At the end of 2020, the JJ family took a Christmas getaway with our friends, the T family. After worrying about the pandemic all year long and staying home, we felt it was time to take a break. We decided to venture out of Texas on a road trip but not too far. Our friends found a cabin on Airbnb tucked away on the banks of a lake in Arkansas. The place was large enough to house at least four families if any other friends decided to join us. The photos of the lakefront home and the great reviews made the decision for us. Our friends booked the cabin,,, and we could hardly contain our excitement!
The lake house was located in Edgemont, Arkansas, on the banks of Greers Ferry Lake. Edgemont is about six hours from North Texas, a good drive for a road trip with perhaps one break for food. We booked the cabin for five days, from Sunday to Thursday.
Our drive to Edgemont was unremarkable. The most interesting part of the drive was the approach to the cabin. The access road was narrow and at one point dipped relatively low before making a sharp turn to the left. There were several cabins along this road, just parallel to the waterfront. With it being a one lane road, we wondered how we would have managed had another car shown up on the opposite side! Luckily, the entire time we drove on these roads, we were the only vehicle on the road.
The outside of the cabin was unassuming. Large trash cans stood to one side of the front of the house, parked on the road. We pulled up to the driveway and explored the front and sides of the cabin first. Then we accessed the house using the keypad and the code that the owner Steve sent. Once all of us had piled inside, we fanned out to check out the various rooms.
Upon entry, there was a large open floor living room/dining nook on the left side with an open kitchen on the right. A short hallway on the left of the living room led to the bigger bedroom with a desk in one corner, a loveseat and table for seating, and a king bed with an ensuite bathroom. Sliding glass doors led to the outside deck.
In the living room, another hallway to the right, past the kitchen, led to a laundry room and then to two smaller bedrooms. The laundry room had a washer and dryer and cleaners, toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, mops, brooms, etc. One bedroom had a queen-size bed. The other was larger and had two queen-size beds and a day bed. At the end of the hallway was the shared full bath.
Back at the front entrance, to the right of the entryway, was a stairwell that led to a large basement with some single beds, a bunk bed, and a double bed. Here we also found a sofa and TV with another full bath. Glass doors led outside to the lower terrace. The owner had left some lifejackets, kayaks, and paddleboats, but we did not use them due to the cold weather.
Back upstairs, we examined the galley kitchen. It contained two refrigerators, plenty of small appliances, a cooking range with an oven, a microwave, and a dishwasher. We also found the cabinets well stocked with pots, pans, and all other utensils/serving ware needed for cooking/eating. While the kitchen was long, there wasn’t enough space in the cabinets to keep any of our items, so we had to store them on the counters.
The living room area had a fireplace that wasn’t functional. The seating arrangements were cozy and perfect for playing games together or watching TV. Just past was the breakfast nook with a dining table and seating for eight. Bar stools lined the raised kitchen countertop.
Past the nook were the glass doors to the large screened-in patio. This area had plenty of seating. There were side tables as well a smaller dining table and chairs at one end. The views of the lake from the patio were amazing. The patio led to an outdoor deck with seating arrangements, an outdoor grill, and steps.
Several steps led the way down to the lower deck and further down to the water. While the descent to the water wasn’t difficult, climbing these many steps (think I counted more than 50 or 60 steps) back up was a good workout. The views from the water as well as of the water from the decks were gorgeous. A fire pit on the lower deck with some chairs around that would have been perfect for grilling or a campfire during warmer weather.
Given the time of the year, we weren’t surprised to find a Christmas tree and some Santa figurines and accessories scattered throughout the main living area. The house came well supplied with bed linen, towels, extra pillows and blankets. The log style wooden paneling adding a lot of rustic charm to the place. We were thrilled with the space, its layout and facilities.
Join us tomorrow to see how out trip went!
Very nice