testimonials

"My family had a great week in July 2008 at Duck Blind at Sandy Pond. The location is private, yet easily accessible by land or water. The sunset views are breathtaking! This is not a large cottage, but it has plenty of room for 4. The screen porch area is great for meals and your morning coffee! The owners are welcoming and make sure you are ready for a relaxing week! Highly recommend!"

"All in One Vacation"

"This cottage is great if you want to relax and read by the water, or have a bonfire at night in the fireplace and sit in the Adirondack chairs and watch the Sunsets. For fisherman it is perfect because they have a nicely protected dock and you are directly across from the inlet to enter the Great Lake Ontario. For beachgoers it is perfect because directly across the pond is a white sandy beach to lay on and the waves are similar to an ocean only it is freshwater. The golf course is within walking distance across the dirt road so you need not go far. You get the best of many worlds at Sandy Pond!!! It has something for everyone.... Sacketts Harbor is 15 miles away which is a very quaint town with shops and restaurants and a Fort for those who like American History. Dave and Anne are great Hosts and will help you with anything. You won't be disappointed!!!"

"I would recommend any of the 3 cottages these folks have to offer. We stayed in the duck blind cottage pictured above, and we had an amazing time. Dave and Anne were there to great us when we arrived and make us feel at home. Great people to do business with!!! The cottage was clean and well kept. Our neighbors were fantastic, and the description of the cottage was exact!! we were close to many other things to do including Sacketts Harbor, restaurants, many choices of beaches, etc. The pond had an amazing sun set every night and the fishing was great. There were 5 different arenas for boat rentals. I plan on using Dave and Anne on a yearly basis for vacation. I would recommend these cottages to anyone. There is no place lake Sandy Pond/Lake Ontario, and these folks make it that much more worth while. "

"This rental called "Duck Blind Cottage" is on the waters edge of Sandy Pond and has channel access to Lake Ontario where you will find one of the nicest sand beaches on the lake. There are also other beaches and state parks within a short drive. A great location to relax, grab a book and a chair to read outside next to the pond. Dave & Anne were great hosts who keep this property clean and well maintained. They have lots of local information on activities, attractions and restaurants. We found this rental through CyberRentals on the internet. The property description was accurate on location, layout, amenities and the pictures on CyberRentals give a great view of this cottage. We have recommended this rental property to family & friends and are planning a return visit this year."

"Awesome Experience"

    "Being in the over 50 age bracket my new husband and I decided upon a fishing honeymoon. We searched for months the multitude of places in the Lake Ontario and Finger Lakes area. We narrowed it to three possibilities and decided upon Dave and Anne Whalen's Duck Blind cottage. The price was more than reasonable and their response to all our questions was immediate.
    I have been handicapped for over 20 years and most experiences with accommodations have not been favorable. What an amazing surprise at Duck Blind. Dave and Anne were there to greet us when we arrived and went out of their way to make every inconvenience an easy access situation. After the check in date they did not forget us as most hosts do. They made certain we had plenty of firewood for the outdoor fireplace, more than ample gas for the grill for our barbecue, and lots of information on all the interesting places to see and things to do in the area. The cottages are spaced well apart from each other insuring the utmost of privacy. A typical day started early with a hot cup of coffee sitting in front of the many windows watching as the geese swam by on the still water nudging the resting fog on it's way making way for the sunshine's warming rays. A little fishing right off the dock before breakfast (you should see the size of the bass my husband caught) and then some shopping and sightseeing. Back to fishing from the boat in the afternoon. A relaxing dinner and then settling in front of a campfire watching the stars come across the night sky. The sunrises and sunsets were absolutely phenomenal as we looked across to the inlet to Lake Ontario. We knew we had found the perfect place to return each year and spend a memorable time.
    In our travels about the area we were able to view the other two possible places we selected to stay and were shocked to see the photos on their web sites did not reflect how close together the cottages were nor how cluttered their areas were. God bless Dave and Anne for they are the best hosts in the area and definitely the best place to stay. We look forward to seeing you there."

"We had a great time at the Property and really got to experience mostly lovely, but amazing changing skies and weather! Rain showers were welcome on the comfortable back porch and allowed us to play scrabble and watch nature in its glory. Our dog LOVED the property and waterfront as much as we did. Thanks for the local recos for wings and an overall great stay, Dave and Anne! "

"A Little Slice of Heaven"
    Duck Blind Cottage on Sandy Pond is the perfect place to "unplug" from the hustle and bustle of daily life! The cottage and grounds were immaculate and the location and sunsets on Sandy Pond are to die for!
    I spent a week there last summer with my teenage boys and was happy to see them outside fishing, swimming and building campfires instead of sitting in front of video games. It's a great place to play board games, skip rocks and toast marshmallows! It was fabulous!
    We typically try to plan a different vacation every year but we had such a great time on Sandy Pond that we are headed back this year with more of our family. I would highly recommend this or any one of Dave and Anne's cottages to anyone who enjoys a peaceful and restful vacation! If you are looking for "a little slice of heaven" - this is the spot for you! "

"My family has rented the Duck Blind cottage two years in a row and we had a great experience. My husband, myself and three small children were very pleased with the accommodations. They were clean, well maintained and the owners are very accommodating. The cottage was exactly what we expected and is very quaint, fairly private and has a great view of the Pond. My children loved playing in the large yard, fishing on the docks and swimming right out front. My husband brought our boat and we found some terrific boaters beaches that were close by and just beautiful. We thoroughly enjoyed our vacations at the Duck Blind and have recommended this property to several other family members who are now regulars each year. We will be enjoying our 4th year renting with this owner. We highly recommend the Duck Blind. "

This was our second year at the cabins for salmon fishing for us and our crew. We would not consider staying anywhere else but at the Whalen's cabins on sandy Pond. What a wonderful and comfortable time, in such a beautiful spot. the sunsets are AMAZING. The cabins are great, with all the amenities. They took the time to make the cabin warm, cozy and inviting for fishermen and even non fisherman, "wherever you are."

Dave and Anne are the best of hosts. they welcome you with a smile and seem like old friends.

At the Whalen's, you get a small lake feel with BIG lake fishing. With beautiful scenery, it was a peaceful place to stay right on the pond with a private dock for our boat.

Just minutes from the dock, we're out on the BIG Lake salmon fishing! With a few helpful hints from our hosts, I caught my first King Salmon coming in at 22 pounds and continued to catch fish the rest of the week. What an experience!!! We've been going back up there for more for the past 3 years.

Thank you Dave and Anne for wonderful memories!! We'll see you again next year!

John and Robin, Windsor, CT

Dear Dave & Anne

I just wanted to tell you how much my son Ben and I enjoyed our stay with you at your cottage at Sandy Pond. You truly made us feel at home, and Ben is still talking about landing that huge salmon! Thanks again. We will definitely be back next year. All the best.

Mark M., Las Vegas, Nevada.

We visited the cottage one week prior to our stay, and were extremely pleased with how quaint and cozy the cottage and surroundings were, making us even more excited in anticipation of our vacation. The area is peaceful and quiet. We would definitely stay again!

Kathy V., Liverpool, NY

First I would like to thank Mr. & Mrs. Whalen for being such wonderful people, I would also like to thank them for the way they invited us to come back next year. The cottage was so clean and cozy. We loved the sun porch. The sun set in front of the windows every night; it was so so beautiful. Mr. Whalen made a nice fireplace out in the yard so we could have a bon fire every night, and told us where all the hot fishing spots were. My daughter caught a 5 to 7 lb. bow fin. She was so excited she and her girl friend were jumping up and down. They caught it right off the dock just before sunset. And I can't remember when my wife & I had such a great time. If fishing isn't what you're in to, you can take your boat or you can do like we did and rent a boat from the Green Point Marina and go to the private beach. It is 4 miles of sandy beach. You feel like you are the only people there. It is the most relaxed I have ever been. Thanks again for such a wonderful time.

David D., Syracuse, NY

PS. Mrs. Whalen - just wanted to give you one more tip about the roses. Make sure to let the hose sit right at the root of the plant and let the water run on each plant about 3 minutes once a week. See you next year.

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Testimonials