The little 'Shack' is absolutely a dream to stay at!! For starters, communication with Derrick was great from the get-go....I got an immediate response (within 30 minutes, I'd say), and he stayed consistent with his great communication up til our check-in day, even texting that if we wanted to use the grill, he had some charcoal & fluid he'd leave out for us. How nice is that? The place itself is about an 8 minute drive outside of downtown Lanesboro, and the drive is just beautiful, along the river and then up a winding gravel road to the top of the bluffs, with a crazy pretty view. The little bunkhouse is on the same property as the larger cabin with a shared driveway, but it sits far enough away to allow for privacy. From the outside, it just looks like a little unassuming add-on space next to the large pole-barn shed, but inside, it's really pretty and cabin-y. A beautiful, large river rock gas fireplace off in the corner is a lovely main attraction of the room, with a very comfortable log bed (queen size, I believe?), great vaulted wood ceilings & awesome lighting, a beautiful kitchen with microwave, hot plate, full fridge/freezer, and really nice ceramic tiling throughout (including the backsplash). The bathroom with shower is just as nice. The entire place is just really pretty & classy, with a lot of beautiful details. There's also a bunk-bed off on the side of the living/bed room (it's kind of a large studio area), so it'd really be nice for a family with a couple of kids. And I need to add, it is *immaculate.* They have clearly taken lots of extra precautions in this crazy Covid time, and it shows. Oh! I almost forgot to mention the trails!! He has mowed an incredible, extensive network of trails on his property, winding through the grasslands, through the woods, overlooking the huge bluff and down into the valley, and winding back around again. Absolutely a must-do when you visit. One of the paths winds down to a pond, which we didn't have time to go down to, but will on our next visit back -- and we will be back. Lanesboro itself was a great place to do some shopping and kayaking down the river, and Bluff Country Retreat was a great place to come home to to unwind. - 10/08/2020
September 17, 2017
Chris Hongerholt
