Note: This post is not sponsored. Getaway has no idea who I am and I used my own money 🙂
This post is going to be a bit different! I don’t have a creative endeavor to share, but wanted to share my experience nevertheless. I spent a weekend with Jacko in nature to rest, reset, and to gain inspiration for future posts. Below is a review of my experience at the Getaway House, Beaver Creek. Spoiler Alert: I loved it, and definitely will be doing it again.
About Getaway House
Getaway House offeres me the level of communing with nature that I am comfortable with: immersed in nature but with modern comforts. I’ve never been one to enjoy camping in a tent on the forest floor. Getaway provided a heated cabin filled with clean, comfortable bedding and indoor plumbing.
Getaway has many locations across the country, but the closest Getaway to Pittsburgh is the Beaver Creek location. The grounds sit next to the Beaver Creek State Park in Ohio. It is only an hour away, and an easy trip to make after work on a Friday. I stayed Friday and Saturday night and checked out Sunday morning.
Hiking
One of my main purposes for going was to try out hiking with Jacko. While we had definitely tackled wooded walks in the past, I wanted to begin going on trails with him. However, since neither he nor I are particularly experienced, we chose a relatively easy trail to start. I’m obviously not going to be giving expert hiking advice here, but if you are looking for a great hiking blog, check out Hannah over at Hikes and Hops!
Vondergreen and North Country Trail
After a trip to a local restaurant and settling in Friday night, we set off Saturday morning to Beaver Creek State Park. I chose the Vondergreen and North Country Trail as our first trek. It was a short hike: only about 2.5 miles long (out and back). I took a lot of pictures, so it took Jacko and I about an hour and a half to complete it. There was definitely some elevation but nothing too challenging. Since I was hiking alone, I used the AllTrails offline navigation to make sure I didn’t get lost and made sure to let someone know which trail I was going on beforehand.
As you are well aware by now, I love mushrooms, and this offered a great opportunity to find some. I haven’t identified all of them yet, but I definitely ran into some ubiquitous Turkey Tails. I plan on making another diorama similar to my last post for them soon, so watch my instagram for that!
I spent the rest of Saturday snuggling in bed and reading after taking a nice hot shower after the hike. In the evening I attempted to light a fire, twice, with only minimal success. However, I managed to keep it going long enough to roast some s’mores before going to bed.
Nature Trail – Getaway House
The second ‘hike’ I did with Jacko was actually part of the Getaway House grounds. Aside from the elevation down to the trail and back up to the cabins, this was more like a leisurely walk. However, it was stunning! Jacko and I did this before check-out Sunday morning and it was the perfect way to end our stay.
Things to Consider
Bringing your dog
This place was extremely dog friendly and Jacko had an amazing time! I could tell he didn’t want to leave. They provided dog bowls, poop bags, a long line outside, and even towels for muddy paws. The only thing I found a bit challenging for Jacko was getting up and down off of the bed (specifically getting down). There is a bench before the floor, but was a bit steep for him. He managed it after working himself up but I thought I would mention it if your dog is on the larger side and has trouble with steep stairs.
Food
The only other thing I can think to mention is about food. I highly suggest either purchasing their sustenance box or bringing some supplies if you want to remain in nature and not have to make too many trips into the outside world.
I did bring ground coffee, filters, and the top part of my Melita pour-over system and I’m really glad I did. They have pour-over coffee packets with built-in filters available at the cabin, but it costs $1.50 for each cup and I drink a lot of coffee.
The rest of my meals I sourced from the surrounding area. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the dinners I got at the Shale Tavern & Grille and the breakfast sandwich and baked goods from Two Smart Cookies. However, it did take away a bit from the secluded feel to have to throw Jacko in the car and drive around to get food.
Final Thoughts
Bottom Line: I loved it! I will definitely be doing this again. I’m sure the experience will vary based on the season, so it will be fun to go in the summer, spring, and winter to check it out. I hope someone found this useful 🙂 See you in the next post.
