A photo-essay for readers who frequently ask about Pinebox, my North Georgia mountain cabin.
Table of Contents
Pinebox: My Mountain Cabin
I do not understand how anyone can live without some small place of enchantment to turn to.
—Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Cross Creek, 1942
UPDATE: Pinebox was sold in July of 2022, after serving 19 wonderful years as my mountain getaway. This post will remain live for memories and posterity.
The road trip I have made more than any other averages nine and a half hours one way. That drive is from my home in Central Florida to Pinebox, my log cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. As I write, I can hardly believe it has been almost eleven years since God blessed me with my own little piece of heaven, and for that I am eternally grateful. I first fell in love with the mountains in childhood when my family would travel to my grandfather’s cabin in Franklin, North Carolina, for summer vacation. It was not until adulthood, however, that I realized a mountain cabin was the one thing I wanted most in the world.
I looked at properties off and on for several years in both North Carolina and North Georgia, but was never able to find anything I could afford. Finally, in November of 2003, we found a built-on-spec log cabin sitting on a wooded one-acre mountainside lot that appeared to be tailor-made for me. I believe it was. We closed on New Year’s Eve 2003, and they handed me the keys to my own “small place of enchantment.”
This post is a photo essay primarily for our readers who are also friends and family members, who frequently ask about the cabin but have never seen it in pictures nor visited in person. So, let’s begin the grand tour . . . .
Outdoors

Welcome to Pinebox!

My lot sits in a mixed pine and hardwood forest.

Sunset through the trees.

Let’s go inside.
Indoors Main Floor

The Rawlings quote hangs on my kitchen wall.

The kitchen area.

My soda bottle collection.

The living area from the loft.

Wood-burning fireplace and entertainment center.

Master bedroom.

Mountain memorabilia, including my grandfather’s box camera.

Master bath.

My antique medicine bottle collection.

Laundry area.

Now, let’s head upstairs.
Indoors Upstairs

Guest bedroom.

View from the upstairs bedroom.

Guest bath.

My favorite secluded toilet niche.

The loft.
Upper Porch

Let’s go out on the upper porch.

Nothing like rocking and relaxing on the porch.

The Georgia pines are filling in, making the mountain cove even more secluded.

Hummingbird feeders make the porch even more engaging.

Who feels like a nap?

Porch time with my best buddy Axle.

View from the opposite end.

A summer flower box brightens the porch.

Working on re-burning the cabin scripture from a decade ago.

One of the custom screen doors.
Basement and Garage

Let’s go check out the basement.

Yep, it’s a basement!

I only park the car in the garage for packing the night before I head south.

The lower porch.

My nephew. Can’t believe it has been ten years . . . .
Seasons

Naturalized daffodils in the spring.

The upper porch in autumn.

Snowed-in December 2010.

“We’ll leave the light on for you . . . .”
We Would Love to Hear from You!
I enjoy dialogue with my readers, especially when they share their favorite spots off the beaten path. So where is the “small place of enchantment” you turn it? Even if it is a spot hidden in plain site, I would love to hear about it! I invite you to leave your comments and questions below, and I always respond!
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Absolutely beautiful. How isolated is your cabin? Are there close neighbours? Do you rent weekly? So interested but at the moment our borders are closed.
Hi Elizabeth, and thanks for your kind words. Pinebox is located a short drive up the mountain from the main highway on a 1-acre wooded lot. The lots on both sides are vacant with no structures. There are neighbors in the area, but the tall trees provide lots of privacy, giving the feeling of remoteness. Pinebox can be rented by the week, and my property manager handles these listings through Airbnb. You can find the listing here.
Thank you Howard for your response. I will check your listing.
Elizabeth
Beautiful mountain home! My husband and I bought our slice of heaven 11 years ago just a mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway near West Jefferson, NC. We are both retired now but keep our 10-year old granddaughter after school and during the summer, so we don’t go quite as often as I’d love. She loves the mountains as much as we do. I also love your collections and your grandfather’s camera. I enjoy photography and old memorabilia. I have enjoyed collecting over the years. Reminds me of my childhood days! Enjoy your slice of heaven and the wonderful memories you make there.
Hi Delores! Although I don’t get up there nearly as often as I would like, Pinebox is truly my “small place of enchantment.” Glad you enjoyed the tour and happy to know you are blessed with a mountain home of your own.
Very nice! I would love to have my own private cabin retreat to go to every year, especially with all the amenities and comforts yours has. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Heather! Pinebox has been a great getaway and home away from home for many years now.
Your cabin looks wonderful!
Thanks, Helena!
Wow, love your cabin! We have a place near Hayesville, built in the 70s, that we want to make more livable as a part-time place for retirement. Your cabin reminds me of ours and your pictures give us some great ideas. Thank you! This is God’s country for sure.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Faith! I love the Hayesville area, and especially the huge Ingles store. I hope you enjoy your cabin in God’s Country for many years to come.
What a beautiful, simple, tranquil, place to relax and regroup. High above the ground in the tree tops . . . . Reminds me of my place in the SC foothills. Mine is more clutter, from years of living. I know you enjoy your time away from the busyness of the world there. We are truly blessed.
Thank you, Linda! Spoken like someone who knows the value of having a place to get away. We are blessed, indeed!
You have a beautiful piece of Heaven in your beloved Pinebox. I can see you relaxing there after your strenuous trips around the world. I love your blog even more now that it has Pinebox in photos on it.
Thanks, Pam! I truly count my blessings to have this place of peace, beauty, and solitude. XO!
Love going to the Pinebox and spending time with you Howie ! You have taken us to so many beautiful places that I never knew existed. All the waterfalls , hiking trails ,great places to eat and coming back to the Pinebox and building a fire and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows while watching old movies ! Love this article you wrote and the pictures you posted ! Lots of good memories and look forward to even more ! Thank you for allowing Jim and I to come visit you when you are there . Love you Howie !
Ken, there is no doubt that you are Pinebox’s biggest fan! That is why you always have an open door. Pinebox and I love you back!
Your cabin is absolutely beautiful. And the lot is gorgeous. I love your bottle collection and the dog ! This place is heaven on earth for me, I love the mountains and small towns. Maybe someday I will retire there. Who am I kidding, I am doomed to retire in Florida! 🙂 Thank you for sharing your cabin.
Thank you so much, Rebecca! It truly is my little spot of heaven on Earth.
Wow! Its beautiful! I can see why you liked to talk about it so much last year.
Thank you, Ethan! Hope you are having a great year so far in seventh grade . . . .
Heaven on earth… complete with rocking chairs!! Absolutely beautiful cabin in an equally beautiful setting. I imagine it’s very hard to leave when returning “back to reality”. Thanks for sharing!!
You hit the nail on the head, Deja! Pinebox and the North Georgia mountains are almost heaven, and I have been misty on more than one occasion when heading “back to reality . . . .”