![]() “For those who may not know, snipes are soft, furry, mystical creatures,” explains Greg with a grin. Without the distraction of TV and video games, the family embraced the simple life of playing cribbage, backgammon and rummy roasting marshmallows around a giant bonfire and – Greg’s favorite – taking the kids out during starry nights for snipe hunting. He’d use the opportunity to get out into the woods to hunt and snowshoe. “Josie, on the other hand, would find these trees in the water that had fallen down and would paddle like mad trying to retrieve them.”Ĭome winter, Greg was typically the lone weekend warrior at the cabin. They spent the majority of their days frolicking in the ponds and fetching sticks of all sizes. The Amundsons’ two black Labs, Josie and Sam, were also big fans of the wilderness experience. “They went out on the ATVs after the spring melt and came back covered head to toe in mud.” “I remember one time when Dana and her friends were 11 years old,” says June. Family and friends zipped around on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The Amundsons spent most of their time on the trails, in the ponds, on the porch, or by the bonfire. For June’s 50th birthday, the family indulged in fancier fare: prime rib and baked potatoes. Grilled burgers, hot dogs and brats were other mealtime staples, as was “Greg’s Speggs.” This culinary cabin tradition involved a dozen eggs, shredded cheese, and two cans of chopped up SPAM, all fried up in a cast-iron skillet. He bought a Honda generator, which enabled the family to enjoy the cool breeze of a ceiling fan as well as easy-peasy Crock-Pot dinners. Greg included a few creature comforts by wiring the cabin for outlets and adding a generator plug on the outside. They weren’t quite roughin’ it like the character Half Pint from the “Little House on the Prairie” series, however. “It felt like we were living back in the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder,” says June. Plus, Greg rigged Coleman kerosene lanterns on a pulley system, which added a warm glow to the rustic atmosphere. ![]() They had all they needed with two mattresses on the floor and battery-powered tap lights for reading. The kids slept in a loft, which lacked headroom, though they didn’t complain. They doubled their living space by adding a porch and deck, each 180 square feet. The main room was large enough for a king-size bed, small table, and wood-burning fireplace. The Amundsons’ cozy little cabin consisted of a square 18x18-foot floor plan that they drew up themselves. Having a dirt-free place to sit and sleep was a really big deal.” “When we finished the floor and were able to look out over the pond – that was great,” recalls Greg. The entire building process took three months from start to finish. A couple of trees had to be cut down to accomplish the delivery. “It took a lot of back-and-forth positioning to get them into the site,” notes Greg. Here are a few of our favorites.He also encountered major problems bringing in the long floor and roof trusses, which would not go down the driveway without hitting the trees. ![]() No matter where you stay, you’ll enjoy a healthy dose of what makes Tennessee so great, from country music to world-famous barbecue and whiskey-and let’s not forget those stellar mountain views. ![]() In this year-round destination, the warm months mean abundant hiking, fishing, and swimming-or you can visit when the mountains are bright with fall colors, or covered in perfectly skiable snow. When it comes to the best place to rent a cabin in Tennessee, we think of the eastern side, where the beauty of Great Smoky Mountains National Park meets the fun of popular towns like Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Our log cabins in Tennessee offer a secluded feel and rustic vibes, but you’ll still find great amenities like hot tubs, game rooms, and even saunas. A place where you can sip your coffee as the sun rises over the hills, and curl up by the fireplace when the evening air cools. Picture it: a peaceful retreat in your own log cabin, tucked away in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains.
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