4 Friends and a Tiny House: Our Getaway House Experience

By now you’ve watched at least one show on HGTV about a tiny house. A couple who would rather spend their money on travel than a mortgage, a young college grad who has room to park their tiny house in their parent’s backyard… but what about a weekend getaway in a tiny house? A camping experience with a twist? This past weekend we packed up the car and headed upstate to experience tiny house living ourselves. Getaway has come up with an awesome way for city folk to unplug in the woods in their own private tiny house. The catch? You won’t know where it is until the night before you depart- only that is is around 2 hours away and possible to get to by mass transit if needbe.

We pulled up to the Isidore at check in time around 3 pm. The New York location was built on an old camp ground, so the other houses are nearby. Close enough to walk to them, but far enough that you don’t see them from your house. Outside of the Isidore sits a picnic table, two Adirondack chairs, a firepit, and a small charcoal grill.

We entered the private access code in the door and stepped inside. On the counter was a note from Sam, our on site contact should we need anything. To the left was a bed, a table with 2 chairs, and some additional items on the built in wood shelving.

The kitchen area was stocked with essentials- everything you need for cooking both inside and out on the grill- there were even skewers for smores. To the right was the bathroom- pretty large for a tiny house! With a full shower, a toilet, and a chair. Above the bathroom was the second bed- a loft bed with a ladder to access it.

Even a tiny house isn’t complete without its own version of a mini bar – which they call provisions. These snacks are available via the honor system- if you take something, keep track of what you used and then place the money for it in the provisions lock box. Before check in, there is also the option to order additional pantry items that will await you when you arrive- everything from salmon to eggs are available for purchase.

Over in the bathroom, the current toilet system has a very futuristic flush. When you’re done with business, a silver bag that looks a lot like the old Jiffy Pop spins around. Keep in mind you’re only given 15 flushes before it needs to be changed- so there is a small chalkboard hanging nearby to keep tally.

After checking out the inside of our tiny house and taking in our surroundings, we immediately got the firepit going and were ready to cheers to a fun evening with friends. We also found some games inside the tiny house to play outside- cards, dice and another game to try. Even the cups were fun and made us feel like legit campers!

We spent the rest of the evening sitting around the fire. Talking, dancing, and cheering to my 30th birthday weekend. Around 8pm we decided to throw our steak and potatoes on the grill, but realized that there was no charcoal (which we read was provided so didn’t bring any). So we called the number on the note from Sam and within two minutes he was pulling up to our house with a bag of charcoal. Later in the evening we called him once more for additional firewood since we knew we’d be hanging out pretty late. It was a great chance to ask him questions about the names of the tiny houses (they’re named after some of the team’s grandmas!) and that there were two new tiny houses in our NY location. That’s when we learned that we were situated on an old campsite, and that the Boston tiny houses were a bit more spread apart. It was awesome to hear about the houses and the surrounding area.

After dinner, we kept the fun going and finally when it was time to turn in, we headed inside to our beds. My friend and I jokingly argued over who would sleep on the loft bed- being that the ceiling wasn’t too high and we were both claustrophobic, but both her and her husband were able to sleep great (and he’s 6’4″!). The beds were comfortable and before we knew it, we were fast asleep.

The best part was the view we awoke to.  Although I spent many years waking up to a similar view living in Virginia for many years, there was something different about knowing we were in a tiny house with windows that allowed us to truly soak in the view around us. I found myself up at 6 am and just admiring the nature around us as everyone slept.

When everyone else awoke and stepped outside, we were greeted with the first brisk September morning, which called for sweaters and warm coffee. The perfect way to wrap up our stay.

While check out was at 11, we headed out around 10 am to get a head start on day 2 of my birthday celebrations. Time had flown by and we were sad it was already over. We packed up the car, locked up the tiny house, and vowed to return again.

Overall we had an awesome experience in the Tiny House. We went as a group of friends, but this experience is perfect for small families, couples, and even people who want to go alone and get work done, unplug, unwind, or just sleep. There is even a box inside the house to put your cell phone inside that challenges guests to truly unplug. And while you’re in the middle of the woods, you’re still not far off the grid- making it the perfect place for first timers and last minute travelers.

Tiny House living is a movement, and Getaway wants folks from all over to be able to experience it and appreciate it. And the rates make this extremely possible- starting at $99 for weekday stays and $129 for Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, visit www.getaway.house and tell them Bronxmama sent you!

Bronxmama Tips:

-Bring your camping chairs. At the Isidore, there were two Adirondack chairs outside and a picnic table- but the camping chairs allowed us to all sit around the fire comfortably.

-Don’t forget the ice and a cooler! There is a small mini fridge inside the tiny house, but if you’re mixing cocktails like we did, don’t forget a cooler of ice to keep those drinks nice and cold.

-Don’t waste the flushes! Men (even the women!) can easily go outside to save the flushes for when it really counts- if you know what I mean.

-Don’t forget the smores ingredients- no bonfire is complete without them!

-Provisions and the pantry items are a bit on the pricier side- worth it for the convenience but too pricey for frugal folks like myself.

-Plan to go again- because once you experience it you will for sure want to return!

We received accommodations to facilitate this post. As always, all opinions are our own.