Lighthouse Cottage on the shores of beautiful Lake Santa Fe near
Melrose is a vacation home for visitors seeking the natural beauty of
the semi-tropics of north central Florida.

Lighthouse Cottage is located in the “lake region” of Florida, amidst
pecan groves, massive oak trees swaying with Spanish moss, cabbage
palms and palmetto, and cypress trees... A trip back in time to a
Florida of half a century past.

Lake Santa Fe is 6 miles long and about 6000 acres. The water is clean
and perfect for swimming, boating and fishing. A dock at the
Lighthouse Cottage has a mooring for boats, and it is possible to
arrange the use of kayaks or a canoe during your visit.

The house is 2 stories, with the main living room, bedroom and kitchen
upstairs. (This house is not appropriate for anyone who is limited in
mobility and cannot manage stairs.) The master bedroom has a queen bed
and full bath and is situated adjoining an open area which encompasses
the living room, kitchen, dining area and second bathroom. Down a
spiral staircase is a second bedroom with a full-size (double) bed and private
entrance. The house is cozy, but the wrap-around windows overlooking
the lake and property create an open, airy atmosphere. A deck
surrounds the entire upstairs, providing plenty of space for relaxing,
reading, drawing, bird-watching or basking in the sun. BBQ grill on
the deck.

Kitchen and dining area overlook the water and are equipped with :
electric stove, microwave, full-size refrigerator, dishwasher as well
as cookware, coffeemaker, dishes, etc. Cable TV, a VCR and DVD system,
and stereo are installed in the house. The master bedroom has a
Japanese-style deep Jacuzzi bath for one person and a shower. The 2nd
bathroom has both shower and tub. Plenty of linens, towels and
blankets are provided. The house has a washer and dryer and is fully
air-conditioned and heated, with ceiling fans throughout the house.
There is a hard-line phone and phone service for internet in the house.

The Lighthouse Cottage is recently converted from a private residence
to a rental; you will find it in excellent condition, maintained and
cleaned to superior standards.

Earleton is a quiet, oak-canopied village in which the house is
located. Earlton has a post office and a small country store with
limited household and fishing supplies. Just outside Earleton you can
buy fresh produce at a local farm stand (Brown’s) and nearby you can
buy gas, liquor, and some supplies at the “quick stop” stores on 301.
Melrose is a few miles to the east and has several local-owned
restaurants, a post office, a grocery store, fuel, churches and a
library. Gainesville is an easy 20 miles west and is a medium-size
city, home to the University of Florida, hospitals and premier health
centers, world-class art and nature museums, movies, fine restaurants,
and shopping. Just south is Micanopy, a small town famous for American
antique shops. A beautiful 25 minute drive will take you to exquisite
Cross Creek.

Visitors to the Lighthouse Cottage have easy highway access to the
commercial attractions of central Florida, the Space Coast, and
Daytona (and the advantage of coming home to a peaceful and beautiful
site); either the Orlando or Tampa attractions are about 2.5 hours by
car. The beaches on the east coast or the “Nature Coast” on the west
side of Florida are about an hour and a half drive on lovely rural
roads. Closer to “home” if you are a guest at Lighthouse Cottage are
all the springs, rivers and lakes of the immediate area. You can visit
– or fish – Newnan’s Lake, Orange Lake, Lake Lochloosa, Lake Wauberg,
and Lake Sampson within minutes’ drive. Boating or tubing on the
Suwannee River, the Santa Fe River are less than an hour away. You can
canoe or kayak at Cross Creek or on famous Paynes Prairie, both less
than half hour away.

$1,600-$2,200/month
$800-$950/week
$125-$175/night (3-night minimum some holiday weekends)