Solar Cabin: 100 Acres w/Trails, Ponds, Dark Skies

Enjoy your a private retreat when you stay in our unique off-grid solar-powered cabin, where the nearest neighbor is a mile away. We have woods, fields, walking trails, ponds, a greenhouse, orchard, and lots of wildlife. The kids will love the zipline, swing set, and sandbox. Although we're off-the-grid, you have all the conveniences for a comfortable stay in our modern cabin. In Amish country, near Millheim (15 mins), Penns Creek (10 mins), Woodward Camp (20 mins) & Penn State (30 mins). The space Leave stress behind as you traverse the single-lane, gravel road that leads to our property that we call "Love Farm". Have dinner on the deck overlooking "Frog Pond." Swing in a hammock, go for a walk, fish for sunfish and bluegills, or just find a quiet bench to sit and ponder life. In the evening, catch lightning bugs or roast marshmallows under stars unpolluted by town lights. Welcome to Solar Cabin! Andy and I (Becca) have remodeled an old hunting cabin into our rustic-modern retreat. **If interested in booking, please keep reading the description below so you know what to expect when staying in our solar-powered cabin.** >Bedrooms< The loft bedroom has a king bed with a certified organic hybrid mattress (springs and latex). The private bedroom has a queen floor bed with an organic latex mattress. Additionally, there is a single upper bunk in the private bedroom. The walls in the cozy private bedroom are finished in an earthen plaster and a wood accent wall makes use of boards we painstakingly reclaimed from the original cabin. The larger loft bedroom has amazing views, cathedral ceilings, an office nook, and a clerestory that brings in lots of natural light. Each bedroom has an entrance onto the 2nd story deck and into the shared bathroom. >Kitchen< The modern kitchen has everything you need: UV-filtered spring water (tested annually and delicious from the tap), gas range, convection oven, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, grind 'n brew coffee maker (beans provided), an assortment of teas, blender, wine glasses, pots/pans, plates/silverware, etc. Please note that due to the large electrical draw, we do not have a conventional toaster (you can use the oven to toast items). >Bathroom< The bathroom features a custom vanity made from reclaimed wood from the old cabin, designed by me and built by a friend. It has a walk-in shower with a rain shower head and handheld sprayer, as well as a cute little old-fashioned soaking tub that Andy refurbished himself. First aid supplies are in the bottom drawer of the small teal stand and the basket over the toilet has items guests can use if something was forgotten (contact solution, new tooth brushes, etc). Help yourself! >Off-grid solar system / electrical / energy use< Experience life in a sustainable, solar-powered home! Our home is powered by an off-grid solar system, meaning that we are not connected to the public utility grid. (You'll notice that you don't see any telephone poles or power lines running to our home!) The solar system supplies the cabin with regular 110v electric and you can plug-in and use your chargers and other items just like you would in any other home. Items that produce heat (for example, toasters, hair dryers, and clothes irons) pull large amounts of electricity, and this is why you won't find these items in our home. If the solar batteries get low, a back-up outdoor propane generator "communicates" with our solar system. The generator automatically turns on to charge the solar batteries, then shuts itself off again once they are recharged. When it kicks on, the generator sounds like someone starting their car in the driveway. Be prepared for this to happen periodically throughout your stay if it's not summer, or if you run the a/c a lot. Please try to conserve energy and always turn off all fans, lights, and a/c when checking out. In cold months, please set the pellet stove thermostat back to 62 degrees upon checking out. >Pellet stove / heat / temperature regulation< Our main source of heat is a pellet stove (needed from about October through May). Guests set the thermostat to their preferred temperature and load a bag of pellets into the hopper when it runs out. Guests also need to scrape the ashes from the burn pot once a day. We'll show show you how to do this, or send you the link to a video that shows you - it's very simple and only takes a minute. We also have radiant floor heat in half the cabin to supplement the pellet stove. In cold months, please set the floor temperature back to 62 degrees F when you check out. During the hot months, our home stays cooler than the outside (it's in a shady nook and doesn't get much direct sunlight). There are ceiling fans on the main loft ceiling (numbered control near the laundry room) and in the private bedroom (switch hides behind the door curtain). If needed, a window air conditioning unit is available, although we rarely feel the need to use it ourselves. We recommend turning it off at night to avoiding draining the house batteries and needing the generator to run. Please turn all fans and a/c off when you check out. >Decks< The 2nd story covered deck overlooks Frog Pond, with views of the garden, orchard, solar array, and fire pit. There is a small sitting area, a table with 6 chairs and umbrella, a ceiling fan/light, propane grill, a pulley clothes line, and a hummingbird feeder. Hummingbirds will whizz around you from about June through early September, and from the deck, you can often see deer, many bird species, squirrels, bunnies, ducks, and turkeys. In the hutch are games and cards. The ground-level deck has my grandma's porch swing that we rehabilitated and a set of rocking chairs. Grandma's swing is a lovely place to take a little afternoon respite. >Fire pit< Guests are welcome to use the fire pit in the side yard. Make sure to put the fire out before you leave or go to bed. In the big wooden box under the porch swing, there are extra camp chairs and other supplies for the fire pit. Firewood is supplied and is stacked by the driveway. Just collect some small dead twigs from the ground for kindling (please do not cut or break live branches from trees, as these will not start your fire well anyway!). >Trails< Finally, Andy and I have been slowly building a system of (as yet unmarked) walking trails on the property. Guests can amble around the property to check out over an acre of pollinator-friendly plantings we've established in the field, enjoy acres of quiet forest, visit the "Mama Tree", and walk around the two small ponds. We have made a goog$e-map of our trails that we will share with you upon request! Guest access Entire cabin, fire pit, upper and lower decks, propane grill, hammock, walking trails, garden and orchard. You are also free to browse the greenhouse, we just ask that you don't mess with the irrigation hoses. Wood is supplied for the fire pit. Other things to note >Connectivity< Starlink satellite internet provides a reliable and fast wifi connection. For cell service, depending on your carrier, your cell phone may or may not have reception here. T-Mobile does the best, and often picks up a signal indoors, but you may still have to go outside to get reception. Verizon does okay, with the best access on the hill by the solar panels. >Getting here< Our private, one-lane, gravel driveway is nearly a mile long. The lane goes through the forest and there are no street lights, so arriving at night can be a bit intimidating. If snow is a possibility, guests MUST bring an AWD or 4WD vehicle. At other times of the year, higher clearance vehicles are recommended but not necessary, just take it slow.