Upstairs
2 suitesPrimary suiteKing bed, jacuzzi tub, stand-up shower, walk-in closet, sweeping lake views
Kids' suiteQueen bed, twin-over-full bunks, private bath, and a closet stocked with books and toys
01
Welcome to our family's lake house
Hi, and welcome. We're AJ and Danielle.
We both grew up on the water in Key West, and once you grow up like that, you never stop missing it. When we found this house in the summer of 2026, we knew it was the one. We renovated it that fall, and it has become the gathering place for our family: our three boys, our siblings, and all of their kids.
This home brings us so much joy. Every time we're here, we never want to leave, and we hope you feel the same way. Make yourselves at home, and please treat it the way we do, as a family home.
AJ & Danielle
02
Arrival
Check-in is anytime after 3:00 PM. Your exact address and door code come to you by message before your stay.
Smart locks
Getting in
The front door, the garage door, and the sunroom door all have Yale smart locks. We send your personal code through the booking app's message thread before you arrive.
Parking
Park in the garage
The two-car garage is yours to use during your stay. Additional cars can park in the driveway. Please don't park on the street or in the yard.
Lower level
Game room clicker
You'll find a garage door opener for the lower-level game room. That's where the 65-inch TV, ping pong table, and arcade games live, along with the life jackets and paddles.
03
The house
The house splits into two private floors, so two families can share a vacation and still have their own space.
Downstairs
2 bedroomsKing bedroomA large room with a stunning lake view
Queen suite with sitting roomQueen bed plus a private sitting room with a queen sleeper sofa. It's our favorite room in the house.
BathsA shared full bath at the end of the hall, plus a half bath
Living spaces
Gather hereKitchen & living roomLarge island and breakfast nook, open to the living room and the water
Dining roomA massive table that seats 10
SunroomLarge TV, mini fridge, and a sectional made for movie night
OfficeClosing doors and an executive desk for the days work comes along
Climate
Four zones, four thermostats
Each area has its own system, so everyone can set their own temperature. Please keep doors and windows closed while the heat or AC is running.
| Zone | System | How to adjust |
|---|---|---|
| Upstairs | ecobee smart thermostat | Use the touchscreen on the wall |
| Downstairs | ecobee smart thermostat | Use the touchscreen on the wall |
| Sunroom | Mini-split | Use the mini-split remote |
| Game room | Mini-split | Use the mini-split remote |
TVs & music
Streaming and Sonos
The TVs are smart TVs. Sign in to your own streaming accounts, and please sign out before you leave.
There's a Sonos sound system at the pool, plus a portable Sonos speaker for the kitchen. To play music, download the Sonos app and join the Mooring Wi-Fi network.
Trash & recycling
Bins by the garage
The bins are in the fenced area next to the garage.
Green lid: trash
Yellow lid: recycling
Good to know
A few house notes
- The gas fireplace isn't available for guest use because of our insurance. Please leave it off.
- The washer and dryer are yours to use.
- You'll find a high chair and a travel crib for little ones.
- Shatterproof cups and wine glasses for the pool are in the kitchen.
04
The game room
The lower level is all play. Use the garage door clicker to get in and out.
Screen
65-inch TV
Game day, movie night, or a rainy afternoon. Sign in to your own streaming accounts.
Classic
Ms. Pac-Man
The arcade classic. Kids against grown-ups is encouraged.
Golf
Golden Tee
The perfect warm-up for a round at Timberlake, or a substitute for one.
Table
Ping pong
Fast games, loud cheering, and the unofficial house championship.
Gear storage
Life jackets and paddles live here
Adult and kids' life jackets, plus the paddles for the paddle boards, are stored in the game room. Please return them to the game room when you're off the water.
05
Pool & lake
This is why we bought the house. Spend the day between the saltwater pool and the lake, then catch the sunset from the back deck.
PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THE POOL PUMP OR HEATER. We control both remotely. If you need anything adjusted, call or text AJ.
Saltwater pool
The pool
- The beach-entry sun shelf is perfect for little ones playing in the shallows.
- There are no set pool hours. Please keep noise down after 10:00 PM, in line with the neighborhood's quiet hours.
- No glass on the pool deck. Shatterproof cups and wine glasses are in the kitchen.
- The pool light turns on automatically at night.
- The pool is unsupervised. An adult must watch children at all times.
$50 per day
Pool heat
Pool heat is available for $50 per day. Contact AJ at least 2 days before check-in and we'll turn it on remotely so the water has time to warm up. We can't guarantee heat on later requests.
On the dock
Kayaks & paddle boards
Two kayaks and two paddle boards are on the dock. Grab life jackets and paddles from the game room. Life jackets should be worn on the kayaks and paddle boards, and kids should always be with an adult.
Your dock
Use the dock
The dock is yours to enjoy: swim off the steps, fish, or tie up your own boat or a rental for the length of your stay.
Our pick
Rent a boat, delivered to the dock
We use Lake Murray Boat Rentals. They deliver a pontoon to your dock, and on multi-day rentals you can keep the boat at our dock overnight for your whole stay, which few rental companies allow. No boating experience is needed, and they'll show you the basics. Towable tubes and ropes are available too.
Fishing
Fishing on Lake Murray
Licenses: Anyone 16 or older needs a South Carolina fishing license, and visitors buy a nonresident license. Under SCDNR rules, children under 16 don't need a fishing license. Licenses are sold online through SCDNR.
Our favorite spot: near the dam. By boat, it's the place we always go back to.
From the dock at night: the green light at the dock turns on automatically after dark. It pulls in baitfish, and the bigger fish follow.
06
Eat & drink
Our go-to spots, from lake-view dinners to the breakfast we drive across town for. Hours change with the seasons, so check before you go.
On the lake
Liberty Tap Room on the Lake
Big-water views from an elevated deck, burgers, steaks, and a long list of beers on tap. It sits at Lake Murray Marina with public boat slips, so arriving by boat is half the fun. Stay for the sunset.
On the lake
Nauti Turtle
A laid-back lakeside spot at Lighthouse Marina with seafood, Southern favorites, frozen drinks, and live music. Come by car or by boat.
Best breakfast
Creekside Restaurant
Our favorite breakfast, served inside Lexington's historic Old Mill. Hearty plates, grits, and griddle classics. It opens early and closes mid-afternoon.
Coffee
Dutch Bros
Great coffee, fast drive-thru, and a huge menu of custom drinks the kids will love too.
Groceries
Publix at Hendrix Crossing
Our everyday grocery store, the closest to the house. It has a pharmacy, a deli for Pub Subs, and a bakery. Prefer to stay at the lake? Publix delivers through Instacart, so you can have groceries waiting when you arrive.
07
Explore
Family days out, a round of golf, game day in Columbia, and Masters week in Augusta.
With the family
Down the road
Wingard Park
A newer Lexington park close to the house. The big playground is fully fenced with one entry, soft turf, two zip lines, spinning climbers, covered picnic tables with ceiling fans, and clean restrooms.
Walk
Lake Murray Dam Walk
A paved path across the top of the Dreher Shoals Dam, about 1.7 miles each way, with wide lake views and a great sunset. Walkers can park free on the Lexington side. The beach park on that side is open April through Labor Day for a small parking fee. Repair work can close part of the path, so follow the posted signs.
State park
Dreher Island State Park
Three islands joined by bridges, with about 12 miles of shoreline. Hike, picnic, fish, and explore the quieter side of the lake. It's an easy trip by car or by boat.
Zoo & garden
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
One of the country's great zoos, with thousands of animals and a 70-acre botanical garden on the Saluda River. Open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Buy tickets online to save.
Park
Saluda Shoals Park
Paved trails along the river, kayaking, a splash pad, and the Leo's Landing playground. There's a small entry fee.
Golf
Lake views
Timberlake Country Club
The only golf course built on the shores of Lake Murray, with several holes on or looking out over the water. It's open to the public and a great value.
Nearby
Coldstream Country Club
A solid, well-priced round in the Lake Murray corridor, close to the house.
With the kids
Caddy Shak
A 12-hole par-3 course minutes from the lake. It's a low-pressure way to get the kids swinging.
Big weekends
About 35 minutes
Gamecocks game day
- Williams-Brice Stadium is at 1125 George Rogers Blvd, Columbia.
- Leave early. Traffic builds for hours before kickoff, and some October games share the weekend with the South Carolina State Fair next door.
- Bring cash for the private lots around the stadium, and check the clear-bag policy before you pack.
- Get there for the Gamecock Walk, when the team arrives about 2.5 hours before kickoff.
- Then come home to a quiet lake house, close enough for comfort and far enough for peace.
About 1 hr 10 min
Masters week
- The 2027 Masters runs April 5 to 11 at Augusta National. Practice rounds are Monday to Wednesday, with the Par-3 Contest on Wednesday, and tournament rounds are Thursday to Sunday.
- The only official way to get tickets is the Masters lottery, which takes applications each June. Resale is prohibited, so be careful with third-party sellers.
- Many patrons drive in each morning and come back to the lake in the evening.
08
Seasons on the lake
The lake changes through the year. A green marker shows what's happening during your stay.
Fourth of July
Fireworks over Spence Island
Lake Murray's Independence Day fireworks launch from Spence Island and Dreher Island after dark, and we have front-row seats. You can watch from the dock, the pool, or the backyard. Thousands of boats come out, and the show is set to patriotic music on local radio.
Mid-July to mid-August
The purple martin roost
Each summer evening, hundreds of thousands of purple martins swirl in to roost on Bomb Island (also called Lunch Island), North America's first official purple martin sanctuary and a short boat ride from our dock. Go at sunset and watch from the water. The island itself is off-limits during the roost.
September to November
Football Saturdays
Gamecocks home games fill Columbia on fall Saturdays. Watch the away games in the game room, and see the game-day tips above for home games.
Nov 20, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027
Wild Lights at Riverbanks
The zoo's holiday tradition: an evening walk past more than 60 giant handcrafted wildlife lanterns. It runs on select nights from 5:00 to 9:00 PM. Book ahead for the night you want.
Early April
Masters week
Spring on the lake and the Masters about an hour away. See the Masters notes under Explore.
09
Help & safety
For anything at all, including after-hours issues, call or text us. We're always happy to hear from you.
Emergency
Call 911
Fire, police, medical
Then let us know once everyone is safe.
Hospital
Lexington Medical Center
The nearest full emergency room, open 24 hours.
Urgent care
Lexington Health, Lexington
Walk-in urgent care for sprains, fevers, and minor injuries. You can save a spot online.
Pharmacy
Publix Pharmacy
Inside the Hendrix Crossing Publix, the closest grocery store to the house.
In the house
Safety equipment
- Fire extinguishers: kitchen, garage, and game room
- Breaker panel: laundry area by the half bath
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are throughout the house.
- The pool, dock, and lake are unsupervised. Keep a close eye on kids near the water.
10
House rules
This is a quiet home in a residential neighborhood, and it's our family's home too. Thank you for helping us keep it that way.
Guests
- Maximum of 8 guests over age 5, under Lexington County's short-term rental permit. Children 5 and under are welcome in addition.
- Only registered guests may stay overnight.
- No parties or events.
Quiet & neighbors
- Quiet hours are 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM, including music at the pool.
- Park in the garage and driveway only.
Around the house
- No pets of any kind.
- No smoking or vaping inside.
- No glass on the pool deck.
- Please leave the gas fireplace, pool pump, pool heater, and our boat alone.
11
Checkout by 11:00 AM
Four quick steps and you're on your way. Please sign out of your streaming accounts on the TVs before you go.
- Gather the towelsCollect the used towels in the bathrooms.
- Take out the trashBag it and drop it in the green-lid bin by the garage.
- Turn things offLights, TVs, and fans. The pool and dock lights run on their own.
- Lock upClose the garage doors and make sure every door locks behind you.