Entire home

500' to Torch Lake & Depot Park; Walk to quaint Alden; Low Spring and Fall Rates

Photo gallery for 500' to Torch Lake & Depot Park; Walk to quaint Alden; Low Spring and Fall Rates

Sunlight and trees' shadows on front of home, looking from Terrace Street
Sunlight and trees' shadows on front of home, looking from SW corner of lot
Sunlight and trees' shadows on front of home, looking from NW corner of lot
Front of home, looking from Terrace Street
Back of the home; French doors lead from fieldstone "patio" to the dining room

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional
3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 6185.8 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Barbecue grill
  • Kitchen
  • Outdoor space
  • Free WiFi
  • Lake view

Explore the area

View map
Alden, MI
  • Torch Lake
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • Torch Lake Park
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • Clam Lake
    ‪9 min drive‬
  • Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
    ‪42 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed and 1 Single Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Single Beds

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Soap · Bathtub or shower · Bathtub · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 2

Soap · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Separate dining area
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

500' to Torch Lake & Depot Park; Walk to quaint Alden; Low Spring and Fall Rates

Low weekly rates and discount for 28+ nights... Reduced spring and fall rates.
Walk to downtown Alden, to the historical Train Depot Park and Museum, up and around the preserve on Coy Mountain, and walk to the stunning Torch Lake shore and the nearby beach -- all from this circa 1870s historic Victorian home. Enjoy the history and our amenities in this three bedroom, two bath, two story Alden village house.

Three bedrooms (two with Queen Beds and one with 2 twin beds) and 2 bathrooms (one on the first floor and one upstairs) provide for a comfortable stay for up to 6 people. Fully equipped kitchen allows eating at home if you wish. Your at-home dining area choices include in the kitchen or on the front porch or even the original "formal" family dining room.

The exterior colors (repainted 2025) will remind you of the power and depth and beauty of Torch Lake itself. If it's been a few years since you've rented the home, welcome back to the 'new look' of our vacation home in quaint Alden.

You will be located just across from the main east-shore road along the shore of Torch Lake. Locals and visitors know what a great lake Torch is for vacationing, sightseeing, water-sports (including swimming, boating, kayaking, tubing and more). You'll be just a couple blocks and a pleasant short walk from charming downtown Alden itself and its marina, unique shops and restaurants. And you are at the foot of the 17-acre preserve that is 'Coy Mountain'.

Experience beautiful sunsets and Torch Lake views from the kitchen and living room and from the west-facing porch on its settee or porch chairs. Swim in Torch Lake and the connected Chain-of-Lakes, Boat through the lower 'Chain of Lakes' (Torch, Bellaire, Elk, Clam, Skegemog). This smoke-free home is very close to area pro golf courses, Traverse City shopping and the wineries of Old Mission Peninsula and Leelanau County. Boyne, Petoskey and Harbor Springs are short, pleasant round-trip same-day excursions.

Sleeping Bear Dunes is just over an hour to the west. And famed motor-vehicle-free Mackinac Island is a great day-trip

You will be staying in what long-time locals still call 'the Chapelle' house, which in the late 1800s and early 1900s was the rooming and guest house for visitors by rail from downstate and from Chicago and Ohio. The home was even larger then, with a 2-story guest room area, connecting at what is now the French doors in the formal dining room. In fact, you'll find the postcard of the home circa 1910 in the postcard collection at the Historical Museum, just across the main road from you, toward the Lake.

The double corner lot provides room for children of all ages to play right in your yard, if you and they prefer.

Alden is just 25 minutes northeast of Traverse City and the Old Mission Peninsula (and its great wineries) and just 15 minutes southwest of Shanty Creek and Bellaire. A little further west, past Traverse City's dining and shopping pleasures, are the wineries of the Leelanau Peninsula.

Alden is on the southeast shore of beautiful Torch Lake. Your boat will slip easily into and out of Torch Lake at the public launch and marina and slips in town. Then, the entire Chain-of-Lakes lie ahead of you to explore and enjoy. No boat of your own? Rentals are available at your choice of several local marinas. We can provide their contact numbers, if you wish.

Your boat and trailer can park off the street and on our property.

If you prefer to stay home some day or evening, prepare your dinner in the fully equipped kitchen or on the grill (charcoal provided). Then enjoy it in the dining room or as a picnic on the porch, in the backyard or in the nearby park, or up on Coy Mountain.

Quiet evenings in on the porch or watching videos or TV are also your entertainment options. Three smart TVs are provided for your at-home varied entertainment, with high-speed WiFi. (Please bring your own HDMI or other needed cables if you want to connect to you own devices).

Need to work remotely or keep up with emails? (We know many have to do that) Our High Speed internet modem is provided for your use. Free, password-secured WiFi is provided. Or you can connect by your own Ethernet cable.

Alden's and surrounding Helena Township's history may be of interest to you. Research on the area tells all that:
"Helena became famous as a summer resort area in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The principal resorts were Belden Heights at Alden (where our home is, and you will see the platting on the living room wall); Lone Tree Point and Waswagonik near Clam River; Crystal Beach Hotel on the south end of Torch Lake; and Watson's Inn at Torch River. Many beautiful homes and cottages were built on the shores of Torch and Clam Lakes. The Pere Marquette railroad officials stated that more tickets were sold from Chicago to Alden during the season than to any other point on their line in the resort area. It is still very popular and continues to grow in this respect."

Keywords: Vacation House, Summer home, Victorian home, Historic home, Alden, Torch Lake, Traverse City, Bellaire

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Amenities

Kitchen
Free WiFi
Outdoor space
Parking available
Lake view
Barbecue

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
Very welcomed. Double lot/quiet street. Highchair.
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
1 mature dog under 20#.$50 added rent;$50 cleaning
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Check-out instructions

The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:
Strip any used beds
Remove personal items, remove leftover food and drinks and take out the rubbish
Turn off the lights and lock the doors
Call or go to Paradise Properties & confirm that you are leaving. Trash should be twist-tied and put into the trash cans behind the lilac bushes before 7:30 your departure morning. Leave cans there
Return cleaned dishes, pots/pans, utensils and glasses to their storage areas in the cupboards (see chart inside cabinet door). Please remove porch cushions and store on the kitchen bar stools.
Please be sure grill, folding chairs, etc. are returned to the back room where you found them, and that the grill is cold and cleaned and back into the storage room. Close any open windows
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.
Will consider a pet: 1 mature dog under 20 pounds.Tell us about your pet-type, age and weight. Added rent of $50 + cleaning of $50. No cats.
Children VERY welcomed; lots of room to play on the double lot. Home is on a quiet no-outlet quiet street. Highchair provided.

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
Long-term renters welcome
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, a first aid kit and a deadlock
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room

About the area

Alden

Located in Alden, this holiday home is on a lake. Twisted Fish Gallery and Guntzviller's Spirit of the Woods Museum are cultural highlights, and some of the area's landmarks include Elk Rapids District Library and Historic Elk Rapids Town Hall. Travelling with kids? Consider Flintfields Horse Park and Music House Museum. Looking to get your feet wet? Jet skiing, water tubing and power boating adventures can be found near the property.
Map
Alden, MI

What's nearby

  • Torch Lake - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Torch Lake Park - 3 min drive - 2.2 km
  • Grass River Natural Area - 7 min drive - 8.3 km
  • Clam Lake - 9 min drive - 7.9 km
  • Elk Lake - 17 min drive - 16.9 km

Getting around

  • Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital) - 38 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Oasis Tavern - ‬17 min drive
  • ‪The Dockside - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Kritters Hide Away - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Pearl's New Orleans Kitchen - ‬21 min drive
  • ‪Johnny's Torch Riviera - ‬8 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is 500' to Torch Lake & Depot Park; Walk to quaint Alden; Low Spring and Fall Rates pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at 500' to Torch Lake & Depot Park; Walk to quaint Alden; Low Spring and Fall Rates?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at 500' to Torch Lake & Depot Park; Walk to quaint Alden; Low Spring and Fall Rates?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is 500' to Torch Lake & Depot Park; Walk to quaint Alden; Low Spring and Fall Rates located?

This family-friendly Alden holiday home is located on a lake, within 1 mi (2 km) of Torch Lake Park and Torch Lake. Torch River and Grass River Natural Area are also within 6 miles (10 km).

About the host

Hosted by Rich and Karen Brown

Host profile image
Rich and Karen are just the third family to proudly own this historic home. In the early 1900s, it was a guest house and even had a 2-story addition off the back to take summer visitors who would come to Alden by train from Chicago and along the west coast of Michigan. Its history is found in every room, including being preserved in those we've renovated and updated from what the Chapelle family originally built. We bought this as a family vacation home over 40 years ago, when our kids were young, and we would make regular visits from 'downstate'. Now we still make regular visits (as do our adult 'kids' and now our grandkids!) and we are pleased to share the home with others.
We live 250 miles from Alden and Bed linens and Bath towels are not provided. It would add about $150 to the rental rate to locally clean and replace them after every renter. So, to keep the low rental rate, guests bring their own or rent @ $25/per person, maximum of $100 for 4 or more. Please let the owner know if you wish to rent.

Why they chose this property

40+ years ago, we wanted an "Up North" Michigan vacation home for us and our young teens kids. This home had not been lived in since the '40s, and needed much TLC and some updating to be able to be lived in, or even just vacationed in. Alden is an ideal get-away for us: a small town 4 hours from our (still) home, with features we enjoy -- inviting shops, friendly shop owners and nature trails and Torch Lake and its shorelines to explore, and Traverse City and Petoskey just short drives away.
The home, whose original rooms (since updated) date to the 1870s, became our ideal get-away place, while we brought it more up to date. We've treated "her" gently during the over 40+ years we've owned "her", and know that our guests who appreciate older homes will do likewise.

What makes this property unique

Relax on the front-porch, and sip wine or cocktails or beer (all the needed stemware provided) and enjoy. Watch those STUNNING OVER-THE-LAKE SUNSETS from your porch. Ceiling fans in all bedrooms and the other rooms will comfort when needed mid-summer. Enjoy the selection of board games or just watching your favorite on one of the 3 smart TVs The fully-equipped kitchen is for quick breakfasts and easy lunches and your no-take-out-tonight evenings. Formal dinners (they ARE allowed & fun, even on vacation) in the dining room and casual ones at the kitchen table.

Please use the maps we've provided in your living room to decide what to do around Alden and the area. Wineries are particularly special, we think, as are the entertainment in Traverse and toward Shanty Creek and Charlevoix and Petoskey.

For outdoor pleasures, walk along Spencer Creek or the Torch Lake shoreline. Or, hike the Indian Trails up Coy "Mountain", whose path virtually begins at your doorstep, on Valley street. This 17-acre preserve (thanks to the Coy family) has a wonderful array of wildlife, bird species and several native wildflowers. Benches welcome you to rest along the one mile maintained trail.

For local history, be sure to take in the Alden Depot and Park Museum. Located in the authentically restored Alden Depot, dating to 1908, this part of Alden's history (open Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend) features photographs and memorabilia recalling the community's past, including model trains and related items and many photographs of the area through the years.

ENJOY all these reasons to be 'up North'.

When other entertainment has been exhausted (that may not happen), TV may be your or your children's option of choice. Cable service is provided with basic 'network' channels.

Work or emails calling you? That happens, we all know. High Speed WiFi internet is here for you. Or connect via Ethernet. If you did not bring your own connecting cable, please borrow ours.

Languages:

English, French

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests