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Ever wanted to get away in a tiny house in the woods? Of course it’s on your bucket list, or if it isn’t it should be. I’d always been curious about tiny houses, so when I saw this company, I realized this was my chance. I first heard of the company from Instagram while I was living in New York. Since I didn’t have a car in NYC going to the Catskills was a mere pipe dream, but I signed up for their newsletter so I could remember it. Imagine my surprise when I got a newsletter telling me they were giving 20% off in March and April… and there is a getaway house in Starved Rock, IL. I booked! Now what follows is my Getaway house IL review…
I arrived on a Tuesday – you don’t get your code for the door until a hour before the check-in time of 3 pm. I stayed for two nights which is something I do recommend. One night would not have been enough time for me to really get the feel of the place.
Pro Tip
Make sure to keep the bathroom door open the whole time so it either gets heat or air conditioning.
In this getaway house IL review, I’m going to tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly. Ok, there’s no ugly. It was a nice stay. I loved that when I arrived there was a personal handwritten note. It gave such a nice touch – I also got s’mores from the company and Walmart. Turns out they have some sort of deal with them. Not gonna lie – I have no idea how to make a campfire and it was just me there, so I didn’t do one and didn’t have the s’mores. There is a stove, but it’s electric, not gas, so you can’t brown your marshmallows there either. My cabin, the Elynor, actually had one issue – the back burner wouldn’t light. However, it didn’t stop me from having a good time.
There was some internet service, but there’s no wifi. There is a bluetooth radio in the cabin, which I had on almost the entire time I was there. I can’t tell you how many times I heard “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, and “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift played. Now I know both songs by heart. I have also realized I like having wifi. Like a lot.
I went there to work on some personal work – ahem, my new branding website – so I had things to do. If you went there with the idea to explore the area I hope you’re an avid hiker. The houses are about 15 to 20 minutes from Starved Rock State Park. I’m pretty sure that’s probably why most people go there. Let’s be honest, it’s not the town of Ottowa that’s bringing them. Although I could be wrong!
Since I’m not much of a hiker and I was alone I just checked out the lodge and the visitor’s center. It could be cool to have a meal at the lodge, but I wouldn’t put it on my bucket list. In fact, the food choices there were not that great. I didn’t venture into the little town of Marseilles, IL because it sort of gave me the creeps. I did see better restaurants in Ottowa, but didn’t hit any of them.
All in all, I had a nice time at the getaway, but it’s not something I will be doing again. I’ve crossed it off my bucket list and can now move on to the next. I hope my getaway house IL review has helped you if you were on the fence about going. It’s definitely something to experience at least once! Let me know in the comments if any of you think you might go – or if you have gone and what you think!
It sounds like a great get away but two days would be the best adventure.
Yes, I agree. I was there for two nights and it was the right amount of time.