Solar Cabin: A Modern, Off-grid Retreat on 100 Acres

Enjoy your own private nature retreat when you stay in our unique solar-powered cabin in the woods, where the nearest neighbor is a mile away. Feel the hustle-bustle of life fall behind you as you slowly traverse the single-lane, gravel road that leads to our property that we call "Love Farm". We have woods, fields, walking trails, two ponds, a new greenhouse, large garden, chickens (at times), fruit trees, and lots of wildlife. Although we're off-the-grid, our home is a custom-built, modern cabin, and you'll have all the conveniences for a comfortable stay. In Amish country, near Penns Creek (10 mins), Millheim (15 mins), Woodward Camp (20 mins) & Penn State (30 mins).

Have dinner on the deck overlooking "Frog Pond." Swing in a hammock, go for a walk, or fish for blue gills in the larger, lower pond. In the evening, catch lightning bugs or roast marshmallows under stars unpolluted by town lights. Welcome to Solar Cabin!

**If interested in booking, please keep reading the description below so you know what to expect when staying at our unique off-the-grid cabin.**

🏠👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Andy and I (Becca) have remodeled the family's old hunting cabin into our rustic-modern home. We live here with our baby (Lyrra) and our 2-year-old (Porter) and vacate during your reserved dates. Because we live here, you can expect extra conveniences during your stay (for example, a well-stocked kitchen, complete with spices and condiments, an Instant Pot, and GOOD knives!).

🛏️ Bedrooms
The loft bedroom has a king bed with a certified organic hybrid mattress (springs and latex). The private bedroom has an organic latex queen mattress. Additionally, there is a single upper bunk and a baby crib 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 (delicious straight from the tap), gas range, convection oven, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, pour-over coffee carafe with bean grinder (coffee supplied), an assortment of teas, blender, Instant Pot, Aqua Fizz machine, wine glasses, cloth napkins, 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). No need to buy and pack spices and condiments, as you are welcome to use ours. All you need to bring is the food you wish to cook or grill.

🚽 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 top drawer of the small teal stand and the bottom drawer has extra supplies that you may have 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, set the pellet stove thermostat to 65 degrees.

🌡️ 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, set the temperature to 65 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!).

👶 Family-friendly
For those traveling with kids, there are lots of things for the kids to do and some things we can supply (upon request): suspension stroller, high chair, pack n' play, scooters, sleds, etc. We have two small kids, so just ask if you're wondering about something in particular! We have retractable baby gates at the stairs. The kids can roast marshmallows over the fire pit, catch salamanders (with an adult's help), make wildflower boquets, learn how food grows in the garden, play on the slip n' slide (you set it up), or fish in the pond by the barn (byo bait or dig for worms). We also have tons of kids' toys and books they are welcome to play with.

🍅 Gardens
In season, the chef in your party will appreciate harvesting fresh produce and herbs from our gardens. There is a large fenced-in vegetable garden by the pond. Typically, we plant a variety of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, flowers, and onions. There's a small raspberry/blackberry patch as well. We have a large plot of garlic planted above the orchard that we sell for seed garlic. We are in the first year of establishing the soil in our new greenhouse, where we plan to plant figs next year. In the space by the deck closest to the pond, we plant fresh herbs. Wild mint grows along the yard, and for those into foraging/medicinals, morels, elderberry, aronia, mullein, and stinging nettles can be found on the property.

🐱 Our Cat
We have a cat (Shiva) that lives here with us. We'll move her out with us for the duration of your stay (unless you indicate that you'd like her company, in which case, she'd be very happy to avoid car rides!).

🚗 Access
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.

📱 Connectivity
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. We have recently upgraded our internet to Starlink (the new satellite internet developed by Tesla).

🥾 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 google map of our trails that we will share with you upon request!