Checking Out A Mountain Retreat

Good morning. Tina here.

Last Saturday my dear hubby and I went on a preview mission to check out a rental cabin for an upcoming family reunion.  The reunion is for my hubby's family, and the first part of it is actually a camping trip.

We have a group campground reserved at the Sly Park Recreation Area in Pollock Pines, right at the edge of Jenkinson Lake.

My hubby's aunt, from Los Vegas, is elderly and is almost blind.  She is not looking forward to camping in a primitive, tents-only, pit toilet area.  So we went looking for an alternative for her.

The cabin we found for her to stay in is just south of the lake, up a gated forest road about a mile and a half, and has wonderful views of the lake.

It has a small kitchen, bathroom, a wood stove, wrap-around deck, sleeping areas on the main floor and in a loft, and also a basement with a laundry area, another sleeping area and a bathroom.

We could watch the boaters on the lake while we were there. The weather was fantastic, only in the 80s, slight threat of rain, and it smelled so fresh, having sprinkled some the night before.

After following the forest road past wildflowers and wild animals, we pulled through a gate created out of logs and discovered this modern take on a mountain cabin.

The bungalow in the hills, with a to-die-for view.

The owners are still completing work on the surrounding grounds, and preparing the cabin for rentals.  My hubby knows one of the owners, so we are able to rent it before they are really ready for the general public.

They plan to someday perhaps have weddings here and host larger family reunions than ours.

This is a summer only rental, it would be unreachable after a heavy snow.  But can you imagine how pretty it would be to be snowed in here?

Someday the owner plans a small fruit orchard and tree farm on the west side of the hill below the deck.  He already has a small vegetable garden started.

Solar power and wood heat.  I think I might bring some flowers with me and fill some of the planters to pretty it up.  They haven't had much time for landscaping yet.

While most of the rest of us are camping, our aunt will be living in style.  We expect Rich's mom will join her, and now his cousin and her husband are also planning on staying there.  Hey, what happened to the family camping trip?

I guess if we had known what a cute little bungalow waited in the woods, we would have all wanted to stay there instead.  But it will be waiting in case we need a shower!