About Us and FAQs
Hi there, thank for visiting our site. My husband Ron and I opened our first cabin on October 1, 2006. Ron is an amazing carpenter and he built it himself with the help of friends. Our second cabin is now finally completed! It is even more tucked in the woods. We have alot of plans for the future. I have started a hiking path that leads down to the beautiful creek that is lined with mature trees, and I am always landscaping with the native sandstone. The beauty Makanda inspired us to build rustic but fully accomodating 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? From cabin 1 you can see two other houses through the trees (only in the winter when the leaves have fallen - in the summer you can barely see the house) from the front porch. The back porch faces acres and acres of woods. From cabin 2 you can not see any other structures at all. Both cabins are very private but are very accessible. You can not see one cabin from the other one.
What is the difference between cabin 1 and cabin 2? Cabin 2 is based on the exact same floor plan and design as cabin 1. The only difference is that cabin 2 has a covered back porch and has a pull out couch and recliner in the living area and cabin 1 has an open patio and full size sofa and love seat in the living area.
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.
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.
Is there an out door fire pit? Yes. Each cabin has a fire pit off of the back porch. We do not supply firewood regularly. You can purchase firewood at the Hucks gas station on Highway 51 and Pleasant Hill Road in Carbondale.
What is there to do around there? 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? 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. 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.
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 $50 deposit 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.
How to we check in and check out? Check in is at 3 PM or anytime after. 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 or phone me a few days prior to thier stay for the code. Check out is at 12 PM. To check out you just lock the door and leave the key inside the lock box. I leave a note on the kitchen counter explaining all of this and ask you how you want to pay. You can either pay in cash or by check, otherwise I just charge your card.
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 out doors at each cabin on the back porch. Cabin 1 is out under the stars and cabin 2 has its hot tub on a covered porch. They are both brand new Hot Springs 5 person hot tubs.
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! The summers can be very hot, but the cabins are mostly shaded by very large trees.
I hope you have found this useful and please always feel free to call me for any questions.
Thanks,
Dorothy