Alicia2023年8月

We had an absolutely wonderful time! We loved the privacy and quiet of staying in the house. We enjoyed relaxing on the deck or in the screen house. The house is very close to Cherry Springs for stargazing as well as the main towns. The best part is how the house is tucked away and very private. We would love to return again!

Adelaide2022年9月

We had a wonderful honeymoon stay at Aquila’s Nest. Arne and Niki were incredibly communicative, personable, and thorough, and gave excellent recommendations which really took our trip from special to unforgettable. The Nest hits a just-right balance of rustic and comfortable. There’s an adorable little upstairs nook that would surely be any 8-10 year old’s dream bedroom, and the grown up sized bed downstairs is very comfy. Also upstairs is an XBox and a 4K TV, perfect for movie nights when the weather isn’t cooperating. There’s also a nice supply of board games, if you prefer a more analogue set of indoor activities. We started our stay in a bad mood (travel disruptions, airline lost our suitcase etc) but couldn’t help be charmed and cheered by this thoroughly lovely property in no time at all. You’ll barely want to use it during your getaway, but the WiFi is surprisingly fast and excellent! I sort of expected a spotty and unreliable connection considering how remote the cabin is, but we got great speeds with no dead zones throughout the house and it would be more than enough for any sort of remote work—zoom calls, etc. Tips for aspiring stargazers: • try to time your visit to overlap with a new moon, at least partially. You can see the moon from almost anywhere, but here it drowns out the real stars—the stars. • We rented some optically stabilized binoculars and it made all the difference (also, thanks to our hosts for also providing a telescope, a lovely surprise!). For instance, Jupiter shone very brightly in the sky and when seen through the binoculars you could actually see and COUNT the moons in orbit around him! • We ended up having pretty rainy and overcast conditions for a good portion of our stay, but after some initial disappointment we quickly learned that a “Partly Cloudy” forecast in Coudersport can still mean “the most spectacular night sky you’ve ever seen in your life!” Even the more solidly cloud-covered nights saw at least one or two windows of gorgeous stargazing, and we had one night that turned out to be unexpectedly incredibly clear for hours before the rain rolled in. Make sure you check the conditions out for yourself and be on the lookout for those cleared patches—don’t just take the weather apps’ word for it! • At night, use the thoughtfully provided red-light flashlights, or bring your own! White light is discouraged at Cherry Springs and for good reason; it wrecks your night vision! If you’re staying in and using the upper deck to stargaze, temporarily turn off the outside lights using the instructions Arne and Niki provide. • If you’re photographing the sky, set your phone or camera to the maximum low light exposure time and use a tripod for stability. You might think your hands are steady, but even the tiny tremor of your heartbeat through your hands can blur a sky photo taken in absolute darkness—tripods are a must. I also recommend setting your screen tint to a true-red filter using your device’s accessibility settings so your eyes aren’t dazzled trying to capture the perfect picture. • Don’t miss Lyman Run Park! Incredibly scenic daytime trails and a gorgeous man made reservoir that reflects the sky. You might not be allowed to stay around the beach area at night, but there’s a nearby parking area that should be kosher to sit in. Heads up: while Cherry Springs and Coudersport and the cabin itself have surprisingly good cellular coverage, Lyman Run has NONE. At least on Verizon, expect a true zero-bars “escape from it all” phone situation there. • If you’re coming in late August or later, be prepared to bundle up! Remember the night temps are going to be quite a bit cooler than the daily forecast might suggest (which Arne thankfully warned us about). On the plus side, there will be fewer people—we saw just a handful of others at Cherry Springs our whole stay. Fortunately, at Aquila’s Nest the hot water is HOT and plentiful, and the wood stove is very effective at warming the whole place, especially the upstairs nook! We are so glad we chose Aquila’s Nest for our stay, and I’m sure you will be too.

Matthew2022年9月

Very nice place!

Caitlin2022年9月

Beautiful place to stay to see the beautiful views. Although we had a cloudy weekend we most definitely will be back!

Andrew2022年7月

Arne and Niki were excellent hosts and made our stay truly special and enjoyable.