“The difficulty of always feeling that you ought to be doing something is that you tend to undervalue the times when you’re apparently doing nothing, and those are very important times.”
Brian eno
As an educator working on a college campus, August is by far my busiest season of the year. I consistently worked 14-16 hour day shifts a vast majority of the month. I am a hard worker but I also need to relax; I need to disconnect — we all do really. Once September rolled around, I knew I would need to pause and step away from all that August threw at me (and I mean she threw serious hands, okay!).
Before you start reading, I made a mini-vlog of my Getaway House adventures on TikTok, check it out here!
Getaway House Overview
Getaway provided the perfect travel destination for me to be in nature with no agenda, Wifi, social media, or cell phone. Their vision is to “create distance from the relentless demands of work, schedules, and technology. We want our guests to experience unscheduled, unstructured, and uninterrupted free time — not just for rest and rejuvenation, but to foster inspiration, creativity, and connection.”
What a gift it was to simply exist in nature and reconnect with myself. If you have never heard of Getaway, it is a travel-meets-wellness company that offers unique forest retreats in tiny homes across the country. I stayed at one of the newest outpost called Getaway Dale Hollow, located roughly 1 hour and 50 minutes from Nashville in Celina, TN. All of their outposts are located outside of large cities to offer a true escape from the hustle and bustle of life.
What are the cabins like at Getaway House?
These cabins are pretty much like tiny house rentals complete with a queen-sized bed, a 2-person table that can be folded down for space, a mini-kitchen including a 2-burner stovetop, mini-fridge, and sink, person bathroom (toilet and hot shower included!), as well as heat and A/C.
A few other features included a grill grate, fire pit (wood and fire kindling available for purchase), chairs/ picnic table, cell phone lockbox, and camp snacks available for purchase. I especially loved the cell phone lockbox. Once I took my photos and captured any moments I wanted to remember, I fully immersed myself in nature.
What should you bring to your Getaway House?
Getaway does an excellent job of providing everything you need. They have the stovetop, fridge, cooking utensils, cups, bowls, plates, etc. to create a meal. I definitely recommend packing light, you honestly do not need much beyond the essentials (e.g. comfortable shoes, sleeping clothes, loungewear, breathable clothing for outdoor activities, sunscreen, bug spray). A few additional things I brought along were a candle, oil diffuser, and a few books I wanted to read.
How do meals work at Getaway House?
With all that is provided in the cabin, you never truly have to leave for food unless you want to visit some local eateries in the area. I stopped outside of Nashville and purchased snacks as well as groceries to cook during my stay. For instance, I made salmon and broccoli for dinner one night then bacon/eggs for breakfast another day. I would have loved to light the campfire for smores but had heavy rain on the evening I planned to do so.
If you happen to forget something, you can purchase things like coffee/tea, pasta + sauce from their outpost (just call using the red phone located in your getaway) and they will deliver it to you!
What to do during your Getaway House stay?
What you choose to do is really up to you. I came in with no agenda or expectations. Simply allowed myself to go with the flow of what my body needed or felt like doing on the given day. Each outpost has plenty to explore near your cabin. Gus and I visited Winding Stairs Loop which is a hiking trail that also includes breathtaking waterfalls.
How safe are the cabins at Getaway House?
When I told a few of my closest friends that I was going into the woods for a few days, I instantly was met with concern or “Brooke, you are doing what?!” You have a private cabin but you are not alone during the stay. Think of it as a private community of tiny homes. There are roughly 50 cabins spread across 415 acres. Each cabin is equipped with a landline phone and there are staff on-site during your stay.
Are the cabins pet friendly at Getaway House?
Dogs are welcome at Getaway House! That was one of the selling points for me as I travel often but bringing Gus along can sometimes be a burden in terms of where he can stay. I loved being able to share the experience with him and explore, rest, and recharge.
Booking Your Own Getaway
To book a stay just choose your location, number of guests, number of beds and a date. Prices range from $99 to around $239 per night depending on the location selected.
This was exactly what I needed to disconnect and I am looking forward to visiting their other locations soon! Stay well friends and I hope you find time for yourself this week.
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