Cedar Hollow Cabin

Welcome to the Hollow

We're the Okafors — this cabin is our favorite place on earth and we're happy to share it. Cell service is one bar of stubbornness; the Wi-Fi works, but honestly, the porch works better.

Wi-Fi

Network: CedarHollow
Password: pinesandquiet

It's satellite internet: fine for maps, email, and music; heroic but not guaranteed for HD streaming on rainy nights.

Finding us

8 Cedar Hollow Road, Milepost 14

• GPS gets you to the mailbox cluster; take the gravel fork right and go 0.4 miles
• In winter, park at the top of the drive if it's icy — the walk is 2 minutes
• Last gas station is in Wells Creek, 20 minutes back. Arrive with a full-ish tank.

Your hosts

Ada & Chidi — +1 (555) 010-3355. Texts can take an hour to reach us up here; for anything urgent call the landline taped to the fridge.

Getting in

• Check-in from 3:00 PM
• Lockbox on the porch rail, right of the door. Code: 7391
• Inside: house key, shed key, and the flashlight you should carry at night (the stars are the reason there are no streetlights)

The wood stove

The heart of the cabin. Kindling in the copper bucket, logs on the porch rack, matches on the mantel.

• Open the damper (lever to the left) before lighting
• Small kindling teepee first, two logs once it's going
• Close the glass door; adjust air with the bottom vent
• Never leave it burning when you leave the cabin

The full walkthrough video is below — 3 minutes and you'll feel like a pioneer.

Hot tub

On the back deck. Cover off, hooks on the rail. It sits at 102°F — please keep the cover on when not in it (heat is expensive up a mountain). Shower before use keeps the water clear for your whole stay. No glass in or near the tub — enamel mugs are in the cabinet.

Water & power

We're on a well and it's excellent — drink from every tap. Power blips in storms are normal; the cabin rides through on batteries for lights and Wi-Fi. Candles and lanterns are staged on the bookshelf if you want the full effect.

Kitchen notes

Propane stove: turn the knob and press the igniter button. The cast-iron pans get wiped, never soaped — there's a care card above the sink. Coffee is a pour-over situation; the good beans are in the freezer door.

House rules

• Quiet isn't a rule up here, it's the amenity — enjoy it
• No smoking inside; the fire ring outside is for campfires (check the burn-ban board at the road)
• Keep food indoors overnight — the raccoons are organized and the bears are curious
• Dogs welcome; keep them leashed near the road at dusk (deer)
• Maximum 6 guests overnight

The trail out back

The gate behind the shed opens onto the Hollow Loop — 2.9 miles, moderate, the overlook at the halfway point is the postcard. Trail map is in the basket by the door.

Breakfast in town

The Griddle at Wells Creek — 20 minutes down the mountain, worth every switchback. Blueberry pancakes, no notes. Closed Tuesdays. Map

Supplies

Wells Creek General covers firewood bundles, forgotten toothbrushes, local eggs, and surprisingly good wine. Map

Stargazing

Clear night? Blankets in the ottoman, deck chairs flat, phone on the tripod by the telescope. The Milky Way shows up around 10 PM in summer. You'll understand why we bought this place.

Checkout checklist

• Checkout by 11:00 AM
• Wood stove: fully out, damper closed, door shut
• Hot tub cover on and clipped
• Dishes washed (cast iron wiped, remember)
• Trash in the bear-proof bin by the shed — latch it until it clicks
• Thermostat to 55°F in winter, off in summer
• Keys in the lockbox, scramble the code

Sign the guest book if you feel like it. We read every page.

Emergencies

• Emergency services: 911 (say "Cedar Hollow Road, milepost 14" — dispatchers know it)
• Landline on the fridge works even when cell service doesn't
• Nearest hospital: Wells Creek Regional, 25 minutes
• Water shut-off: crawlspace hatch, kitchen floor, blue handle
• Breaker panel: bedroom closet
• Fire extinguishers: kitchen wall + by the wood stove
• Storm kit (lanterns, radio, batteries): bench by the front door