Getaway
Are you ready for summer? Maybe it's time to get off the grid for a bit
Welcome! I’m glad you’re here. This week, we’re doing something a little different: a photo essay. For best layout, view online.
School’s out and summer officially starts next week. Are you ready?
If you’re like me, the answer may well be no, not quite yet. Don’t get me wrong: I love summertime, being warm, enjoying long evenings, abundant sunshine, and spending more time outdoors. It’s just, well, there’s been a lot going on lately and I wish I were a bit more ready. The garden 🍅 is planted, the flowers 🌺 are in, and I’ve been reseeding the grass (to mixed success), but I still need to get the patio furniture set up, prune things, and … well, you get the idea. Perhaps you can relate?
Recently we decided to get away for the weekend. If you haven’t in a while, I encourage you to consider it. I’m always reminded just how renewing a few days away can be—especially when you get off the grid.
We had originally been planning to take a weeklong vacation (if you know me, you know how much I love to travel). As it turned out, we only had a weekend to work with—and I’m so grateful for that.
Getaway
We went to a Getaway. It was our first time—but it won’t be our last.
At Getaway, we believe joy is found when we slow down, wander, and marvel at the world. (source)
Are you familiar with Getaway? It’s okay if not. Most the world probably isn’t.
In 2015, Jon Staff founded Getaway with his college friend Pete Davis. Here is how Jon explains it:
Between my first couple of jobs and graduate school, I lived in a 26-foot Airstream trailer for five months while traveling West. It was this experience that made me fall in love with the idea of living simply in nature and making frequent disconnection part of my routine. For the first time in a long time, I had the space to reflect, and I realized how important this work-life, nature-city balance was to my emotional wellbeing, productivity, and happiness. During that trip, my college friend Pete Davis and I developed the concept of Getaway where we build a collection of cabins less than two hours from a city that people can rent by the night to disconnect and recharge. (source)
I first learned of Getaway some years ago and was immediately intrigued. When I first researched it, Getaway was still only on the US east coast. Later, I discovered they built a Getaway closer to me and was excited to try it. During the pandemic, I thought about booking a stay but every time I checked they were sold out or at crazy prices.
This time, we made it happen. And it was awesome!
Arrival
We arrived in the evening after a full week of work. It felt good to get out of the city for a change. By the time we arrived, it was already dark, which made the next morning feel a bit like waking up on Christmas day when I was a little kid.
Getaway cabins are tiny but thoughtfully appointed. There was a deck of cards and a Tivoli radio (we listened to John Tesh all weekend!). There was a small curated collection of books. And even a S’mores kit ($5, we brought our own ingredients)!
Here are a few pictures of our Getaway:
The 📱 Lockbox
The star of all Getaway cabins is a wooden cigar box that invites guests to lock up their phones for the duration of the stay. “It turns out people aren’t desperate to answer emails all day and night or be on Instagram 24 hours a day…It’s not the box, but it’s the permission it gives somebody to make that decision themselves.” (source)
We put our cell phones in airplane mode✈ and put them in the lockbox so we could be fully present. Next time, I may take a camera so I can truly leave my phone in the lockbox the entire time (I removed it only to use as a camera).
Inside
The interior was all clad in knotty pine. The queen bed, pillows and linens were quite comfy. The kitchen, efficient. The bathroom, essential (there was hot water for a shower, but best not to linger). Red was used as an accent color throughout — on the first aid box in the bathroom, on the retro mini-fridge in the kitchen and the (functioning) wall-mounted landline phone. Here’s a few pictures of the inside:
Food
The kitchen was equipped with everything we needed to prep and cook. We brought our own food and enjoyed making meals inside and also outside on the campfire.
Noticing
During the day, we went for a hike. Wildflowers were in bloom and it was delightful to amble along in no particular hurry and relish in noticing the various flowers blooming, the bright green new growth on the hemlocks, the flit and flutter of the butterflies, and the rings on a downed tree.
When you’re not looking for anything in particular is often when you see the most.
Evening
Our Getaway had a lovely firepit with two Adirondack chairs. Here it is in the late afternoon sun:
As the evening progressed, we made a fire. Every year when we go camping, the fire danger is usually so high we haven’t been able to have a fire so this was a special treat for us. My dad was always a master at building fires. I was grateful that I was able to get it going with a little newspaper, kindling and wood.
Before it got dark, I read The Boys in the Boat by the fire for a while. I had the opportunity to hear the author, Daniel James Brown, give a talk a few years ago in Seattle and immediately bought the book. I’m only now getting a chance to read it but already it’s an amazing story.
As the fire matured and the embers began to form, it was time to move our foil packet dinners down to the coals — and also start making s’mores.
After dinner, the stars came out.
The Big Dipper appeared over head and we retired for the night.
Morning
The next morning, I woke up and rolled over and looked up out the big picture window—excited about the possibilities of the day ahead.
Getaway cabins feature large windows, firepits, and artwork, but it’s their lack of wifi that has proven to be the most luxurious amenity. Staff often hears from guests that they figured out their next career move or came to terms with a diagnosis because the cabin allowed them “to connect more deeply with themselves and with their loved ones. Getaway didn’t create any of those experiences, but we did our small part. Our guests remember us for that, and they make a habit out of coming back.” (source)
Getaway is on to something and I invite you to consider your own get away sometime. I found our time away to be very relaxing, connecting and renewing.
Please note: This is not an ad, sponsored post or paid promotion of any sort. I just want to share the Getaway idea with you. (But if you do want to book, this link will save you $25 on your first stay.)
We believe that quiet time spent in nature can be restorative and should be part of one's wellness routine, like meditation or yoga. For us, Getaway exists to help you prioritize your wellness and well-being. We believe that Getaway is about creating the space for people to find balance in the “always-on” world. -Jon Staff (source)
Go deeper:
Getaway (Pete Davis)
Getaway, a startup building tiny cabins, raises $41.7M (TechCrunch)
Jon Staff Recounts How Getaway Became a Household Name (Whitewall)
Jon Staff, Getaway (Hospitality Design)
The Journal by Getaway (posts by Jon Staff)
What Getaway offers compared to other nature-based destinations is time and space for disconnection and a gentle nudge to put away devices during a stay.
-Jon Staff (source)
Whatever your needs and whatever your style, my wish for you this week is simple: find a way to get away this summer.
I can’t wait to hear about it! :)
-Bryce
Loved “Boys in the Boat”. Getaway is new to me. Intriguing.
Great post! I am constantly in search of solitude. We all need times to disconnect.