Memorial Day Weekend is the kick start to the summer season in the USA. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the days are filled with vacations, camping, bonfires, beach days and cookouts. The Finger Lakes Region is filled with beautiful sights and things to taste. You can usually opt for a hotel, a campground or a vacation rental. It has been a while since I’ve done a vacation rental. The last time I can honestly remember one was when my parents used to go to family reunions on Keuka Lake.
I was invited by the incredible staff at Shangri-La Vacation Rentals in Naples, NY to stay at one of their off the grid vacation rentals. The first thing that came to mind was an extremely rustic log cabin in the middle of the woods with an outhouse. I am pleased to declare that I was pleasantly surprised and completely floored. My family and I made the trek down from Rochester, New York which was about an hour drive. We were going to be housed at the North Bunk House. Once we drove up the dirt road driveway, we came across two of the rentals. The North Bunk House was closest to the duck house and has a fabulous view of Mr. Waddles pond.
As you can see by the video above, we were absolutely spoiled. I could spend all day in the sitting area off of the master bedroom overlooking the pond and duck house. I felt truly relaxed. Off the grid means solar powered here. There is fiber optic wi-fi to stay connected (I didn’t have cell service) with plenty of channels for your viewing pleasure. Each bedroom had its own television and the television in the living came equipped with a second screen with live camera footage of the entire property.
I would do a vacation rental like this over camping any day. The house was equipped with just about anything you could want. There were toiletry products, paper products, dishes, glasses (wine glasses as well), cutlery, silverware, pots and pans, cleaning products and the list goes on. The products are organic and environmentally friendly. All you seriously need to bring is yourself, clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste and be ready to relax. The owner has really created his own wildlife reserve and you get to stay in the middle of it!
This is probably the most quality family time that we have spent with each other in a while. Saturday night was consisted of family time with some amazing pizza delivery from Neopolitan (yes there is one place that delivers). I woke up early on Sunday Morning to walk around the property and head back into town. There is a Dollar General and a Farm Stand called Joe’s which let me pick up the necessities for blueberry pancakes for breakfast and some food for lunch. Joe’s had some great local products, fresh baked goods, fruits, vegetables and much more. I would definitely suggest stopping by.
It took us a while to leave. I literally sat in that second floor living area by the balcony for a good hour or so before leaving. I planned a few look out stops along the way for our trip back home but of course per Olivia, we needed to stop for ice cream. We stopped at Lynnie Lou’s for some homemade ice cream. My chocolate lab, Reese, even got a puppy sundae. This was some great ice cream (they take cash only) and had Reese and Olivia’s seal of approval.
Shangri-La in Naples, New York is a must do. Everyone should take some time to get back to their core roots. This let us reflect on what is important. Family experiences and quality time are the key to happiness. I invite you to experience Shangri-La with the links below. The staff and property are amazing. Head down to Naples and drink some great Finger Lakes wine along the way!
