A couple times a year, we rent a cabin in the woods for a week. We take the dogs and hike, nap, read, and relax. This time around, we took a few days off before and after our week at the cabin, so we’ve been “on vacation” for nine straight days. Nine.
Bliss.
Although, the cabin didn’t have any sort of connection to the outside world. I mean, there was a TV (which we never turned on), but the most important connection – the interwebs – nonexistent. At first I was totally fine with it. The cabin had lots of nooks and crannies full of the oddest artwork. Like this (click on the images to enlarge to their full-scale weirdness):
So we checked out the cabin and the grounds, which also included a quiet little pond:
And some more weird art:
Overall, it was a lovely vacation. It’s so nice to take a break and just relax, and the boys loved hiking – more on that tomorrow.
It rained TONS, which was perfectly fine by me because I brought a huge stack of books and magazines, and I snuggled with the pups. Perfection. Although I really did miss my internet connection. I missed reading everyone’s blogs! I’m really looking forward to catching up on everyone’s posts this week!
In the end, we cut our trip short by about 12 hours. The last night we were there, it was close to bedtime, and John discovered that this trap door underneath the dining table opened to… a narrow set of concrete stairs that descended into gray, poured-concrete, and cinderblock cellar. But you couldn’t see anything down there because at the bottom of the stairs, it veered off to the right.
So I did what any good wife would do.
I triple-dog dared him to go down the creepy dark stairs under the creaky trap door.
He started to go then backed out. (Any fifth graders out there: Remind me the penalty for breaking a triple-dog dare?)
We went back to the living room, and of course the cabin was creaky. So, again like a good wife, I said, “Great, John. You scared up the mummy remains of the zombie family from the portrait in the bedroom.”
“Next time you walk past, that father is going to stick his mangled zombie finger through the hole in the trap door and grab your pant leg.” I continued to make up a horror story about how all the creepy people in all the bizarre portraits were really kidnapped souls who, like us, had rented the cabin for a little relaxing getaway but were sucked down into that grody cellar once they broke the seal of the trap door. Any minute, that door would swing open, and we’d all be sucked down. Then a picture would appear on the wall with a creepy-fied portrait of us. For the next unsuspecting campers to find.
I continued for far too long.
The cabin was far too creaky.
We packed up and left that night. 🙂
Haha I would have done the same thing. A trap door leading to who-knows-where provides far too many possibilities for the fertile imagination.
Time to relax and read stacks of books, however, sounds divine!
So funny! I once stayed in a cabin that some creature (raccoon?) lived under. Thump! thump! thump! in the middle of the night. I lay frozen in bed. I convinced myself a large stick was blowing in the wind (there was no wind) against the house. At last I beat my legs on the mattress and screamed. The noise stopped. And then I knew: It was alive. . . I stayed there for seven nights! $25 a night. You get what you pay for. Hate to tell you, but I think your husband owes you one. 🙂
Is that seriously the reason you left early? Admit it, you just missed the internet too much. 😉
I don’t think I would have been able to resist going down there and checking things out. Ghosts or no, I would be way too curious! In fact, I’m kind of curious now and almost want to head there myself!
I hope you all had a fabulous time!
Kristine, I’m always super curious, too! That was just too creepy for me.
John pointed out that I left out a crucial piece of information that led to our hasty departure. So after I finished weaving my tale, we were sitting on the sofa, and out of nowhere Emmett woke up from his post-dinner nap, stalked over to the wall, and… stared. He seriously stood there staring at the wall for like 60 seconds. It was probably an insect or a small animal or the wind or whatever. But that actually sealed the deal on our early exit! 🙂
I’ll admit it: that cellar (dungeon/stairway to the undead/torture chamber) was just a bit weird for me. And the pig farmers didn’t help that much either. My mind was made up before Emmett scared the crap out of me, but that gave me a good excuse to suggest that we go early! (Thanks, Emmett!)
John, I’m with you on this one. I would NOT go into the creepy cellar! Maggie – have you ever seen any horror movie – going down there would be a sure recipe for something bad. We once went to a guy’s house and it was so creepy, we were sure he was a serial killer. Turns out about a year later we saw in the paper that he was arrested for a violent crime against a young woman. No thanks. If it feels creepy, looks creepy, smells creepy – it is creepy and I want no part of it.
I’m glad you had a relaxing vacation and really glad you came back safe and sound!
It was probably the Rapture down there trying to get out. Thank goodness you stayed as long as you did, or there wouldn’t have been anyone around when you left.
Haa! Emily, I love it! Glad we could keep the Rapture away!
That story just completely scared me. On a kind of related note, once we were in Thailand and we found this nook and when we opened it we found a suitcase completely packed and filled with clothes and Christmas cards. We wondered what happened to the person it belonged to. One of my friends took a book from it, and just like the old Brady Bunch episode she was cursed for the trip and even had a couple of near-death, weird experiences.
We hope you enter our travel contest!
Woah. That is really creepy! Your poor friend… and the poor person whose suitcase that was. How bizarre.
I think I’ll have to enter the travel contest for sure! I’ll leave out the horror and focus on the fun! 🙂
Yea, Emmett staring at the wall would have done if for me too. And Maggie, no more scary movies for you!