Our Stay at Birch Cottage, Raquette Lake, NY

For our recent trip to Raquette Lake, we stayed in Birch Cottage, a Craftsman-style home nestled in a secluded area by the lake. The property is owned by the proprietors of the Raquette Lake Navigation Company, Dean and Donna Pohl. They made us feel wonderfully welcome! Donna brought coffee and creamer and Dean made sure we had plenty of wood for the fireplace.
 
The “cottage” (it’s an enormous building, more like a house!) is off lovely Antlers Road, a winding area that surrounds Raquette Lake and on which are many other homes.
 

 
The front of the house looks over the lake, a splendid view.

When we took the RLNC cruise, we passed by the cottage.

The cottage is extremely roomy and very clean. Our favorite room is the living room with its enormous fireplace.

Can you see the big buffalo head hanging over the doorway? There was an antelope hanging on the opposite wall, too!

I fell in love with the red Dutch door.

View outside the door.

Look at the iron hardware! Love it!

The cottage has 4 enormous bedrooms, a dining room, a living room, two bathrooms and a few winding halls. It used to be the Antlers Hotel, which accounts for the winding halls, I suppose. Everything had a 1940s feel to it, as if we’d stepped back in time.

The cottage features many amenities, though: central heating and a fireplace (which was SO cozy), leather furniture, a full kitchen, plenty of lighting, a satellite TV, two full bathrooms, loads of blankets and cookware…. everything, really. It is in “move in” condition.

The upstairs is currently closed off and it looks like the Pohls are renovating the place. They told me they had hopes of building a restaurant next to the cottage. I heartily encouraged them in this venture! We have been to the Adirondacks several times, and food is very difficult to find. There are very few restaurants in the woodsy, residential areas and no grocery stores. It’s either bring all your own food or drive several miles to find a convenience store or restaurant. i would definitely go to the Pohl’s restaurant! The husband and I had luncheon on their W.W. Durant cruise ship and the food was incredible.

The next morning we woke to a lovely sunrise over the lake.

All the next day, I kept my word to myself and did nothing. I sat on the pier and did nothing, for hours. It was good not to be running around.

A boat passed by with a pickup truck on it. How curious. It must be quicker traveling across the lake than driving the park’s winding roads.

That’s Blue Mountain to the north of the lake.

i sat there, soaking in the sun and relaxing. I can’t report anything spectacular happened, but that is just as I wanted it — I didn’t want anything spectacular. I just wanted to relax and rest and enjoy the outdoors. Birch Cottage is a perfect place for it.

Just so you know, Dean and Donna gave us a free night in exchange for my input here. All my opinions, as always, are mine. I appreciate their incredible hospitality, and I think you’d enjoy it, too. If you’re looking for a little “me” time away from the crazy suburban life, here you go. Be sure to call in advance as camps fill up quickly all season long.

Contact Information:
Raquette Lake Navigation Company
Dean and Donna Pohl
Website: http://www.raquettelakenavigation.com
254 Antlers Road, Raquette Lake, NY, 13436
Phone: 315-354-5532
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Raquette-Lake-NY/Raquette-Lake-Navigation/45041121475