It was the year 2014 when my husband, Dave and I first decided to take a trip together to Ashtabula, Ohio. We live in Pennsylvania, about an hour north of Pittsburgh. Dave was born in Ohio, but has lived in Pennsylvania for over 20 years now. I had been to Lake Erie before, but never to Ashtabula or Geneva on the Lake. All of our initial trips to this area were in the fall and winter. And we loved it! We knew that if we loved it in cold, gloomy, cloudy weather, the summer would be spectacular and boy, were we right!
Winter Getaway
The lake is beautiful even in the middle of winter!
Winery Love
We love exploring the more than 30 wineries in this area. We try to visit a new one each time we go, but we also love going back to the ones we love!
Finnish Americans
My husband’s great grandfather came to Ashtabula from Finland back in the 1880s. This is just a special bonus and makes us love this area even more. Here are our daughters at the Finnish Heritage Museum in Ashtabula where their Grandmother is on the board.
There is just something about this little north coastal town. It’s magical. From the moment we get off route 11 and start heading into the Historic Ashtabula Harbor, my husband and I both start feeling a calmness come over us. It truly is our happy place. We took many trips to this area before becoming homeowners here. We were looking for the perfect place. We finally found what we were looking for in 2019….Buttercup Cottage! It was definitely a diamond in the rough, but we saw the amazing potential it had. At this point, we had two small daughters. Mae was almost three years old and Ava was only one. We were busier and more overwhelmed than ever, but we couldn’t pass up this opportunity. We wanted our daughters to spend their summers growing up by the lake.
The first time we saw Buttercup Cottage back in 2019! 
We tore almost everything down to the studs and started over 
The outside got a complete makeover…all new siding, roof, windows, doors and we even moved the front door so it would be centered! 
All new drywall and flooring inside 
My husband and I had fun laying ceramic tile in almost the entire cottage…good thing it is only about 850 square feet 🙂 
We did some of the projects ourselves like the tiling and painting. My husband and his dad built this structure for an electric fireplace insert with a barn beam mantel that was salvaged from the family farm. 
Buttercup Cottage today! We poured our hearts and souls into this place and we hope you love it as much as we do!
We spent the next year and a half renovating our cute little cottage into the beautiful gem it is today. We encountered many challenges along the way, but in the end we learned a lot and love how it turned out. We wanted other families and groups of friends to be able to enjoy what we have in our little lakeside community, so we decided to turn it into a short-term rental in 2022. Our guests will enjoy a 3 bed/1 bath cottage that is just about 900 square feet. It is perfect for up to 6 people. We also have a large patio and fire pit in the fully fenced-in back yard. While the cottage isn’t lakeside, it is only about a two minute walk down to our private community beach where you will practically have the lake all to yourself!
It has been such a fun learning experience so far and then late in 2022 we were presented with another amazing opportunity. A local vacation rental, the Walnut Beach Inn, that had been operating since 2016 was now for sale! We just couldn’t pass this up!!! This beautiful century home is 4 bed/2 bath with accommodations for up to 11 guests. It has Lake Erie views from the backyard and is only steps away from the entrance to Walnut Beach. We purchased this beauty in early 2023 and are in the process of renovating it while also renting it out. We are so excited to put our touch on this classic Victorian home. Check back often to see the changes we are making!
It has been an amazing journey so far and we are excited for what is to come. Dave and I love being hosts and providing our guests with unforgettable accommodations and vacation memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you for stopping by our website and learning a little about who we are. We hope to host you in the future!
Dave and Kate
Ashtabula Vacation Rentals
Ashtabula Vacation Rentals 