WWA Home Manual

HOME INFORMATION

Driving Directions

While the address will pull up on GPS, keep in mind that cell service goes in and out due to the mountains as you travel. It is a good idea to take a picture on your phone of the driving directions in case you find yourself out of signal at some point during the trip. The main road to access the entire area is 421. The home is just off 221 and not far from the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway typically offers the shortest route there but in winter, if it has snowed, the Parkway will be closed. If this is the case, 421 to Boone, 321 to Blowing Rock, and 221 from there will be the best route.

From the Parkway: Exit at the Holloway Mountain Rd exit. At the stop sign you will turn right onto 221. Community is about 5 miles on the left and is named Lost Creek. The name of the main road into the community is Hemlock Ridge Rd. At the first intersection Hemlock Ridge Rd bears right and Dancing Bear Dr goes off straight. Go straight onto Dancing Bear. Drive until you see George, the big stone gorilla (yes, a gorilla) on the left. Turn up the driveway and WWA is the first home on the right.

From 321: Take 321 into Blowing Rock. Turn onto 221 heading into downtown Blowing Rock. At the stop light in town 221 will turn at Mellow Mushroom and The Speckled Trout. Stay on 221 for about 12 miles. Community is Lost Creek and is on the left. The name of the main road into the community is Hemlock Ridge Rd. At the first intersection Hemlock Ridge Rd bears right and Dancing Bear Dr goes off straight. Go straight onto Dancing Bear. Drive until you see George, the big stone gorilla (yes, a gorilla) on the left. Turn up the driveway and WWA is the first home on the right.

Upon Arrival

You will receive a four digit security code from Candace that is your access code to the home for the length of your stay. To access the home just go up to the back door and enter that code. The door will unlock and the security system will turn off. You can also access the basement apartment via the left deck. When you are leaving, just exit and push the lock button on the keypad. During your stay, and upon your departure, please do not lock either of the locks on the door knobs. The code will NOT unlock those. If you inadvertently lock them and end up locked out of the home, please contact Candace at the number below.

If you arrive and the keypad lock is not working, please reach out to Candace via text or cell at 202-277-9679. There is a back-up key in a lockbox on the porch. Cold weather often zaps the batteries of the electronic door locks so there is a back-up system in place so that no guest get locked out.

Amenities

Some of the amenities you will find at WWA are as follows:

Cable TV in all bedrooms and both living areas

WIFI provided via hotspot on a tablet

Hot tub on the main deck (accommodates 6 people)

Shuffleboard table

Whirlpool tub in master bath w/bubblebath

Child (or dog) safety gate (behind cabinet in master bedroom)

Pet beds (located in master closet)

Pet bowls (under kitchen sink)

Pet waterer (in kitchen by door)

Grill

Griddle

Fire table

Gas logs

Coffee cart with Keurig in upstairs kitchen

Coffees and teas for the Keurig

Condiments in upstairs refrigerator

Spices, flour, sugar, and olive oil in both kitchens

Starter supply of paper towels and toilet paper

Bath sheets and towels on all levels

Hair dryer in upstairs bathroom

Games located in chest under window in basement

Brochures on activities in the area on main floor entryway table

Tables and chairs for sitting/eating on all decks

Cleaning supplies, vacuums, brooms on main and lower levels

Washer/dryer on both main and lower levels

Cable on lower deck facilitating letting dogs out

Flood lights that illuminate three sides of the home

Luggage racks in each bedroom closet

WIFI

WIFI is provided via a tablet that provides a hotspot network. The tablet is named Alcatel Tablet.

Password is mountain

This tablet is located in the upstairs bedroom and is in the ideal location to provide you the best WiFi access. Please do not remove it from that location. The cleaning service has a checklist of items they will be ascertaining are still in the home after your departure and this tablet is on that checklist. You will be charged $150 if this tablet is not in the home when you check out. The hotspot occasionally needs to be restarted. If the WIFI is not working please restart the tablet and then the hotspot. The pin code to the tablet is 3309.

Satellite TV

All TVs, saving the one in the main living area will turn on the TV and Dish Network with the Dish remote only. DVR is available too so you can record programs and watch while you are on vacation. For the main floor TV you will need to power on the Dish remote and then hit OK on the TV remote for HDMI1. All other functions after that can be done on the Dish network remote.

TVs are also connected to the tablet so you can access your Netflix or other such accounts while at WWA. Any TV charges that may inadvertently be charged to the host account will be charged to the renter after check out with a listing of items and amounts on the dates you stayed.

Main Deck

Grill, griddle, and fire table lighting instructions are all stamped on each individual device. There are also several instruments to clean both grill and griddle under the grill. If you decide to use the griddle you must clean it afterwards while it is still hot with water and scrape/scrub off the stuck on food (similar to what is done at a Japanese steakhouse). Once the griddle is clean and cool and you have used it for the last time, you will need to pour some vegetable oil (located in master bedroom closet) on it to treat it prior to departure. Spread the oil around to cover the entire surface or it will rust. Please empty the drippings container and replace.

Properly caring for these items will ensure we can continue to provide them to future guests and we appreciate your attention to this.

Hot Tub

The hot tub is available for guest use. Please just make sure to keep the hot tub lid closed and clipped when not in use. The cover must be opened and closed a certain way so as not to damage it. See below.

Unclip the clips on either side of the front of the tub. Lift the cover 1-2 feet in the air and push. Cover will slide 1-2 feet and stop. Flip the first half of the cover onto the other half then lift from the middle until the cover is perpendicular to the tub. The cover should stand and tuck behind the tub. Please complete in reverse to close the cover.

We keep the tub at 80 degrees between guests. You can increase the tub up to 102 degrees. Please make sure to return the temperature to 98 degrees prior to check out.

Cleaning Supplies

There is ample stock of cleaning supplies, dishwasher tabs, and trash bags. There are vacuums in the master and basement bedroom closets. These are available in case you need to clean up an unexpected mess or accident only. The cleaning service, High Country Cleaning, will clean the entire house upon your departure and wash sheets and towels. In the laundry closet on the main floor is hardwood floor cleaner in a mop. Please use this if you want to clean something on the hardwood floors.

Parking

We have a shared driveway with a neighbor that lives further up the driveway. There is a gate just past our home on the driveway. You should not drive or park past that gate as that is his property. Parking for the home is the semi-circle area in front of the home off the main driveway. This area can only accommodate 3-4 cars. Please do not plan to bring more than that as there is no where park more. Our neighbor works in the medical field and the driveway cannot be blocked at any time.

In winter months: December - February, please plan to bring a four wheel drive vehicle. The driveway is pretty steep and when it snows or ices you will want four wheel drive. I do have a day between bookings in winter months because being snowed in is a possibility and we need time for the cleaning company to be able to get to the home. Snow shovels are provided in the home to aid you in clearing the driveway to get cars out.

Heat & Air Conditioning

There is no air conditioning in the home as temps rarely get over 85 in the area. For your convenience, we have provided a fan, located on floor behind the dining room table. If you find the home to be warm, placing the fan in one of the right side windows in the dining room will create a nice breeze through the home. Keeping the blinds on the back of the home lowered in the morning will help keep the home cooler longer as the sun rises over the front deck. The ceiling fans also do an excellent job of keeping the home cool.

Heat settings are such that the home will automatically keep the house to a temperature that will prevent pipes from freezing in winter. You may adjust this to your personal liking , within reason, during your stay. Please try to keep the thermostat set at 72 degrees or lower and utilize the gas logs and extra blankets for additional warmth if needed. Settings can be adjusted on the sky control pad in the main living area. The pin code for that is the same as the pin code to access the home.

Trash

There are trashcans provided in both kitchens and each bathroom. A clear bin for recycling is located on the back upper porch. Recycling is considered all plastic, glass, aluminum, and cardboard (broken down). All items should be rinsed before being placed in the bin. The cleaning service will remove up to two bags of trash and recycling. Please utilize the garbage disposal so that no food is placed in trash bags and please do not put any bags of trash outside overnight (back upper deck is safe). You will be charged if you leave more than the allotted amount of trash in the home as we will have to pay a fee to have it hauled away. That fee is $25. You can also choose to pay the $25 fee up front and we will dispose of all trash.

If you have more than two bags of trash prior to the end of your stay and need to dispose, there is a Watauga county disposal site on the 221 as you head into Blowing Rock. It is on the left side of the road about one mile past the Holloway Mountain Road intersection. All cardboard will need to be broken down, all trash in bags, and all recycling will need to be separated by item (glass, plastic, aluminum, etc). It is open on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays, & Saturdays.

Shuffleboard Table

Please keep it covered when not in use to prevent it getting dusty. There are cans of sand provided. The sand helps the pucks glide. Please do not over-sand.

Creatures and Critters

This home is located in the mountains in a mostly rural area. There are many creatures and critters, including mice, ants, snakes, and bears. I have placed ant and mouse bait throughout the house and there is more under the kitchen sink on the main level; however, this will not prevent them all together. You may see mice droppings and, where there is mice, there are snakes. Please do not be alarmed if you see evidence of these creatures and remember it is part and parcel for the mountains.

Also sighted in our community are bears. There is a mom and three cubs that are living in the ravine around the creek near our home. Papa bear produces evidence of his existence in our community further down the mountain by chewing up power poles, which he apparently does not like. Thankfully the power lines at our home are buried! It is for this reason you can not, under any circumstances, place trash with food products in it outside overnight. You should not even do this on the back decks as bears can climb and that is an invitation for them to join you on the back deck. Please use the garbage disposals in either kitchen for disposal of food refuse.

We encourage you to walk/hike in the community but please do so wisely. Please do not walk alone, send small children out alone to play in the neighborhood, or walk far from the house at night. I have walked my dogs down to the end of the driveway at night with a lantern and they are big dogs; please just be prudent of the bears and that coming up on them is a distinct possibility.

Floodlights

There are floodlights that cover three sides of the home. By the front door, the last switch on the left controls the floodlights that illuminate the parking area. By the upper front deck door, the last switch on the left controls the floodlights on the left end of the house. These floodlights illuminate that side in case you want to let dogs out in the evening. There is also a motion sensor floodlight on the front of the home for illuminating any motion in the area immediately in front of the home. The cable provided for dogs can reach that far and the flood will help light the area if needed.

Pets

Pets are welcome in the home with a $100 non-refundable pet deposit. There are no particular pet rules in the home. Dogs are allowed in beds and on couches and chairs. If your dog makes a mess, please clean it up. There is pet carpet and upholstery cleaner provided under the kitchen sink. There are three large pet beds in the master bedroom closet that you can use for your pet, as well as dog bowls, and a watering station in the kitchen by the deck door. If you bring a pet, please empty the watering station upon your departure so that there is not stagnant water in the home.

There is a cable attached to the deck pilings that accesses the side yard via the lower deck. This cable is provided to facilitate letting your dogs out. I typically keep the cable under the gate on the lower front deck and let my dogs out on the deck and hook them up before opening the gate door. The gate door can be a little temperamental; just lift up on the right side of the gate when you go to unlatch it.

If you have excessive pet waste, please clean it up upon departure. I find my dogs do not like going there every time due to the uneven ground so I walk them down the driveway to the grassy, mossy area below at least once a day.

Many places in town are pet friendly, so if you bring your dog, please take him/her into downtown Blowing Rock! Town Tavern is a lovely American fare restaurant that allows dogs on the patio. They will even give them a bowl of ice water on a hot summer day. This is just one of many pet friendly businesses in Blowing Rock.

Emergencies

The fire escape routes are posted in the home. You will also find fire extinguishers under the sinks in both kitchens and in the master bathroom closet. There are first aid kits under both kitchen sinks as well.

To Turn on Fireplace:

**BEFORE ANY OPERATION OF THE FIREPLACE, PLEASE LOCATE A FIRE EXTUINGUISHER TO ENSURE PROMT RESPONSE TO ANY UNPLANNED ACCIDENTS INCLUDING FLAMES THAT MAY OCCUR***

1) Turn red knob that is left of the logs until it is inline with the pipe and in the “OPEN” position, just as the picture below shows.

2) Turn safety pilot knob located to the left of the logs until it is off position that is pictured below.

3) Press knob in and turn counter clockwise until it is in the “PILOT” position (PLEASE NOTE: The control knob cannot be turned from “OFF” to “PILOT” without being pushed in slightly. DO NOT force the knob to turn as you may break it)

4) Put flame from long match or lighter onto the thermocouple that is circled in blue in the picture below, and press the control knob in while still in the “PILOT” position. Continue holding both the flame to the thermocouple and control knob in for roughly 60 seconds. The thermocouple should be able to stay lit once you let go of the pilot knob. (PLEASE NOTE: If the Thermocouple DOES NOT stay lit on it’s own, please turn control knob to “OFF” position and return the red knob located to the left of the logs to the “CLOSED” position and inform the owner.)

5) Once pilot light stays lit on it's own, turn control knob counter clockwise to the “ON” position and the main line should light. (PLEASE NOTE: If the main line does not light within 20 seconds, please turn the control knob to the “OFF” position and return the red knob to the “OFF” position and inform the owner.)

TO SHUT OFF FIREPLACE:

1) Turn safety control knob clockwise to the “OFF” position as pictured below.

2) Turn red knob that is located to the left off logs back into the closed position (no longer in line with piping) as pictured below. (PLEASE NOTE: There may still be burning of excess propane below the logs for a few moments after turning propane off.) PLEASE ENSURE THE RED KNOB LOCATED TO THE LEFT OF THE LOGS IS IN THE OFF POSITION TO PREVENT ANY PROPANE LEAK.

Items in Household

The following items are located in the home and will be inventoried by housekeeping after your departure. If anything happens to any of the items during your stay please notify Candace so that no security deposit charges are incurred.

2 Vacuums

Alcatel Tablet

Keurig coffee pot (main)

Coffee pot (lower)

5 Joeys from Dish network

DVD player

XBox

5 TVs

2 remotes per TV

Gas logs

3 folding chairs on main deck

3 pet beds

3 luggage racks (one per bedroom)

Ninja blender

Toaster oven

Storage canisters for staples

Cookware (both kitchens)

8 piece plate setting both kitchens

7 wine glasses

Fan

4 Tervis cups main kitchen

Painted cow portrait

Dinner bell on entryway table

Painted rooster on front porch

Decorations on mantle: window lattice, two lantern, 3 apothecary jars, candlestick, vase

with dried flowers

Decorations over kitchen cabinets: assorted bottles - blue, clear bottle w/silver top,

painted ceramic chicken

Departure

There is very little to do upon departure except ascertain you have all your belongings! The security code that you were provided will expire upon checkout (11 am). If you find you have left something in the home after that and no longer have access, please reach out to me via cell.

We really hope you enjoy your stay in our home and hope you’ll consider returning. We have big plans for the home in the future, including replacing the countertops in the basement with the granite countertops as in the upstairs kitchen, putting a shuffleboard table in the loft, adding a hot tub to the main deck, building an area for a fire pit on a deck off the lower deck, and fencing in the yard around the home to make letting dogs out easier. Hopefully, if you decide to return at some point, you can enjoy these added amenities. Enjoy your stay in Blowing Rock and have safe travels home.

Frank & Candace