Our family of four (children aged 12 and 14) enjoyed our stay in the yurt. The yurt itself is perfect for a family of our size. The children liked to sleep upstairs, and we had a bedroom downstairs. There is a fully equipped kitchen where you can make your own food, and it’s great to be able to collect fresh eggs every day. The combined living room and kitchen worked very well for us. There is a nice and big dining table, and a good sofa to sit in. For smaller children there is a corner with smaller chairs and a table, and there are plenty of games and books there. Very nice. The bathroom is not big, but functional. The shower is good, and plenty of hot water.
What we liked best about this stay is that you are living in the countryside in the middle of the beautiful nature of the Finger Lakes area. Michelle and her family are great hosts, and make you feel at ease and at home. Michelle has a wonderful garden, and as guests in the yurt you are invited to harvest from it. We were also invited to use the badminton court and our children loved that. We played for hours. Our children also loved feeding the fish in the pond, looking for the frogs and visiting the chickens. No need to go anywhere, you can spend the entire day at home.
There is however so much to see in the Finger Lakes area, that you should plan for a longer stay, and at least walk some of the beautiful gorges in the area. We went to Robert Treman park and to Watkins Glen. Both very worth it. Watkins Glen is the one that is highest rated on TripAdvisor, but we enjoyed the one in Robert Treman park the most. It is a longer walk, and you see so many beautiful waterfalls.
The best gorge experience though is without doubt the one that is next door to the yurt. You only have to walk five minutes from the house. There’s a path leading into the woods, and a small bell telling you that you’re on the right way. In the T-crossing, you take left, and after a short while you will have to climb down to the gorge. In the gorge you go to the right and follow the river upstream. At some parts you will have to get wet up to your waist to get through. We brought our swimwear and shoes that can get wet. Watershoes would be perfect. It is so beautiful there, and it is wonderful to be all alone there. I would highly recommend everyone to do this, and perhaps Michelle could make a simple map with some pictures and explanation, to make sure everyone finds their way.
Ithaca is a natural place to go for shopping and restaurants, but there are also nice places to eat in Newfield, and the covered bridge there is worth the visit.
We can recommend staying in the yurt. We had a wonderful time there. The only thing we didn’t enjoy was that the beds were too hard for us, especially the double bed. I have read that also some of the other guests has commented on this. I thought I wouldn’t mind, as I sleep well everywhere, but the bed here was not comfortable for me. I hope Michelle will do something about that, because that would make the yurt perfect.
All bookings are direct with the owner 