The Great Room

The Great Room, encompassing the living, dining, entry and hall areas, will take your breath away. The spacious open floor plan has a giant timber truss roof system that soars nineteen feet into the air above the living and dining areas and is enclosed with views in every direction. While huge 11 foot windows bring in the outside, the room focuses on the large stone fireplace. There is a beverage center, an antique upright grand piano, a puzzle table for jigsaw fans and of course satellite TV, DVD, VCR, Wifi and quality stereo system.

The Living Room

The Living Room area is surrounded by many large view windows that bring the outside in. A massive stone fireplace/stove provides a warm gracious social center. It is easy to light and there is plenty of firewood. It is great for warming your hands and feet or toasting marshmallows for s’mores. There is an Antique Library containing books and numerous old vinyl LP’s, (for those who know what they are). Also you will find a puzzle table for the jigsaw puzzle fans and Wifi. There is Satellite TV with a broad range of programming, DVD/VCR player, and a stereo receiver with excellent sound that resonates through vintage loudspeakers. You will find numerous comfortable seating areas to relax, read, nap or simply sit and take in the panoramic view. You will certainly see the soaring Red-tailed Hawks and perhaps even the Golden Eagle who visits frequently.

Dining Room

The dining area looks out through a large window onto the Cedar Circle and across the great room to the mountain views. The antique dining table is expandable to serve 12. The matching sideboard is full of coffee, tea, cider, hot chocolate, cups, napkins, etc., and serves as a beverage center for larger groups.

Entry Area and Great Hall

Approach the Lodge through its wide outdoor stairs leading to a gracious porch with two rocking chairs and enter through the glass door into a gracious foyer with a dream catcher overhead. This is the beginning of an 8’ wide path of multicolored slate tiles that proceeds the full length of the living, dining and kitchen more than 45’ toward the bedrooms. Accented by massive hand hewn 150 year old oak beams from a pre-civil war barn on the banks of the Mississippi, this gallery opens to the warmth and hospitality of natural surfaces and warm colors under a 19’ peaked rough sawn wood ceiling. The hall makes a T at the 2’ tall Eagle Dance Kachina and leads to bedrooms in each direction.

Gourmet Kitchen

The kitchen is a chef’s dream, with a total of 44 running feet of luxurious soapstone countertop space. There is a large French door refrigerator with icemaker, a six burner plus griddle commercial range that has two self cleaning ovens and a large microwave, two trash compacters (one for garbage and one for recyclables) and a quiet and efficient dishwasher. The sink faucet at the large double sink delivers pure Palomar Mountain Spring water from the tap. The size and layout of the kitchen make it comfortable for several people to be working at once. The kitchen is well equipped with ample dishes, glasses and cookware. There are also all of the small appliances you would hope to find including, toaster, toaster oven, mixer, food processor, waffle iron, crock pot, warming plate, coffee pots, espresso maker, French press and plenty of pots and pans including large pots for large groups. On the back deck, just outside the kitchen there is a large barbecue and a large smoker.

Breakfast Area

The Breakfast area features an antique round oak claw foot table and five ornate pressed back chairs. The table expands to seat 12. The nearby book case and cabinets contain a variety of books, a natural history drawer and drawers of movies including many popular children’s titles. You will also find toys, a number of board games, playing cards, scrabble, bingo and more as well as and a collection of jigsaw puzzles to enjoy at the puzzle table in the great room.

South Deck and Downstairs Patio

Just off the great room and the breakfast area a 44’ deck wraps around the south side of the house. A large wood patio table seats 8 in comfort in the 20’ by 20’ area for dining alfresco. And the sunny deck continues 20’ more at 8’ depth along the living room to provide additional lounging areas while watching the ever changing vista of rows of mountains and valleys all the way to Mexico. See if you can spot Mount Laguna. A special treat is to see the marine layer lying in the valley, the mountains appearing as islands jutting from a cloud sea while you are warmed by the morning sun. The deck is accessible from the Great room, the nook and the Mountain Lavender suite.

On the lower level a beautiful stone patio provides the Sundance Suite with a sunny garden and contains an umbrella table for four. This cozy patio also overlooks the views of the meadow and the mountains.

North Deck

At the rear of the lodge a 24’ by 16’ deck provides lounging in comfortable wicker furniture for 5 while viewing the magnificent cedar grove and the fern meadows. On this deck you will find a large propane barbeque as well a barrel smoker. Enjoy a glass of wine or your favorite beverage while you cook the steaks and revel in the great outdoors. Call to the kids up in the spa when their hamburgers are ready.

Ancient Cedar Grove

Walk from the back deck into the nearby cedar circle, actually two cedar circles. This mystical space evokes a palpable sense of ease and peace. Native Americans believed these circular groves marked sacred ground. In this circle you will find what many say is the largest and oldest cedar on Palomar Mountain. 17 feet around, it splits into 5 trunks reaching to the sky. At the base of “Father Tree” natural twig furniture provides a comfortable place for a quiet meditation. Or walk a few steps up to the hammock for a horizontal meditation while gazing up through the cedar canopy overhead.

The Spa

In the meadow behind the lodge you will find a large Jacuzzi Spa. Just fifty feet from the rear deck, the spa is placed in the clear so that the incredible display of the Milky Way, shooting stars, and all the constellations are visible. And oh those meteor showers! Enjoy the crisp clear night air and view the vast night skies in warmth and comfort. Climb in, turn off the lights and be dazzled!