Waterlemon villa?

michigan girls · Post by **michigan girls** » Sun Oct 02, 2016 2:29 pm

For the first time in several years I missed my August trip in order to spend a week exploring Michigan's upper peninsula. While it is breathtakingly beautiful up there, I definitely missed my happy place. With this in mind, I am even more anxious than usual to get April's trip details nailed down. This time will be my BFF and I, plus my mother and aunt. We are leaning toward Waterlemon Villa. My only real concern is the driveway/parking situation. My aunt is still trying to decide whether she is going to rent a separate car for her and my mother as they're not sure they can hang with us all day long at the beach like we enjoy. Any input is great appreciated!

JenG · Post by **JenG** » Sun Oct 02, 2016 4:23 pm

I stayed at Waterlemon Villa in May of this year. I absolutely loved the villa but hated the driveway situation. When you turn off from the main road (Bordeaux Mtn Rd) you go downhill past Someday Isle and then down a really steep section, around a bend and then past Island Horizon and Almost Heaven on a very narrow lane (decorative fence on one side and rocky wall on the other) before you finally get to Waterlemon Villa. There's a slight jog to the left to enter the villa's driveway. The driveway itself is paved and fairly steep. Two Jeeps will fit. The area where a small Jeep MIGHT be able to turn around had the grill and a small dining set. We ended up backing up all the way past Island Horizon and using their parking area to turn around. I guess I'm backing-up impaired because each time I left Waterlemon there was plenty of cursing involved and lots of stops and starts. I'm not sure what you would do if folks were staying at Island Horizon and using the parking area. Backing all the way down or all the way up to a turn around area near Someday Isle seems nearly impossible to me. Of course if I wasn't driving I'd stay there again in a heartbeat. LOL!

michigan girls · Post by **michigan girls** » Mon Oct 03, 2016 6:45 pm

Thanks for your response, that's kind of what I was afraid of. I think we have decided on Viewtiful instead, I prefer that location anyway

mls10 · Post by **mls10** » Mon Oct 03, 2016 8:55 pm

The road from Bordeaux Mtn sounds terrible.

Would it be better to go up from Coral Bay?

Teresa_Rae · Post by **Teresa_Rae** » Mon Oct 03, 2016 9:42 pm

We stayed next door at Island Horizons several years ago and we drove up from Coral Bay.

papabou · Post by **papabou** » Mon Oct 03, 2016 10:00 pm

mg,

your group should enjoy viewtiful with her great location and drop death views. 1 word of caution, don't panic when you start up mamey peak rd from centerline rd. remember the website says vf is on a "roughly paved road", an understatement! the initial 100 yds is very bummpy but straight. then there's a fairly sharp left turn on an incline that you can see around then you are on flat ground pulling into vf. you will need a jeep for clearance and traction if rains. level parking near front door. after a trip or two you learn how to miss the worse bumps.

buddy and i were there in early july 2013 and was extremely windy but hurricane chantel passed by to the south. sunrises are magnificiant. under 4 minutes to maho and only a minute to columbo's where they offer free rum with your smoothie! let me know if you have questions.
papabou

michigan girls · Post by **michigan girls** » Mon Oct 03, 2016 10:16 pm

papabou wrote:mg,
your group should enjoy viewtiful with her great location and drop death views. 1 word of caution, don't panic when you start up mamey peak rd from centerline rd. remember the website says vf is on a "roughly paved road", an understatement! the initial 100 yds is very bummpy but straight. then there's a fairly sharp left turn on an incline that you can see around then you are on flat ground pulling into vf. you will need a jeep for clearance and traction if rains. level parking near front door. after a trip or two you learn how to miss the worse bumps. papabou

How's the turn around situation in the driveway? Viewtiful has been on my short list for a while now - we almost chose it last trip (largely based on info you provided me then

), but went with Swogjan's Dragon instead, which is right at the base of Mamey Peak Rd. I really love that location, so convenient to everywhere!

papabou · Post by **papabou** » Tue Oct 04, 2016 8:38 am

the dirve and parking is fairly flat and almost on grade. you pull into an obvious space and back out into an open area and you're headed downhill. the parking is next to white fence is top pic on website. the bottom pic is what you see all day from inside and decks. there is a cluster on 3 villas starting very close to the left side of the road that share a level wide turnout. treehouse is 1st, then the turnout & drive that goes downhill to the home of private homes owner, then vf is to right of turnout/drive. though the 3 are close, the topography and design of vf facing away, gives a fair degree of privacy, tree house not so much.

vf is older & not luxury but she's well equipped, supplied and clean. pool, hot tub and both bedrooms are down an outside flt of stairs. pool was cold & pool deck small but also afforded a shaded area after mid morning. great large sun deck off greatroom with an unobstructed view of coral bay, east end and nw africa in the distance. nice half bath on the main level and walkway from parking has place to clean off beach gear right next to jeep.

would glady go back with snorkle buddy due to convenience to east side beaches, columbos and skinny legs. biggest dislike for old man was outside stairs down to bdrms and pool. overall good value.

papabou

Teresa_Rae · Post by **Teresa_Rae** » Wed Oct 05, 2016 2:59 pm

papabou wrote:mg,

your group should enjoy viewtiful with her great location and drop death views. 1 word of caution, don't panic when you start up mamey peak rd from centerline rd. remember the website says vf is on a "roughly paved road", an understatement! the initial 100 yds is very bummpy but straight. then there's a fairly sharp left turn on an incline that you can see around then you are on flat ground pulling into vf. you will need a jeep for clearance and traction if rains. level parking near front door. after a trip or two you learn how to miss the worse bumps.

buddy and i were there in early july 2013 and was extremely windy but hurricane chantel passed by to the south. sunrises are magnificiant. under 4 minutes to maho and only a minute to columbo's where they offer free rum with your smoothie! let me know if you have questions.
papabou

Mamey Peak Road was one of the easiest roads we've ever stayed on on STJ. It's bumpy but otherwise easy. I remember telling someone on here that I found that I could take a drink with me when leaving our villa and as long as it wasn't more than half full, it wouldn't spill

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