family Birthday Celebration
Janet S.
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2023
10/10 Excellent
Daniel S.
30 August 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Fantastic experience
Daniel S.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
About the host
Hosted by Tony Jacobs
Our lives have been blessed with more opportunities and adventures than we could have imagined during our early years growing up in our separate small Upstate New York towns. We met in college and have been together 40 years through several moves, two children and a number of pets. Tony was a chemist and Christina - a first generation Polish American - is a doctor, and it's that combination that led us on the path to becoming VRBO hosts.
The U.S. Air Force paid for Christina's medical school during which Tony was a product manager for a Fortune 500 chemical company. After residency, Christina was assigned to Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, AK, to serve her 4 years active duty, and our family of four moved northwest.
As an active-duty officer, Christina had to be prepared to deploy with an hour's notice, and as we had pre-school age children, Tony had to be close by at all times. The only chemist jobs in Alaska at that time required leaving home for either 2 weeks at a time (oil industry) or 3 weeks (military hazardous waste cleanup) so Tony became a stay-at-home dad instead.
Tony was also casting about for other things to do and landed on home improvements. While he worked on dairy farms as a teenager - putting up hay in August is the worst job ever! - he had to teach himself how to work on houses. First up was a large elongated octagonal deck which is still standing in Alaska.
That led to other decks, patios, hot tubs, fences and finished basements until we decided to buy our future retirement house in the Traverse City area and name it Halcyon House. To say it "had potential" was an understatement. It had a non-working 16'X8' hot tub inside the house, a jewelry making studio, plus some rather odd electrical wiring decisions.
So now Christina is approaching retirement, and we were considering selling Halcyon House, but we enjoy being VRBO hosts, so we'll keep going a little longer.
The U.S. Air Force paid for Christina's medical school during which Tony was a product manager for a Fortune 500 chemical company. After residency, Christina was assigned to Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, AK, to serve her 4 years active duty, and our family of four moved northwest.
As an active-duty officer, Christina had to be prepared to deploy with an hour's notice, and as we had pre-school age children, Tony had to be close by at all times. The only chemist jobs in Alaska at that time required leaving home for either 2 weeks at a time (oil industry) or 3 weeks (military hazardous waste cleanup) so Tony became a stay-at-home dad instead.
Tony was also casting about for other things to do and landed on home improvements. While he worked on dairy farms as a teenager - putting up hay in August is the worst job ever! - he had to teach himself how to work on houses. First up was a large elongated octagonal deck which is still standing in Alaska.
That led to other decks, patios, hot tubs, fences and finished basements until we decided to buy our future retirement house in the Traverse City area and name it Halcyon House. To say it "had potential" was an understatement. It had a non-working 16'X8' hot tub inside the house, a jewelry making studio, plus some rather odd electrical wiring decisions.
So now Christina is approaching retirement, and we were considering selling Halcyon House, but we enjoy being VRBO hosts, so we'll keep going a little longer.
Why they chose this property
Quite frankly, we were a bit disappointed when we first moved to Michigan from Anchorage, AK. Our active lifestyle in Alaska, became difficult to maintain when we no longer had the mountains to climb or the miles of groomed ski trails to traverse. An anniversary trip to Traverse City (without the children) changed our minds about Michigan and we began looking for vacation rental property. It took us about 7 months, but we believe we found the perfect place. Well, perfect location - it needed a lot of work to make it the perfect place.
What makes this property unique
1. Location - Six miles to downtown Traverse City, across the street from Taylor Park (public beach, charcoal grills, picnic tables, dock), 1/2-mile from Gilbert Park (boat launch with pull-through trailer parking), right next door to Long Lake Grocery, and 10 miles to Interlochen Center for the Arts. Long Lake is a 2,860-acre all-sports lake.
2. Price - Almost all the advantages of a lakefront rental for off-lakefront prices.
3. Size - Five bedrooms, three baths & over 3,000 square feet with a large kitchen and plenty of amenities.
2. Price - Almost all the advantages of a lakefront rental for off-lakefront prices.
3. Size - Five bedrooms, three baths & over 3,000 square feet with a large kitchen and plenty of amenities.
Languages:
English
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