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Frequently Asked Questions:
If you have additional questions, please don't hesitate to call 219-363-9280 - or enter your question in the comment box at the bottom of this page. (Please be sure to leave your e-mail address and/or phone number or I won't be able to respond to your question.) When is check in (check out)?Check-IN is anytime after 3:00 PM (EST) on your scheduled day of arrival. You will be given a key code along with directions to the cabin at least one week before your arrival. Check-OUT is by 11 AM (EST) on your scheduled departure date. What do we need to bring?Food and clothing. That's about it. Bring some coffee if you want. We'll provide the coffee maker and filters and the first pot or two. We have small packets of salt, pepper, sugar and coffee creamer, but you will have to bring your own ketchup, mustard, miracle whip, stuff like that. You also might want to bring some aluminum foil and/or plastic wrap. We have a gas grill, so you don't need to worry about charcoal or fluid. If you want to watch movies, you might want to bring some DVD's or VCR tapes. We have a few here, but not too many. There are also a few places within 10 miles that you could rent movies from if you want. We also have a Playstation 2 and 2 controllers, but we only have a few games, so you might want to bring some of your favorites. We provide the sheets, pillow cases, towels, soap, dish soap, laundry soap, fabric softener, paper towels and toilet paper, but please bring your own hair care products. There are two blow-dryers in the cabin. Bring a cell phone or phone card if you want to make long-distance calls. There are telephones in the cabin for local calls, and also a local phone book for your convenience. Can I secure the cabin online using a credit card?Yes, you can. After you fill in the form at the bottom of this page, I will send you an invoice by e-mail. The e-mail will include a link to Innovative Merchant Services, a secure website where you can pay the $200 security deposit online and view your account at any time using an ID and password that you create. Or you can call me at 219-363-9280 with your credit card information. (The balance will be due one month prior to your scheduled arrival date - at which time you will have the option to pay by credit card or personal check/money order.) How do I get the cabin key? You don't need one. The cabin has an electronic keypad. I will e-mail you the key code at least one week before your scheduled arrival date. Is the driveway steep? Kind of, but it's pretty short and it's blacktopped, you won't have any problem. Here's what it looks like from the bottom of the driveway. (You can't see the mountains until you get to the top of the hill.) Where's the nearest boat launch? There are 2 boat launches within 5 miles of Serenity
Hill Cabin. Indian Creek Boat Dock is the closest by water. You can
launch the boat and be at the cabin within a couple of minutes. They also rent
fishing and pontoon boats and jet skis, and also sell gas, oil, bait, fishing supplies, soda, beer, candy, snacks,
caps, sunglasses, souvenirs, ice and ice chests. Is there room for my boat at the cabin? Depends on the size of your boat. Even though there is space for 4 or 5 vehicles, in most cases, the parking area is not wide enough to turn a boat around. If you have a small boat (less than 16') and a vehicle with a short turning radius, AND there are no other vehicles in the parking lot, it can be done. But if you have a longer boat or extended cab truck, your best bet would be to drop the trailer in the cul-de-sac at the base of the driveway. Then, when you are ready, launch the boat at the marina, dock the boat at the cabin dock, and drop the trailer in the cul-de-sac...or just leave it at the marina until you are ready to load back up. If you do decide to pull, say, a 20' boat up the driveway with a Suburban, you probably won't have any choice but to back it back down (not an easy feat with the curve at the base of the driveway). Is there electricity to the dock so I can charge my trolling motor batteries? There is an electrical cord run to within about 20' of the dock and the dock is 35' long. So if you dock your boat at the end of it, you will need about a 60' extension cord. There should be a 75 footer in the locked dock box (I'll give you the combination upon arrival), but no guarantees. (A previous guest may have mistaken it for theirs or forgot to put it back or something.) Is the lake easy to walk to? Yes, it's very easy...it's all downhill ;-) Now, getting back up to the cabin is another story!...but very doable for able-bodied individuals. Belinda's mom is 70, and she carries a fishing pole and small tackle box down at least once a day when she is there. On the way back up, she usually stops a couple of times to catch her breath and rest her legs. You'll probably want to, also. (It's about 80 yards to the water and there's a bench to sit on at about the 1/2 way point.) There's a couple of switchbacks in the path to the water, so you're walking in a "Z" pattern. Here's the first leg of the walk (actually, you'll be walking from the silver pickup truck at the top down to this point). Here's the 2nd that goes down to the bench. (Here's the same stretch - it's just a picture from the bench looking up.) Here's the final stretch from the bench to the dock - although you can't see the dock because there's a slight bend there where the rope begins (to the right of the ATV). It's about 40 foot from where the rope begins to the dock. (Here's the final stretch from the dock looking up.) Here's a picture of the dock before the water came up last year. As you can see, there's a bench and lock box on the dock. There's also a swim ladder, but that couldn't be added until the dock was floating. Is the cabin secluded? See this? Thank goodness we're not in that mess! Relative to this, Serenity Hill Cabin is VERY secluded. Other than the cabin at the bottom of the hill, you'll see the top of this home from the front door of the cabin. (It's actually farther away than it looks in this picture.) Here's what the cabin looks like from the Indian Creek Bridge. Here's another view showing the distance between the two homes. From the hot tub, you'll see nothing but lake. Is it secure? Yes, it's very secure. We've never had a problem of any sort at the cabin - but the same cannot be said for a lot of cabins in the Smoky Mountains area. Luxury cabins with HDTV's, home theater systems, games, etc., have become prime targets for thieves. They've also become targets for drug manufacturers looking for a place to mix up batches of methamphetamines - creating a toxic wasteland in their wake. In order to protect our interests, and for the safety of our guests and their belongings, we've taken some precautionary measures. The cabin is monitored by Advanced Security Alarm Protection (A.S.A.P) to alert you in the unlikely event of intruders and/or fire. (You will be given an alarm code one week before your arrival.) If the alarm is tripped, a 110 decibel alarm will sound inside and outside the cabin. At the same time, A.S.A.P. is notified. They will call the police and also call the cabin phone within a few minutes. They will ask for your name and a password (which you will not know) and then call me. They will tell me your name and after I verify you are booked at the cabin, they will call off the police. If a wrong name is given or the phone is not answered, the police will arrive. (We've actually tripped the alarm more often than all of our guests combined - mostly to test it. But I'll never forget the first time we tripped it by accident. I set the alarm before we went to sleep but forgot to tell Belinda. She opened a door about 5 AM. Talk about a rude awakening!) The smoke detector is hard-wired and also has a battery back-up. If the smoke detector goes off, the fire department is notified immediately. We've also mounted a security camera on the roof of the cabin. It's probably a great deterrent - since the camera enclosure is large, white, and can be seen from the road. It is focused on the landing, since that is the only entry/exit to the cabin. You can wave if you want, flip us "the bird" :o), totally ignore it, whatever. Unless there's a reason to look at the recording, chances are, it will never be seen. As long as you are under the roof of the cabin (which includes all decks), you are out of range of the camera. So if you plan on doing anything illicit, illegal, or immoral while at the cabin - please wait until you get up past the landing...(unless you're an exhibitionist or something and just can't resist...in which case, let me know and I'll make sure it gets on YouTube ;-) May I smoke inside the cabin? Sorry, no smoking in the cabin. But there are ash trays on the decks and screened-in porch for your convenience. May we bring our pets? Sorry, but we don't allow pets anywhere on the property. We know they are part of the family, but for the sake of our guests that are allergic to pet dander (and also for the safety and comfort of the native wildlife), we have decided on a "No Pets" policy. Stonegate Companion Animal Hospital (865-397-4060) is less than 10 miles away if you would like to board your pet during your stay. (I'll provide you with directions if you choose this option.) How old do I have to be to reserve Serenity Hill Cabin? You have to be at least 21-years-old to rent the cabin - and you will be held responsible for any damage caused by anyone in your party. How far is the nearest gas station and/or shopping center? Several gas stations, video stores, liquor stores, Super Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Goodies, Food City, Ryan's Buffet, Cracker Barrel, etc., are within 10 miles. And if you want to do some heavy-duty shopping, Tanger Outlet Mall and the Governor's Palace (and everything else Sevierville and Pigeon Forge have to offer) are within 30 miles. What is summer pool and when does that happen? Douglas Lake is a flood control reservoir managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). As such, their main concerns are to prevent flooding downstream, and also to generate electricity for the surrounding area. But they are also concerned with recreational uses and strive to keep Douglas Lake at summer pool (990' - 994' above sea level) as long as possible. Their target dates for summer pool (opens in a new window) are June 1st through October 1st - although Labor Day is a more realistic target as far as the TVA is concerned. Boating is allowed on Douglas Lake year round, even though the lake level will have dropped as much as 54' between Labor Day and June 1st. The cabin dock is usable when the water level reaches 985', which is usually from about the middle of May to the middle of September. If you book the cabin outside of that time frame, you can still bring or rent a boat at the local marina. You just won't be able to use the cabin dock. Here's a picture of a shallow bay taken February 1st, 2006 (at about the lake's lowest point). Because Serenity Hill Cabin is on the main channel, this is what it looked like from the deck on February 1st, 2006. And you'll still see beautiful sunsets like this, also taken on February 1st. Can I rent a fishing or pontoon boat, or some jet skis? Sure. Swann's Marina (opens in new window) and Indian Creek Boat Dock have all of that. Swann's also rents kayaks, peddle boats and canoes. (opens in a new window.) They're both about 5 miles away. Where on the lake is the cabin located? It's located at the mouth of Indian Creek. |
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Copyright © 2005-2008. Serenity Hill Cabin. All rights reserved.
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