Recently, two friends of mine and I stayed at the Blakley Hobbit cabin for four nights (five days). After we had already booked the trip, we saw the reviews and were a little mortified with our decision. We went back and forth between deciding not to go, planning a different trip, or trying it out anyway. The reviews told us the cabin was infested with mice, hornets, ants, and bees. We were also concerned about the drunk owner and “no” locks.

From this experience we learned, reviews are important but they are not everything; because the cabin (at least in our experience) was not infested with hornets, ants, or bees. There is one mouse that ran into sight a couple of times so we bought 2 mouse traps that we also left at the cabin. The most crucial thing that I recommend you do if you are concerned for any reason about this cabin is what we ended up doing; we contacted the NEW host (Samantha) who was very sweet and straightforward about all of our concerns (for example, yes, the locks don’t work, and that there may be a mouse but that is hard to avoid with it being a rustic cabin).

Things I wish we knew about the cabin that you should know/what you should bring: Though kitchen is mostly furnished with tons of silverware, bowls, pots and pans, you should bring your own cutting boards and cooking knives because the cabin only has small knives. There is a very peaceful outdoor shower however it is facing another cabin and the curtains are still a little see-through; so do not come alone to this cabin but come with a friend that can “guard” you. The road nearby is a gravel road, so there aren’t many cars passing by; however, an occasional one. And the cabin the shower is facing may not always have people renting it. Shower does not supply towels. That there are also locks that don’t work, is an additional reason why you should not come alone. DIY project: bring portable lock (the door knob is circular if that helps any). There is an open “garage” with a roof for parking and right next to it is the Port-a-pottie, as the cabin does not contain a bathroom. It is a little bit inconvenient since it’s not right next to the cabin (especially when dark, so keep that in mind) however it is by no means far. Bring your own toilet paper and/or wet wipes as that bathroom could easily run out of its roll. The cabin contains a black-and-white TV with a few supplied DVD’s (we watched: Napoleon Dynamite) and also plenty of board games. There is an OUTSIDE staircase to the upstairs where the five beds are contained (three queen, two twin). Overall, the bedding/bedroom was very clean. So was the downstairs when we walked in, however I’d recommend you to wash all the dishes yourself before use. The upstairs bedroom does get overheated but there is AC and a fan that provide plenty of coolness.

Activities that we did: Viroqua is a very nice small town that contains many boutiques and shops from antiques, thrifting, clothing, coffee shops, restaurants, and overall plenty of local businesses. Additionally, the closest beach is Pettibone Beach and it is nice for swimming, plus it is not too crowded! Nearest state park is Wildcat Mountain State Park that contains some nice trails for hiking. If you’re lucky, you can catch “Three Witches Farm & Stable” or a different stable at a time when they’re doing trail rides on horseback (something that would require a reservation)!

Overall, the towns nearby, the drive to, and the cabin’s nearby area are very scenic and beautiful! There is a nice stream that runs along the cabin and plenty of firepits, benches…the place is also perfect for a picnic!