One of our favorite parts about Getaway is being out in nature. We believe being outdoors is the perfect way to recharge and recenter before returning to the craziness of everyday life. That’s why we’re partnering with our active-wear friends Outdoor Voices Boston to encourage you to get outside and do things.
We’ve been in love with Outdoor Voices Boston for a while here at Getaway. Just the name reminds us of the beauty of the natural world and we love their #DoingThings campaign. It’s exactly what we need to remind us to take that hike and breathe in some fresh air.
That’s why we have worked together to bring guests booking our Boston Outpost the option to add on a $10 Outdoor Voices pack, including an Outdoor Voices tote, a Doing Things hat, a mini-Nalgene, a 20% off discount code for Outdoor Voices, and a copy of How to Get Away.
You can also enter our giveaway to bring you everything you need for an active Getaway. Three winners will win a two-night stay at our Boston Outpost and a free Outdoor Voices kit, water bottle, and hat. You can enter by following both Getaway and Outdoor Voices Boston on Instagram and entering your email here.
Add-on Pack Terms & Conditions:
Offer can be used toward any future booking for the Boston Outpost. Pack quantity is limited and the offer is valid only while supplies last.
Giveaway Terms & Conditions:
This giveaway is open through March 31, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Winners will be announced on 4/1. Getaway Team will contact winners to get relevant sizing information for their Outdoor Voices kits. Outdoor Voices kits to be supplied by OV Boston. Winners will receive a two night Getaway to our Boston Outpost as well as an Outdoor Voices top and leggings. Transportation to and provisions at Getaway are not included. This offer is only available in the U.S. and standard shipping costs may apply.
One of the best ways to spend National Day of Unplugging is to spend time reading in your favorite spot in nature. Our team pulled together a list of books about nature, mindfulness, and rest that we’ll be curling up with on March 5th to give you some inspiration to disconnect, unplug, and escape into a great read.
The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices by Casper Ter Kuile
In Casper Ter Kuile’s book, The Power of Ritual, he makes a case for taking our everyday habits and routines and doing them intentionally, with our full attention and focus, to turn them into rituals. By doing so, he argues that we can heal our relationships with ourselves and others, find community, and ultimately find spiritual meaning and fulfillment in our everyday lives.
Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith
In Sacred Rest, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith outlines the seven types of rest that she finds those she encounters in her clinical practice struggle to get – physical, mental, emotional, mental, spiritual, sensory, social, and creative. Getting inadequate rest in any of these areas can really affect your health, happiness, relationships, creativity, and more, so she uses this book to describe how to identify the rest you need and then take practical steps to recharge. If you feel you need permisson to rest, let Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith write you a permission slip.
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
After the last year we’ve all head, Wintering is a book you shouldn’t miss. Katherine May writes about a period of profound difficulty in her life when her husband fell ill, her son stopped going to school, and she dealt with her own health issues as well, and while this is a personal narrative, she draws from lessons learned from literature and the natural world to embrace this period of difficulty and identify the opportunities amidst the difficulties. While we typically view difficult times as periods to be endured and ended as soon as possible, Katherine May offers up an alternative perspective that takes a step back and recognizes the cycles in nature that can remind us of the cycles of our own lives and the truth that while there are fallow periods, abundance will always come around again.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a botanist and a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. In Braiding Sweetgrass, she brings her scientific knowledge into conversation with the indigenous wisdom that plants and animals are our greatest teachers. She argues for embracing and respecting the language and lessons of the natural world around us in order to develop an ecological consciousness that will allow us to work with the natural rhythms and cycles of the earth instead of continuing to take from the environment in unsustainable ways.
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
In Burnout, sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski explain why the experience of burnout is different for women. Their perspective considers all the societal pressures that women face while taking a look at the biological cycles that can get out of rhythm in today’s world. Most notably, they walk you through the reasons that rest, human connection, and working with your inner critic are all important contributing factors to the recovery process.
The Body Is Not an Apology, Second Edition: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
In The Body Is Not an Apology, Sonya Renee Taylor offers radical self love as the path forward to address your relationship with yourself as it has been molded by the belief systems and institutions in which we live. She encourages us to take a look at our own body shame, and in doing so, inspire others to reflect in what really matters, who they are, and where the stories we tell ourselves about our bodies really come from.
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell
How to Do Nothing is the perfect book to bring with you on your next Getaway. In this book, Jenny Odell examines the role of technology in what is now an attention economy – she sees our attention as the most precious resource we have and encourages readers to start being more intentional with the ways we give our attention. She argues that when we take back our attention and start spending it more mindfully, we can make bolder decisions with our lives, our time, and in our connections with the people and things that mean the most to us.
Silence: In the Age of Noise by Erling Kagge
In Silence, Erling Kagge, a Norwegian explorer and the first person to reach the South Pole alone, offers an insightful meditation on the role of silence in our lives to provide us with enough space to find meaning and gratitude. In our always-on and busy world, Erling Kagge’s book is a beautiful examination of how to find the things that are most important to us by slowing down and being intentional with where we allow noise into our worlds.
Located in Meadville, Mississippi, Postcard Cabins Homochitto, is nestled ina bustling town with plenty of spots to explore. Here are a few of the spots we’d recommend you check out while you’re on your weekend getaway.
Walks in the Woods
Clear Springs Trail Distance: 1.0 mile Difficulty: easy Dogs allowed This trail is perfect for a stroll through pine covered hills by Clear Springs lake, a picturesque spot for swimming, fishing, and picnicking.
Brushy Creek Horse Trailhead Distance: 5.5 miles Difficulty: moderate Dogs allowed This loop trail features a river and is the perfect hike for those looking for a good adventure and workout.
Clark Creek Primitive Trail Distance: 4.3 miles Difficulty: moderate Dogs allowed This is the perfect hike for a warm afternoon, as this loop trail follows Clark Creek to a beautiful waterfall.
Richardson Creek Trail Distance: 9.7 miles Difficulty: moderate Dogs allowed This loop trail features a river and takes you through the beautiful Homochitto National Forest.
Sustenance and Snacks
Sullivan’s Grocery ~9 minutes away For everything you might need for your favorite campfire recipes, be sure to stop at Sullivan’s Grocery on your way to your cabin.
Hilltop Drive In ~9 minutes away For some classic burgers and diner food, pull up to Hilltop Drive In for a retro dining experience.
Things to Do Around Our Cabins
Old South Winery ~37 minutes away Old South Winery specializes in fruity, muscadine wine, so this winery is the perfect stop to taste some local flavors.
Meadville City Park ~6 minutes away Enjoy an afternoon with your family at Meadville City Park—with trails, playgrounds, and plenty of spots to lay down a picnic blanket, you can get some quality time reconnecting to nature with those who matter most.
So many elements of our lives in the city demand us to be on.
Think about emails that you answer at 10pm or your phone that doesn’t stop buzzing. Think about your own expectations of yourself — that you respond quickly or always be “in the know” on every last thing.
As much as it’s important to have standards and meet them for ourselves, it’s also important to unplug and give ourselves a break. Few places are better suited for this than Portland, with ample green space and a thriving and diverse culture that can keep you entertained and off your screens for countless hours. Here are a few of our favorite spots.
Talk a Walk in the Japanese Garden
With 5.5 acres of space, the Japanese Garden in Portland is an amazing place to spend your day. Walk by waterfalls, stop in the teahouse, or simply stroll through its lush walkways. You’ll feel instantly transported and to another time and place. As a bonus, you can enjoy seasonal exhibitions in the gallery space or a delicious bite in their cafe.
Find a Great Book at Powell’s
Remember the joys of getting lost in the bookstore? Of holing up with what might be your next favorite book, and perching among the shelves to give it a preview read? Powell’s “City of Books” feels like an actual city. It’s the largest independent bookstore in the world, with new and used reads that could keep you busy for actual centuries. You can go as niche or as general as you want in this shop, they have it all. So swap out your cell phone for a good old fashioned book at this Portland mainstay.
Go on the 4T Hike
The T’s stand for: trail, tram, train, and trolley, and you’ll need them all to experience this day of Portland activities. Take a 4 and a half mile hike at the Marquam Nature Park Shelter Trailhead, where you’ll find stunning street and a gorgeous mosaic. There’s signs for the 4T, so you can follow them towards OHSU, which will eventually bring you to the Portland Aerial Tram. Get ready for views of the Willamette River and all of downtown. After the tram, you head for the streetcar to Multnomah County Central Library, where you’ll then head to the MAX train. From there, you’ll go the Museum of the World Forestry Center, maybe the Children’s Museum, or simply head to the connecting trail which will bring you back to Marquam. The whole thing will cost you less than $10 and keep you busy and disconnected for the whole day.
Escape to Getaway Mount Adams
Our Outpost is less than 2 hours from Portland, and ready for you to throw your cell phone in the lockbox and recharge yourself. Getaway Mount Adams has everything you need and nothing you don’t – cabins with comfy queen beds (or queen bunks), AC and heat, kitchenettes with a 2 burner stove, bathrooms with hot showers and toilets, and a personal fire pit with a grilling grate, so you can cook just outside your cabin.
The digital era has made it easier than ever to multitask. Perhaps you’re reading this article at work right now, with another tab open planning your next escape, Slack notifications popping up, and your free hand absentmindedly scrolling through Instagram.
Splitting our attention between technology, work, and social media leads unproductive days, perhaps causing us to overwork and not even take breaks: last year alone, 52% of Americans left unused vacation on the table. But here is some hope: Americans, at least, are getting better at taking vacation.
While the 2018 State of American Vacation does show that Americans used nearly a half-day more of vacation than the previous year, it’s still important that these vacation days are true days off.
Unfortunately, this ambivalence towards vacation often causes those who want to take their deserved time off feel guilty for doing so. This results in the ‘great spillover effect’, or mixing work and leisure, creating a culture of people who then (ironically) work during a vacation.
As much as we live in an age that is increasingly connected and overstimulated, there’s also a growing movement of businesses and organizations that are trying to address the issues of distraction that come with technology.
Case in point: The National Day of Unplugging, happening from sundown on March 9th to sundown on March 10th. This project is an ongoing effort to encourage people to bring balance into their use of technology by reflecting on their use and taking a regular tech break, started by Reboot back in 2010.
“We recognized that people are tired of always being plugged in but they didn’t know how to take the steps to make a change. The expectation that you are always reachable, that you will respond immediately to that beeping, buzzing and ringing of texts, emails and phone calls has created a society of people who are on edge and overwhelmed and disconnected from those actually around them,” – Tanya Schevitz, spokesperson for Reboot’s National Day of Unplugging.
The challenge is to put away digital devices for 24 hours, but the real goal is to encourage people to take the time to pause and reflect on their technology usage (and perhaps even, dependency) and to strive to find a balance.
Here are some of NDU’s tips for disconnecting:
Use an alarm clock instead of your phone to wake you up: This way, you won’t be immediately pulled into checking texts, notifications, emails, etc.
Set aside a regular time to unplug: Like setting aside time to exercise or to enjoy a meal, it may be helpful to schedule in time slots in your day when you don’t use any digital devices
Delete social media apps from your phone: Or at the very least, shut off the notifications which can pull you in when it’s not necessary
It may surprise some to learn that The National Day of Unplugging has ties to Jewish faith—its guiding project, the Sabbath Manifesto, was created by Reboot with Dan Rollman, a member of the Reboot creative network. While Rollman did not observe Shabbat growing up, as an adult he began to think of how addicted he was to technology, and that this connectedness never allowed him a moment of pause:
“As my life became increasingly hectic and plugged in, I became more and more attracted to the idea of a weekly day of rest. There’s clearly a social problem when we’re interacting more with digital interfaces than our fellow human beings. I recognized that I needed a break and I wanted a modern way to observe a weekly day of rest.”
For those of different faiths or backgrounds, The National Day of Unplugging is a way to weave a common thread for all to provide a space for people to disconnect and engage with others. Ancient rituals, like Shabbat or gathering around a campire, demand focus and our full attention and can provide a break from the hustle and bustle of modern life.
Our mission at Getaway is to help provide a counterbalance and more simplicity, quiet and leisure in lives—unplugging is integral to the experience. You can join or learn more about the National Day of Unplugging movement here, and unplug at one of our own tiny cabins.
A solo trip can be exactly what you need to feel refreshed and recharged, but we know you want to be sure you’re safe. That’s why we’ve put together a list of reasons why you can feel safe and confident during your solo getaway.
The Lock
All of our cabins are kept secure with a lock code instead of a key. This lock code is only provided to you, ensuring that both you and your belongings are kept safe and secure inside your cabin.
The Phone
Every cabin comes with a cellphone lockbox so guests can experience the relief of true disconnection. Having said that, solo travelers with minimal service might want a way to contact others in the event of an emergency. That’s why all Postcard Cabins come with a landline, so you can feel safe knowing you have a point of contact just in case.
Our Team
Our team is here to support on during your trip. If you run into any problems or have any questions, we’re here to help. You can reach out to our Community team at the number provided in your cabin and someone from Postcard Cabins will be happy to assist you.
The Activities
We encourage our guests to simply do nothing and recharge. However, if you’re feeling jittery, many of the options available to couples and families are open for you too. Our cabins come stocked with books, a radio, and an activity booklet if you want a relaxing activity. If you want to go on a hike, just remember to bring plenty of food and water and be mindful of when sunset is. We also recommend a headlamp and compass if you want to be extra prepared.
The Solo Travelers
You don’t have to take our word for it. We always love hearing from guests who traveled to our cabins alone. Check out some of their thoughts below.
“I came solo and was nervous going in, not knowing what to expect. I felt very safe. It was quiet and secluded but I didn’t feel alone. I only stayed one night but would love to return for a weekend.” Leigh-Ann W., The Phillip
“I am a mother, entrepreneur, wife, and activist and I am always ‘on.’ I have been wanting to escape and unplug for months and I am so grateful I acted on this impulse- it was honestly the best gift I have ever given myself. Time alone in the cabin with my art, a book, and my thoughts was sublime. I came back refreshed and renewed.” Jennifer P., The Lorraine
“As someone who loves camping, but wouldn’t be comfortable camping alone, this gave me the best of all worlds. Security, coziness, quiet, fire, and fresh air.” Maura L., The Linda
“I took this solo trip with my dog to work on music and get away from the city, and it was amazing. I never felt like something was missing. It was so productive and much needed and I ended up creating amazing material.” Ariel G., The Shelby
Ready for a solo escape of your own? Book your cabin now.
I’m excited to announce Getaway’s new initiative to support global reforestation.
Every new Getaway booking now results in planting one tree somewhere in the world, powered by our friends at the aptly-named non-profit One Tree Planted.
One Tree Planted, planting trees in Oregon.
Why? Aside from the obvious “sustainability is good” answer, my hope in starting Getaway was to create the space and opportunity for people to reconnect with nature. I hope in some small way this helps more people in more places have nature in their lives.
To make that a reality, it’s all of our jobs to do what we can to support nature itself. I hope this is the first of many contributions we can make to our planet.
