The tiny house obsession is real inside my home. My two elementary aged kids spent a solid 30 minutes trying to convince me that we could live in a 560 square foot house located in the Pacific Northwest after watching an episode of Tiny House Nation. While I reveled in the idea of having approximately a third of the stuff that we currently own, I know better than to pretend that 560 square feet is enough for 3 people especially with the Indiana winters that we have to tolerate. Still though, the idea of downsizing and living more simply is one that I can’t easily escape.
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When we got an offer to check out Getaway Brown County, I immediately said yes. The cabins range in size from 140 square feet to 200 square feet so definitely tiny. I worried that we wouldn’t last the weekend without a television and potentially cell phone service, but wanted to give it a shot anyway. The scenery in Brown County and our own creativity would have to suffice.
Boasting 250 private acres with 45 cabins, Getaway Brown County provides you with “everything you need and nothing you don’t”. This makes the experience super accessible and easy to do on a whim. You literally only need yourself and some clothing. The cabins are equipped with one or two queen size beds, full bathroom with hot water, ac/heat, refrigerator and stove, firewood and roasting sticks, plus picnic table and fire-pit seating. They also have meal kits (must be purchased ahead of arriving), snack kits, s’more kits, and firewood kits available for purchase. Whatever you use will be charged to your card after you leave. We are seasoned campers so we opted to bring our own groceries for the weekend, but next time I would definitely like to give their meal kit a try.
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My kids and I spent the first evening getting settled into our cabin by having a dance party with the provided radio. I had forgotten what it was like to hear ads every 5 songs, but it brought a much needed break in between all the crazy dance moves that were happening. We also roasted marshmallows with the provided s’mores kit (obviously) and read a story before settling in a little early.
The next morning we got to wake up with the sun and peek outside the massive windows in our cabin and into the woods. We started off the day with breakfast and coffee before heading out for a walk on the nature path. The path winds through the wooded area before looping back around towards the cabins. We saw tons of small animals, wildflowers and butterflies.
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Afternoon came quickly and my kids were growing restless, so we hopped in the car and headed to Little Nashville, Indiana. We spent a few hours exploring all that the town had to offer – between ice cream shops, boutiques, and art galleries there was plenty to see.
We ended the night with more s’mores and ghost stories around the fire. It was the perfect weekend to reconnect without distractions and to spend some time using our creativity to entertain and create memories. The smallness of the area we were in only brought us closer and gave attention to areas where we otherwise might be lacking. I’m not sure it’s the solution all of our problems and I don’t anticipate committing to the lifestyle full time, but it sure was a treat to “getaway” and test out tiny living for ourselves.
If you want to experience tiny house living or to just disconnect from technology and spend time with a loved or two then Getaway Brown County might be a good option for you. It’s definitely the right time of year to visit with the changing leaves. For more information or to book a weekend away head to getaway.house/brown-county
