Welcome to the Delightful Dome!
These guidelines are meant to enrich your visit. Please text or call us any time if you have questions or issues – we want to hear from you! We also appreciate feedback on ways we could improve your visit or about items that need attention or repair. Thanks for taking care of the Dome, and have a wonderful visit!
Spafford Ackerly & Kathy Ballek, 720-310-0235 (voice or text), [email protected]
Basics
RULES: No Parties, No Smoking or Incense, No Pets, Not Suitable for Children – sorry!
EMERGENCIES: If you can’t reach us, try Betsy Becraft (303-532-7274, text only)
We Do Our Best to Provide
A pleasant inviting home with all amenities, including kitchen appliances, cutlery, pots and pans, linens, towels, washing machine and dryer, etc.
The Basics: Coffee and tea upon arrival; Spices; Soap, shampoo & lotion; Bedding & linens; LED candles
Purified drinking water (see below, and www.delightfuldome.com/water)
WiFi (password: to be provided)
To Bring
- Slippers (for adobe floor); Bathing suit & towel (for hot springs)
- Sturdy shoes (for sand and cactus); Cap or visor (for strong sun)
- Audio/video player (none provided)
- Food (available in Crestone at the Crestone Mercantile and Elephant Cloud Market; see https://www.delightfuldome.com/dining-shopping-sights-crestone/)
- Firewood (if you wish to use the woodstove). We keep the dome at a comfortable 70 degrees with radiant floor heating, and the bedroom a bit cooler.
Directions and Arrival
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/oDRePTs8HAw
Website: https://www.delightfuldome.com/directions
Driveway is U-shaped and sandy. Stay near the road if there is snow on the ground.
A digital keybox is mounted to the right of the front door (we will provide a PIN code). Place your palm on the Keypad to illuminate the dial – enter any numbers until you hear it beep (no beep? rub it, massage it, tap it!) – then enter the PIN code and Select the UNLOCK ICON in the Middle of the Keypad.
Details about access: https://www.delightfuldome.com/entry
If the key box does not work, there is a spare key in a BLACK lock box mounted on the end of a railroad tie, located at eye level about six feet from the bottom of the stairs (). We will provide the combo.
When you arrive, you may find a couple of windows cracked open (near front door and in kitchen), and a HEPA-quality air filter running in the living room. During hot weather, the blinds will be left closed and shades placed in the circular windows in the living room and in the cupola of the dome.
Departure
- Can you take recycle? Thank you, and no worries if you can’t! (See info below).
- Clean any food from fridge
- Place wet garbage in freezer
- Close windows and during hot weather, close shades and place circular shades in the circular windows in the living room
- Lock doors and RETURN KEY to KEY BOX
General Info
Shoes: We asks that guests remove their shoes in the Dome. Thank you!
Candles and Incense: Please no Incense or Oils in the Dome. You will find some LED candles for your use.
Cell and WiFi: Reasonable reception for Verizon and AT&T service. WiFi Password: delightful
Drinking Water: A Berkey drip filter system is provided. Empty the lower chamber before filling the upper chamber. See www.delightfuldome.com/water
GARBAGE. Separate into:
- Food and smelly garbage. If full, place smelly garbage in the freezer.
- Dry trash. If full, place dry trash in pantry.
Hot Water: Is provided by a tankless water heater. The kitchen faucet is slow to heat up.
Car Problems? Give us a call and we will try to help. Try Gabe’s Auto Repair: (719) 239-1194 (cell) – he does not work on rentals. Crestone taxi service: (719) 256-4091.
Neighbors: some are friendly, some are not; please do not disturb them; call us instead!
Bears and Insects
NOTE: Bears rarely attack or harm people, but they do get into garbage and break into cars and homes if they smell food. Therefore:
During bear season (late February through December; i.e. most of the year!):
- Do Not Leave Garbage Outdoors. Any overflow should be placed in the pantry (dry) or freezer (food garbage).
- Rinse Recycle Thoroughly, to minimize odors.
- Do Not Leave Food or Food Wrappers in Your Car.
- Close downstairs windows not protected by electric fence guards
- Electric fence guards may be installed on several windows
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- Electric fences are very effective at deterring bears, and their use ensures a cool breeze and a good night sleep during the heat of summer
- The electric fence charger is located in the pantry straight ahead as you walk in. When operating properly, the light on the unit flashes red and emits a faint clicking sound. (If the light is not on or not flashing, please get in touch with us, or check the website for troubleshooting details. Note: an electric fence tester is hanging beside the charger in a small black bag. (contact us if you need access to the pantry)
- For more info: https://www.delightfuldome.com/bears.
Insects: Be prepared for mosquitos and other flying insects in summer, especially in late June, July, and early August.
Ventilation and Cooling in Summer
See https://www.delightfldome.com/cooling
Close the shades and place circular shades in the circular windows.
Close windows:
- When you leave for any time. Storms come quickly in the mountains.
- During high winds and dust storms;
- During rain
Exhaust hot air using square fan in the upstairs window; secure it to the curtain wire using the attached rope.
Evaporative Cooling Unit
- Add water into the fill hole ON THE SIDE of the unit. Water level is visible below fill.
- Do NOT put water into the top (this is for ice).
- Best used with upstairs windows OPEN to exhaust the moist air. Can be used as a fan.
Heat in the Winter
See https://www.delightfuldome.com/heat/
Heating System: Thermostats are located in the living area and bedroom. Please contact us if you need them adjusted. NOTE: The dome is heated by a radiant floor heating system that takes many hours to respond. Thus, changing the thermostat temperature will not change the temperature of the dome for a long time.
Need quick heat? Use the portable electric heater (below).
Firewood: We ask that guests bring their own firewood. Firewood bundles can be purchased at most large grocery stores in nearby towns on Route 285 (Conifer, Fairplay, Buena Vista, Poncha Springs) and at Crestone Mercantile. We suggest 1-2 bundles per night.
If you are in dire need, we can sell you firewood from our stack (but it’s cheaper in town!). Please contact us.
Woodstove: To light, pull knob on front of stove straight out; crack door of woodstove, crack an outside door or window. Build a top-down fire with larger logs on bottom and smaller logs and 1 or 2 fire starters on top. Keep the door mostly closed during lighting to eliminate smoke entering room. Push the front knob in to reduce air flow and slow the burn (see https://www.delightfuldome.com/heat).
Amenities
Kitchen: Includes gas range, dishwasher (very loud), dishes, cutlery, utensils, toaster oven, toaster, microwave, kettle, pots and pans for cooking and baking, blender, crock pot, paper towels, garbage bags, tin foil, dish detergent, sponges, hand soap, some spices, drip coffee cone and filters, canola oil.
Bath: Includes toilet paper, hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, hair dryer, first aid kit
Laundry: The pantry is currently locked. Please contact us if you need access to washer/dryer, iron/ironing board, laundry detergent.
Living/Dining Areas: Feel free to move furniture around to suit your needs.
Loft: Includes a yoga mat, meditation floor cushions, shrine, tea candles and holders. Feel free to create your own shrine table.
Lights: dimmers are installed for the dining area and bathroom
Smoke and CO2 Alarms: Yes
Circuit Breakers: Panel is outside on the north side of the dome. If the kitchen outlets do not work, try resetting them by pushing the button(s) on ALL OF the kitchen plugs.
Structure: The structure consists of an outer shell of dense insulating foam and an inner shell of concrete. See more at www.delightfuldome.com/dome.
Wildfire & Evacuation
- The owners receive code red alerts for Crestone; we will call you if we receive an alert, but feel free to call us too! (https://www.slve911.org/). Also:
- A fire siren will alert residents in Crestone to an immediate threat.
- A continuous blast means that you should evacuate
- A single blast is a call for firefighters to report to the firehouse.
- Two blasts means that communications are broadcast by CB radio, channel 37.
- If you evacuate during a wildfire:
- Close all windows, leave doors UNLOCKED, and leave Lights ON
- Close the value on the propane tank near the shed
- The main evacuation route from the dome is the way you arrived (via Panorama and Camino Baca Grande). If this route is blocked, then take a left (south) on Camino Baca Grande and after about 1/4 mile take a right onto Camino Real:
- If you have a normal clearance or 2-wheel drive vehicle, then continue west into the prairie at the end of Camino Real and await help
- If you have a high-clearance 4-wheel drive, then head right on Wagon Wheel Road and a right onto Spanish Creek Trail (keep moving to avoid getting stuck).
- If stuck or not able to evacuate, then either stay put or head generally downhill towards the prairie, or towards an area that has already burned and cooled.
- More info: http://www.bacapoa.org/Page/14064~134982/Disaster-and-Wildfire-Preparedness and http://www.crestoneeagle.com/wp-admin/evacuation-tips-for-crestone-and-baca-grande-subdivision-residents/
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/oDRePTs8HAw
Website: https://www.delightfuldome.com/directions
Find your way to Moffat on Route 17 (south of Salida, north of Alamosa). 0.5 mi south of Moffat, turn East onto T Road (two dispensaries mark the turn)
After 11.8 mi, turn Right (South) onto Camino Baca Grande (an Information Kiosk is at the junction; the main road bears Left (N) to the town of Crestone)
After 1.2 mi, turn Left onto Panorama Way (just past North Chapparal Way)
After 0.5 mi, turn Right onto Peaceful Way. After 0.25 mi, the road curves to the Left, and at 0.3 mi the property is on the Right
