The Peaceful Retreat Near Birmingham

You don’t have to sacrifice tranquility and beauty for convenience. Meadow Lake Cabin is relaxing, private, and cozy, with a picturesque meadow, stream and fishing lake just a few steps from the porch swing. Yet nearby are parks, restaurants, and shops. It’s the perfect accommodation for couples, solo adventurers, and business travelers. While the owners live in another house on the property, guests have the cabin all to themselves.
Meadow Lake Cabin is a hidden gem in scenic Shelby County Alabama. Though convenient to shopping, restaurants, recreation venues, and the city of Birmingham, sometimes locals are surprised to find out about our “hide-away” in the heart of Chelsea.
The cabin has a large room downstairs with a living room (sleeper sofa, chairs, desk, & stone fireplace), dining area (seats 4), equipped kitchen and bathroom. The bathroom features an antique claw-foot tub for baths or showers. Upstairs is a sleeping loft with a queen-size bed. The full-length front porch is furnished with a swing, love seat, and charcoal grill. There is an outdoor shower behind the cabin. The cabin is surrounded by woods, flowering shrubs, and a bamboo grove behind, with open views of the meadow and lake in front.

Our check-in time is 3 p.m. Central. Check-out time is 10 a.m. Central. Please DON’T assume we’re okay with arrival or departure times different from these. These times are based on our personal schedules, that are necessary for hosting you and others, and arriving early or departing late isn’t acceptable without previous approval.
Our breakfast items usually include fresh fruit, several cereal choices, milk, good coffee, tea selection, half & half cream, fresh orange juice, pop tarts, jams. and butter.

We believe informality is a key ingredient of relaxation, and it begins when you arrive. We allow guests to let themselves in and get settled, and enjoy meeting them later when possible. We’re always glad to recommend places to visit, shop, or eat at in our area, or otherwise make ourselves available to help.
Our cabin is located just off a county road, but on a private lane that’s only used by the few residents living on it. Because of its proximity to the county road, there may be some daytime commuter traffic noise, and there is a railroad crossing within 1/2 mile. The county road is also being re-directed, so construction equipment is active nearby building the new roadbed from 7am to 5pm on weekdays. Chelsea has small-town character, but easy access to big-city amenities. Surrounding Shelby County has many quiet and scenic roads to explore. Within 15 minutes you can find great dining and shopping options, a large cinema, and any number of services. Our county seat, Columbiana has a pleasant Main Street to stroll, complete with a drugstore soda fountain. Columbiana also lays claim to a small gem of a museum with the second largest collection of George & Martha Washington memorabilia outside of Mt. Vernon!
Meadow Lake is approximately 30 minutes drive from downtown Birmingham, 40 minutes drive from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (23 mi or 37 km), 2.5 hours from Hartsfield-Atlanta Airport (152 mi or 245 km), 30 minutes from Amtrak Birmingham rail station (19 mi or 30 km), and less than 30 minutes from Interstates 65, 20, or 459.
Here are some important Rules of the House that our guests should know:
– We respect our guests’ right to a quiet getaway, and ask them to also respect the peacefulness we enjoy. Evening quiet hours are from 10pm to 7am, but we like for Meadow Lake to be a tranquil place all day. Loud volume music or other entertainment isn’t allowed on the property. Full disclosure: on weekends (mostly on Sundays) our children and grandchildren occasionally enjoy the afternoon in our home, so there is more activity on the grounds at this time (usually from 1-6 p.m.).
– No smoking is permitted in the Cabin, pool area, or the immediate area of our house. Smoking is permitted on the lawn, and guests must dispose of cigarette butts in their vehicle ashtray or a water bottle.
– We require an accurate statement of the number of guests in your party, and that if there are 3 or 4 that the extra person fee of $12 per person per night be paid through HomeAway in advance of arrival. Cash will not be accepted. There is a limit of 4 people who can be accommodated in the Cabin. There is no extra person fee for children under 1 year old.
– Guests of ours may not invite their own guests, friends or family into the Cabin or onto the grounds. No exceptions are allowed!
-Early check-ins and late check-outs cannot be accommodated. 3pm CENTRAL and 10am CENTRAL are our check-in and check-out times. Please plan accordingly.
– Personal firearms may not be carried openly on the grounds or brought into the Cabin.
– Minors using the pool or lake must be accompanied and supervised by an adult.
– Our Cabin and grounds may not be a good fit for some children, because of proximity to a paved road and unfenced access to the lake. We ask that parents/guardians be the judge of this and be vigilant. They will be the only guarantors of the safety of minors on the property. We are glad to answer in detail any questions regarding this.
– We welcome non-crawling infants, and porta-crib is available for your use. There are hard and sharp surfaces in the Cabin, and the wall-mounted heater and kitchen supplies are all within reach of toddlers. The stair treads in the Cabin have gaps that a small child could possibly crawl through.
– Please be advised that the Cabin may not be a good fit for elderly or those with restricted mobility, as there are stairs into and within the Cabin, and one must step over a high tub wall for bathing or showering.
– A canoe is available for guests, but passengers must know how to swim and wear a PFD (personal flotation device) at all times.