Tucked into a protected cove of East Caroga Lake in the southern Adirondacks, “Dinky Soleil” is a cozy two bedroom waterfront cottage that sleeps six. A wall of French doors in the living room and well-placed windows in the bedrooms open to lovely views over a spacious, level lawn to a serene 90 foot waterfront.

Twenty summers of living at “Dinky Soleil” with our extended family and many visiting friends have inspired us in the art of maximizing space. The floor plan and design details of this pleasant home have been fine-tuned to comfortably and functionally accommodate delighted guests. The central living area with open-plan living room, kitchen and dining flows well; sleeping wings provide two tiny bedrooms at opposite ends of the cottage with privacy and fine views.

In both bedrooms, it’s a treat to lie in antique beds piled high with feather pillows and colorfully wrapped in vintage quilts and down duvets, watching the weather of lake and sky framed by deep-green pines. The “master bedroom,” adjacent to the bathroom with shower, has a beautifully ornate white iron full-size bed and a hope-chest window seat. The second bedroom has a full-size brass bed and built-in bunk beds. A queen pull-out sofa in the living room provides an additional sleeping choice. The beds all have good reading lights and a bedside shelf or stand. Storage space is minimal, with wall hooks, a few drawers and one tiny closet, but all you’ll need for casual Adirondack living are a bathing suit, shorts, tee-shirts, jeans and a sweatshirt!

The well-stocked galley kitchen has a full-size refrigerator, electric stove, microwave, toaster, coffee-maker, blender, and a water cooler of delicious drinking water from a local spring. An aqua enameled dining table seats 6.

The living room is furnished for curl-up comfort with the sleeper-sofa, an upholstered reading chair, cushioned antique wicker, and locally crafted Amish rockers; a large framed mirror doubles the view. An attractive gas stove with fire view offers heat and ambiance while extending the getaway seasons at “Dinky Soleil” for gorgeous fall foliage and spring wildflowers & fishing. Electronics include wi-fi high-speed internet, standard cable TV, VCR and DVD, and a CD stereo, with a variety of CD’s and videos. We also provide a selection of board games and local guidebooks.

Vintage furnishings, accessories, paintings and mirrors throughout the cottage reflect the cheerful taste of two avid collectors. Set against pine and beaded-board walls painted a creamy white, the traditional reds and greens of an Adirondack lake house are brightened with splashes of vivid turquoise, butter yellow and acid spring-leaf green. A flat-weave carpet in the mottled tones of woodland duff softens the living, dining and bedroom floors; the bathroom and kitchen floors are classic “red brick” linoleum. Ceiling fans ventilate every room, and strings of festive lights draped over window frames and pine branches add a celebratory glow.

A set of glass and screened French doors opens onto mahogany exterior steps spanning the width of the living room and flanked by lush perennial borders planted with native ferns, herbs, hostas, lilies, coneflowers & brown-eyed susans. The expansive yard has a broad lakefront lawn and a patio with picnic table, stainless gas grill and patio heater. On the other side of the cottage, the property has a clothesline and ample parking in a private driveway.

Comfortable Adirondack chairs and a firepit are set up for enjoyment of the waterfront, bordered with a low stone wall, perennial & herb garden, and dock with rowboat. From the dock on the shallow cove water you can watch ducks, geese and loons feed on water lilies and grasses, or take our rowboat out to explore the undulating points and coves of the 330 acre East Caroga Lake as well as adjoining West Caroga Lake. Kayaks and a canoe are available for an additional fee. It’s just a 3 minute drive to a private neighborhood association beach that offers uncrowded, safe swimming with a shallow sand bottom.

Conveniently located just half an hour north of the New York State Thruway in the historic Leatherstocking Region, with access to the natural splendors of the 6 million acre Adirondack Park, “Dinky Soleil” is a three-season vacation choice that offers the pleasures of simply relaxing and enjoying the waterfront, or venturing out for a variety of interesting excursions. Nature trails to hidden lakes and mountaintop vistas, antiques malls, motocross rallies, golf, thoroughbred horse-racing, world-class ballet, classical & pop music venues, caverns and spas, historical sites and art museums, the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Adirondack Museum, the National Museums of Racing and of Dance, and Great Escape Theme Park, are all within easy distance. It’s about an hour to Saratoga Springs, Lake George and Albany; about 4 hours to New York, Boston, Montreal and Niagara Falls.

RENTAL RATES

$1,600 per week, July and August, from 6 p.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. the following Saturday; $1,300 per week, September-June. $225 per night with 2 night minimum, May, June, September and October. Inquire or see “Last Minute Specials” for special fall foliage or spring season package rates.

Additional fee for kayak and canoe rentals.