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BigGloves
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 05:51pm
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Hey Folks,
New Forum member here. I've been tossing around the idea of purchasing some land and building a weekend cabin here in Ohio for about 4 years. I've been saving my pennies and am getting closer to becoming serious. I'm curious about what your drive/commute times are between your homes and your cabins. I did some searching and couldn't find a thread.
I'm finding that to get into the portion of Ohio with interesting terrain, low population and reasonable land prices *cough Vinton County cough* where building inspectors are nonexistent (a big plus, in my estimation) is about a 1hour 50 minute drive for me. I'm trying to weigh the benefits versus the inconveniences. That's far enough where I might decide a Saturday-trip is too much trouble more often than not, but as you get into the counties closer to me (Dayton/Cincy), the terrain gets flat and boring, the land prices go up exponentially, and the building/plumbing/electrical/septic inspectors multiply like rabbits.
I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences with short and long commutes.
Also, perhaps from the Ohio folks, any suggestions on other counties closer to the Dayton/Cincy corridor that might offer similar qualities.
Thanks!
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bc thunder
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 05:59pm
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30 hrs Usually do it over 2 days. Not many weekend getaways, more like months long getaways............
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BigGloves
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 06:03pm
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Quoting: bc thunder 30 hrs Usually do it over 2 days. Not many weekend getaways, more like months long getaways............
Wow! That's a whole different category of commute, for sure. I'm not quite sure how my company would feel if I disappeared for a month or two. Maybe when I'm retired. 
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 06:22pm
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Had one 4 hours away , sold it and now we are 50 min. and its much better. My wife often said she has a 3 hour bladder threshold! !
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paartisan
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 06:23pm - Edited by: paartisan
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45 miles, 1 hour 15 minute trip. Not accessible from December through March. Mountains of north central PA.
State lease in Elk State Forest 200,000 acres, bordered by State Game Lands #14 15,000 acres. The location is very much worth the drive.
ElkStateForest
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wildtroutstream
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naturelover66
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 06:36pm
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3 hours to my paradise in Northern Michigan
Lisa
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VC_fan
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 06:40pm
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I'm on the south side of Dayton and have a shack in northern Vinton County. If I drive like a mad man it's about 1:55 or if I relax and enjoy the drive it's right at 2:00. As I've gotten older I'd say that's too far but as you point out there's nothing like that closer. And until they built the new school just east of Chillicothe there was not a stop sign or light for me after I got about 10 minutes from home - heading that direction is much more pleasant than heading south (Adams, Scioto, Pike, etc) in my opinion. And I absolutely love Vinton County. I would highly recommend it.
I've had a few properties (none with any place that I could spend the night) that were in the western part of the county. I will tell you that the 30-45 minutes you save by being there make a huge difference on the drive, especially if you drink as much coffee as I do. So if you decide on Vinton County you may be happier in the long run if you look on the side nearer to Dayton. Our shack is about 10 minutes from Ash Cave which is a beautiful spot but the novelty of the Hocking Hills wore off after a handful of visits and I'd rather stay at our place without people than go to the popular spots that attract people.
If you get serious be careful who you work with. I personally suggest you use one of the local realtors who have been there for years and have a reputation in the community that they have to protect as opposed to one of the land brokers who are now active in the area.
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BigGloves
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 06:57pm
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VC_fan
Good info there. Thanks
The forum doesn't seem to have a private message function that I can see. Would you mind if I emailed you? It be great to have you on my contact list to borrow some of your knowledge of the area and the land broker pitfalls. I wouldn't want to rake anyone's name over the coals in public. Perhaps you could post your email and then edit it out of the message once I've received it?
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Bigred292
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 07:01pm
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Always had a lifelong dream of a cabin in the woods.
11 yrs ago got extremely ill but survived - bought 12 1/2 acres in ME to build my dream. 4 1/2 drive.
Fast forward 10 yrs- no cabin and about 8 visits.
It wasn't going to happen. My dad passed away earlier this year- never enjoyed himself as far as I could recall.
Went out and bought an off grid cabin 2 1/2 hrs away in NH. Sleeps 6. Surrounded by hundreds of acres of conservation land. My kids love it.
Been there every 3 weeks since I bought it in May
Absolute heaven
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cspot
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 07:04pm
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My opinion is if you can stay within 2 hrs then that is good. That is close enough that you can do a day trip there if you have some work or want to do some hunting.
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VC_fan
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 07:06pm - Edited by: VC_fan
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BigGloves
I think this will be a private message. If not, I apologize. An email I use is (removed)
VC_fan
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BigGloves
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 07:10pm
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VC_fan
I think that just puts the user's name in the message, but it's still public. I have your email now, and you can remove it from that message just in case. I'll shoot over a quick email now so you know who I am.
Thanks!
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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 07:35pm
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Hey there gloves, I live in Columbus and drive to our cabin in Athens County which is an hour and a half door to door. Any more than that and it would become a drudge I would think. We picked up 84 acres pretty cheap but what I find comforting is that the area we are in. I looked in Vinton and Meigs counties and what I did not like is that the poverty could bring with it lots of break-ins. So location location location right? Our cabin was nothing but an old log cabin shell and I abandoned electricity a wood-burning stove inside composting toilet etc. and no one has said squad to me about it. We even added a nice big front porch on. Good luck with your search! Ohio is a great state.
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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 07:38pm - Edited by: Smawgunner
Reply
Feel free to email me as well
Allen
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Nate R
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 07:49pm
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Our place is 2:40 from door to door with no stops. It's nearly a bit far, and I'm glad it's not longer. CAN be done round trip in a LONG day if needed, but gets annoying. Makes it short enough that it's not too bad to go up for just a weekend, though. We do prefer 3 days weekends when possible.
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Kudzu
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 07:56pm
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My thinking is a two hour drive is my limit. It would give me time to plan my visit. However, this is coming from a guy that has his dream cabin 4 1/2 miles from his home.
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spoofer
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 09:54pm
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My camp is 1:20 from my house. I usually stop for supplies etc. that push the time up a bit. I would go a little further, but never over 2 hours ,for the right place.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2017 12:24am
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Interesting. This was one of my decision parameters in choosing a property. I created a prioritized list. I put it on a thread in here somewhere. Mine is 2.5 hours.
Priority 1
Cost (nice if paid cash)
Acres (5-10 min)
Trees (plenty for fuel)
Distance (<4 hours)
Priority 2
Elevation (>1500 ft)
Water Feature (for drinking bathing)
Remoteness (for peace and quiet)
Priority 3
Next to National Forrest, or WMA/WMR
(buy 2/5/or 10 get 3000)
After searching for two years, every weekend on landwatch.com, I lucked out and got everyone of the above.
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Eddy G
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2017 05:57am
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Our Cabin in NH is 90 minutes door to door... For some reason it sounds better to me than an hour and a half...lol
We have several options, highway, back roads or a combo of both. I prefer taking the back way, there are times I won't see another vehicle in front of me for 30 to 40 miles and very few traffic lights.
Funny thing is time isn't effected as much as mileage...90+ miles highway and 70 miles the back way..
The highway is about 20 miles further then the back roads so either can take 1 1/2 to 2 hours with any traffic, gas stop, etc...
For this place its fine, I wouldn't want to be much further...
Now, if it didn't require all the work it does and I could spend more time enjoying it and less time killing myself working on it then I could see a 3 hour drive to a completely finished dream spot and cabin.....
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old greybeard
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2017 06:57am - Edited by: old greybeard
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Man these times are making me envious. We're about 2.75 hours, with good traffic. Once PA gets the Shamokin Dam bypass in I'll be at 2.5.
Little longer this time of year, had to put chains on at 10pm last Wednesday night to make it up the mountain, adds 15 mins.
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sparky30_06
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2017 07:30am
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in Texas a 2 hour drive is just around the corner. I've driven 12 hours and still never left the state. I drive 4 hours, with stops to my lease. 3 1/2 if you don't stop. I make that drive at least once a month and almost every weekend in November and December
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buckybuck
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2017 07:40am - Edited by: buckybuck
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I could pretty much have written the same post that VC_fan did. My cabin is located a few miles south of US 50 toward Hamden, sorta halfway between where the We Do Odd & Shitty Jobs business headquarters is and where Vinton County's other traffic light used to be. In my case, once I get past that school traffic light VC_fan mentioned, it's non-stop to my place.
I've had my land there for seven or eight years and, knock on wood, no problems except from folks who think any wooded area there is automatically a public hunting area.
I grew up in southern Highland County and looked at properties in the Highland, Pike, Adams counties triangle area as well. I wouldn't rule that area out, but there's no quick way to get there from the Dayton/Cincy area; you might end up being 20 miles closer, but you'll have more driving time. Also, it's more populated (admittedly, still not a lot of people).
Contact info is in my profile.
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deercula
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2017 08:15am
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My drive is 1 hour. 60 miles, with 50 of that on the 65MPH interstate. Love it. Maybe I overpaid at $1500 per acre. But I will be saving my fuel, and my time, for the rest of my life. Also, I did get all the Oil, Gas, Mineral, & Timber rights. It seems more and more parcels are being sold without those. I can easily head to the cabin for just a morning or evening hunt. Or I can get a project done without having to spend the night. When I was looking 1 1/2 - 2 hours was my maximum distance.
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2017 08:17am
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7 hrs door to door for me. Living in Southern Ontario, you just have to go a long way if you want privacy, and I love the northern Ontario bush. Its long right now while still working, but made it 13 times last year. Once I retire, I don't see it as an issue. The place makes me very happy, so the drive is well worth it to me.
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2017 09:41am
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Back when we didn’t live at the cabin, it took 5.5 hours.
We’d go right after work Friday afternoon so we could squeeze in as much time at the cabin as we could, and catch the going home from work traffic.
To break up the trip a bit we’d stop a couple times to either eat, swill coffee, or just stretch and massage back to life the numb yet painfully excruciating throbbing sciatic nerve in my driving leg.
Sometimes we’d drive straight thru with the fixed thought of ‘just wanna git there’, breaking up the trip with cabi screaming something frightening point blank into my deaf ear after noting I was slumped over the wheel taking a short nap while hurtling down a titillating stretch of I-5, causing my bobbing head to snap back into driving position.
Thing is, when there is yet to be a cabin to go to, one must pack tools and materials, aside from clothes and grub.
We’d do that the night before, always.
I had a list of lists.
Nothing worse than getting there to find you left something critical back at the house.
One time, next morning at the cabin site, I set everything up, genny, nails, nail gun, air hose.
Took a couple minutes to register there was nothing to hook the air hose to…standing there holding the male end, staring quizzically into the sky, remembering setting it by the trailer….
It’s an hour trip to the nearest town (another reason to leave early).
We now have two pancake air compressors.
And
We now reside at the cabin
Worth it
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Mike 870
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2017 10:00am
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I went through the same thing as you. I looked at Adams, Highland, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Meigs, Vinton, Athens. I think all counties would meet your needs if you found the right place. Most of my search centered around Vinton, which I loved. I ended up finding the perfect property in Adams on a fluke and I couldn't be happier. Its 1 hour 50 minute commute for me. I would want to stay under 2 hours if possible with 2.5 being my max, and the closer the better.
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LastOutlaw
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2017 10:45am - Edited by: LastOutlaw
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When I bought my cabin it was a 5 to 6 hour drive from my front door to my cabin door. We have sold our home and bought another smaller home on more land closer to the cabin for a cash price and are now debt free. From my front door at home to the cabin is about 20 miles as a crow flies. I can leave here and be at my cabin door in one hour. Quicker if I don't worry about wear and tear on my K5.
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2017 11:37am - Edited by: silverwaterlady
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12 hours.
May-middle of Oct; 300 miles, a border crossing,a ferry boat ride than a drive to the west end of the island.
Middle of Oct-April; 600 miles and a border crossing.
The drive times and miles are one way.
Not my choice for travel time and crossing the border is a pain. But DH had this property when I met him and it's back home for him.
Traveling a few hours from where we live is not remote enough for me.
I would prefer property in the UP but the prices are outrageous for a comparable piece of land.
Yep,prices have really gone up since DH purchased our property in 1972.
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BigGloves
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2017 01:14pm - Edited by: BigGloves
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Thanks everyone for the info so far, seems like we have quite the range, which is more or less what I expected. I know myself, and I wouldn't think much about a 1.5 or 2 hour drive, but anymore than that would definitely become a bother.
Quoting: deercula Maybe I overpaid at $1500 per acre.
From what I'm seeing, that would be a very good price for land here, even in the most rural parts of Ohio. One of the better prices I've seen lately is $90,000 for 40 acres; $2250 / acre It's under contract, so people are paying those prices.
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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2017 02:35pm
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deercula, I don't think you overpaid at all. With mineral rights intact, you've got a deal there I'd think. I know there is a lot more that goes into the price per acre, but I think you did well my friend.
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