I was delayed in writing this review, because I just didn't even know where to start to fully express how much we enjoyed our stay. We had never been to the Northwoods before, but we thought it would be just what we were looking for. However, it was much more! We had so many lakes we had wanted to check out in the area. But at Bryan's cabin, it was hard to ever have the desire to leave such an idea home-base. Diamond Lake was as beautiful as ever. The title of this listing absolutely nails it -- the sunsets are incredible! The lake was gin-clear as Bryan said it would be. And the leaves were just beginning to change colors upon our arrival, which meant we got to see them literally change before our eyes as the week went on!
We primarily came up for fishing (on other lakes.) But on Diamond, we caught several small sunfish, blue gill, and either small rock bass or small mouth bass out in the middle of the lake, closer to the west side. But my boyfriend caught a really nice small mouth right off the dock on one of our last days there! That was the only fish any of us caught off the dock, though our brother-in-law was certain he lost a musky on night 1! (Due to an equipment failure.)
The cabin was perfectly clean and prepared and cozy. Bryan had done a great job preparing everything for an ideal stay. The master bedroom was sooo comfortable! And what a view it has! We used the grill almost every night for our dinners.
But the property. Oh my, the property. Pulling down the driveway was a dream. But when we walked through the covered walk-way between the garage and cabin, it was like we'd died and gone to heaven! From the view of the lake peaking through the pines, to the mossy lawn, to the chipmunks running around (keep your dog leashed if you bring one!), we could not have been more at home. It was beyond beautiful. Absolutely serene. We enjoyed so many fires in the firepit. Other reviews are correct that the stairs may pose an issue for the elderly or anyone with issues walking. But for us, those elevation changes in the property made it that much more special. For this LOTR-nerd, it was almost Hobbit-esque! We truly did not want to leave. We will undoubtedly be back.
Cell service: Though another review on here mentioned T Mobile not getting service, I have T Mobile and though it was sometimes challenging, I had fine service most of the time from everywhere on the property. Boyfriends Sprint phone had most issues. Verizon worked fine.