You don't have to sacrifice tranquility and beauty for convenience. Meadow Lake Suite is relaxing, private, and cozy, with a picturesque meadow, stream and fishing lake just a few steps away. Yet nearby are parks, restaurants, and shops. It's the perfect accommodation for couples, small families, seniors, solo adventurers, and business travelers. While the owners live in the home upstairs, guests have the roomy suite all to themselves. This is a private and restful one-bedroom, ground-level/walkout basement suite that features easily accessible parking; its own entrance; roomy master bedroom with queen bed, closet and desk; smaller separate bedroom with a single bed (separated from the master bedroom by a sliding pocket door--access from master bedroom to other rooms in the Suite is through this bedroom); large bathroom with walk-in shower; kitchenette area; and a living room with comfortable seating, cafe table, and room for a roll-away bed. The Suite is self-contained, meaning no interior areas are shared with others—it’s completely private. The kitchen has no traditional stove/oven, but does have a small microwave, an electric skillet, a crockpot, a 2-burner cooktop for the counter (provided on request), and an outdoor gas grill. The suite is reasonably accessible for those with lessened mobility and some handicaps, but it is not ADA compliant. Outdoor amenities require the use of stairs or travel over sloping/uneven ground. Please contact host before reserving to make sure it is a suitable fit for your needs. A crib is available on request. We also rent a cabin on the property that sleeps 4, allowing larger groups of up to 8 to enjoy the property together. (Search for "Meadow Lake Cabin" on Airbnb.) We're situated on 3.5 acres. Guests have access to the front meadow, a seasonal stream, views overlooking a 6-acre lake, dock (fishing only on our end of the lake, which is small but productive, and is catch and release only), lakeside benches, and our salt-system swimming pool with patio dining tables (located behind our home). The owners live in the house upstairs from the Suite. Meadow Lake Cabin, on the same property as the Suite, may also be rented through Airbnb, so that groups of up to 8 can be accommodated simultaneously. Both Cabin and Suite guests share use of the pool, dock, and grounds. Our lake is home to Largemouth Bass and several turtle species, and is periodically visited by Great Blue & Green Herons, Canada Geese, Wood Ducks, Kingfishers, Muskrats, & Beavers. We believe informality is a key ingredient of relaxation, and it begins when you arrive. We allow guests to let themselves in and get settled, and enjoy meeting them later when possible. We're always glad to recommend places to visit, shop, or eat at in our area, or otherwise make ourselves available to help. Our home is located just off a county road, but on a private lane that's only used by the few residents living on it, allowing privacy without being remote. Chelsea has small-town character, but easy access to big-city amenities. The Shelby County area has many quiet and scenic roads to explore. Within 15 minutes you can find great dining and shopping options, a large cinema, and any number of services. Our county seat, Columbiana, has a pleasant Main Street to stroll, complete with a drugstore soda fountain. Columbiana also lays claim to a small gem of a museum with the second largest collection of George & Martha Washington memorabilia outside of Mt. Vernon! Meadow Lake is approximately 30 minutes drive from downtown Birmingham, 40 minutes drive from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (23 mi or 37 km), 2.5 hours from Hartsfield-Atlanta Airport (152 mi or 245 km), 30 minutes from Amtrak Birmingham rail station (19 mi or 30 km), and less than 30 minutes from Interstates 65, 20, or 459. Here are some important Rules of the House and other information that our guests should know: - We respect our guests' right to a quiet getaway, and ask them to also respect the peacefulness we enjoy. Evening quiet hours are from 10pm to 7am, but we like for Meadow Lake to be a tranquil place all day. Loud volume music or other entertainment isn't allowed on the property. Full disclosure: on weekends (mostly on Sundays) our children and grandchildren occasionally enjoy the afternoon in our home, so there is more activity upstairs or on the grounds at this time (usually from 1-6 p.m.). This Suite is in our home, so a give and take is expected. You may hear us upstairs just as we may hear you downstairs, but by being considerate of one-another's needs and schedules it works well. We are never loud and boisterous, and expect our guests to not be either. -Our home is located just off a county road, but on a private lane that's only used by the few residents living on it, allowing privacy without being remote. There is a railroad crossing within 1 mile, but the sound of the occasional train is usually soothing rather than disruptive. - Our floors are carpeted for comfort, and we ask (but don't require) our guests to remove their shoes indoors to keep it a clean and sanitary space for themselves and future guests. Please bring slippers or socks. - The suite, the area immediately around the house, and the pool area are all Smoke-Free Zones. Smoking is only permitted on the lawn areas. There are no exceptions to this. Smoking is permitted on the lawn, and guests must dispose of cigarette butts in their vehicle ashtray or a water bottle, not indoors. Smoking indoors will incur a damage fee. - We require an accurate statement of the number of guests in your party, and that IF THERE ARE 3 OR 4 GUESTS THE EXTRA PERSON FEE OF $12 PER PERSON PER NIGHT BE PAID THROUGH AirBnB IN ADVANCE OF ARRIVAL. Cash will not be accepted. There is a limit of 4 people who can be accommodated in the Suite, and only the first 2 guests are covered in the basic rate. There is no extra person fee for children under 1 year old. If extra guests stay in the Cabin without our consent you will be charged $50 per person, and you may also be required to leave immediately. - Guests of ours may not invite their own family and friends into the Suite or onto the property. No exceptions are allowed! - Early check-ins and late check-outs cannot be accommodated. 3pm CENTRAL and 10am CENTRAL are our check-in and check-out times. Please plan accordingly. - Please remember that no pets are allowed in the Suite. This is to accommodate guests with allergies. Sorry, but no exceptions are considered (except for bona fide service dogs). Our “Meadow Lake Cabin,” however, can accommodate dogs. See its separate listing for the policy. Our dog "Tilly" lives in our home or fenced back yard, but does not have access to the apartment or other areas of the property. Our cat "Pepper" lives upstairs with us, and is never allowed in the apartment. - Personal firearms may not be carried openly on the grounds or brought into the Suite. - Minors using the pool or lake must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. -We also rent a mobile Grills and BBQ Smokers for area events, through BBQRents, if you’re in our area for a family reunion or party. Our internet is reliable and relatively fast. The Suite DOES NOT have cable or satellite TV service. The TV, however, is a "Smart TV" and Roku Ready, so guests with subscriptions to programming such as ESPN or Netflix can enter their account information and view their own programming choices. There are also several stations available for streaming, such as news. We have a large library of family-friendly DVD's available to guests. The Suite is typically not available for stays of longer than 2 weeks. Sorry, but no discounts are offered for lengths of stay or other reasons (military, seniors, students, etc.)