Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cabin

Cabins on Lake Mighigan

ztdavis — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:53:26 -0800

Looking for a cabin for two on Lake Michigan, preferably the Wisconsin side. Does anyone have any specific recommendations? We'll be coming from the Chicago area, but we're willing to drive three or four hours for a cozy place.

Pretty much the traditional criteria:
1. Warm with a fireplace.
2. On or near the lake.
3. Bonus points for being near a park, but that isn't necessary.
4. Near a small town or grocery (at least 30 minutes near, so that shouldn't be too hard at all.
5. Not super expensive (if that is possible?)

This past post was helpful: http://ask.metafilter.com/107436/Winter-weekend-cabin-near-Chicago

But I'm looking for more specific "I have stayed here and it was great" type suggestions.

Thanks

Come Fly With Me

goshling — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:45:15 -0800

Advice needed for Australian High School student who wants to be a flight attendant. Year 10 is coming to a close for my 15yo daughter & ~~tomorrow~~ today at 2pm AUS EST time we have a date at her school for choosing her Year 11 VCE subjects.

She is far more creative than academic but has struggled through and and acheived good results in her chosen subjects. It doesn't come easily, but when she puts her mind to it she acheives good results.

She droppped French after Yr 9 but is aware she needs a language to even be considered by any airlines. Because of our location, an Asian language is probably going to be most useful. She suggested Japanese, but a (Australian born Japanese speaking) friend has suggested Chinese might be an easier language to learn? She did some Chinese in primary school from years 3 - 6 so has had some basic exposure to Mandarin.

She will have to pick up the language outside of school. She attends a well regarded state high school. She won't be able to pick up a language in VCE having dropped French after Yr 9. She wasn't particulary interested in French, but I think she'll do better with any language now she has the goal of this career to strive for.
She'd like to learn Spanish, but it's not remotley on the list of desirable languages in this part of the world.

I know someone who is a professor of Asian languages at Melb Uni, so I'll be picking her brains, but if anyone has suggestions on where beginner students can go to learn Asian languages all sugegstions greatly appreciated. We're in the Camberwell/Glen Iris area.

She is having great difficulties with math and has a weekly tutor. We've been receiving conflicting advice about Math skills & being accepted in the Flight Crew course.

She is interested in doing the VET course which leads to Flight Attendant/Baggage Handler positions. I believe there are only 20 places available though (per year? I'm assuming per semester?) The same course is available as as tertiary subject, and also a VCE/VCAL subject.

We've looked at VCE vs VCAL and are pretty sure VCE is the way to go.

The subjects she has done well in, and enjoyed, and will probably be continuing with in 2010 are: Health, Psychology, Food Tech, English, & Multimedia.

Personally, I bloody hate flying (tedious, boring, uncomfortable) but she thinks it's exciting & exotic & has a strong desire to fly.

All experiences positive or negative, from flight crew also appreciated.

Weekend getaway near Vancouver

miles1972 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:15:31 -0800

Where can I go this weekend from Vancouver? I would like to go away for a writing retreat this coming weekend. Probably Thursday to Tuesday morning.

Parameters: within 4 hours of Vancouver BC, power, cell coverage, ability to cook meals. Ideally, somewhat inspirational in terms of setting, just a good place to write and not a ridiculous amount of money.

The ideal spot would be someone's empty summer home on a Gulf Island, you know what I mean? (but I've used up my favours for this year)

ear-pop edification

lockestockbarrel — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:35:50 -0800

Airplane ear-popping. Why? The cabin is pressurized, right? So why do your ears pop when you're taking off and landing?

Seeking the perfect lakeside cabin in the Adirondacks for my Honeymoon.

atreyu — Mon, 18 May 2009 11:32:31 -0800

Looking to rent a lakeside cabin in the Adirondacks this August for a week-long honeymoon get-away. Overwhelmed by the size of the 'dacks and seeking recommendations for a romantic, yet affordable area with great scenery and access to a variety of outdoor activities. - We are both down-to-earth types so the amenities can be scarce (but still comfortable);
- Privacy is important
- Proximity to a downtown type area with a few dining options would be nice but not entirely necessary
- Definitely interested in hiking, canoeing, kayaking, biking, etc.
- Our budget is capped around $1500 for the week, although if it was the perfect place, we might consider going slightly higher.

Any specific or general suggestions from more experienced travelers would be greatly appreciated!

Things to Do near Denver When You're Dead

perrce — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:44:28 -0800

I'm looking for a semi-isolated rental cabin in the Rockies within a couple hour drive of Denver. All I can find are ski condos. Can I get a little help? My wife and I have rented cabins in the mountains near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in the past, and have enjoyed just getting away from it all and holing up for a long weekend alone. I stress the alone part -- part of the fun is (at least the illusion of) isolation from neighbors. For an idea of what I'm talking about, here is where we've stayed in the past.

With air fares so low, we're now looking at flying out to Denver, Colorado (USA) and renting a cabin in the Breckenridge/Keystone area, Nederland area, or Estes Park area -- basically anywhere in the mountains within a two hour drive of Denver. The problem that I'm running into is that everything I find is either in town, a duplex (two units to a building), or a multiple unit condo.

Does anyone know a place that rents log cabins that might fit our needs? In case it matters, we're looking for a four night stay in October. Bonus points for personal recommendations.

Sort of like Thoreau, but with dogs...

highfidelity — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:26:11 -0800

Yet another vacation question. I'm trying to find a cabin to rent in mid-July. The requirements are we want to bring our two small dogs and we want it to be fairly remote/off the beaten path. We're located in central Indiana and would prefer a six hour drive at most. My wife and I would really love to find a cabin somewhere along the Appalachian Trail or its surrounding area to rent for the week. Not only do we need a dog-friendly spot, but we'd prefer to keep the drive there from Indianapolis to a five, six or seven hour time limit. I'm guessing this limits us to Tennessee or West Virginia?

We don't really need much at all in the way of amenities or square footage, in fact we'd be willing to sacrifice quite a bit in order to find something a little more out of the way and non-touristy.

We'd like to spend the majority of the time hiking and/or mountain biking, so easy access to trails is a huge plus.

Help me inspire my dad to build a cabin.

R_Nebblesworth — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 09:06:07 -0800

I'd like to encourage my dad to build a cabin on land he's owned for years, what cabin/outdoorsy house design book should I get him for Christmas? He has had a few acres up in the Black Hills of South Dakota for more than a decade and has always talked about building a little house or cabin there. Now he's starting to get the time and resources to build one, and I'd like to get him a book on design that might provide some inspiration and maybe a gentle nudge in the direction of actually doing it. Recommendations?

Winter weekend cabin near Chicago?

sandor — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:21:35 -0800

Where should we go for a winter weekend getaway within 2 hours drive of Chicago? We're looking for a cabin/house where a bunch of us (7 right now) can go for a long weekend of lounging, reading, cross-country (or downhill) skiing and game-playing in late January/early February. I've been focusing on the Kettle Moraine area of Wisconsin, close to Milwaukee, since I've been there before for x-country skiing and chances are better there than anywhere else within our radius that there'll be good amounts of snow. But I haven't had much luck. To give you an idea of what I'm looking for, I found this lovely place, but they decided to stop renting in the winter starting this year. I'd love to hear about any specific cabins or homes you've been to or know about, or resources you know of that I could use to search. Thanks.

Low Key Big Day (or, please save our sanity in wedding planning)

xaire — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:39:40 -0800

Group cabin/house rental in a lovely location in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area? Seeking beautiful spot that can host a celebration for around 70 people and (maybe) provide sleeping accommodations for some of them? State parks, beach rentals, lodges, summer camps all welcome. I confess: we're looking for a place to hold a wedding that is absolutely not a place one normally holds a wedding, hence the "celebration" in the opening question. There are fabulous venues all over the area for weddings, but future Mr. Xaire (Inkoate to you) and I are hoping to find a place where our personalities can show through (independent, outdoorsy, non-traditional).

Our absolute ideal location would be a secluded circle of cabins or houses (w/water and elecctricity) where our friends and family can stay, a short hike away from some outdoorsy spot (a shore? a meadow? a mountain overlook) where we can say our vows and have a grand old time. If this place had a shower my mother wouldn't freak out at, it would be perfect.

So, hive mind, have you been to a retreat, a reunion, a campout, or a weekend trip in some place that meets those specifications? We are hoping to be within one hour of a DC area airport (BWI and IAD included). This will be an early fall wedding.

In a perfect world, this place would have a pavilion of some kind we could set up food (REALLY ideally, a central kitchen). Old barns or other similar structures welcome (Civil War era manors NOT required). Regardless, we'd make do if it was extra-special.

If all else fails, we can do without the cabins and just need a beautiful spot close to a pavilion/barn/other structure); there's always B&Bs or Holiday Inns for accommodations. Happy to answer follow-ups--please feel free to be outside the box.

Exclavefilter: How do I build a cabin in Point Roberts without breaking any laws?

upc_head — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:31:10 -0800

Exclavefilter: What is involved in building a small cabin on a wooded lot in Point Roberts? What grief might I expect from the border? I'm doing some planning to buy one of many small wooded lots in Point Roberts Washington. I live in Vancouver, and am a Canadian citizen.

I am aware of the grief obtaining Power, Water, and Septic in these lots, and in the short term would avoid these things. Just a 350 Square foot cabin with RV-style cooking, water, and septic systems, totally self contained.

What is the best way to obtain building materials? (wood, roofing, hardware etc). Will I be taxed on this if I bring it in from Canada? Can I legally bring wood into Canada? If not, how do I get it over from the mainland?

What about materials like stove, windows, furniture etc as I acquire it? And tools/generator etc?

Zoning in Point roberts - I know I have to apply for anything larger than 200sq feet. If I promise to handle my septic via pumping service, what other hoops would I need to jump through to get a permit?

What other big pain in the butt issues will I have to think about?

Asheville NC - I'm looking for a unique place to live...

Glendale — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:11:04 -0800

Asheville NC - I'm looking for a unique place to live... When I say "unique" I mean cheap ;) I'm moving to the Asheville area with my fiance in mid January, and we'd like to live somewhere fun, but cheap. We'll only be in town for 8-10 months, so signing a year long lease isn't feasible. Are there any little "yurt-towns" near Asheville? Is there a town in the area with an abundance of cabins for rent? Running water would be nice to have, but we can do without electricity if we need to...

Basically, we're trying to live around Asheville temporarily (until we get hitched) because it sounds like such a great place to be, and we'd like to save a bit of money while we're down there. We also both really like the idea of cabins and yurts ;)

What would it take to make a cabin?

history is a weapon — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:13:28 -0800

How cheap is it to build a small house in the middle of the woods? Can someone with no carpentry skills do it? So my girlfriend and I are debating building a small cabin outside of the city. We're thinking less than a thousand square feet, basic electricity and plumbing, able to handle winter and rain, and mostly for weekends and short stays year round.

A lot of the prefab designs look like a basic living room area, a bathroom, and a sleeping loft. I think we're imagining something close to something like that. Basically a cabin for us to work or unwind.

How difficult would this be to build ourselves? How cheaply could we do it if we both participated in the construction? Could we build it ourselves with a carpenter? How long would it take if we dedicated real time to it?
We have some free time, a small budget, and want a space to go chill. If you were in our shoes, how would you do it?

Beautiful places to rent cabin near Westchester?

Malad — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:37:12 -0800

What are some beautiful places in or within an hour of Westchester where a group of 20-30 could rent inexpensive cabin(s) for the night? Big plus if it is beautiful AT night, too. Thanks.

Where to stay in the Poconos?

jrichards — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 08:51:16 -0800

Recommendations for inns/cabins in the Poconos? I recently traveled to a wedding in Maine with a friend, and we stayed at a gorgeous resort (Migis Lodge) on Sebago Lake. We had our own beautiful cabin with TWO beds (just friends), a deck overlooking the lake, and a real, crackling fireplace. Another plus is that all meals were included and served in the dining room.

We'd like to stay in a similar place in the Poconos. Does anyone have recommendations for a rustic, but not romantic (just friends!) vaykay? A lodge-type situation like Migis would be great, but can be expensive. A cabin with a kitchen would also work, but all of the rental sites I've visited give vague descriptions and a lot of the cabins look pretty rundown. A TV and fireplace are key. We just want to escape the city for a few days and relax. Not necessary, but it would also be nice to be near a cute town with food, coffee, etc.

Good Iowa Rental Cabins?

scottreynen — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 22:53:22 -0800

Where can I find a rental cabin(s) in east Iowa or west Illinois around New Years for 20-25 people? Some of my friends and I would like to spend a 3-7 days around and including New Years together in a cabin within 3 hours of Iowa City and/or Chicago. We're looking for something relatively secluded, well maintained, one place or two places near each other, at least one large room where everyone can hang out together and then individual bedrooms for sleeping, ideally somewhat distant from what will effectively be the party room(s). We'd like something comfortable, not too fancy, stocked with cookware, linens, etc. A hot tub would be nice. Or a fire pit outside would be good.

We've found a few places searching online, but nothing especially appealing yet. Much of it is either too many places close together (we don't want neighbors), too small (single family), too big (corporate retreat), or something else not quite right. It's also hard to tell what a place is actually like from a few photos. So I'm ideally looking for some personal recommendations. But if you just know of a good way to search for such a place, that would help too.

New England cabin

beccaj — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 09:15:51 -0800

Waterfront cabin in New England that is private but not expensive? I am expecting a baby in a couple of months and am interested in renting a cabin for next August. I figure we wont travel too far for a year or two and was thinking renting a cabin for a couple weeks before I have to go back to work fulll time might be a good option.
I was hoping for something with a little spot with a private beach so I can wade in with the baby.
Rustic is fine but with all the amenities I don't normally require- running water, fridge, and stove.
I am hoping for something within 2 or 3 hours of worcester, ma.
And- well I'd like to bring my dog too.

Someone suggested Sunset lodge in Maine which didnt look too off from what I was looking for-- but hoping for some other options to compare it to.

The more private feeling the better and no boat action needed-- pond or lake where no motor boats are allowed would be ideal.

Country Roads?

kjars — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 07:12:13 -0800

Can anyone recommend any cabin rentals in West Virginia? I'm looking for a weekend cabin rental in West Virginia in late September/early October. I'll need approximately 8 beds. It's for a bachelor party, but we're pretty low-key guys and just want a place in the pseudo-woods to have some beers, cook steaks, and chill.

RomanticVacationFilter

Alterscape — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 04:07:11 -0800

Romantic Getaway Filter: Help my lovely lady and I find an affordable cabin (or other cozy, romantic-type-lodgings) within driving range of DC for 4-5 days midweek in mid-March. Google provides a lot of information on this subject, but I'm having trouble really narrowing it down, so I'm seeking the input of the Hive. My girlfriend is having a rough semester in school, I'm having a rough first-year-out-of-school, and we're looking to get away together for a few days during her spring break in mid-March and spend time with eachother and our non-academic creative projects (writing, mostly). She'll fly into DC, and then we'll drive somewhere from there. We've entertained everything from Savannah to Montreal, but realistically we'd like to end up closer to DC (say, 4-ish hours' drive tops). There're a couple of relavent AskMes here and here -- we especially liked the look of the Shenandoah cabins, but they (and, for example, one B&B with individual cabins we liked in st. Michaels, MD) don't open until April.

We're looking for quiet, romantic places with access to stargazing, hiking, and decent but not terribly expensive, dining. We're willing to cook for ourselves if need be. I'm sort of attached to the idea of a cozy cabin in the woods, but we'd also consider a nice, small-ish hotel. We'd rather avoid B&Bs. I've never planned anything like this before, so, advice welcome too! How far in advance do I have to book, etc, etc?

Places to stay in Killington?

ruwan — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 08:04:12 -0800

Does anyone have any recommendations for places to stay in Killington (VT) in January? I'm looking for house for a large group (20-25 ppl) for a ski retreat weekend. I've been looking online, but I'm not too sure where to start looking and a lot of the places I have found seem to be booked. Ideally, the house/cabin would have:
Under $2000 for the weekend (we're all students), 6+ bedrooms, easy/quick mountain access, hot tub, any other decent house activities would be great.

All work and no play makes theantikitty a dull girl

theantikitty — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 08:31:44 -0800

I'm looking for a private place to write for a weekend (with the possibility of multiple weekends if it seems extremely productive) within about 30-45 minutes of the city of Pittsburgh. I'm thinking a little cabin in the woods, or something similar. I'm also thinking cheap! I'm trying to finish a manuscript under a deadline, and I am finding it increasingly difficult to work at my home. I need a place where there are no computers, phones, cable TV sets with hundreds of channels, husbands, or pets. I don't feel comfortable working at the place set aside for me by my university or at the library, but even if I did, I'm really looking for a secluded place where I will be able to focus on the writing for the entire weekend. No going home and no dinner plans.

It's cold, so I need a place that is heated. And it definitely needs electricity; I do my best writing at night. I've only been living here a few years, so I'm having a lot of difficulty thinking of a place that fits this bill. I've asked several friends, and their suggestions have either been too expensive or too far. I definitely don't want to spend over 100 bucks a night, and much less than that if it's possible. It doesn't have to be a cabin, but I would prefer someplace more inspiring than Motel 6. I'm open to any and all suggestions. Thanks guys!

How to find a cheap weekend cabin in the Northeast?

the jam — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 21:37:23 -0800

I'd like to rent an inexpensive cabin, somewhere picturesque and north of NYC, with room enough to fit 6 people who don't mind crashing on the floor in sleeping bags, for one weekend in October or November this fall. What can you tell me?

Log Cabin Rental (In Michigan)

parma — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 13:41:47 -0800

I'm in S.E. Michigan and looking to rent a log cabin for a weekend with some friends. Aiming for Sept 16/17. Do you have a good place you think we should look at? Or know where I can I get any reviews of log cabin rental places? (Tried hrvparkreviews.com and michcampgrounds.com... not much help - and my google fu is failing me.)

Hoping for something clean and good for first-timers. (Even if that takes away from the "outdoors" feel of the trip.)

And ideally it would be close to water and within 2 hours or so of the Detroit area - a bit more is ok too.

Vacation home ordeals

Amizu — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 15:24:39 -0800

Help my family protect our log cabin. Much My family bought land on forested land overlooking the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia about 40 years ago. (My father thought Nixon was going to take over the country in marshall law.) About 20 years ago, they hired a local log cabin builder to construct a traditional log cabin. It is beautiful, secluded, and very important to my family, because every year we spend unadulterated time together as a family, without TV, friends, or other distractions. And when my family lost everything else, we still had the cabin.

However, the cabin has problems, namely trespassers, flies, and mice.

Here's the scenario: The place has untreated logs (which are starting to disintegrate a little bit), and various small holes and cracks. The roof has wooden shingles. My father is a contractor, and has years of experience, but he's 65 and didn't build log cabins.

We used to have a small "camp" nearby, and had a few problems with mice, but hardly any problems with flies. The log cabin, however, has a fly problem, and so every summer when we show up, everything is covered in fly bodies - a dark, nasty layer of dead flies. Even if we think we've killed them all, they form into hives in about October, and by summer they're all dead and covering everything. And mice get into the mattresses. Also, vandals and thieves have entered the cabin a few times, as they do to other seasonal homes in the area. To protect the house, we have covered the windows and doors in heavy plywood and steel bars, but we know it's not impenetrable. We lock the cabin from the inside, and someone thin slides out the bottom of the cabin via a trap door, but my parents can't fit, so they can't visit their cabin by themselves. We live 12 hours south of the cabin. The result of all these problems is that it takes days to get into the cabin and clean it, and our ability to use the place is reduced.

I'm wondering if there are solutions to these problems. Are there ways to effectively protect a cabin from mice - especially mattresses, couches, etc.? Are there ways to stop this fly abomination? How about security for an isolated cabin with no electricity or running water? (We'd like to keep it that way, because it's a large part of the charm, but we would consider alternatives.) Is there some way to keep it secure without using the trap door? Nearby friends look out for the place, but it is mostly inaccessible in the winter, other than by sea, so it's hard to check on at the most vulnerable time of year.

Prefab pros and cons?

Kickstart70 — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 14:41:44 -0800

Pre-fab cabins and houses...can you tell me your positive and negative stories? In our case, we're considering one of the ones from cabins.ca. They look reasonably nice and I requested and received a price list from them (mostly $20-80k, suggested multiplying by 2.5 for an estimate of total cost including interiors, foundation, plumbing, electrical, etc.).

We're not looking for something super-fancy or large. We want a place to live that isn't going to suck. What are your experiences?