Winter, a Peaceful View… Shawnee National Forest

Winter is a special season in the Forest. Cooler temps on hiking trails, clear views of canyon and rock formations . Enjoy antiquing , coffee shops, & nature! ✅ 800 sq. ft. private apartment in the historic district ✅ Private hot tub ✅ Smart TV, & fast ✅ Nearby hiking trails ✅Washer & dryer ✅ Tunnel Hill bike trail, 2 bikes for guest use ✅Walmart, Aldi, Kroger 5 minute drive ✅ Antique stores, 5 minute walk ✅Steam Cafe coffee shop ✅Morello’s Italian, Mackie’s Pizza, 7 minute walk The space If you are looking for a quiet place to call home for a few days, we have it. We love the Shawnee National Forest! But when we are done exploring and having adventures, it’s so nice to come to our small town and relax in a beautiful garden setting without ticks or other unpleasant creatures. We have a charming apartment at 217, just 15-20 minutes from the SNF in Harrisburg, Illinois. You can enjoy relaxing in our private hot tub on the pagoda while listening to the birds sing or our favorite tree frogs ! The Steam Cafe offers breakfast and delicious coffees, it’s a 7 minute walk up the street. It’s perfect for nature lovers exploring Shawnee National Forest but who also enjoy fast internet, Roku tv, restaurants, fountains, and flowers. Experience Southern Illinois and the Shawnee Forest whether you are here for work or recreation, we welcome you! If you just want to relax, have some coffee or sweet tea by the fireplace. Sign in to your Netflix or Hulu, OR watch our Weather Channel, Prime Video, Paramount Plus, WPSD Local 6 News, ESPN, PBS, free vee, GO Traveler, Roku Channel, Pandora + and Disney + shows on the 55-inch Smart TV. A dip in the hot tub is always nice before snuggling into your comfy bed and a beautiful moon viewed from the back pagoda is always a special treat. And if your #adventures get you wet and muddy, we have a washer & dryer downstairs for our guests to use! • Bicycles ~ We have two adult bikes (men & women) that you are welcome to use. Please let us know before you arrive, and we will be sure they are ready for you. Ride on the Tunnel Hill trail, it’s half a mile from us…ride miles or minutes.... you don't have to go the entire way (45 miles). #noexpectations • Pickleball ~ We have two pickleball sets for up to eight people available for our guests. The park (west of the Apartment down Church Street, half a mile) has two new pickleball courts. We have two sets of 4 paddles & balls hanging in the garage for your use, they are marked in tote bags, "Apartment at 217". • Tennis ~ We have four tennis racquets and balls if you want to go to the park and play a game, the racquets and balls are also hanging in bags marked "Apartment at 217" in the garage. There are two new tennis courts available. The park is walking distance, (on sidewalks) and about a mile west of the Apartment. • Trails & Hiking ~ Our favorite app for hiking is AllTrails. We also have maps available for your use in the Apartment. Phones don’t work everywhere in the Shawnee National Forest, so take a picture of your map or take a map…. phones aren't much help when they won’t connect! Our favorite trails are : Garden of the Gods Indian Point, right before Garden of the Gods Rim Rock, a few miles from Garden of the Gods Bell Smith Springs Cave in Rock cave and Kaylor’s Restaurant ( mom/pop but overlooks the Ohio River, beautiful views) Camp Ondessonk • Wine Trails ~ As links aren't allowed in this listing, do a search for "Southern Illinois Wine Trails" for more information. They have maps available on the site also. I include the link in the welcome letter I send you before your visit. The Apartment is a delightful place to rest, relax, and unwind with just you or your family... 880 square feet of private space inside. And our location makes it easy to walk to restaurants, we are three blocks from the town square. Outside, the pagoda beckons you to relax and enjoy your time away. Keurig coffee on the pagoda by the fire pit is a good way to relax! We have a great cleaning team after each guest. Please note that we are on multiple listing sites so if your dates are not available, they are reserved by guests on other sites. You can go out for your meals or cook your own. We are within strolling distance to several restaurants or the Steam Cafe for delicious coffee type drinks, if you prefer dining out. Your kitchen has dishes, pots, pans and utensils if you want to cook. We have local restaurant menus in the Apartment. Cooking is easy on the four-burner electric stove with oven or outside on the Weber grill (bring your charcoal). Store your supplies in the full-size refrigerator. There is a microwave and a Keurig coffee (provided) maker (also a Mr. Coffee maker) and an electric kettle in the kitchen. The bathroom has a surround tub and shower with fluffy towels and upscale amenities. (Shampoo, conditioner, soap, moisturizing lotion, hand soap, first aid kit, etc.) Enjoy a good night's rest on either of the three beds (two twin beds in the front bedroom, one queen size bed in back bedroom) or nap on the couch in the living room. Each bedroom has a walk-in closet to store your "things". Each mattress has a zippered cover to protect against allergens and pests. The queen bed has a Zinus mattress. After researching we chose this 12-inch queen mattress from Zinus: "Refreshing green tea and moisture-absorbing charcoal infused into three layers of top-notch foam. This mattress cradles every curve—alleviating those points of tension and allowing your body to recover as you rest. " We hope you enjoy! Everyone can have their own space in our apartment. We also have available if you need it, a washer and dryer in the garage under the Apartment. You will find it beautiful, inside and out! Our large patio pagoda is covered by Sunbrella fabric to block 95% of the sun's UV rays...we recommend a good book on the patio with some sweet tea or a cup of coffee as you relax to the sound of our fountains and birds singing. Enjoy the chair swing on the pagoda with the fountains, hot tub, and birds singing. We also have a outdoor fireplace and a propane fire pit if the nights are a little cool. An outdoor dining table and several Adirondack style chairs make it easy to relax in the beautiful setting. Growing up in the south, we have a love for flowering plants and there is always something blooming in our yard until the frost of winter arrives. Parking: We have one dedicated parking space outside the apartment, under the flag and fountain. Let us know before your visit if you need an extra space. We want you to be comfortable and enjoy your stay. Guest access Contactless entry with a coded door lock: you will receive a welcome email with your door code before your arrival. Guests have full access to the apartment, except for the supply closet. The apartment is private, like a carriage house (upstairs) above our three-car garage. It has a private entry. We have a no-smoking policy on the property, both inside and out. Parking for one car is available between the two garage doors, under the flag and guest parking sign. If you need additional parking, please let us know beforehand, and we may be able to arrange our vehicles to accommodate your needs. Other things to note Every season in the Harrisburg is a special time. The bluffs and streams are more visible in winter without the leaves hiding them but the colors and flowers in spring and summer are beautiful… and the fall colors are delightful. The weather is usually cooperative with walkable temps most times of the year. The Shawnee National Forest headquarters is located in Harrisburg, five minutes from the Apartment. It is an invaluable resource to have in our community and the rangers can provide all kind of information on hunting, hiking, and exploring in the Shawnee. You can write your own adventure while you visit Southern Illinois. The Southeastern Tourism website has many more activities to get you started on your journey...you will find our area as the "Trails to Adventure" region. Hike on the Shawnee Forest trails (we have maps in the Apartment or you can go to the Shawnee National Forest headquarters in Harrisburg....where they have LOTS of maps), hike at Bell Smith Springs, Jackson Falls or many of the other trails near us. Guests all need to experience the Garden of the Gods, which is about 20-30 minutes from our place. Hunting & Fishing are always popular in Southern Illinois. The Saline County State Fish & Wildlife Area (Glen O. Jones Lake) is just twenty minutes away and offers several different types of game. It is a combination of bottom land bordering the south fork of the Saline River adjacent to the Shawnee National Forest. The rugged rock hills are heavily timbered with springs, rocky creeks and the lake furnishing water for wildlife. American Quilt Society Quilt Weeks, Paducah, Kentucky Just a short one hour drive across the bridge will put you in Paducah, Kentucky where quilters from around the world gather during the AQS QuiltWeeks! So many fun things to see and do during Quilt Week- people from neighboring states and even countries make it a special gathering! There are now two AQS Quiltweeks, spring (April) and fall (September) in Paducah. Metropolis, just south of us hosts the Superman Celebration in early June each year with everything Superman available. Also, in October they have the Fort Massac Encampment. "See what life was like back in the 1700s and early 1800s at Fort Massac State Park’s Annual Fort Massac Encampment, which will be held at the historic site. They are usually the third weekend of October." Running Events Race: Annual Shawnee Marathon, October The scenic route in the Shawnee National Forest runs from Southeastern Illinois College to the town of Equality and back. It is a Boston Marathon qualifying race, which means if runners meet a certain time goal, they can qualify for the Boston Marathon. Race: Vienna Tunnel Hill 10 Miler, November **RRCA CHAMPIONSHIP RACE** Nationally Ranked 10 Mile Run (Runner’s World) Event: River to River Relay, April Teams of eight runners compete on an 80-mile course. Each runner completes three sections that range in length from 2.5 to 4 miles. Teams are started in groups every 30 minutes beginning at 6:15am and continuing until the last group is started at 8:45am. The finish line closes at exactly 8:00pm. There is a waiting list to get in this race. If you want to drive to Marion (23 miles) you can have a great time at the Hub Recreation Center a 4,000 sq. ft. building where activities like swimming, exercising, and playing sports radiate throughout the facility. It has an indoor pool, lazy river, waterslide, group fitness, therapy spa, basketball, fitness center, water aerobics, indoor track, volleyball, locker rooms, snack bar, on-site child watch, and much more! Day passes are available for about $12 (adults) or $10 (17 or younger) or a family of 3 ($32) or family of 4 ($37). If you get tired the outdoors, there are great malls for shopping in Paducah or Evansville, you could also take a drive on one of the wine trails, Southern Illinois Wine Trail or Shawnee Hills Wine Trail. Paducah, Kentucky (1 hour) : Kentucky Oaks Mall is a spacious shopping mall in Paducah. The mall is anchored by designer stores like JCPenney, Best Buy, and Dillard's. 5101 Hinkleville Rd, Paducah Evansville, Indiana (1 hour 20 minutes) Eastland Mall is a shopping center including Dillard's, Macy's, JCPenney, Forever 21, American Eagle, and many more stores and restaurants. This mall is surrounded by shops and restaurants which are listed in the "mall" listing. This is our largest mall unless you go to St. Louis. Nearest Airport: Marion, Illinois (30 minutes) Just a short drive on Hwy. 13 you will be in Marion. Target and Dillard's are good shopping, along with Home Depot, Sam's, Wal-Mart, and Menards. Red Lobster, O'Charley's, Olive Garden, Panda Express, Panera Bread, Bob Evans, Cracker Barrell, Olive Garden, Raisin’ Cain, Chick-fil-et, Walt’s Pizza, Bennie’s Italian, Texas Road House, Long Horn, and Krispy Kreme are just a few of the restaurants available.