Bright cabin in Strawberry near Pinecrest Lake

Golden pine logs throughout this comfortable, family-built cabin create a spacious, mountain-cabin atmosphere. A five min drive to Pinecrest Lake, this cabin is the perfect home-base for exploring this beautiful area. The large wrap-around deck is great for relaxing with family and friends. A short walk out the back door is an old logging road, now a trail, which invites long walks. This cabin is ideal for large or small groups and features ping-pong and shuffle-board tables and a propane BBQ. This 2-story, 2000 sq ft cabin has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Bedrooms #1 (11x11’, upstairs ) and #2 (12x13’, downstairs) have 1 queen bed each; bedroom #3 (12x14’, downstairs) has one queen bed and one fold-down twin. There is a double, fold-down futon in the rec room, and (stored in the closets) a build-it-yourself twin bunk-bed/cot. There are many foam pads for sleeping on the floor or decks, stored under the stairs and in the closet of bedroom #2. We provide bedding and towels, except for the following: no sheets are provided for the cot-bunk or foam pads, so bring sleeping bags if you think you will use the pads or cots. On the top floor of the cabin is a fully equipped kitchen, a dining area that can easily seat up to 12 (we have an second fold-out dining table, card tables and plenty of folding chairs), and the living room with plenty of comfy seating. There are lots of games and playing cards, a flat-screen TV connected to a DVD/VHS player (tapes and DVD's provided; no cable or OTA) and a Bluetooth-enabled sound-bar which is also hard-wired to the TV. On the ground floor, there is a large recreation room, perfect for kids, with a ping-pong table and shuffleboard. The cabin has two driveways – one in front, one in back. There is parking for up to four cars or more if you double up. There are two small general stores nearby for groceries and supplies. Note that there is no central heating, but in the summer, you won't need it: you will welcome the cool evenings! Just in case, we've provided space heaters. (There is wood-burning stove but we prefer that guests use it only when absolutely necessary because of the fire-danger and risk of injury and damage.) You have access to our entire cabin, with the exception of the "Owner Closets" in the downstairs bedrooms and the locked cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom. Because this is our vacation cabin and we live some distance away, we will not be able to greet you. You'll receive check-in instructions by email about one week before your check-in date. Our Welcome Book at the cabin lists local resources, services, activities and adventures, maps, restaurants, stores and emergency services. Of course, we can always be reached by phone or through the Airbnb contact system. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or problems during your stay. Within walking distance, there is a general store for groceries and supplies and a restaurant/bar (with wifi). At Pinecrest Lake (6 min drive) there is another general store, a restaurant, an espresso coffee "cart", a post office, and an ice cream stand (at peak swimming times.) A 10 min drive from the cabin there is a pizza/sandwich restaurant with indoor/outdoor seating. (More info is in our cabin Welcome Book. ) The cabin is on a small residential road: there is a house on the east side of us, one across the street but none on the immediate west side. Our cabin backs up to Stanislaus National Forest. A short walk out the back door is an old logging road, now a trail. You can follow the road down to Herring Creek, discover the Native American grinding rocks near the creek, cross over a log bridge and follow the trail, along the Stanislaus River to the Strawberry Dam and Pinecrest Lake. Or, you can drive to Pinecrest Lake in just 5 minutes. At the lake, surrounded by granite mountains, you can spend the day sunning on the beach, swimming from rocks or watching the graceful ospreys soar above. You can rent a boat for a day of sailing, kayaking, paddling or fishing, or walk around the lake on the circle trail. Spend the evening at the Pinecrest Theater Movies under the Stars, taking in a first-run movie. Bicyclists will enjoy the smooth local roads and can explore the many inviting dirt roads in the area (map available online, at Rangers' Station and at the cabin). If you are up for longer adventures, explore beautiful Sonora Pass and Sardine Falls just on the other side of the Pass. A longer drive will take you to the old ghost town of Bodie, CA, a former gold-mining town. Stop at the Ranger Station in Pinecrest, just off highway 108, for detailed area information and guides. The Welcome Book in the cabin contains descriptions of walks and adventures, maps, important phone numbers and addresses, and menus of favorite local restaurants. The cabin is in a beautiful, rural area, so some services are limited. We regret that we cannot provide cable or OTA TV at the cabin. If you are visiting on a day when your favorite team is playing, there is a good chance you can catch the game at The Strawberry Inn or at the Steam Donkey nearby. While the Pinecrest General Store near the lake is well-stocked for a small store, you will probably want to bring groceries from home or stop on your way: Sonora or Twain Harte are good options. There is no house telephone. Verizon wireless phone and data service is strong at the cabin, Sprint less so, but there is no AT&T or T-Mobile. We recently installed internet service, so using the "wifi calling" function on your mobile phone may be an option. Except for during power outages and storm interruptions, our internet service has been reliable and fast. That said, things in the mountains can be unpredictable. We cannot be responsible if the service fails, but we will do whatever we can to help make it right. There are alternative sources of internet and phone/data service listed in our Welcome Book at the cabin. The kitchen is well supplied with the usual. Extra's include a food processor, blender, 2 electric fry pans, a crock pot, good knives, a second small sink, a blade coffee grinder, a variety of coffee makers (drip cone with filters, stove-top espresso, french press). There is a propane BBQ on the deck outside. The dining table extends to seat eight. A second wood table, a card table and 6 folding chairs increase seating up to 12.