Overall, this stay has been our best VRBO experience. Wonderful, older New England house, well cared for. Exceptionally well-stocked with kitchen essentials and more (sharp knives, variety of cookware, more than enough plates, bowls, utensils plus variety of spices, foils, plastic wrap, bags).
Nicely furnished living and dining rooms. Plenty of places to sit and relax. All the bedrooms have window mounted AC units for the few warm nights. More than enough towels, linens, pillows. A washer and dryer, essential for a longer stay. Beautiful grounds behind the house – apple trees, gardens, tables, umbrellas, chairs to dine outdoors or just sit and read. The house provides easy access to the Ellsworth Rail Trail, following the Down East Scenic Railroad tracks. We took our dogs for daily walks on the trail. The train runs twice a day only on weekends.
Denise is the best! Fast response to requests and questions, before and during our stay. There is a guide to the house, a wealth of information on Ellsworth and the area. She has really thought of everything that makes this a great place to stay. We enjoyed our month in Ellsworth. (We particularly enjoyed and recommend the Provender Kitchen restaurant in town.)
The only aspect of our stay that keeps me from a whole-hearted recommendation for this property is the traffic. Ellsworth is the gateway to Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor, and Acadia National Park. There is a constant stream of traffic through the town. We learned to plan our adventures around the congestion. Also, Maine 179 (North Street) bears significant heavy (logging, dump) truck traffic that starts with sunrise on weekdays. We could always leave the property easily enough, but the noise certainly disrupted an otherwise peaceful area; I only hope that it’s due to some construction projects that will end before long.
The traffic is nothing our host can control. Outside of that, we appreciate the effort Denise has made to make the house an exceptional place to stay.