Getting here, getting in, and checking in!
(And shipping things to the house.)
The cabin has a driveway that runs through the property, so there are technically two ways to drive onto the property and two addresses: 144 Mariah Circle and 135 Village Road.
You will want to access the house from the upper driveway, on Mariah Circle.
The upper driveway does not have an address that is easily found on map applications, so here's the best way to find it! Map to 148 Mariah Circle, and the next driveway up the hill is ours. (We call it 144 Mariah Circle, but the technical address for the house is linked to the lower driveway, which is why it gets a little confusing!) You'll know you've found the right driveway when you see two stone pillars on either side of the upper driveway. On the pillars there are also reflectors and the number 144.
The physical address for the lower driveway is 135 Village Rd., but that driveway is a steep uphill drive, so we suggest you use the upper driveway. (We use the upper driveway year round, but you can use either driveway in the summer months.)
When you arrive at the front door, you may notice the numbers 135 next to the front door. This is referring to the address of the lower driveway, and you're in the right place! There are two key boxes on the porch beam; the same code will work for both. We'll send you the code. There are keys in each of the boxes. (We have two key boxes in case one freezes in the winter months! It's happened!)
Please note that we have two outdoor NEST cameras on our property. One is on the front porch facing the parking area, so we are able to make sure you arrive safely and can access the cabin. The second outdoor camera is on the deck, and it points to the view, so we can monitor the weather on Beech.
Check in is 4 PM, but if our cleaner finishes earlier, you are welcome to arrive a little early. Just ask!
If you arrive and you're unsatisfied with any aspect of the house, please let us know immediately. Our house manager and cleaner lives nearby. If there is anything you are displeased about, she will happily come clean, fix, or solve the problem. Just let us know! :)
The map image shows the location of our home, which sits on two lots. The X marks the upper driveway where you'll want to enter the property!
SHIPPING & MAILING PACKAGES TO THE HOUSE
If you plan to have packages shipped to the house for your vacation or if you plan to order anything from Amazon during your time there, you will need to use 135 Village Rd, Beech Mountain, NC 28604. (The local USPS and package delivery drivers know to deliver larger packages to the front door entrance that faces Mariah Circle. Smaller packages or envelopes might be left in the mailbox at the bottom of the lower driveway, on Village Rd.)
Locking the front door
When you come and go, you'll want to lock the front door— this is the original house door with a multi-point locking system. To lock the door, close the door and then LIFT UP STRONGLY on the handle until the the multi-point locking system is engaged. You'll feel / hear that happen. Then, turn key in the lock (outside) or turn the lock (inside).
Locking the front door
When you come and go, you'll want to lock the front door— this is the original house door with a multi-point locking system. To lock the door, close the door and then LIFT UP STRONGLY on the handle until the the multi-point locking system is engaged. You'll feel / hear that happen. Then, turn key in the lock (outside) or turn the lock (inside).
House Rules
- This is a non-smoking property. No smoking on the house or decks. Our cleaning staff requires a $200 payment for picking up cigarette butts. If you leave cigarette butts on the property anywhere, you will be responsible for paying this additional fee. If you smoke outside, please pick up the cigarette butts and properly dispose of them.
- No weapons on the property, including firearms, protective weapons, or hunting weapons, without written approval from us. AirBNB and VRBO are aware we have this policy in place, and if you violate it, you will be asked to vacate the house immediately. Please disclose the presence of any weapons and ask for approval to bring them prior to your arrival. (If you are military or police personnel, let us know.)
- For your safety, do not leave either gas fireplace running through the night while you sleep and do not leave the house unattended with either gas fireplace running.
- If anything in the house gets broken or stained, please let us know. It's not fair to the next guests or to our cleaner to discover these things without warning. We understand accidents happen! Please communicate with us, so we can solve any issues as they arise.
- Please do not wear shoes in the cabin. Take your shoes off at the front door and leave them on the rack inside or shoe trays outside.
- Pets are not allowed on the property or in the cabin. No exceptions.
- If you use the last of the propane in the gas grill or the deck fire table, please move up one of the spare propane tanks from the garage, and let us know so we can replace the spares for the next guests.
- If you use the wood fire pit, please use it outside the garage, and please clean it out afterward.
- Do not leave food or any dishes full of food in the refrigerator. Do not leave food in the pantry. Take all of your food with you or dispose of it properly. Wash all dishes and put them away when you leave.
- Familiarize yourself with snow driving if you are staying with us in the winter. If you are here in the winter months and your check out falls on a snowy day, you will be asked to leave if guests who have reserved the cabin are arriving.
- Check out is at 10 AM. Our fantastic house manager often has multiple homes to clean and care for during the busy season, so please check out on time!
Check out
When your vacation has come to an end, remember that check out is 10 AM so our cleaner can get her work done!
Here are the things you'll need to do before you leave:
1. Take all trash (garbage and bathrooms) to the garbage cans in the bear cages at the top of the upper drive. There are two garbage cans in the bear cages, and both may be used for trash. Please close the cages securely so that they are unable to be opened by bears! Put the trash flag UP when you leave, so that Beech Sanitation knows to stop and pick up the trash. (If you have too much trash to fit into the bear cages, please take it to Beech Mountain Recycling Center before you leave— see detailed information under Garbage and Recycling, below.) Trash pickup days are Mondays and Thursdays.
2. Set both thermostats: heat at 62 degrees in the winter / cold at 75 degrees in the summer.
3. Place all dirty bathroom towels inside the tubs / showers.
4. Strip any beds used, and place all used sheets on the bedroom floors.
5. Wash all dishes or load the dishwasher and start it. Do not leave dishes with food in them in the refrigerator. Place used kitchen towels in the kitchen sink.
6. Remove all food from the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. If you have food in dishes in the refrigerator, dispose of it and clean the dishes.
6. Make sure all deck doors and house windows are shut. Turn off all lights.
7. Lock the front door and replace key in the lockbox.
Travel safely!
Using the fireplaces and fire table
The front room fireplace: When you arrive, the fireplace should be set to "pilot" meaning the small pilot light is on. Move the fire grate guard, and look for the knob on the bottom right. Press it in and to the left, all the way. When you want to turn the fireplace off, gently press in and turn it about halfway to the right to "pilot."
If you accidentally turn it all the way to the right, no problem! The next time you want to use it, you will need to re-light the pilot. To do this, press the knob in and turn to pilot. Then, while holding the knob in, click the ignition button (on the left.) You should see the pilot ignite. Hold the knob in for about five full seconds, and then rotate the knob to the left to start the fire.
If you open the flue to vent the fireplace, make sure you close it afterward!
Main bedroom #1 fireplace: This one is a little easier, but similar. There is a metal safety card next to the fireplace with instructions on it!
While we regularly service the gas fireplaces and have many CO2 monitors in the house, please do not fall asleep or leave the house with either gas fireplace running for your safety!
USING THE DECK FIRE TABLE
On the deck, you'll find the fire table covered in a vinyl cover. Remove that. One side of the fire table opens -- it will be obvious which side it is, as it is the only one with a cut-out area. Remove that, and you'll find controls for turning on the table. Make sure the propane is on, and use the controls to start the table. Once you're finished, please make sure you turn off the propane and also turn off the controls on the fire table.
If you use the last of the propane in the gas grill or the deck fire table, please move up one of the spare propane tanks from the garage, and let us know so we can replace the spares for the next guests.
The front room fireplace: When you arrive, the fireplace should be set to "pilot" meaning the small pilot light is on. Move the fire grate guard, and look for the knob on the bottom right. Press it in and to the left, all the way. When you want to turn the fireplace off, gently press in and turn it about halfway to the right to "pilot."
If you accidentally turn it all the way to the right, no problem! The next time you want to use it, you will need to re-light the pilot. To do this, press the knob in and turn to pilot. Then, while holding the knob in, click the ignition button (on the left.) You should see the pilot ignite. Hold the knob in for about five full seconds, and then rotate the knob to the left to start the fire.
If you open the flue to vent the fireplace, make sure you close it afterward!
Main bedroom #1 fireplace: This one is a little easier, but similar. There is a metal safety card next to the fireplace with instructions on it!
While we regularly service the gas fireplaces and have many CO2 monitors in the house, please do not fall asleep or leave the house with either gas fireplace running for your safety!
USING THE DECK FIRE TABLE
On the deck, you'll find the fire table covered in a vinyl cover. Remove that. One side of the fire table opens -- it will be obvious which side it is, as it is the only one with a cut-out area. Remove that, and you'll find controls for turning on the table. Make sure the propane is on, and use the controls to start the table. Once you're finished, please make sure you turn off the propane and also turn off the controls on the fire table.
If you use the last of the propane in the gas grill or the deck fire table, please move up one of the spare propane tanks from the garage, and let us know so we can replace the spares for the next guests.
Garbage and recycling
The garbage cans are in the bear cages at the top of the upper drive. There are two garbage cans in the bear cages, and both may be used for trash. Please close the cages securely so that they are unable to be opened by bears! Put the trash flag UP when you leave at the end of your trip and before Mondays or Thursdays, so that Beech Sanitation knows to stop and pick up the trash.
Trash pickup days are Mondays and Thursdays. If you are staying through these days, you should make sure to put the trash flag UP so that Beech Mountain Sanitation knows to stop and collect your trash.
If you have too much trash for the garbage cans on the property:
If you have too much trash to fit into the bear cages or you'd like to recycle, you'll need to use the provided trash pass to take your detritus to the Beech Mountain Recycling and Convenience Center anytime during your stay or before you check out.
The town of Beech Mountain has a trash and recycling drop-off convenience center right in town, just a short drive away. They are open every day of the week except on Wednesdays. Their hours of operation are 7 AM to 3:30 PM. They are located at 500 S Beech Mountain Parkway (up the road next to Brick Oven Pizza, past the adventure tower and sledding hill), which is about 2 miles away and a 5 minute drive from the house.
You will need to use our trash pass to recycle and bring your garbage to the Recycling and Convenience Center. You'll find a red 2022-2023 trash pass at the house. We generally leave it hanging above the garbage can or on the window ledge in the kitchen. The trash pass MUST be returned to the house, so if you use it, please return it to the house before you check out. This may mean you need to do a final trash run before you checkout at 10 AM. (The town of Beech Mountain charges an exorbitant fee for replacement trash passes—$370!—so please do not take the trash pass with you.)
There are a lot of wild animals on the mountain, so NEVER leave trash outside!
Please remove all trash (kitchen and bathrooms) from the house and garage before you check out. Either place it in the outside bear canister garbage cans, bring it to the Beech Mountain Recycling and Convenience Center or take it with you.
Using the steam shower
The steam shower is one of our favorite parts of the cabin. To turn on the steam, you can use the remote (on the wall, tucked into the alcove near the toilet) or you can step into the shower and use the control panel on the far side to start the steam. (The steam takes 5-7 full minutes to turn on, so please be patient! You might start it before you get into the shower.) The control panel will let you set time and temperature. When you are done with the steam, simply press the power button on the control panel. The shower has multiple shower heads and jets to experiment with. Enjoy!
Please be gentle with the nozzles of the various spray options in the shower. If you can't figure out how something works, message us! Please leave the steam shower door open after a shower to add humidity to the house and allow the shower to dry out.
Using the televisions, the Nintendo emulator, and the Alexa
There are 4 televisions in the house, and all of them have a Roku streaming device attached. We have these set to guest mode, and we've provided a Netflix account for you to use. Or you can put in your account information for all the apps you use, and guest mode allows you to set your departure date as the expiration for these accounts, where you will be automatically logged out and your information will be forgotten.
The televisions in main bedroom #1, the bar / billiard room, and the upstairs double bedroom are all Roku-only.
The larger TV in the front room also has cable. To watch cable rather than stream something, press the "all power" button on the Spectrum remote. (Note: if TV is already on, this will turn the TV off, and you'll need to turn the TV on using the TV remote.) Then, press "source" using the TV remote and set to HDMI 1 Charter. (For streaming, the source should be HDMI 2.)
There is an Alexa unit in the house, unplugged. It’s on the front room TV stand. We generally use it for music. If you want to use it, just plug it in. From there, you say “Alexa play X music” and it will play whatever you want. You can also leave it unplugged, if you’d rather not use it.
Please do not remove the remotes from the rooms they belong to. They are labeled. If any remote is out of batteries, please let us know, and we will direct you to spare batteries in the cabin.
The basement TV is not a Roku, so it does not have automatic logout of your apps — make sure you log yourself out, or just use our Netflix account.
The basement TV also has a Nintendo emulator gaming system. To use the system, set the TV source to HDMI3, and turn on the system. You can play pretty much any game (250 games) from the original Nintendo system and Super Nintendo System and other Nintendo classics. We have a lot of fun racing each other in Super Mario Kart!
Snowy weather tips
The roads to the cabin are all paved! The upper driveway is very accessible, has ample flat parking (6 spots, easily), and is on a slope that is steepest at the top of the driveway. Beech Mountain has regular snow removal during winter weather but winter renters should be prepared for driving on snow. Four wheel drive or all-wheel drive or snow chains on a 2WD automobile are advised if you're visiting in the snowy season!
You will find sand and salt outside in the alcove near the HVAC to the left of the front door, if you are looking at the house.
If snow is coming while you are staying at the cabin, here are some tips:
- You could choose to pre-sand the black-top parking area in front of the house and the front steps. There is sand and / or salt on the front porch, the garage, or the alcove of the HVAC unit to the left of the front door.
- Prior to a big snow, if you are concerned about driving out of the driveway, move your car higher up! You could move to the side of Mariah Circle or park at the top of the driveway. You could also park in the "roundabout" area of the driveway facing up, so you are already halfway out.
- Prior to the big snow, raise your windshield wipers.
- You'll find windshield scrapers in the "junk drawer" in the kitchen or in the main floor hall closet. If you use them, please return them where you found them.
- The last few feet of the driveway are a little steeper, so shoveling there can make it much easier to get out during snow. (Snow shovels are in the garage.) You can also spread sand on the last few feet of the driveway. There is sand on the front porch, the garage, or the alcove of the HVAC unit to the left of the front door.
Thermostats, temperature, extra blankets, and sleeper sofa
There are two thermostats in the house. One is located in the hallway immediately to your right when you come in and one is located in the vestibule of main bedroom #1 to the left.
The one in the vestibule of main bedroom #1 is a NEST thermostat. To control or change this thermostat, slide your finger along the right SIDE of the thermostat. The NEST thermostat does NOT turn— just slide your finger, and options will appear on the screen. Tap to choose options.
The front room fireplace is an effective way to heat the front room and upper rooms, too. You'll want to turn on the front room fans to push the warm air back down.
Main bedroom #1 fireplace is an effective (and lovely!) way to heat that bedroom, but do not sleep with the fireplace on for safety.
Main bedroom #2 is the coolest room in the house, as it is situated above the garage. You'll find a electric heater in that room to help warm it up.
You'll find an extra blanket or two in the bottom dresser drawers of each bedroom. There are also extra blankets in the drawers of the sitting bench in the front room. Please put blankets back where you take them from, so the next guests can find them.
In the alcove of main bedroom #1, there is a queen-sized sleeper sofa. The sheets, blankets, and pillows for this sofa are in the drawers of the dresser across from it. If you use the sheets, please put them on the floor when you leave, so our cleaner knows to wash them and replace them for the next guests.
Baby and kid amenities
We've turned the large walk-in closet of main bedroom #2 into a sweet baby room, complete with decorations and full-sized crib. (You'll also find a bin with some crib sheets and blankets.)
In the double-bed room upstairs, the walk-in closet contains a pack-and-play, baby rocker, and stroller. These are yours to use! This walk-in closet could easily serve as a second baby bedroom, or you could move the pack-and-play to the room where you need it.
In the double-bed room upstairs, there are a kid-sized chairs, and in the basement, you'll also find a shelf of children's books, a bin of Legos, and a few other kids' toys to keep your little ones entertained.
You'll also find an attachable bed side rail under one of the beds in that same room.
You'll find a dining room table booster seat in the hall closet.
In the hutch in the dining room, you'll find additional family games and kid-friendly games.
And sleds are in the garage!
Sleds and fire pit
We keep the good stuff in the garage! You can access the garage through the basement. There, you'll find sleds. Please enjoy them! We've found that sledding on the upper driveway is pretty great, and of course, Beech Mountain offers a free sledding hill (where they spray snow!) in winter months.
In the garage, you'll also find a metal fire pit and camp chairs. We like to pull the fire pit to the flat driveway area outside of the garage and hang out under the trees there. It's a comfy place where you can catch the sparkly mountainside lights as the sun sets.
We try to leave some firewood for the fire pit in the garage, too. If you use it, please replace it for the next guests. If you use the fire pit, please clean it out afterward. If smoke is blowing back in the garage, please CLOSE the garage.
Safety, bear safety, and first aid
You'll find a first aid kit in the medicine cabinet above the toilet in main bedroom #1.
There are CO2 monitors / smoke detectors in every bedroom and also in various other rooms though the house. If any of them are beeping and need a battery replaced, you'll find spare batteries in the "junk" drawer of the kitchen.
You'll find a fire extinguisher under the kitchen sink and in the closet of the upstairs king / double bedroom.
Bears abound in Beech Mountain! Don't leave any food items on the porch or outside, including trash bags or food in coolers. Did you know that bears are fully capable of opening car doors? They are! Make sure you lock your car doors, especially if you have food (or anything else that might attract bears) inside.
You'll find a first aid kit in the medicine cabinet above the toilet in main bedroom #1.
There are CO2 monitors / smoke detectors in every bedroom and also in various other rooms though the house. If any of them are beeping and need a battery replaced, you'll find spare batteries in the "junk" drawer of the kitchen.
You'll find a fire extinguisher under the kitchen sink and in the closet of the upstairs king / double bedroom.
Bears abound in Beech Mountain! Don't leave any food items on the porch or outside, including trash bags or food in coolers. Did you know that bears are fully capable of opening car doors? They are! Make sure you lock your car doors, especially if you have food (or anything else that might attract bears) inside.
A few other details
Need an even bigger dining table? You'll find the additional leaf to expand the table in the cleaning closet in the hallway off the front room.
There is a blow dryer in every full bathroom in the house. We also leave some body soap and shampoo, if you forget yours!
You'll find wall hooks on either side of the front door for coats and jackets, and a coat rack below the stairs. There's a stand with baskets by the front door for gloves and hats, too!
The gas grill on the deck has a starter in it. There's an extra propane tank in the garage. (If you have to move up the extra, kindly place the empty tank in the garage and let us know, so we can have it filled.)
Want to have a game night or put together a puzzle? Look in the bottom cabinets of the dining room hutch for an assortment of puzzles and games, including Pictionary, Sorry, Uno, Cranium, cards, and poker chips. We also have kid-friendly games like Jenga, Chutes and Ladders, and Candy Land.
We try to leave the kitchen stocked with tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and hot cider. There is a stove-top tea kettle for your use!
A little about us!
We are Alex and Alexandra, so if you get messages from us, we are not the same person, we just have similar names. :) Our home is in Chapel Hill, NC, but we love to travel with our daughter and extended family and friends. Come enjoy a stay at our sweet beach townhouse in North Topsail Beach, NC or our spacious mountain cabin in Beech Mountain, NC. We're communicative, whether we are the guest or the host, and we always want guests staying at our homes to have a perfect vacation!
Please treat our cabin with care! We love it so much. We always want to know what's going on with our property, so please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. And if we can do anything to accommodate you in any way, please ask.
Since we know you're on vacation, we will not bother you much during your stay— we try to be as hands-off as possible so you can make yourself at home. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you need anything!