Idlenot Cabins …where 1947 never ended.

Idlenot Cabins is found near the remote New Hampshire village of Errol. The ten small white cabins, each with its own two-rocker porch, form a semicircle that looks down upon Umbagog Lake. The view from each cabin is partly framed by carefully trimmed pine and spruce trees, the tips of which join the horizon where the distant mountain ridges of nearby Maine are clearly visible. For those who prefer a more traditional experience there are also 6 rooms available in the main inn.

Although Idlenot boasts exceedingly fair rates (cabins $65/day, room at the inn $90) the guests are required to submit to some unique provisions before their reservations are accepted. Here follows an abbreviated list of those requirements:

• Guests may not arrive by personal vehicle. They must arrive by train and disembark at the Errol terminal.
• Guests must provide the management with clothing sizes for everyone in their party. Each guest will be loaned a dinner outfit, bathing suit, and four sets of daily apparel.
• Guests may not have in their possession any electronic devices that were manufactured after 1947.

Just what is going on here? It’s all part of the experience. Idlenot is unique in that everything about it appears just as it did in 1947. The amenities or lack thereof, are also vintage ’47. The experience begins when guests are met at the train station by a two tone green 1941 Buick Roadmaster sedan. The ride is comfortable since there is plenty of room for six and their luggage. If it happens to be a cool day there is a convenient blanket, hanging from the rear robe rail, to assist the under-seat heater. The driver usually turns on the radio when they are within one mile of the cabins. After the 20 second warm-up period the radio comes to life with the usual mid-morning presentation of Amos ‘n’ Andy or possibly The Bickering Bickersons. If it is time for the hourly newscast you will likely hear the latest pronouncement by President Truman or learn of a new discovery such as the transistor or the Polaroid camera. Don’t try to tune around and catch names like Obama or Limbaugh. It won’t happen.

Your cabin will be found in excellent repair. The stained and varnished bead board wainscoting surrounding each room will gleam. The wood and linoleum floors will be well worn but clean. Your full size iron bed has an adequate mattress and one layer of springs stretched between the side rails. Each room is supplied with a radio that is guaranteed to be no older than 20 years old (that is as of 1947) and it will receive one AM station loud and clear. When it is time to relax outside you can do so in the wicker lounges on the porch. A short walk to the beach will reveal plenty of wood and stretched canvas chairs and umbrellas. Everything is of course decorated in red, green and blue stripes.

Everyone reports to the main inn for family style breakfast and lunch. Dinner may be at the inn or it may be an outside barbecue, beach clambake, or under the stars candlelight feast in French or Italian cuisine alongside the pool. The emphasis on fun with everyone continues with daily swim parties, canoe treks, and picnics to surrounding parks. Picnic time is when they have to get out the ’47 Mercury wagon (all wood body and three rows of seats) and the ’47 DeSoto Custom Suburban (roof rack on top, wood loading floor in trunk) to supplement the Buick. There is room for everybody. Whenever things slow down there are always bridge tournaments, croquet on the front lawn and horseshoes out back. Something is always going on at Idlenot (thus the derivation of the name Idlenot).

Life at Idlenot Cabins takes place entirely in the slow lane and that is exactly where its patrons want to be. They all marvel at the photos that paper each wall of the inn lobby. Pictured are numerous patrons and innkeepers from as far back as 1932 and as recent as 2010. All are in black and white or sepia tones. No photo looks any later than 1947. No person looks unhappy.

(Note: The foregoing account is entirely fictional. If any reader ever does find Idlenot Cabins I would very much appreciate it if he would tell me where it is.)