Getaway, it's summer! My prep and plan for a tiny house adventure

Summer is here! And that means for many of us, travel! While I don’t have a big trip on the agenda this year (Europe was last year, so a breather we must take) my husband and I did plan a little ‘welcome to summer’ getaway to celebrate our five year anniversary.Like any good organizer, I extend my neurosis method into how I plan for a trip and thought I’d share some of my tips and tricks with you!

On this particular trip we needed somewhere within driving distance and were hoping to check off some joint criteria. My husband grew up camping and is constantly trying to find a way to squeeze outdoor adventure into our schedule. While I spent many a marvelous summer away at camp, and as a city dweller occasionally find myself longing for the sounds of undisturbed nature, limited access to plumbing is not my idea of a vacation. So when we started thinking about a little anniversary trip something that hit the middle was in order.

Like providence, an email review from @hobokengirlblog for Think Big: A Tiny House Resort showed up in my inbox. It was a beautiful culmination of all the things we wanted for a getaway: nature and air conditioning! Basically, glamping. We booked immediately.

Planning

Once our dates were scheduled, I set to work planning a loose itinerary. I wanted to have an idea of our days, but not have them too strictly structured. (That is my typical travel M.O.) The resort owners sent us an email full of great references and information on the surrounding areas which was so helpful, but of course trusty Google was at the ready. I researched and made a list of some local restaurants because I was certainly not cooking on this trip. I also wanted to find a hiking trail of moderate difficulty that could be completed in under 4 hours. A little googling and random blog surfing landed me with the plan to hike a loop by North-South lake in Tannersville. We’d follow that up with a massage at the resort and dinner at a highly recommended restaurant a few towns over. The other days would just go with the flow based on what I’d complied in my quick research. I typed all of this up on, you guessed it, a list, and then set to pack accordingly.

*Pack by day and keep everything bundled for easy organization*

Packing

Since we were heading to a tiny home where space was at a literal minimum, my packing game had to be strong. Enter- another list. I cobbled together the gist of what was needed - which was all over the spectrum since I needed clothing for both a nice dinner out and a four mile hike - and then laid everything out on the bed. I pack by day, creating little outfit bundles and always add in a back up or what I call my ‘swing’ pieces. My swing pieces are the pinch hitters of my wardrobe that can pull multiple duties. Essential travel items! I try to keep things somewhat thematic so items can work with each other if I need to change it up at the last minute. After I’ve made initial selections I do a mini S.O.S. process (sort/simplify-outline/organize-storage solutions) to distill the necessary items, avoid over packing, and still have enough for surprises (aka when I inevitably spill something on myself)!

Once I’ve done the final edit, the final ‘S’ stage -storage solutions- is employed!

1.) Packing cubes. You guys, packing cubes are truly a wonderful invention. They keep everything organized and compress their contents to help you fit more!

2.) Luggage. I picked up the Away carry-on suitcase last year and its been a travel game changer for me. It easily manipulates in and out of tight spaces (like those dreaded overhead compartments), yet is so intelligently designed I was able to pack for a 7-day European trip A built in phone charger and dirty laundry bag- I mean, come on! Packing this bag seemed like a requisite compliment for our tiny adventure.

The Trip
We stayed in the house called ‘The Lux’ and while the tour only lasted approximately three minutes, the impact was huge! The namesake of our little abode for the weekend comes from the FULL SIZE kitchen, complete with dishwasher. Not joking around. You could cook a full meal in there, no problems. (In fact you can get fresh eggs from the chicken coop for breakfast everyday and even pick some veggies from the community garden and cook yourself a glorious breakfast feast. But we did not, because I’m on vacation, damnit.)

The efficient layout of the house was really inspiring! The space between fridge and cabinetry that is usually empty had a small pullout cabinet (presumable for spices) and all the doors were barn style sliders so as not to eat up space. While the bed was lofted and you had to climb up to it, the ladder was more like stairs, giving a gentle slope to enter and exit. The nightstands were small shelves anchored to the wall and you could control the lighting from the bed loft or the main space. They really fit everything in, just so. It spoke to my form and function organizer heart!

*The view from the bed loft of our tiny abode*

Each house at the resort is different and are peppered throughout the property. It took all my composure not to go peeping in windows to see how the others were set up. (So I just looked at them online instead… and I gotta say, you should too). A stroll of the grounds revealed a pool overlooking the river, an anchored river raft to float in, kayaks, a wellness tent on the river for massages (oh you bet we did), and if that’s not enough there’s a waterfall on site.

We spent our anniversary following my game plan, hiking a beautiful trail nearby and taking in the vistas. We returned to have the aforementioned glorious couples massage before heading to dinner in the town of Saugerties at The Red Onion and It. Was. Divineeeee. (Seriously, where did this place come from?!) We finished the evening roasting marshmallows for s’mores by our very own fire pit.

The next day, before heading out we stopped by the resort-sponsored goat yoga. By goat yoga I mean humans doing very little posing and mostly giggling while a cavalcade of goats bombard you looking for snacks. Honestly, my kind of exercise. Afterward we had a pancake breakfast out on the lawn before packing it up to go home, but not before sneaking off for some mimosas on a rocking bench by the river. *Sigh*

The whole visit was dreamy and I could go on and on about the mini adventures we had within this weekend and the adorable details and delights of this unconventional getaway but I’ll spare you. (I tend to be verbose in general but this could just get ridiculous.) I will say that it was a truly wonderful experience and I am now obsessed with tiny homes. (Shocking.) I can’t wait to go back and experience and different house during a different time of year!