…to The Dome at Blueberry Hill

This past Thursday we had the honor of being hosted by the Farrs at The Dome at Blueberry Hill in Cobden, Illinois, as part of 618 Day!

The Dome was a bucket list item for me; I love staying in unique structures, and a dome has always been on the list. Since they began building the dome, I have been watching and anxiously awaiting for the stars to align to make a visit happen; and what better day than my birthday?!

So, as you read in our previous blog, before arriving to the Dome we had already had breakfast at the Iron Whisk (in town Cobden) and visited the chickens + peach smoothies/cider slush at Rendleman Orchards in Alto Pass. Check-in is usually 3pm, but we received a message around 2pm through AirBNB that we could check in sooner! We were actually grabbing sandwiches at The Flying Pig (formerly Duty’s Country Store), so this timed out perfectly that after our tour of the store, we could head straight to the Dome to eat. You can access the Dome from three roads off of US 51; Blueberry Hill (across from Depper near Bass Farms), Cobden School (the main road we take into Cobden), and Bell Hill (Historic Bell Hill House). This makes it right in the middle for access to the East side wineries, and just down the road from Alto Pass to access the West side. To give you an idea of proximity, the Dome is located 4 minutes (driving) from The Iron Whisk, 5 minutes from Owl Creek Vineyard, 9 minutes from StarView Vineyards, 11 minutes from Havisham Bourbon Bar (Alto Pass town proper) and 14 minutes from Rendleman Orchards, Alto Vineyards & Von Jakob Vineyards and Distillery.

Upon arrival, I immediately jumped out of the car to get pictures. The Dome is so impressive upon first view, and we were there on the most beautiful day. Squirrels, birds, and a rabbit immediately greeted us on the deck as we sat our bags down inside; it was a Snow White moment.

We ate our sandwiches and toured around; the property sits on a couple of acres and outside of the cared-for lawn are woods. We saw only one vehicle on the road during our stay, and that was the tractor of the cattle farmer across the way for a few minutes. There is a gorgeous deck that the Dome rests on, as well as lounging and sitting chairs, table, grill, and hot tub. I found the motion-activated dim lighting along the railing and steps to be especially helpful at navigating the deck at night, without being so bright as to disturb anyone inside the Dome.

We checked out the game barn for just a bit, reminding ourselves we had to stop challenging each other at Pac-Man and get back on the road! We were excited to see darts, the arcade game, board games, and a boombox. Along one wall was a bulletin board with local menus, sports teams that had been sponsored, letters from past guests. It was so cool to check out!

After we were done eating, we hit the road again. We visited StarView, Giant City Lodge for dinner, and finished our evening at Havisham Bourbon Bar. By the time we returned to the Dome it was later than we usually stay up, but it was my birthday and we hadn’t gotten to explore the game barn or hot tub yet…so we had to be troopers!

We changed and hit the hot tub, and then after drying off we grabbed a few drinks and walked bac out to the game barn. In the evening it was much cooler, and the fans were great at pushing the hot air out while bringing the cooler night air in. We had really looked forward to hanging at the barn; usually when we travel we visit arcades, but since having kids we have found it easier to stay at places with games than try to take them into a place. Being able to blast some music and take turns at the machine while the other threw darts was just so relaxing, and while it doesn’t sound that exciting…you kind of forget how nice the simple things feel when you don’t have a toddler trying to climb onto the roof or a baby on your leg. The Dome provided the perfect atmosphere to have these little moments of pause and appreciation.

The Farrs have built more than a place to stay, they’ve built an experience. As part of that experience, they want you to unplug and enjoy your time there at the Dome. That means no wi-fi or televisions, but in their place we were delighted to find an old boombox (look it up youths) with cassettes and CDs aplenty, dart board, so much information about the area, the gaming shelf and Pac-man, books, lounging areas inside the barn…even a scavenger hunt that we just didn’t have the time for!

A little past midnight we decided to head inside, the Farrs had so sweetly left a slice of blueberry cheesecake from Schoolhouse Cheesecakes in the fridge, and I had saved it for my birthday dessert. After drawing the darkening curtains and adjusting our complimentary sleep masks, we adjusted the air for noise and passed out until our alarms went off.

When we woke in the morning, we were pleasantly surprised by our rabbit friend’s return; we also saw a blue jay, cardinal, and two chipmunks all at the bird feeder at the same time! Seeing these from bed was just so cool.

The Dome provides a Keurig and local coffee, but we wanted a cup from The Green Mug before we left the area. Check-out and clean up instructions were very minimal, which was appreciated as we needed to get back home after coffee to let our dogs out.

All in all, we loved this stay and would be back!

We recommend it for couples looking to get away and reconnect, two to three friends (especially those visiting the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail), and those with one to two children over the age of 7.

Full tour here:

• Basic Facts

  • two queen beds, one is upstairs

  • shower with shampoo, conditioner, and body wash + a bar of natural locally-made soap available

  • kitchen with fridge and microwave, sink; plates & utensils provided

  • record player with bluetooth

  • game barn with board & card games, Pac-man set to free mode, and lounging areas + music available and recommendations for local attractions + picnic area outside of it

  • hot tub that can seat 4 comfortably (possibly more but I’m fat and like to stretch out)

  • well-maintained lawn & woods surround the Dome giving total privacy; we were unable to see the Dome or hot tub from the road until we pulled up into the driveway

  • split wood pile located near the fire pit that seats 4, we did not spend enough time here to start a fire and enjoy the complimentary smores kit but I wish we could have!

  • bird feeder that attracts SO MANY birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and a rabbit that is viewable from bed

  • Outdoor seating & dining area plus loungers for tanning or relaxing

• Accessibility & Sensory Information

  • upstairs is for sleeping room only, while I do think the Dome was easy to navigate and get around, the stairs would be challenging for someone with disabilities to access but the downstairs felt easy to navigate with no major obstacles

  • LOADS of natural light, but no strong feelings of solar heat near the windows. Skylight at the top of the dome. Big open window view from the downstairs bed, there are thick and dark curtains that completely cover this at night. Both doors have glass strips that allow natural light in, and there are two triangle shaped smaller windows along the wall opposite the sleeping area. Because of how the bed is positioned, light from these does not affect you while sleeping.

  • Light under cabinets in kitchen are white, by the bed are yellow. There are bar lights that give off a very nice minimal light that allows you to move around the room without being intrusive —think lights like in a movie theater aisle.

  • There are steps to access one side of the Dome, or you could walk along the slight incline in the yard and access the deck/Dome from the hot tub and fire pit side of the property.

  • Gravel drive

  • Hot tub has adjustable lights and temperature, steps and handrail

  • Outdoor lighting: remote or switch-controlled string lights outdoors by the hot tub and under the roof of the picnic area, motion-sensor lights along the railings and near doors on deck, outdoor street light near parking area, the light does not shine in through the big windows by the bed.

  • Fragrance: no noticeable plug-ins, bathroom had White Barn room spray, overall scent was of cleaning product (possibly Fabuloso which I only know because it’s my favorite!) and no noticeable scents on fabrics.

  • Sounds: the only sounds were of the air kicking on or off (there is a remote control so you may adjust it) or the birds in the morning

  • Temperature: the Dome has a system that is remote-controlled, as well as a dehumidifier I believe. It felt nice and cool the entire time, and it maintained temperature fairly evenly throughout! No complaints on temperature or humidity.