About Us and FAQs
Hi there, thank for visiting our site. My husband Ron and I opened our first cabin (cabin 1) on October 1, 2006. Our second cabin (cabin 2) opened on March 1, 2008. Now our third cabin (cabin 3) was just completed late April 2010! Ron is an amazing carpenter and he has built all 3 cabins himself with the help of friends. The beauty Makanda inspired us to build rustic but fully accomodating private cabin lodging, and we want to thank all of our guests who have made this venture a success!
We hope to have you as guests!
Thanks,
Dorothy and Ron Lada
Frequently Asked Questions
How far are you from Carbondale? About 7 miles south (about 10 minutes).
How secluded are you? Our cabins are at the end of a dead end road, but are only 3 minutes from Highway 51. In the winter you can barely see the other cabins from each other through the trees, but in the summer you cannot see one cabin from another at all. However, our cabins are located close enough that if you want to rent 2 or 3 cabins for a larger gathering you are within walking distance. I have posted photos of the views from each cabin from one another on our more photos page Please Take a Look.
What is the difference between the three cabins? Cabin 2 and cabin 3 are based on the exact same floor plan and design as cabin 1. The only difference is that cabin 2 and cabin 3 have a covered back porch and cabin 1 has an open patio.
What items do I need to bring? We recommend your own personal toiletry items, food, any special type of cookware. We try to provide the rest. You can always call me if you forgot something. I am right down the road.
What items do you provide? We provide paper towels, toilet paper, charcoal and matches, linens and towels, regular and decaf coffee, powder creamer, sugar, salt and pepper, cooking utencils, cookware, dishware, dish soap and hand soap. Please do not hesitate to call me if I forget something.
Will my cell phone work at the cabin? I use verizon and get great signal in the area (there is a verizon tower only a couple of miles away). I have heard from guests that Singular, AT&T, T-Moble and other providers get spotty coverage. If you are concerned that you will not be able to be reached in case of an emergency I will give you the direct phone number to your cabin.
Do you provide wireless internet? No, we do not provide wi-fi. There is a gas station in Cobden (about 10 minutes away) and a McDonalds in Carbondale (less then 10 minutes away) that provide free wi-fi. Wireless cards are avaialble through a cell phone provider.Is there an outdoor fire pit? Yes. Each cabin has a fire pit off of the back porch. We try to supply firewood regularly, but our firewood is stored outdoors so due to any current weather conditions you may need to purchase dry wood. Firewood is located in a large pile in the center of all of the cabins. Help yourself! You can purchase firewood at the Hucks gas station on Highway 51 and Pleasant Hill Road in Carbondale and seasonally at Arnolds Market on Highway 51 just past Pleasant Hill Road. We do supply firestarter logs upon request.
What is there to do around there? Please take the time to view our area attractions page. We are the closest private cabin rental to Giant City State park which offers great hiking trails among huge sandstone cliffs and boulders, horseback riding at Giant City Stables, dining at the historic Giant City Lodge Restaurant, rock climbing and picnicing. We are only about 10 minutes to the Shawnee Hills Wine trail which features several local wineries. We are only about 5 minutes from Cedar Lake which offers fishing from the shore, boating, and swimming at Cedar Lake Beach. These are just a few ideas. I have some brochures in the cabin about area attractions and an area guide that I created.
Where is there to buy groceries and supplies? I recommend Arnolds Market in Carbondale. It is the closest grocery store to the cabin and carries local produce and a butcher shop. If you are coming from Carbondale you will pass it on your left on Highway 51 just past the Citgo gas station (turn left at the first stoplight fast Pleasant Hill Road and follow the sign). You can always call me for directions, restaurant information, hiking trail information or for any questions about the cabins or the area. I am happy to help you enjoy your stay and accomodate you.
Arnolds Market 2141 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale. 618-529-5191
How do I make a reservation? You can either call me or use our secure on line reservation system. I do need a credit card and a $100 deposit or a 50% deposit for 3 or more night long reservations to reserve your stay. If I do not answer the office phone, please try me on my cell or leave a message. I try to be good about returning my calls. However, I am not always in our home office.
How to we check in and check out? Check in is at 3 PM or anytime after. Payment is due opon check in. I will automatically charge your credit card the afternoon you arrive. If you prefer to pay in cash just call me and I will come and collect payment. I provide you with a code for the lock box mounted on the wall next to the front door of the cabin that contains the key. I ask my guests to email me (I do not check my email on a daily basis sometimes, so please call me on my cell if I do not respond to your email in a reasonable time frame to obtain your code) or phone me a few days prior to thier stay for the code. Payment is due opon check in. I will automatically charge your credit card the afternoon you arrive. If you prefer to pay in cash just call me and I will come and collect payment. Check out is at 12 PM. To check out you just lock the door and leave the key on the counter in the kitchen. I leave a note on the kitchen counter explaining all of this.
Is the cabin hard to find? Most people have not had any trouble finding the cabins. I recommend following the directions on our location page. If you are using google maps, map quest or a gps you may find that they show our location in the middle of Oak Grove Road, but we are all the way at the end of the road. Just keep driving until you see our sign. You can always call me if you are not sure if you are headed in the right direction. I keep my cell phone on me all the time.
Do you have a hot tub? Yes, it outdoors at each cabin on the back porch. Cabin 1 is out under the stars and cabin 2 and cabin 3 have their hot tubs on a covered porch. They are all brand new and open all year round.
What is the weather like there? The winters here are mild. We seldomly get large snow storms and most of the winter we do not have any snow on the ground. My husband even plays golf all year round (when it is not raining). The summers can be very hot, but the cabins are mostly shaded by very large trees and have central air conditioning and ceiling fans.
I hope you have found this useful and please always feel free to call me for any questions.
Thanks,
Dorothy