Best Bets for Families

Ellijay, Georgia

Property 138712
Submitted by Sandy Edelson

Ellijay – tucked away in the north Georgia mountains - is the Apple Capital of Georgia, and home of the Fall Apple Festival.  The unhurried town is a well-kept secret and offers a plethora of things to do for people of all ages.

Well-maintained parks along the many rivers give you places to relax and watch nature. Mountain views take your breath away.

For the more adventurous, kayaking, tubing, white water rafting, fishing, mountain climbing, and horseback riding abound in the Ellijay area.

Places to play or relax include the trailhead of the Appalachian Trail, the pristine waters of Carters Lake, and sightseeing practically everywhere (as one naturalist said of North GA, ”Scenic touring is about any road you want to travel.”)  That includes Amicalola Falls & Ruby Falls, Vogel State Park and more.

If it’s shopping you like, explore the quaint downtown area of old Ellijay. Along with its charming ”round-about” town square and Town Hall, you'll find great places for antiquing, and a magical place called the Christmas House where you’ll find treasures for the holidays and many other delightful items at great prices. 

You’ll also find many wonderful restaurants, a fantastic boutique/bakery/wine shop (Corks & Crumbs) plus many more unique shops where works of local artists are highlighted.

Just a few miles away, in East Ellijay, you'll find many more restaurants and stores, including: an Italian restaurant, an Oriental restaurant, a Mexican restaurant, a steak house, several fast food chains, specialty shops, log furniture stores, and more.

Great day trips are within easy reach from the Ellijay area: approximately 15 miles to Blue Ridge, GA; 38 miles to Blairsville, GA, Dahlonega, GA, and the Appalachian Trail head; 60 miles to Murphy, NC & Chattanooga, TN; 65 miles to Helen, GA; 75 miles to Atlanta, GA.

Hilton Head, South Carolina

Property 101363
Submitted by Luann Brenner

We have the perfect family getaway - privacy, peace, and lots of space.  And  every convenience of home.

Your own private pool.

North Palmetto Point, Bahamas

Property 143790
Submitted by Holly and Jim Waters

Waters Edge is a new beachfront villa atop a beautiful, palm-fringed sandy knoll in North Palmetto Point. It is a casually elegant, yet extraordinarily comfortable beach house overlooking the azure waters of the Atlantic Ocean that are calmed by coral reefs.

A landscaped path leads to the fabulous dune deck overlooking the gorgeous, deserted pink sand beach, where sandpipers and sand crabs outnumber people.

Relax in the Adirondack chairs and catch the warm tropical breezes that keep the deck perfectly cooled all day for sunning, reading and daydreaming. At night, more stars can be seen than many will see in a lifetime.

Snorkeling and swimming are just steps away in the clear blue waters teeming with coral reefs and brilliantly colored tropical fish. According to locals, the reefs at our beach are some of the best on Eleuthera.

A few yards down the beach is one of the most beautiful coves on the island, perfect for little children and beginning snorkelers. It’s full of tropical fish, lobster, and coral.

With all of this, you may never want to leave our little hideaway in paradise.

Take a walk along the miles of deserted beach in front of Waters Edge where there are shells galore for one to find! Search for the magical sea bean, a treasure that makes a floating journey across the Atlantic and promises the finder good luck for many years.

We invite you to this little piece of paradise - its dazzling beaches, romantic sunsets, crystal clear waters, and friendly people.

Newport, Rhode Island

Property 138812 
Submitted by Christine Holden

Consider a wonderful farmhouse located on Rhode Island’s second oldest working farm.

Feed the animals at the petting zoo, go on a tractor-drawn hayride, or walk the footpath to the western side of the farm to watch a sunset over Narragansett Bay.

The house is minutes to downtown Newport and Ocean beaches.

Finger Lakes Area, New York

Property 307629
Submitted by Robert Lawty

Four and a half hours northwest from New York City, one and a half hours southeast from Buffalo on the US-Canadian border, and just three hours from Toronto by car, you will discover the idyllic Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York.

In a setting of 9,000 square miles, there are 11 lakes, over 1,000 waterfalls and numerous gorges, which were formed at the end of the ice age when tremendous grinding pressures gouged enormous holes in the land, forming what is now the Finger Lakes region of “Up State New York”. Many of these gorges are now State Parks and provide beautiful walking and hiking trails.

These amazing Lakes range from three miles (five km) to 40 miles (64km) in length, and from 30 feet (10m) to over 632 feet (194m) in depth! Native American Legend says that the Finger Lakes were the impression left behind by the creator when he reached down to bless the land.

Whatever the truth, the Finger Lakes are a wonderful place to escape, to “just get away” for a short break or a longer vacation, where you can relax and do either very little, or as much as you want.

The Cobtree Vacation Rental Resort offers a number of English-style, brick-built cottages or "Real Homes", each named after one of the Finger Lakes.

Each cottage is fully equipped to the highest standard, and provides the ideal location for family and pet friendly, self-catering vacations to the region.  They’re a true home-away-from-home experience with spectacular views over Seneca Lake.

Explore the many exciting places dotted around the region - it’s the perfect vacation destination.  Seneca Lake is the largest lake in the region, providing excellent fishing, boating and sailing, and if you are planning on staying at Cobtree Vacation Rental Homes, lake access is available at nearby Seneca State Park just a 10- minute drive away. The park has a water spray park, beaches, barbeque pits, lifeguards and boat launching slips.

Just one mile away from Cobtree, you can find Roy's Marina where you can launch and recover a boat or tie up to their dock.

Whilst you are here, why not take a leisurely drive or wine tour to visit some of over 70 award winning wineries and vineyards, which have joined together to form five wine trails?  Cobtree Vacation Rental Homes is right on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail and convenient for the Deck the Halls Wine Festival and other events held throughout the year.

You can also shop at a variety of stores including antique shops, boutiques, bookshops, the Waterloo Outlet Mall, craft fairs, museums and historic sites or simply enjoy the hospitality of the people of the Finger Lakes. Dine out at many of the fine local restaurants such as Ports restaurant, Emile's restaurant and the Cobblestone restaurant.

For the more active and adventurous visitors to the region, there are numerous summer adventure activities such as canoeing, kayaking, sailing, boating, wind surfing, fishing, horse riding, or simply hiking around the 25 State Parks and visiting the numerous waterfalls to take in the natural beauty of the area.

Go swimming in the lakes or at the local swimming pool, ten pin bowling or even take a cruise on Seneca or Cayuga Lake. Or, for a change of pace, why not take a day out to visit Niagara Falls, which is only a short one and a half hour drive away? On the way home, stop off at Darien Lake Six Flags amusement park or the Sea Breeze amusement park near Rochester, New York!

Of course, if you simply want a break to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life, then Cobtree is idyllic. Sitting in 57 acres with its own woodland nature trails, the sunrises over the lake and sunsets over the farmhouse are simply spectacular.

Each cottage has its own gas powered barbecue, and there is no better way to relax than having a cookout while sampling the produce of one of the many local wineries whilst looking out over Seneca Lake and enjoying the peace and quiet of the countryside.

So little time, yet so much to do, and that's’ just in the spring and summer!

During the fall and through the winter, the experience continues with the spectacular scenery of the changing colors of the fall, the harvest, grape picking for wine production, Halloween, pre-Christmas shopping, visiting art galleries, live theatre at the Smith Opera House, the January sales at the Waterloo Outlet Mall.  

And when the snow finally arrives, Skiing, tobogganing, ice-skating, ice fishing, sleigh rides and snowmobiling are but a few of the winter activities in the region.

And all of this is just a taste of the Finger Lakes Experience!