welcome to

Sweetheart

2 bedrooms

6 guests

lake access

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Amenities

the house

  • | charming interior
  • | queen size canopy bed
  • | rustic wood stove
    | wiFi throughout
  • | hot outdoor shower
  • | jetted spa hot tub
  • | grill + fire pit 
    | horseshoes
    | beach access

“Sweetheart” is a cheerful three-season vacation home just steps away from a private beachy area shared with neighbors on beautiful East Caroga Lake. The house is not waterfront. The talented owners, a designer/builder and a gourmet cook, have turned “Sweetheart” into a relaxed, informal retreat with a focus on outdoor living. The spacious, level double lot, with its lovely backdrop of mixed woodland, features an new grill, hot outdoor shower, six-person jetted spa, picnic table, and a comfortable living area circling a stone fire pit.

The exterior of “Sweetheart” is classic Adirondack – barn red clapboard siding with mullioned windows and shutters painted a forest green, the front yard soft with pine needles from stately trees rimming the property, paths and borders carefully edged with native stones. Indoors, white-washed cedar walls and aqua enameled wood floors lend a touch of “beach shack” atmosphere, repeated in seascape oil paintings and shell collections. (An exuberant painting collection also includes landscaped and still-lifes.)

The open living area features a large living room and an eat-in kitchen. The cathedral ceiling is hung with light strands and vintage colored-glass globe chandeliers for an amber glow . A brick fireplace with wood stove insert centers one wall. The wood stove showcases beautiful fires and efficiently heats the camp on chilly evenings. Entertainment options include TV (no cable), DVD and VCR and board games. Please note that the televisions are “old school” and will not be compatible with a firestick, etc. High-speed WI-FI internet access is provided for your laptop computer- your best bet for watching current shows and movies, etc.

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The kitchen has large, charmingly old-fashioned “camp” windows that swing open on top-hinges to hook onto the rafters above, white vintage cabinetry, and a 30’s vintage sheet linoleum floor in a harlequin pattern of black, red and gray diamonds that we happily uncovered during renovation. The antique wood dining table and painted kitchen chairs seat six.

The fully-equipped eat-in kitchen includes refrigerator, fabulous vintage electric range with “crock pot” slow-cooker insert, enameled sink with built-in drainboard, microwave, toaster oven, blender and coffee maker. A china cupboard holds a charming array of vintage dinnerware, while a butcher block unit stores generous serving bowls and platters. A large mirror on the range wall reflects beautiful green light from the kitchen’s two walls of windows.

The small master bedroom features the rustic glamour of a queen-size canopy bed hand-crafted by the Amish from twigs and branches painted a dreamy white and swathed in little white string lights. The walls are white with a distressed-finish antique door. Two windows offer circulation of cooling breezes.

The second bedroom features a trundle bed (two twin beds that can be made into a king size bed). A window looks out across lawn to lovely evergreen trees. A dresser and wall hooks provide clothes storage. A full sleeper-sofa on the sun porch allows “Sweetheart” to accommodate a total of six guests.

The beds are outfitted with attractive spreads, blankets, and pillows. Guests provide their own linens: sheets, pillowcases, and towels.

The enclosed sun porch, with three walls of multi-paned glass and screened windows that are curtained for privacy, is an ideal den or third bedroom. A suite of comfortable beige leather furniture includes a sectional sofa that incorporates two recliners and a full sleeper-sofa, providing plenty of space for hanging out as well as sleeping in. An ivory-enameled Jotul free-standing gas fireplace will warm up that area in cool weather.

Next to the bedrooms is a full bath with toilet, console sink, and small shower. One wall of the bathroom serves as a graffiti guest book. An outdoor hot shower and hot tub (along with a dip in the lake!) provide summer’s best bathing experiences.

the surroundings

  • | sandy lakefront
  • | swimming 
  • | hiking trails
  • | hunting land
  • | gorgeous views
  • | days trips 
  • | canoe + kayak rentals
Outside features a gas grill and a large picnic table whose comfortable benches have backs to them and seat six easily.

Bluestone stepping stones set in a pebble patio lead to the six-person jetted spa**** offering relaxation under the stars. Next to the spa is an enclosed outdoor shower.

In the large, grassy clearing beyond, a collection of comfortable Adirondack furniture, including a rustic swing, encircles a stone fire pit for bonfires and s’mores. Nearby is a horseshoe pit. A short walk across the quiet road rimming East Caroga Lake brings you to the sandy, protected waterfront shared with a handful of neighbors. In addition to offering great swimming, you may rent kayaks or canoes to launch from here for fishing and exploring East Caroga Lake’s many coves and inlets. A channel leads to West Caroga Lake, allowing boaters to paddle to the village center for a meal.

Hiking, mountain biking and ATV trails, trout-fishing streams, state hunting land, and gorgeous views from a mountaintop fire tower are all nearby. The county has seven golf courses and 44 lakes to enjoy, ranging from small hidden lakes on hiking trails to the 26 mile long Great Sacandaga.

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The village of Caroga Lake has restaurants, taverns, post office, laundromat, general store, coffee shop, gas, ATM, video rentals, and a chapel. All the amenities of a friendly, small city are 15 minutes away in the historic sister-cities of Gloversville and Johnstown.

Centrally located in the accessible southern Adirondacks, just 30 minutes north of the NY State Thruway, “Sweetheart” is a great location for easy daytrip excursions to Saratoga (Performing Arts Center, Thoroughbred Racing, and much more), Lake George, Great Sacandaga Lake, Cooperstown (Baseball Hall of Fame, Farmer’s Museum, Fenimore Museum, Howe Caverns), the Albany capital region, and much of the six million acre Adirondack Park, including Blue Mountain Lake and Tupper Lake, homes of renowned Adirondack regional museums.

It’s about an hour to Saratoga, Cooperstown, and Albany; about four hours to New York, Boston, Buffalo, and Montreal.

other things to note

“Sweetheart” accommodates a maximum of six guests at all times. There is off-street parking for three cars. Sorry, no pets and no smoking. “Sweetheart” has a NO SHOES policy; bring slippers or flip-flops for indoor use. You provide your own sheets and towels- we provide bedding, blankets and pillows.

We realize that the hot tub is a very nice feature at Sweetheart. Please use it wisely- shower before entering, don’t use lotions, oils, etc. We want all of our guests to be able to enjoy it! If there seems to be a problem, please let us know right away and we will do our best to make it right as soon as possible. Please note that it can be finicky and does require maintenance. For that reason, there are no guarantees. We want you to be fully aware that you may not always have access and there is no refund if for some unforeseen reason it is not fit for use. Hasn’t happened many times but we don’t want any disappointment. Rest assured, we always try our very best!

Please remember this is a rustic cottage in the Adirondacks. It is not a resort in a resort town. If you love being in nature and the quiet beauty of our area, the house is awesome! If you are looking for more plush accommodations, please let me know. This house may not be for you but we do have others! I hope you will visit.

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IMPORTANT: Sweetheart is heated primarily by a wood stove. It is not insulated and can get chilly in the late Fall season. If you do not feel comfortable with a wood stove (it may have to be stoked throughout the night) then this may not be the house for you. If you’re up for a great price, “roughing it” in the cooler weather, this is definitely the house for you!

As important- Sweetheart is a rustic cottage. The floors are uneven, you may see a mouse, you probably will see a spider. The bedrooms are small. The wall between the two bedrooms does not go all the way to the ceiling. It is best for families or very good friends. It is clean. comfortable, affordable and fun and we love it! Sweetheart is full of love and laughter, kitschy and wonky, an excellent place to bond with your family and friends- a wonderful place to experience beauty and peace. We would love to share it with you.

We want you to be our guest! If we have availability for the week you are interested in, let us know what you can afford to pay and we’ll try to help you plan a wonderful and affordable vacation!

sweet words from

Our happy guests

We had a really nice time at Sweetheart. We really enjoyed the outdoor space, hot tub and drinking coffee on the front porch area the most. We were pleasantly surprised how close the lake access was. My 5 year old son loved fishing off the little dock. We love the Caroga Lake area and look forward to making this a family tradition however we may look into some of your other properties as this one was a touch too rustic for our liking. Overall, a great time making beautiful family memories. Thank you.
Heather

September 2018

If you want to relax, this is the place. It is comfortable and funky and in an area of such natural beauty that it can’t help but affect you in a good way John

October 2018

We had a great time at Sweetheart! The location is beautiful, right across the street from a lake. Being from the South where we are accustomed to hot weather, and also air conditioning, I was nervous about the cabin not having any air conditioning for our stay in July, but we were pleasantly surprised by the temperatures, and found the fans located within the home to be sufficient. So don’t let that be a deterrent to you!

Emily

July 2018

We can’t wait to see you.

book your stay at sweetheart