Mount Carroll: synthetic fragrance free

The Driftless Muse retreat house, Mount Carroll Illinois, is in the beautiful Driftless Region of Northwest Illinois. Featuring a small art studio and designated writing space, it is a perfect place to explore nature, make art, write or just plain relax. Two blocks from the quaint center of town, where you will find a latte, great food, antiques, local music, a famous haunted house, a massage, and brick streets. It is a 10 minute drive to the Mississippi River. The space The Driftless Muse was built in 1868 and was home to miners, some of the first settlers to Mount Carroll. The house was added onto several times and only know for sure in 1907 because there were newspapers from 1907 in the walls. The house was recently rehabbed 2016. The owners kept what they could that was original and used a lot of repurposed materials. They are an artist, and a writer who created a space that they feel supports creativity, peace, family and rejuvenation. Due to the age of the house, the stairs are very steep. The entire town is very hilly. To get to the 1/2 acre yard one needs to climb down a hill. This may pose some difficulty for some people. The house is kept chemical free. No synthetic chemicals are used in the cleaning of the house. No candles, air fresheners, no chemical bug or weed killer or febreze like products are allowed to be used in the house. Perfume is not allowed in the house. The only exception to this is Dawn soap under the kitchen sink to wash off poison ivy and SOS pads. Some of the soaps, disinfectants and cleaner, do have natural scents of lavender, citrus and peppermint in them. Since everyones level and type of sensitivity is different, please write me to discuss if we can meet your needs. The water is filtered through a whole house filter and then again under the sink two filters take out chemicals and fluoride from the drinking water. There is a massage therapist in town, her office is within walking distance, there is trusted child care available. If you need either, please let me know. Guest access The entire house is for use for our guests except a few drawers, boxes under the beds and 2 kitchen cabinets which will be designated as "for the family." Other things to note Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, popcorn, spices, ketchup, and mustard are available. There is a full kitchen for your use if you want to use it. In the summer a barbecue grill is on the deck. Two bicycles, and many games and books are in the house to keep you entertained or stimulate your creativity. This is the country so there are bugs (yes sometimes in the house) and poison ivy, be prepared to see both. There is a picture of poison ivy on the refrigerator, please familiarize yourself with what it looks like (three leaves). If you are using the art studio or designated writing space, view this as a group studio space shared by many people. It will need to be used with great respect for the others who follow you. Bring your own art supplies. There will be pencils, erasers, sharpeners, scissors, and water buckets for you to use. There is a sink in the art studio. If you are using plaster or clay be very sensitive to not letting those things go down the drain, as they clog the pipes. There is a printer in the writing space. There is a work bench in the basement that is next to a door that opens to the outside. You do not have to be an artist or write to use or enjoy the space! lgbtqia+friendly