Welcome to the Chalet on Lake Champagne! We’re excited to host you at our Poconos hideaway. The Chalet was built in the 1950s, right on the banks of a private lake fed by a pair of natural springs and surrounded by Pinchot State Forest and state game lands. Whether you’re visiting us in the summer for kayaking and fishing, the fall for leaf-peeping and fireside cider, winter for skiing and sledding or spring for hiking and birdwatching, we hope you’ll have a wonderful time. To ensure you’re up to speed with all the details about the Chalet, what to bring versus what to leave at home, and the quirks that go along with a real-life cabin in the woods, please review the manual below. If you need anything during your stay, from where we keep extra pillows (leather bench in the loft) to our go-to pizza place (Kay’s in Moscow), we’re just a text away. Champagne Wishes & Poconos Dreams,
—Charlotte & Adam
AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT IN COLD WEATHER — The thermostat behind the TV controls the electric baseboard heaters. Always be careful when using, as they will be hot to the touch. If you need a little more warmth, you’ll find plug-in space heaters in the closet. Please note: The cast-iron stove is an antique and non-functional. IN WARM WEATHER — The Chalet has three cooling sources: the air conditioner in the living room, the ceiling fan controlled by the dial behind the TV, and the tower fans upstairs. Before checking out, please adjust the air to 72 (Memorial Day thru Labor Day) or adjust the heat on the thermostat to 65 (November thru April).
BED & LINENS The queen bed upstairs will be made when you arrive. In addition to the queen, the CordaRoy’s bean bag converts into a full-size floor mattress. See how-to video here. We suggest sliding out the olive club chairs, luggage and side tables and laying the mattress there in front of the windows. The sheets for this bed are the olive-colored ones in the dresser. The blue and beige sheets are for the sofa bed. Extra pillows are in the leather bench upstairs. Before checking out, please place all dirty sheets and pillowcases on top of the washer/dryer. Leave faux-fur blanket and shams on the bed. If you used the CordaRoy’s bed, please put it away and return the furniture to the correct position.
EMERGENCIES The Chalet is equipped with carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. If there is an alarm please exit the house immediately and call 911. There is a fire extinguisher by the wood-burning stove and a first aid kit under the bathroom sink. The nearest urgent care is LVHN ExpressCARE in Tobyhanna (14 miles), and the nearest hospital is Commonwealth Health Moses Taylor in Scranton (16 miles). When there are high winds during thunderstorms and blizzards, power outages can occur. Please alert us immediately and do not panic. PPL, the power company in the Poconos, is very accustomed to weather-related outages. and typically has power restored within a couple hours. We have flashlights and LED lanterns on site; do not light candles due to fire hazard. In the event of a prolonged power outage, we can look into alternate accommodations at our partner properties. In the event of an early departure due to a power outage, no refund is owed.
ESSENTIALS For your convenience and delight, we stock the Chalet with: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, salt, pepper, sugar, stevia, caffeinated and herbal teas, several varieties of hot cocoa and marshmallows, toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, tissues, dish soap, hand soap, cleaning supplies.
FIRE PIT You’ll find our fire pit down by the lakeshore. Please be sure to use the wire-mesh dome hanging on the right side of the deck by the kayak; this is per county regulation to minimize flying embers, a potential forest fire hazard. Please dispose of ash after use and recover the pit once completely cooled after use. We do not provide firewood.
GARBAGE DISPOSAL We don’t have one! Please keep the drain blocker in place and ensure any solid waste goes into the trash can and not down the sink.
GRILL You’ll find our Weber out on the deck. Grilling tools are in the pantry. Only start chimneys of charcoal on a non-flammable surface, like the stones or one of the concrete steppingstones in the garden. Do not start charcoal on the deck. Please dry brush the grill grates clean when finished cooking and dispose of ash.
GUESTBOOK Please sign our guestbook on the kitchen table before departure.
HOBBIT HOUSE Enjoy this cozy retreat for reading, journaling, and meditation. Please keep the door shut and locked when not in use to prevent animals and pests from getting in. Children should not be left unsupervised, as the door can lock from the inside, and there is no climate control or power inside the house.
HOME THEATER You can stream from all your favorite platforms via our Amazon Fire Smart TV. Or, go old-school with our very extensive DVD library for you to enjoy during your time at the Chalet! Use the Panasonic BD remote to operate the DVD player. There’s no be kind, rewind at our Blockbuster-in-the-woods, but when you’re done with a disc, please return it to its case.
HOT TUB One of the best features on the Chalet! The hot tub is always warm, always running on a timed cycle and is cleaned and sanitized between reservations. Keep glass away from the hot tub and cover when not in use; this protects the filter, which can become clogged from pine needles, leaves and other falling debris. If it is determined the hot tub has not been covered between uses and requires draining and cleaning, guests will be charged a $100 fee. Keeping the hot rub covered between uses also helps maintain temperature, but please note, in below-freezing weather the water may only reach a sub-optimal level of heat. Children under 5 should not use hot tubs. Swimming is at your own risk.
KEYPAD The chalet is equipped with a smart lock and keypad on the front door. We’ll provide the code the day before check-in. If the lock isn’t working, don’t panic! We have a back-up key in the lockbox on the porch. Be sure to firmly pull the door toward you to correctly lock/unlock.
LAKE Wow, right? Lake Champagne is a spring-fed lake home to geese, pike, bass, trout, and otters. However, the lake is privately owned, and there is no access. You can enjoy the beautiful views and fishing from the shore, but guests are not permitted to enter the water. The lake is camera-monitored, and anyone not complying will be subject to removal from the lake and the Chalet with no refund owed.
LAUNDRY Feel free to use the washer and dryer during your stay! There are detergent pods, fabric softener, bleach and dryer sheets in the pantry. Place pods directly in the drum and put your clothes on top. Don’t use the detergent loader drawer.
QUIET TIME You don’t have to go to bed at 10 PM, but out of respect for our neighbors, please keep music low and keep conversations to a normal talking volume if you’re hanging out outside.
MOVIE PROJECTOR The loft is equipped with a projector system. To use, first move the furniture in front of the windows, either forward a bit so the screen can clear them or out of the way completely. Then follow these steps:
· Press the down arrow on the white remote to lower the screen.
· Press power twice on the Vankyo remote to turn on the projector.
· Press the TV button twice on the Amazon Firestick remote to launch Prime Video.
· Press power twice on the Goodee remote to activate the sound bar.
· Use the Firestick remote to navigate the platform and stream movies and TV from all your favorite services. Don’t forget to sign out your accounts when finished.
PARTIES We are so happy you’re celebrating your birthday/anniversary/etc. with us at the Chalet! Just a reminder that no parties, events or guests are permitted. Feel free to decorate and celebrate but please note, additional trash, dishes, confetti, or other articles left behind will be subject to an additional cleaning fee. Glitter, confetti or any other sort of decoration that will make up clean-up difficult for the turnover team is prohibited. Guests may not tape anything to walls, ceilings or woodwork.
PETS If you’re traveling with your very good boy or girl, there’s a dog dish and bed in the pantry. Please respect our pet rules: When guests are outside or off-property, dogs must be crated/caged or gated downstairs. Dogs can be off leash on the deck but must be on leash in the yard and by the lake. If your dog is small, this is extremely important since eagles, ospreys and other birds of prey inhabit the woods around the lake.
SAUNA Relax in our cedar sauna. To set a one-hour heating cycle, turn the right knob on the heater clockwise to 2 or 3, then counter-clockwise back to 1. You should hear a click, which will activate the hourlong cycle. The sauna takes 15-30 minutes to heat up, depending on ambient temperature, and will turn off automatically. Use the cedar ladle and bucket to carefully pour water over the hot rocks to increase the heat. If you’re having trouble with the heat, please hit the red reset button, which is located underneath the heater. You may need to use the tip of a pen to press the button. Cedar is a porous wood, and it is natural for there to be some leaking during rain. If you notice water, just turn the sauna on to help dry it out. Please use caution when using and exit immediately if you feel lighthearted or dizzy. Sauna use is at your own risk.
SHOPPING Less than 10 minutes up the road you’ll find a shopping center with a ShopRite, Ace Hardware, North Pocono Beverage for beer, wine and spirits, a bank, a Dunkin’ Donuts, barbershop, nail salon and other stores. If you need a Walmart of other big box stores, map north to Scranton/Dixon City or south to Mount Pocono, 20 minutes in either direction from the Chalet. For local and organic produce and specialty foods, check out Hanna’s Farm Market in Pocono Lake and Pocono Organics, the largest regenerative organic farm in North America in Blakeslee, which also serves terrific breakfast, lunch and brunch. The Co-op Farmer’s Market in Scranton runs July 16 through Thanksgiving Eve. Pair with a visit to On & On, the greatest treasure trove of vintage finds in the Northeast. Keep antique hunting in Stroudsburg at Olde Engine Works Marketplace.
TOWELS & ROBES Clean towels will be on the hooks in the bathroom for you, with back-up in the plastic bin in the pantry. Washcloths are on the bathroom shelf. Robes are hanging in the closet. Before checking out, please be sure to wash and dry all towels and robes you’ve used during your stay.
TRASH & RECYCLING There is one kitchen garbage can for trash, and one for recycling. Cleaners will remove trash after check-out. Do not store any bagged trash outside, unless you want a visit from the bears.
WIFI Network: Champagne Chalet. Password: DamnFinePie (bonus points to you if you get the reference).
WILDLIFE This is the mountains, and wildlife is everywhere, from cute and fuzzy (chipmunks, bunnies, otters) to irritating but harmless (bugs, bugs, bugs) to majestic and dangerous to people and pets (black bears, eagles, ospreys). Please use common sense, caution and respect when encountering wildlife. Some special notes for summer guests:
· That’s not dog poop littering the lawn. Spring through mid-summer, a family of geese live on the lake until their babies are big enough to fly. They poop. A lot. Watch your step.
· In the interest of keeping insects outside, do not leave doors open or open windows at all, as some gnats are tiny enough to pass through screens. This is especially important at night, since flying bugs are attracted to light and will swarm the Chalet like you were having a party for them.
And for all seasons except winter: If you’re walking in high grass, in the woods or on the trails, check yourself for ticks. Here’s a video on how to remove one. For your convenience you can find tick spray and all-purpose insect repellant in the pantry.
ADDITIONAL NOTES, INFO & QUIRKS
· There is no cable, so if you absolutely must watch the Phillies or the latest episode of Lakefront Bargain Hunt live, plan to do so on your laptop.
· If you’re staying with us in the summer, don’t be alarmed by the temperature in the loft. After dark, the temperature plummets, and the twin tower fans cool the loft completely. We’ve stress-tested this during a heat wave and got so cold overnight we woke up covered in the faux-fur blanket.
· Yes, that’s a bidet in the bathroom, installed by the previous owners. Enjoy the ride.