The next cabin on our tour was a toss-up, but we never had the pleasure of staying in French Country Cottage Cabin 8. With all the work done in the Cottage, we wanted to experience this unit first hand. During the Coronavirus downtime, it has been a pleasure to spend time in the cabins as a guest, and share our experience with you.

Pines and Logs

Some may remember this unit as the Pine Country Cottage, so you may wonder why the change. First, the majority of the cabins include “Pine” or “Log” as its name, and we wanted our only cottage to have a unique name. Second, my vision for the cottage, rustic on the outside, but with an elegant interior. The white and blues came together beautifully in the main room, while black and white took shape in the kitchenette.

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French Country Cottage is Named

The white and blue theme in the main room expanded to include French Provincial curtains, and a King-sized white iron bed again cream-colored walls. I was thrilled to hang the chandelier above the bed, that was from our house in St. Paul, only adding a touch of blue crystals. The fixture brings back memories of our home in St. Paul, and the 16 years we spent there. Who says you can’t put a chandelier in a cabin, and the cottage makes it work with the name French Country Cottage.

French Bistro

Next, we remodeled the kitchenette to complement the French Provincial theme of the main room, which started with the floor. I began with a black and white parquet flooring and designed the room around it. A black high-top table and stools with black and white striped cushions transformed the kitchenette into a little French Bistro. This room is still one of my favorite in all of the cabins.

The kitchenette is complete with mid-size mini-refrigerator, microwave, toaster, Keurig coffee maker with a variety of coffee, tea, and cocoa. Here you will also find place settings, glasses, flatware, and utensils. There are two bright sunny windows, and I find it an excellent place for morning coffee and toast!

Kick It Up a Notch

The “Wow Factor” that was a “knock out of the park” for us was the removal of the old carpet and revealing the Oak wood floor. We pulled out the carpet, and Keith sanded and refinished the hardwood to restore the beautiful original Oak floor. What a treasure in this old cabin.

The Jetted Tub

The Cottage is home to one of our six jetted tubs, and this unit has a smaller corner tub. I was amazed that, despite the age of the tub, the jets are quite good. I got a pretty good back massage, and it takes a lot to work on my back! We have done a little remodeling in this bathroom, so it does look freshened up, but a full remodel is in its future. The bathroom has a full complement of luxury amenities, plush towels, and cozy bathrobes so that you can feel pampered. Now wrap up in a luxurious robe and head to the private porch for an evening cocktail.

We Loved Our Stay

I will admit this was the first time we have slept on a memory foam mattress, and we loved it. We enjoyed the French Country Cottage experience of a comfortable bed and homey surroundings. The kitchenette had everything we needed, with coffee in the morning and wine glasses in the evening. We sat back and enjoyed our hard work put into this unit and feel confident recommending the Cottage to guests.