Homestead Cabin West

The listing did not mention that he had more than one cabin. We arrived late in the evening which made it challenging to find. It is definitely off the beaten path and would probably be a bit easier to find during the day. When we arrived at we thought was our cabin we put in the door code that was provided and walked in and much to our surprise there was another guest there. I'm sure we scared her death walking in and we were surprised by someone else being there. The other guest told us promptly to leave and we were confused because we thought we had booked for the night. We called the owner and left a voice mail. As we were getting ready to pull out he walks up and I asked him why someone else was staying on a night we booked. He said you were supposed to be at the other cabin (Which there was no mention of 2 cabins). Then I asked why he would provide the same code for both cabins? That didn't seem overly safe to me. He really didn't provide me with answer. After we finally did get in our cabin, we found the "beds" were in a loft up a steep ladder and they were just 2 cushions on the floor. The larger one was made up but the smaller one was not. Sheets were laying on the stairs platform. Making up a bed was the last thing we wanted to do after traveling all day and getting there after dark. If you have more than 2 people staying in the loft, be ready for no sleep. You hear every creak in the floor every time someone turns over. not my favorite stay!

Pictures are deceiving. There is no privacy or seclusion. The owner lives about 50 feet away. There are no window coverings for privacy, & no fire pit. He let his dog run at us and our dog which was unnerving since we didn't know the dog or his temperament. His dog looked emaciated. He never controlled his dog during our conversation, allowing his dog to accost our dog and try to dominate our dog continually. My husband heard him say 'submit' several times during this interaction while smiling. When we finally said that was enough, his attempts to control his dog were cruel; dragging him by his front leg, tail, scruff and mouth until the dog yelped in pain each time. When he left to return to his cabin, he called the dog, and the dog listened. This let us know that he could have redirected his dog at any time but didn't. We came for peace and relaxation. After this interaction, our stress level went through the roof. We knew there would be no privacy or relaxation for us or our dog. We chose to leave immediately. We would not have rented this cabin knowing how close the owner was and there would be no privacy. The behavior of the owner and how he allowed his dog to behave have tainted our feelings about renting a cabin ever again.

Jim's spot was the perfect place to call home while exploring Talkeetna. Not too far from the town but also so secluded and quiet. Everything was as described - we even were welcomed by homemade brownies. Jim and his pup were super friendly and kind. Falling asleep surrounded by woods is a peace like none other.

If you want to stay off the beaten path in the woods, where are you wake up to the sounds of multiple songbirds this is the place for you. The cabin was sweet and clean, and the host were very accommodating and friendly. Two things would be nice to have a heads up for especially those of us that are aging, and that is the stairs/ladder to the loft could be a little challenging for some, and not everyone is keen on composting toilets. But overall we enjoyed our stay and would recommend!

Just as listed