Roberton’s Cottages at Idlewild is a family owned and operated cottage rental resort established in 1938. It is perfectly nestled between the waters of Green Bay, Sawyer Harbor and Sturgeon Bay within the surrounding beauty of the Idlewild Peninsula in Door County. Long time visitors and summer vacationers alike are regularly heard describing Robertson’s as their ‘happy place’, their ‘home in Idlewild’ or, ‘a little slice of heaven on earth’… That being said, we would like to take this opportunity to clarify any details in regards to life at Robertson’s Cottages at Idlewild. We appreciate your unconditional understanding as we attentively navigate the ins and outs, and the ups and downs of anything and everything that arises in these remarkable, old time, rustic and vintage cottages.
Sometimes the sink drips and sometimes the shower leaks. There are leftover rust stains in the clawfoot tubs from generations of use and the vintage bed frames tend to wobble. We do not provide linens (bed sheets, pillow cases, bath towels or beach towels). We do not provide air conditioning/air conditioners for any of our cottages. You are most welcome to bring your own ac window units. All of the cottages feature ‘almost’ all original windows to finagle open, a rejuvenating harbor breeze and a few beloved fans to push the midsummer air around during humid nights. Traditionally, this area is known as “Nature’s Air Conditioned Vacationland”…but if it’s sweaty o’clock and you have reached a point of physical, mental or emotional discomfort, we highly recommend a good ol’ fashioned dip in the lake. Nothing soothes a sweaty body or nurtures an inner child more than jumping off the end of the dock!
The wilderness is right outside and all around us. A stay in Idlewild means experiencing the full spectrum of the natural world. Animals of Idlewild you may encounter during your stay include, but certainly aren’t limited to, black squirrels, flying squirrels, red squirrels, regular (grey) squirrels, bats, Bubba (Robertson’s resident Bulldog), bunnies, chipmunks, deer, foxes, muskrats, mice, porcupines, opossums, raccoons, skunks, voles and woodchucks…not to mention a PLETHORA of native and migrating birds, a variety of scaly slithery friends (who at times choose slither swimming as a means of transportation from one destination to the next) and bugs. Bugs have zero restrictions in Idlewild. Occasionally you may find a spider in the shower, experience the delightful buzz of a mosquito near your ear, and you may meet our friends, the gnats, who are known to squeeze through the window screens on late spring and autumn evenings if you leave any lights on.
As you mentally prepare for a stay at Robertson’s, taking a moment to visualize this experience as ‘camping’ in conjunction with the modest amenities of a charcoal grill, coffee maker, refrigerator, stove and oven, microwave, mattress, pillows, extra blankets, a VERY small television, turtle’s pace wifi, flush toilets, warm showers and a roof over your head we feel you will have a memorable experience. If you are looking for a refined, air conditioned, materially pristine and virtually bugless place to vacation, we fully honor that desire and sincerely support your decision to choose accommodations with one of the many rental units available in Sturgeon Bay. We feel a stay at Robertson’s Cottages truly all comes back to those looking to reconnect to a simpler time; a time before all things instant and wireless…an old-fashioned, uninterrupted and slower time deeply rooted in all things natural and nostalgic.
All guests of Robertson’s Cottages have access to a spacious permanent pier (8ft x 120ft) with finger piers, boat slips ($10 per night), a canoe, paddle boats, paddle boards, life jackets, a communal fire pit, a laundry room ($2 per load washed, $2 per load dried), a little library, a jungle gym with two swings and a slide, picnic tables, tetherball, a safe sandy beach, a swim raft, a sauna and free wireless internet (realistically, you may not be able to binge watch your favorite series on Netflix while staying at Robertson’s, BUT you should be able to check emails and post your Door County sunset photo on social media!).
