A retro 1970s A‑frame,
right on the water.

Check-in is any time after 3:00pm. Check-out is 11:00am.

Entry is keyless. You'll receive the address, the door code and full arrival instructions after booking — there's no key to collect and nobody to meet.

Parking: The driveway fits two cars, and two is the maximum allowed on the property. There is no street parking available in the neighborhood, so please plan around that.

Cell service is patchy on the way in. Download your directions before you leave the highway.

There is a doorbell camera facing outward at the upstairs door and a second camera covering the driveway and front gate. Neither has any view indoors or of the deck.

The sauna is electric, not wood-fired, and it's operated from a control panel.

1. Turn the sauna on at the control panel. When it's running you'll see three red circles lit — that's how you know it's working.
2. Give it 30–40 minutes to come up to temperature before you get in.
3. It maxes out at about 150°F. It will not go higher, and that's by design.
4. Turn it off when you're finished.

The wood-burning fireplace is the one inside the cabin — the sauna doesn't take wood.

Safety: Don't use the sauna after drinking. Skip it if you're pregnant or have a heart condition. Never leave children in the sauna unattended.

The hot tub runs year round and is set to 104°F. You're welcome to lower it to 102 or 103 if that's more comfortable, but please don't go below 102 — colder than that and the water chemistry stops holding.

About the jets: Some jets are controlled by the jet button on the pump. The lower ones run automatically to circulate, heat and sanitize the water — those turn on and off on their own and can't be changed. Please don't unplug the hot tub to stop them; that shuts the whole system down.

Slide the cover rather than lifting it, and put it back on when you're done so the water stays hot and clean.

The cold plunge is filled and ready to use whenever you are.

Safety: No hot tub, sauna or plunge after drinking. Skip the cold plunge if you're pregnant or have a heart condition. Children should never be near any of the three unattended — the deck has no gate.

Kayaks, paddle boards and a canoe are yours to use. Paddles and life vests are stored with them.

Life vests are not optional — wear one every time, including on the paddle boards. Washington law requires one per person on board.

Lake Minterwood is small and quiet. Swim off the dock, fish from it, or feed the ducks. At the far end of the lake there's a community center with a small beach, dock, swimming area and playground, open in the warmer months.

Rinse the boats and return them to the rack when you're finished, upside down so they don't fill with rain.

The outdoor fire pit is propane and is built into the outdoor dining table — no wood, no matches, no ash.

The indoor fireplace is wood-burning. Please bring or buy your own firewood if you'd like to use it; we don't stock it. Harvest Time Country Store and Key IGA both carry bundles.

Never leave the indoor fire burning unattended or overnight, and let it burn down naturally rather than dousing it.

WiFi: The network name and password are in your arrival message and posted inside the cabin.

There's a flat screen TV in the downstairs entertainment area and a record player upstairs. If you sign into your own streaming accounts, please sign out before you leave.

Heat & cooling: The cabin has a ductless split system for AC, radiant heating and portable fans, plus the wood-burning fireplace on the main level.

If the lights or heater stop working downstairs: that's a tripped breaker, and it happens when several heaters or outlets run at once. The breaker box is at the front of the house under the kitchen window. Open the panel, find the switch sitting to the left or stuck in the middle, and flip it back to the right.

Worth reading before you arrive so it doesn't surprise you at 2am.

The cabin sits next to a lake and runs on a septic tank. The downstairs toilet is a macerating toilet, which uses a sump pump to move waste to the drain field. You'll hear that pump run whenever water is running or the toilet is flushed, and it will also cycle on its own periodically.

The sound doesn't mean anything is wrong. It's supposed to do that. Closing the bathroom door muffles it considerably.

Please don't flush anything but toilet paper — septic systems are unforgiving.

• Maximum 5 guests. No unregistered visitors, day guests, or parties. Additional guests may be approved in advance at $15 per person per night.
• Quiet hours 10pm–8am. Sound carries across water further than you'd think.
• No smoking or vaping anywhere on the property, indoors or out.
• No animals. Our son has a severe allergy, so this one has no exceptions — not for a visit, not for a few hours.
• No fireworks.
• Two cars maximum in the driveway. No street parking is available.
• The storage shed at the edge of the property is locked and not part of the rental.

We're close to nature out here. Expect to see geese and ducks on the lake, deer, raccoons and rabbits around the property, and the usual Pacific Northwest insects — spiders, slugs, ants, moths. None of it means the cabin isn't clean; it means you're on a lake in the woods.

The Lake Minterwood community is quiet and family friendly. A few blocks past the cabin you'll find walking trails through the woods that guests consistently mention as a highlight.

Garbage and recycling are collected Mondays before 8am.

Nothing elaborate — the cleaning fee covers the real work. Just:

• Run the dishwasher
• Bag trash and take it out to the bin
• Make sure the indoor fire is fully out and cold, and the sauna is switched off
• Hot tub cover on, boats back on the rack
• Windows shut and doors closed — the lock sets itself

Message us if anything broke or ran out. We'd genuinely rather know.

Emergency: 911. The property address is posted inside the cabin and is in your booking confirmation — give the dispatcher that address, not a description of the driveway.

Nearest hospital: St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor — roughly 25 minutes.

Reaching us: Text is fastest. Our numbers are in your confirmation and in the in-cabin guidebook.