If you are looking to get away from city life to unplug and relax, look no further than the Getaway House. Here's how my stay went.......
I'm sure by now you've seen tons of posts on social media referencing the Getaway House and how tranquil and serene it is to spend your time there and sleep in the woods. I've been wanting to go for about a year now and we finally took the time to do so. We booked our escape with the Getaway House DC which is actually 2 hours out of DC in Stanardsville, VA (near Shenandoah National Park).
“Welcome to your tiny sanctuary in the woods.”
I must say that with the ongoing pandemic and having an immune disorder, I have been extremely cautious with where I go, making sure everything is sanitized, and refraining from contact with people. I have literally been at home since March 8th. However, my mind was put at ease when I read about the precautionary measures that the Getaway staff has put in place such as deep cleaning and sanitizing each cabin after every stay, the staff wears full PPE if they have to come in contact with you for any reason/they wear full PPE around one another, and there's up to 150 feet between each cabin (so you're not super close to your cabin neighbors).
Before your arrival, you will be given a code via text for the keypad of your cabin in order to gain access. You will also receive a map of the entire property to guide you on your way to your cabin. Keep in mind that check-in is at 3 pm and check-out is at 11 am. Anyway, once you pull up, outside of your cabin, there will be a picnic table and a fire pit/grill with chairs for you to use (weather permitting).
When we arrived, as I looked around, I said, "we're definitely in the woods". I was so excited to get inside and explore. One of the best parts upon arriving was seeing that we had a "no contact check-in". Considering the fact that we are still in the middle of a pandemic, reducing exposure to people is absolutely necessary.
Anyway, I enter the code on the keypad and open the door. I first noticed a pamphlet with information regarding getting in touch with the staff, rules for the property, things to do, etc. The pamphlet also instructed us to remove our shoes at the door (anyone who knows me knows that I love this rule because you will NEVER walk around my place with your shoes on). We removed our shoes, but of course, you know I still had on socks because I don't trust that everyone who has stayed there before me removed their shoes. lol.
I then saw the note welcoming us to our tiny sanctuary in the woods....and that's exactly what this place was. Located next to the note was a cellphone lockbox to place our phones into so that we could have the full experience of disconnecting from the world since we live in a time where our phones are literally our lifeline.
The bathroom was the second part of the cabin that I saw. It was actually pretty spacious for such a small cabin/house. The bathroom was handicap accessible, had a first aid kit, and came with essentials such as body wash, shampoo, and conditioner (did I mention that these products are organic?!)
The bathroom had a small window with a blackout curtain. The shower was made of stainless steel and had a detachable showerhead.
The rest of the cabin was pretty much like a studio apartment (everything is in one room). Our kitchen space had plates, 1 pot/pan, coffee/tea mugs, a mixing bowl, and cooking/eating utensils. We also had a tea kettle, two-burner stove, mini-fridge, and much-needed dishcloths. Other essentials provided include dish soap and a sponge to clean our dishes.
I don't want to leave out that they ask you to clean your dishes before leaving to make the job of the staff easier.
Let me say this now - buy your food and snacks ahead of time! You are in the middle of nowhere. Don't be fooled by their "provisions for purchase" statement. They do not have real food or snacks. As you can see in the picture, there is a small countertop crate that includes a small package of pasta noodles and sauce, small containers of oatmeal, jerky, candy, coffee, and tea.
I will stress this again - BUY FOOD AHEAD OF TIME!
Oh - and make use of the grill if you have good weather!
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you won't be disappointed with your stay here!
My Favorite Part?
Now......for the absolute best part of this tranquil, piece of heaven on earth........THE BED!!! This bed was so comfortable. I got some of the best sleep of my life in this bed. Whenever I stay anywhere, the comfortability level of the bed is mandatory or I will never visit again. Wherever they bought their mattress and their high thread count sheets should be shared with the public because listen....... I WILL GIVE THEM MY COINS!
I could have lounged in this bed for days. It was the perfect place (combined with the windows of wooded scenery) to sit and read, journal, reflect, or lay up with your significant other. If you don't bring your own reading material, you'll have a few to choose from beside your bed.
The house has central AC/heat and the panel to control it is right next to the bed. However, I will say the AC was not as cool as I expected, even with the weather being in the low 70's...FULL DISCLOSURE: I woke up sweating. lol. Because of that, I will probably only visit during fall/springtime.
*Click the arrow on the right side of this pic to see the remaining pictures.
Here's What You Need For Your Stay
What To Pack:
- Food (any snacks, food, or drinks to last you for the length of your stay)
- Hygiene Products (essential toiletries such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion, etc.)
- Washcloths or a loofah (they provide towels, but unless you like washing your body with just your hands.....you'll need to pack one of these)
- A small pocket/hand mirror (there are no mirrors anywhere)
- Medication (only if they are meds that you need daily)
- Clothes (enough for the length of your stay, preferably clothing that can be worn more than once....you're in the woods, you will not need full-on glam and runway outfits)
- Camera, books, games, phone chargers
- Shower shoes
What Can You Do?
I'll only mention the activities we planned on doing before the rain started pouring down. Check the getaway website for your specific location to determine what activities you can do while there!
- Hiking (at Shenandoah National Park or the many trails that are in/near the cabin location)
- Wine tasting (Early Mountain Vineyards)
Finally, there's no wifi at this place, so make sure you have your phone chargers in case you need to use your cell service. Cell service at our location was actually pretty decent. I expected it to be worse, but we were able to stream the entire debacle of the 2020 presidential debate while there. But I imagine that your cell service will depend on which Getaway location you are visiting.
Check out this short video I made once we arrived to get an idea (better than I can put into words) on what you'll see if you've booked a one-bed cabin:
Overall, I give my stay 10 stars because it was everything I hoped for it to be. We were in the woods and it was the perfect place to completely unplug. The house, while small, had the bare essentials you need for a stay where you want to disconnect from the world, and the bed was extremely comfortable. I recommend staying for a minimum of two days to really have the opportunity to enjoy your remote sanctuary. I'm going to visit again for a longer stay and will be able to provide more details and in-depth descriptions at that time. #getawayoften #getawayhouse #cabinsinthewoods #cb2styles
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