Top 10% of guest reviews in this areaTop 10% of guest reviews in this area
3 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 783.6 sq m
Popular amenities
Onsite parking available
Pet-friendly
Kitchen
Washer/dryer
Air-conditioning
Outdoor barbecue
Explore the area
Bethel, PA
Pat Garrett Amphitheater
Place, Pat Garrett Amphitheater
3 min drive
Strausstown Lions Park
Place, Strausstown Lions Park
4 min drive
Vraj Temple
Place, Vraj Temple
8 min drive
Lancaster, PA (LNS)
Airport, Lancaster, PA (LNS)
47 min drive
Rooms & beds
3 bedrooms (sleeps 7)
Downstream bedroom
1 Queen Bed
Loft
1 Queen Bed and 1 Single Bed
Upstream bedroom
1 Queen Bed
1 bathroom
Bathroom
Bathtub or shower · Toilet
Spaces
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Dining area
About this property
What makes you happy?
Looking for a tranquil place in the woods? Located on the Blue Mountain in rural pennsylvania a short walk downhill from the Appalachian Trail, this cozy little cottage invites you to sit down on the porch and listen to the creek burble. There's hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing, bird-watching, sight-seeing, but maybe you just want to relax and do nothing other than lie around chatting or reading. Either way, this is the place for you. All the amenities of home are here so you can drive up and instantly make yourself very much at home.
*Smoking is not permitted on or around the property.*
Note: GPS will get you only as far as the mailbox. The cottage is 3/4 of a mile down a winding single-lane dirt road and across a creek from Route 183.
Your vacation is more than an investment of money; it's an investment of your time and hopes. We take your investment very seriously. We want you to be delighted.
The cottage has a stone fireplace in the living room with firewood and kindling provided, AM/FM tuner, DVD/BluRay/CD player with iPod port, 22” flat screen TV, basic cable, and wifi. There are plenty of board games and a wonderfully eclectic library.
The kitchen is fully equipped with everything you need: electric stove, microwave, toaster, drip coffee maker, crockpot, full fridge, cooking utensils, pots and pans, flatware, dishes, glasses, and cups. Basic staples like ketchup, mustard, mayo, butter, sugar, flour, olive oil, vinegar and spices are all onhand; not enough to make 17 dozen cookies or roast a horse, but enough to get you by for a week that you don't need to worry about the little stuff. A vintage, hand-cranked coffee grinder is just the thing for a home-brewed coffee to greet everyone if you're the first one up in the morning. Alas, there is no dishwasher. On the shelf to the right of the fireplace is a 3-ring binder of instructions on how to work basic home utilities (TV, cable, wifi password, thermostats, trash, etc) along with a long list of local attractions and activities, and map to the Secret Swing.
There are two bedrooms, each with a queen bed. The low-ceiling loft has a queen and a single bed. Bed linens, blankets, and an army troop of bath towels provided. There’s both a full size washer and clothes dryer.
The cottage is fully insulated, is warmed and cooled by a heat pump, and has individually controlled electric baseboard heat in every room.
Cabella's Sporting Goods is just 12 miles away.
Lancaster County Amish country is 40 miles or less.
Cottage is 163 miles from Washington DC, 130 miles from NYC, and 92 miles from Philadelphia. 82 miles from Gettysburg is 82 miles away, Knoebel's Amusement Resort is 30 miles away, and Hershey Park is 35 miles away.
Maps, brochures, and a custom-made notebook list hundreds of local activities, adventures, and amusements.
Much of the furniture was made by local craftspeople. The slab for the live-edge kitchen table, for example, is from a pin oak that was felled in Tulpehocken Twp by a pair of sibling sawyers, then kiln-dried for many months, planed, and finished by a furniture maker in Myerstown.
The cottage is 2½ miles north of the intersection of Routes 78 and 183 and about a mile from the Berks/Schuylkill County border.
Add dates for prices
Amenities
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Free WiFi
Air conditioning
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Events allowed: family gatherings, birthday parties, weddings
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Pets
Pets allowed: limit 3 total
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Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Guest must return completed rental agreement three days before arrival.
Bookings by Yvonne Sousa or family will be refused.
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events (including family gatherings, birthday parties and weddings) are allowed on site. Maximum attendees: 10
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
About the area
Bethel
Located in Bethel, this cottage is near theme parks and near a water park. Pat Garrett Amphitheater and Golden Age Air Museum are cultural highlights, and some of the area's attractions include Frystown Lions Park and Koziar's Christmas Village. Water tubing and rafting offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with hunting and cycling nearby.
How much does it cost to stay at What makes you happy??
As of 16 April 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at What makes you happy? on 6 July 2026 start from NZ$329, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at What makes you happy??
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at What makes you happy??
Check-in begins at 9:00 AM.
What time is check-out at What makes you happy??
Checkout is at 7:00 PM.
Where is What makes you happy? located?
Located in the mountains, this family-friendly cottage is within 6 mi (10 km) of Pat Garrett Amphitheater, Vraj Temple, and Strausstown Lions Park. Rehrersburg Lions Park and Golden Age Air Museum are also within 6 miles (10 km).
Reviews
10
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Our 3 night stay was fantastic. The cabin is cozy and well equipped for both comfort and convenience. The beds are very comfortable. The kitchen has everything even an ambitious cook would like in a vacation home - far more than we expected. The host has thought of just about everything to make your stay enjoyable, and he went above and beyond to make us feel actively welcomed into his home. If our travels ever bring us back to this area, we would love to stay here again.
The cabin was comfortable and a perfect location for day hikes. So many suggestions for trails and places to eat. It was a great getaway and we can't wait to return.
We had a lovely weekend at the cabin! From the beautiful views to the crackling fireplace and fire pit to the cozy beds and antiques decor, we had a fantastic time! Everything was perfect and there were so many personal additions that really made our stay memorable!
Everything we could possibly need was available and cozy comfort was experienced by all (including the dogs)Beautiful well stocked kitchen and loved the real fireplace.
Another awesome stay…cozy cabin with everything you need right there! 4th time roasting marshmallows in the best fireplace! Wonderful family get away!!!
Thanks Mike!
Was everything I was looking for so that a group of guys could get away for a couple days to relax. Very nice that there was some fire wood provided and the i side fireplace was already prepped and ready to go.
This was our second stay at this property, and we absolutely loved it. Fire pit, hiking, chilling. Had so much fun we didn’t want to leave. Can’t wait for our next visit!!!
If you are looking for a secluded escape from reality, look no further. The house had everything we needed to enjoy a nice quiet stay with our dogs. We plan on returning soon.
Another great few days at this lovely cabin. Bedding is divine. Games, books, puzzles, and a good sound system made our rainy days a cozy and fun family getaway. A true gem.
Very relaxing stay with a fully equipped cabin. Mike is an exceptional host. We are coming back next year to the place at the top of the hill. Can't wait! We all relaxed and enjoyed ourselves.
Lovely property nestled in the woods with all kids of charm and fun finds. Couldn’t have asked for a better stay and communication with the host as we found our way around. Thank you and we will be back!
This was a wonderful little cabin about an hour from where we live in Lititz, PA. So it was a perfect getaway location for my wife and I, while our adult children had the run of the house with some friends from out of town. I cannot think of a single detail that was not thought out. Anything that I would say that wasn’t good, would truly be nitpicking. I highly recommend this place for other people.There are some steps to get up into the cabin. The last four steps are rather steep. However, the owner has recently installed some very sturdy handrails, so it was not an issue for my wife who recently had a hip replacement.
The cabin is as described in the listing. Mike, has everything organized and super clean.
This is a great location to spend the weekend either for getting away from the city or to visit some of the small quaint local towns. West reading has tons of restaurants and if you’re a fan of Yuengling, the nearby museum has a great 1 hour tour. My wife and I enjoyed our stay and left relaxed with good memories.
This cabin exceeded our expectations, secluded but not too secluded. We took our dog with us, and we were all to settle in nicely. It is a great location for hiking and has some wonderful wineries nearby. Mike is a great host and was quick to get back to us on a few questions we had. This is one place we wouldn't hesitate to rent again.
We've stayed at many rentals over the years and our experience at this property was one of the best. It was excellent from the moment I requested to book. Mike was so friendly and provided all kinds of resources about the area and the cabin, answering any questions quickly. We had some confusion finding the place but were able to sort it out and it was our fault for not reading the detailed directions very well. The cabin itself is so much nicer than the photos do justice and is packed with amenities. Some were special fun ones too - like the ice cream spaghetti, smores fixings (I loved the marshmallow roasting sticks and was sad we didn't have time to have a fire while we were there), and "emergency chili" in the freezer (thankfully we didn't lose power or visit when it was cold enough to need that but it was such a cool thing to have available). The cabin felt a lot larger than it was and we had plenty of room for three adults and two small dogs. I enjoyed reading the story of how Mike came to have the property and the adjacent other rentals and am looking forward to returning to try them all out someday!
I knew as soon as we walked into this cabin that we were going to have the best week, and I was not wrong! The host made this property so incredibly inviting and covered every little detail that you could possibly imagine.
I’m going to miss waking up to an amazing mountain sunrise every morning but I will not hesitate to book this property again.
Lori V.
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2023
About the host
Hosted by Mike Najarian
Except for a short stint in Germany, I've lived my entire life in northern Berks County: first on a goat farm, then in a one-room schoolhouse in the village of Fetherolfsville (population 7!), and now in a nearby cottage elsewhere on the mountain.
Why they chose this property
Before you book, I'll send you detailed information on the amenities on hand, more photographs, a 14 page description of different activities in the area, a list of local grocery stores, and some restaurant suggestions. The blue binder in the cabin has even more information so that everything is covered. But that also means online payment is disabled. The folks that run Homeaway/VRBO have now decided that you should have less than a day to peruse this info. Guests really appreciate all this extra info and may take their time to read it before deciding whether or not they'd like to book. An alternative online payment method is available.
What makes this property unique
Peace. Quiet. Worry-free vacation. Everything is taken care of and ready for you. You'll feel your worries melt away and begin relaxing even just driving down the lane that leads to the cottage. But if you're looking for family fun and adventure, it's right around the corner. As one guest said, "You're in the middle of nowhere but next to everything."
Languages:
English, German
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests