Q: How far are you from Carbondale?
A: About 7 miles south (about 10 minutes).
Q: How far away are you?
A: Driving time from Chicago is about 5 - 6 hours. Driving time from St. Louis is about 2 hours.
Q: How secluded are you?
A: Our cabins are only 3 minutes from Highway 51. You can barely see one cabin from another through the trees in the summer and can see the other cabins in the winter. But, you have complete privacy at your cabin. Each cabin is accessed by its own private driveway.
Q: What is the difference between the three cabins?
A: OAK GROVE: Cabins 1-3 are based on the exact same floor plan. The only difference is that Cabin 2 and Cabin 3 have a covered back porch and Cabin 1 has an open patio with the hot tub under the stars.
Q: What items do I need to bring?
A: Your own personal toiletry items, food, any special type of cookware.
Q: What items do you recommend I bring?
A: Beach towels for the Hot Tub, a flashlight since the light from the cabins is the only light on the property, and a first aid kit.
Q: Will the fireplace be on during my stay?
A: It depends on the season. We keep them on during the colder parts of the year. This is from October to April. The fireplaces exude a ton of heat and keeping them off during the warmer parts of the year helps us conserve energy, and keep costs low.
Q: What items do you provide?
A: We provide paper towels, toilet paper, propane for the grills, linens and towels, Folgers or Maxwell brand regular coffee, salt and pepper, cooking utensils, cookware, dishware, dish soap, assorted toiletries, and hand soap. Please call us if we forgot something, but be aware that we are not always available to provide you with additional supplies.
Q: Will my cell phone work at the cabin?
A: Verizon and AT&T work great. We are not certain about other cell phone carriers.
Q: Do you provide wireless internet?
A: No, we do not provide wi-fi. There is a gas station in Cobden (about 10 minutes away) and a McDonalds in Carbondale (less than 10 minutes away) that provide free wi-fi. Wireless services are available through a cell phone provider.
Q: Is there an outdoor fire pit and do you supply wood?
A: Yes. Each cabin has a fire pit off of the back porch. You can also purchase firewood at the Hucks gas station on Highway 51 and Pleasant Hill Road in Carbondale
Q: What is there to do around there?
A: 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 picnicking. 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. We have some brochures in the cabin about area attractions and an area guide that we created.
Q: Where is there to buy groceries and supplies?
A: Closet area in Carbondale: Kroger's, Schnucks, Walmart, and Dollar General.
Q: How do I make a reservation?
A: You can use our secure online reservation system or call during office hours of 9 AM - 7 PM. We do need a credit card to reserve your stay. If we do not answer the office phone, you can text or leave a message. Please be aware that our manager is taking calls and cleaning cabins so if possible please use our online reservation system.
Q: How do we check-in and check out?
A: We will send you the lockbox code on the morning of check-in. We will need to obtain a copy of your credit card that you secured the reservation on and your driver's license that shows the same name as the credit card. Check-in is at 4 PM or anytime after. Check-out is at 11 am and check-out instructions will be provided at check-in.
Q: Is the cabin hard to find?
A: Most people have not had any trouble finding the cabins. We recommend following the directions on our location page. If you are using a mapping system other than google maps you may find that they do not give you correct directions! We are not always able to be reached immediately to provide you with directions (especially at night) so please make sure that you have printed off the directions on our location page prior to your travel.
Q: Do you have a hot tub?
A: Yes, it's on the back patio at Cabins 1-3. They are open all year round.
Q: What is the weather like there?
A: The winters here are mild. We seldom get large snowstorms and most of the winter we do not have any snow on the ground. The summers can be very hot, but the cabins are mostly shaded by very large trees and have central air conditioning.
Q: Is there an extra cleaning fee?
A: No. Unless the cabin's cleaning policy is not met. We have a one-page simple list that you can find in our rental policy that states what we require. This simple list is also posted in the cabins.
Q: I am coming to visit a family member or friend in the area. Is it okay if they come to visit me at the cabin?
A: We are fine with a family member coming for a short visit to your cabin, but we do not allow you to entertain guests at the cabin. We only allow a maximum of 4 guests in each cabin. The cabins have only 1 bathroom and are not designed for large groups or parties. If you need a larger lodging facility there are many cabins in the area that we can refer you to. This also means no tents in the yard for additional guests. You will be asked to leave if that occurs.
