John and I decided to break out of our normal routine back home in San Diego where it was cold and rainy. We wanted to go somewhere beautiful and feed that wanderlust craving, but everything was way too cold, raining or just not ideal for the kind of trip we wanted. The only option was really to fully embrace winter and find somewhere to cozy up in with a gorgeous view. I started googling and found The Getaway house which happened to have a location in Big Bear. Luckily we had some money leftover from the holidays and decided to splurge and use it on this trip. The place is actually kind of pricey. Our stay was about $450, but I think it fluctuates with location and time of booking.  I read somewhere you can find it under $200 at certain times of the year.  Anywho, it was definitely worth it even for a short quick trip in my opinion. Just something fun, beautiful and great way to bond and reconnect with nature and yourself. I shared our trip via stories on my IG and got so many questions so I thought a blog post would help answer any questions and give any extra information you may need.

Honestly we had an absolutely amazing time. First thing you should know, the name says Getaway HOUSE, but it’s really a little loop community of tiny houses all in the same area. You are not alone, but your tiny home is separated enough from the neighbor that it feels private. I kind of prefer that or else it would have been scary (I may have a slight irrational fear of the woods at night). The homes were in a loop formation in the same area. When you look at photos on IG and the website, the views from the windows look so beautiful but keep in mind that every single one has a different view! The website Los Angeles area Getaway Home page gives you two options:  Forest or Mountain View (not sure if its different at other locations) . I chose mountain because I wanted more of an epic view to wake up to and wanted to fully watch the colors change on the mountains at sunrise and sunset. The cabin we personally stayed at was called ALFRED. I emailed them and requested the cabins near this one because I read somewhere that it had an epic view! So if you like Mountain View, I highly recommend this one. Just keep in mind that the sun does rise on this side of the mountain so early morning we were blinded by the sun (but it was so gorgeous ).

WHAT TO EXPECT:

The cabins are DEFINITELY tiny. Around 140-200 sq ft. so expect to be in close quarters with whoever you are staying with. The place itself, however, has everything you need to be cozy! A HUGE bed right on the window (its amazing to wake up to the view). John and I were both impressed with how comfortable the bed actually was (and we are super picky).

The place also has AC and heat, a sink, kitchen and working bathroom with toilet and shower.

You can’t cook anything too complicated in the tiny kitchen, but for a simple easy meal (like pasta or eggs for breakfast) the kitchen is perfect. I was happily surprised they had salt, pepper, utensils, a pot, kettle, oil and even tea bags.

You can pay extra to have a little food basket at the place when you arrive. We ended up taking our own food because I didn’t trust it but when we got there I realized we could have survived just fine with the basket. It had two oatmeals, a box of pasta, marinara sauce and a few small snacks.

The woods are pretty quiet (especially when its snowing) so you can hear the neighbors if they are outside and they can definitely hear you as well.

Outside of the cabin is a little picnic area, chairs and a fire pit that you can also grill on which is super nice for when its warmer out. I can’t wait to go back when its not snowing to get that outdoor camping feel but without having to really rough it.

It’s also dog friendly which is super nice. We took Pookie and it was easy peasy! They have dog bowls inside the spot for your dog as well.

WHERE TO BOOK:

Honestly the booking process was super simple and easy. I booked online then emailed them separately to request a certain view and cabin and ask a few questions. The check-in process was easy! They answered immediately and were very on top of things.  Upon arrival I didn’t have to talk to anyone at the cabin which I actually really like. It’s especially nice during covid for anyone trying to be extra careful.  The only thing that was a bit of an annoyance was that we had to park up the hill (only a little) from the cabin and walk with all our bags to the cabin. During winter with snow it was especially annoying to walk through the snow. I’m sure it’s a lot easier without snow!

You can book online, on the phone or probably even through email.  book here  online or to check out the website. 

If you have any questions feel free to DM me @frankvinyl on IG!