NEELYHOUSE BED AND BREAKFAST IN GOOD HART October is perhaps the most beautiful month of the year on Lake Michigan with wonderful weather, no crowds and the autumn colors.  Please note that Neelyhouse does not operate as a bed and breakfast between the 4th of July and Labor Day. Current weekend vacancies for Oct. as of 9/22/07, please inquire for weekday vacancies: 10/5 - 10/7: no vacancies, early peak of fall colors! 10/12 - 10/14: South Room available Friday 10/12, peak fall colors! 10/19 - 10/21: South Room available, late peak of fall colors! 10/26 - 10/28: South Room available, some late season browns and yellows remain on the trees. E-mail innkeeper@neelyhousebandb.com or call 734-302-4477 for information and reservations. The rate for the North Room (see photo and description below) is $150 per night.  The rate is discounted 10% when you stay for two or more consecutive nights.  The rate for the South Room (see photo and description below) is $110 per night.  The rate is discounted 10% when you stay for two or more consecutive nights.    The Neelyhouse beach at sunset. Neelyhouse from the beach (click to enlarge) Neelyhouse from the driveway (click to enlarge) NEELYHOUSE B and B Neelyhouse Bed and Breakfast offers the only Lake Michigan lakefront bed and breakfast accommodations in Good Hart, located between Harbor Springs and Cross Village and only 25 miles from Petoskey in northwest Michigan. With two bedrooms facing the lake, a private deck with a spectacular hot tub and frontage on Good Hart's gorgeous Lake Michigan shoreline, the proprietors of Neelyhouse strive to provide you with a bed and breakfast experience you will want to return to again and again. Neelyhouse is located just off the famous M-119 Tunnel of Trees, referred to as "one of the most scenic drives in the United States" in an article by Jane Ammeson in the Ann Arbor News on August 28, 2005.  Winter views of the lake from M-119 on a sunny day must be seen to be believed.   Pamper yourself with a fall color weekend. Relax in front of the fireplace after downhill skiing at area resorts or exploring miles of nearby crosscountry skiing or snowshoe trails, hunt for morel mushrooms or simply revel in hillsides covered with breathtaking trillium in the spring, or just get away from it all to walk the beach in early summer. Please Note: Neelyhouse does not operate as a bed and breakfast facility between the 4th of July and Labor Day.   The North Room with view of Lake Michigan and access to deck and hot tub The South Room's door leads to a private deck overlooking the lake with steps descending to the main deck and hot tub. ACCOMMODATIONS, RATES, CURRENT DISCOUNTS Each of the two bedrooms offer a spectacular view of Lake Michigan and is furnished with a queen-sized bed. The North Room is the larger of the two bedrooms and features a private bathroom with a shower. A sliding door provides direct access to the main deck and hot tub. The rate for the North Room is $150 per night with a 10% discount for stays of two or more consecutive nights. The South Room shares a full bath. A sliding door facing the lake opens onto a small deck from which stairs descend to the main deck and hot tub. The rate for the South Room is $110 per night with a discount of 10% for stays of two or more consecutive nights. All quoted rates are subject to change and do not include a 6% tax; please confirm your rate at the time you make a reservation.. Guests have access at all times to the living room featuring a stone fireplace available for their use, the deck overlooking Lake Michigan, and the four-season hot tub: the colder the night the better, and you haven't seen the stars until you've seen them through the branches swaying over our hot tub. Limited self-service laundry facilities, a refrigerator and a microwave oven are also available for guest use. HOSPITALITY Coffee and juice are available for the early riser with a full breakfast served at 9:00 a.m. Breakfast can be kept warm for guests who wish to sleep later and we will try to accommodate your individual schedule if given advance notice. Guests should notify us of any special requests or dietary restrictions at the time they make a reservation. A glass of wine, beer or a non-alcoholic beverage and light appetizers are offered at 5:00 p.m. Due to liability concerns Neelyhouse will not serve more than one glass of wine or one beer. Guests who wish to extend this social opportunity or who wish to enjoy a cocktail other than beer or wine should provide their own beverages. DINING OUT AND LOCAL INFORMATION The Crow's Nest and Legs Inn are local institutions for dinner; Legs Inn's operation is seasonal, while the Crow's Nest maintains weekend-only operations during the winter. Both restaurants are located a few miles north in Cross Village. The Village Cafe offers wonderful lunches in Cross Village, while sandwiches and fun shopping are available at the Good Hart General Store. The general store's website also provides community information at www.goodhartstore.com. Sandwiches on homemade bread from Gurney's in Harbor Springs are legendary. There are many restaurants in Harbor Springs and Petoskey; the proprietors will be happy to make dining suggestions and also recommend perusing the dining options listed at www.harborspringschamber.com . Our recommendations always begin with The New York Restaurant in Harbor Springs - www.thenewyork.com - and Chandler's Restaurant in Petoskey.  Chandler's is connected to Symons General Store, which includes a world-class wine shop.  Winter guests, please don't worry. If you're snowed in, we'll feed you! Additional Local Links Regardless of when you visit, a great place to begin investigating Emmet County's vibrant artistic scene is to stop at Three Pines Studio in Cross Village; visit the studio online at www.threepinesstudio.com. A sample of Lynn Dinning's work from Good Hart Glass Works may be viewed at www.artistsnorth.com/dinning; her studio is just down the road. Here's something different for women: check out the activities described at www.womensweekends.net. As soon as someone starts a local business organizing weekend activities for men, we'll provide a link here!  The fall harvest season is a particulary wonderful time to visit nearby Kauffman Flower Farms on State Road: www.kauffmanflowerfarm.com. GETTING TO GOOD HART From I-75: take exit no. 322 (Pellston/Cheboygan) then head west on Robinson Rd. toward Pellston. Continue west on Robinson Rd. through Pellston; Robinson is occasionally called Riggsville Rd. and, in Pellston, E. or W. Mill Rd. About 8 miles west of Pellston on Robinson Rd. veer right to stay on Robinson when you reach the site of the abandoned prison. (How classy can one get, eh?) There is a small directional sign for Good Hart pointing to the right at this point. Robinson ends at M-119 in Good Hart, about 25 miles from I-75. The scenic route from Harbor Springs: take M-119 north about 17 miles until you reach Good Hart. This route offers spectacular views of the lake and beautiful scenery, but the road is winding and hilly and presents difficult driving at night and during the winter or in other poor weather conditions. Alternate route from Harbor Springs: from the corner of Lake St. and State Rd. (C-77) take State Rd. north about 9 miles to Robinson Rd. Turn left (west) on Robinson and continue about 5 miles until Robinson ends at M-119 in Good Hart. FINDING NEELYHOUSE IN GOOD HART Take Lamkin Rd. (just north of the Good Hart General Store on M-119) down the hill and towards the lake. At the bottom of the hill take a hard right onto the dirt road so that you are heading north along the shore on N. Lamkin Dr. We are the fifth house on the lake side of the road. There is a sign which reads 'NEELY' and a small attachment reading 'B & B" at the end of our driveway. MISC. Check-in time is 3:00 p.m. An earlier check-in time may be accomodated if we have not had guests the previous night; you may call for confirmation of an early check-in on the day before your arrival. Check-out time is 11:00 a.m. You may smoke outside on the decks. There is no internet access. The Woolly Bugger Coffee Shop and Internet Cafe, www.wbcoffee.com, is located in Harbor Springs.. Casey the Shih Tzu is occasionally in residence. The vineyard when planted in May, 2006 (click to enlarge) The Vineyard In 2006 I planted the first grape vines: 24 Cabernet Franc.  In 2007 I added a few more Cab Francs and 24 Marquettes, a new grape developed by the University of Minnesota with Pinot Noir in its ancestry and supposedly good for the short growing season and cold winters of Northern Michigan.  I expect some small harvest in 2008, with a full harvest in 2010.  I'm convinced that our area - Harbor Springs north through Cross Village - is capable of growing grapes every bit as good as the grapes grown in the Leelanau Peninsula.  That's a project for the next few years: as soon as my ship comes in and I can buy some suitable land.  Anyone out there want to invest?  Gimme a holla'. One year later, and after being cut down to 2 buds in June (click to enlarge)  TO MAKE A RESERVATION send an e-mail to innkeeper@neelyhousebandb.com, being sure to include the date(s) of your desired stay and your room preference. You may call Neelyhouse at no. 231-526-2392 or 734-302-4477; messages are checked and calls returned daily. Again, be sure to specify date(s) and room preference. Our mailing address is Neelyhouse c/o Joseph Neely, 2942 Salem Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48103. A deposit of $50 per room is required at the time you make a reservation. This deposit is refundable with two weeks notice of cancellation or if we are able to re-rent the room. Checks should be made payable to 'Neelyhouse B and B'. Please note that we do not accept credit card payments at this time. Joe and Linda Neely hope you will visit them soon!