Tag: Natchez Trace Tiny House Village

Go Glamping for These 2023 Events

If you want to make sure you have the best glamping spots reserved that are nearby to some of 2023’s big events, take note of these events below and get your rezzies in order with Petite Retreat accommodations.

Palm Springs International Film Festival: Scheduled for January 5-16, 2023, this event includes screenings of international films and documentaries, plus awards and celeb sightings in and around Palm Springs. Book a cottage stay at Palm Springs to be near festival events.

Cottage at Harbor Lake RV Resort
Cottage at Harbor Lake RV Resort

MLB Spring Training in Florida: Experience the 2023 Grapefruit League season and take in a few games as you glamp around the Sunshine State. Games start February 25 and run through March 28. Options can include cottage rentals at Sunshine Travel in Vero Beach to see the NY Mets play in nearby Port St. Lucie at Clover Park; Harbor Lakes to see the Tampa Bay Rays or Holiday Travel to see the Philadelphia Phillies in nearby Clearwater at BayCare Ballpark.

Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival: Scheduled for Saturday, April 15, this event has a Cherry Blossom Walk, a pup parade, live music, and a Sumo wrestling event. Sounds like a colorful, and interesting, way to welcome the beautiful cherry blossoms and the arrival of spring. Book a stay at Natchez Trace Tiny House Village!

Bar Harbor Music Festival and Bar Harbor Fine Arts Festival: Summer in New England is the quintessential getaway and Bar Harbor is a wonderful location to enjoy come summer. The Music Festival runs June 30 to July 28 and features all genres from classical to opera to jazz while the Fine Arts Festival, scheduled for August 2-4, showcases artist works from potters to painters. Book a stay at Mt. Desert Narrows or Narrows Too to be close to these events.

Mt. Hood Huckleberry Festival and Mt. Hood Salmon, Mushroom, and Big Foot Festival: Two great reasons to book a stay at Mt. Hood Tiny House Village in Welches, Oregon, in late summer. The Huckleberry Festival, set for the third week of August, celebrates all things huckleberry while the Salmon, Mushroom, and Big Foot Festival welcomes back the salmon to the Oregon rivers as well as celebrate mushroom harvest time.

Leavenworth Oktoberfest: If you can’t make it to Munich, Leavenworth’s Oktoberfest, spread over three weekends (September 29-30; October 6-7; and October 13-14) may be the next best thing. In addition to beer and brats, there will be live entertainment, dancing, and plenty of fun. Book a stay at Leavenworth Tiny House Village and get ready to say “Prost!” more times than you can imagine.

Urbanna Oyster Festival: Urbanna, Virginia, is known as the “Oyster Capital of the East Coast” so of course they have a festival every year to celebrate the oyster. Two days of everything oyster, plus live music, and contests (yes, oyster shucking is one of them) are scheduled for November 3-4, 2023. To be near all the fun, reserve a glamping accommodation at Bethpage Camp-Resort, conveniently located in Urbanna!

Cottage at Bethpage Camp-Resort
Cottage at Bethpage Camp-Resort

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Reasons to be Thankful for Glamping

If you became a camper by way of the glamping trend, you know that there is plenty to be thankful for when it comes to glamping. There’s a bit more of a solid structure to keep you comfy and cozy at night, there are some pretty neat glamping accommodation options in some pretty fun locations, there’s no need to arrive before dark so you can set up camp, and the list goes on. Here are a few more things to be thankful for when it comes to glamping with Petite Retreats.

Yurts: What makes a yurt so great is its spaciousness. Most yurts can easily accommodate six people, so they are great for family trips as well as getting together with your best glamping group. Plus, they are totally cool – there’s no denying that. You’ve got a sturdy canvas roof overhead, plenty of room to socialize indoors and out, plus amenities you can’t find in a tent, like mini kitchens, ceiling fans and cable TVs! Petite Retreat yurt accommodations can be found in California, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Tiny Houses: The tiny house trend is only getting bigger as glampers find that these “home away from home” accommodations have everything you need for a perfect glamping adventure. First off, Petite Retreats’ tiny house locations are near some of the most popular travel destinations like Nashville, Tennessee, Oregon’s Mt. Hood area, Washington State’s Bavarian-styled charming town of Leavenworth, Boston’s quintessential New England towns, the vortexes of Sedona, Arizona, and the Florida Keys. Secondly, the Petite Retreat tiny homes are perfectly appointed from hip décor to the amenities like kitchens and full bathrooms! All you need to do is pick a location, settle in and check out these great areas, knowing that your comfortable tiny house awaits you at the end of a long day exploring.

Leavenworth Tiny House Village
Leavenworth Tiny House Village

Variety: If you’ve done the tiny house or the yurt glamp, there are still a lot more choices – including the unique tepee, glamping tent, and covered wagon options available at some of our California locations. Plus, there are cabins and cottages in great locations around the country. Want to experience a glamping trip in the mountains? Check out the two Lake George, New York, locations or Tuxbury Pond in New Hampshire. How about glamping near Maine’s charming Bar Harbor or the bucolic Pennsylvania Dutch Country? Our glamping accommodations are the spice of outdoor life! 

Rancho Oso RV Campground
Rancho Oso RV Campground

Location to Events and Attractions: Always wanted to experience Coachella? Book a stay at Palm Springs. Have you been wanting to see just how crazy Key West’s Hemingway Days can get? Book a stay at one of Petite Retreats’ Keys locations. How about touring Nashville’s historic Ryman Theater and taking in a show or indulging in a fried bologna sandwich at Robert’s Western World? Nashville glamping is possible with a reservation at the Natchez Trace Tiny House Village. Are healing vibes and great hikes on the agenda? Verde Valley can accommodate a Sedona glamping adventure. Check out petiteretreats.com and find your perfect glamping location.

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Tiny 101

Tiny Houses – They’re the talk of the town and all the rage. If you haven’t tried one, your friends may consider you a bit cheugy. The tiny house trend has continued to grow rather than wane in popularity, whether they are used as a permanent residence or a glamping getaway where all the comforts of home, including a roof over your head, are must-haves.

Why are they so popular? For one, they are eco-friendly and energy efficient in that they use few materials to build and less energy to cool and heat. Tiny house = tiny carbon footprint. Another plus is the creative use of space and storage. Almost everything has a dual purpose – stair risers can also double as storage drawers; the extra space up top near the roof – that’s a cozy sleeping loft. Vertical space is put to use not just for art, but also for kitchenware and other necessary items.

Otto at Leavenworth Tiny House Village
Otto at Leavenworth Tiny House Village

From a glamping perspective, you’ve got a cozy, dry spot to come home to after you’ve spent the day outside. One thing about the tiny house, since there is less inside space, the great outdoors are that much more inviting. For the first-time glamper, a tiny house accommodation might be just the thing needed to turn them into a “yes, please let’s glamp again” kind of person. Plus, do we need to say it? They are absolutely adorable.

So, before you feel left out of the tiny house loop, check out our fabulous tiny house rental offerings, pick a dreamy location, and find out what’s the big deal about tiny houses.

Mt. Hood Tiny House Village
Mt. Hood Tiny House Village

With five individual Tiny House Villages, plus two tiny houses at Verde Valley RV & Camping Resort near Sedona, there are plenty of choices. Pacific Northwest locations include Washington’s Leavenworth Tiny House Village and Mt. Hood Tiny House Village in Welches, Oregon. Warmer climate options include the sunshine-filled Florida Keys location, Sunshine Key Tiny House Village and our newest tiny house village for a near-Nashville getaway, Natchez Trace Tiny House Village. Looking to spend time in New England? Head to New Hampshire to enjoy the tinies at Tuxbury Pond Tiny House Village.

What can you expect from a tiny? Plenty! All have full bathrooms and the majority of them have a kitchen and TV with cable. If there’s no full kitchen, there are kitchen amenities like coffeemakers and mini fridges. They range in size sleeping anywhere from 2 to 7 people and several are pet friendly so if your companions are the furry kind, they’re welcome to the tiny experience. You can expect spacious indoor living space and décor and design straight out of Tiny House Today (if there was such a magazine.) Cozy quarters for a top-notch glamping experience, for sure.

Location-wise, you’ve got outdoor adventure at any location. Hiking, biking, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing are just the beginning. Plus, there’s the proximity to major cities and their attractions like Seattle (from Leavenworth), Portland (from Welches), Nashville (from Natchez Trace) and Boston (from Tuxbury Pond). There’s the serenity of Sedona and the beautiful Red Rocks when you choose Verde Valley and the island-hopping, laid-back life of the Florida Keys when you choose Sunshine Key. This is one trend you want to be a part of! Don’t get left out in the cold (especially if you’re glamping), check out all the fabulous tiny house options at petiteretreats.com and make your reservation soon.

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Take a Vacation, Please!

A not so pleasant statistic is that the U.S. falls well below other countries when it comes to paid time off. Europe is far ahead of America when it comes to providing paid time off for employees. According to a May 2022 article in Travel + Leisure, Austria provides 25 days of paid annual leave, plus another 13 for public holidays, totaling 38 paid days off. France and Spain each offer 36 in total and Germany provides 30 days. The U.S. average is 10 days a year.

An even sadder statistic is that 54% of Americans don’t use all their vacation days. A 2019 study by the U.S. Travel Association showed that U.S. employees left approximately 768 million vacation days unused in 2018. And most Americans say they have too much work to do to take vacation time. That sounds pretty counterintuitive since studies show that vacation can reduce stress and increase productivity upon return to work. 

Before burnout hits and you make a mistake that could find you with plenty of days off, we suggest you get out and glamp! Hit the beach, climb every mountain, go off the grid, and for heaven’s sake, turn off your computer and work phone (we know you need the personal one for the Instagram shots of the great vacation you’ll be documenting)!

And, while experts suggest 8 days is the sweet spot for a full recharge, long weekends and a few days here and there could be just the recipe that helps Americans have their cake and eat it, too, when it comes to work/life balance.

One way to recharge is through grounding, or earthing, by walking barefoot in the sand. Grounding is said to reduce stress and tension levels. Glamping locations that allow plenty of silky, soft sand underfoot could include Oregon’s coastal getaway spots, cozy cabins at Pacific City and Seaside RV Resort. Another idea – combine grounding with the benefits of the relaxing colors of the tiny house rentals at Sunshine Key Tiny House Village in the Florida Keys and you’re well on the way to a destressing vacation. Plenty of sand for grounding or other fun can be found at Marina Dunes, which is adjacent to the Marina Dunes Preserve on California’s Monterey Peninsula. An ultra-cool glamping tent or high end cottage is the way to relax here.

How about a long weekend getaway that’s not too far from home, but far enough to leave the office woes behind? Is Seattle your place of business? Take a quick two-hour drive to Leavenworth, rent a tiny home at the Leavenworth Tiny House Village, and enjoy the outdoors. Fish, swim, hike, bike, or simply sip some wine in the Bavarian-styled village of Leavenworth. If Nashville is where you make the big bucks, take a break and head to the new Natchez Trace Tiny House Village. In a little over an hour, you can be relaxing in a perfectly appointed tiny house with lakefront views and fishing and hiking available onsite, plus the 3-mile lake here offers kayak and canoeing opportunities.

Lyla at Natchez Trace Tiny House Village
Lyla at Natchez Trace Tiny House Village

Speaking of water, blue space (lakes, rivers, oceans, even waterfalls) has been shown to lower stress and anxiety as well as boost mood and psychological well-being, per weforum.org. Rent a cabin at Wisconsin’s Neshonoc Lakeside Camping Resort or Lake George Escape, tucked away in New York’s Adirondacks, with the Queen of America’s Lakes as the centerpiece. Bend-Sunriver is a great place to soak up blue space healing power thanks to the location on the Little Deschutes River, and it offers cozy cabins and yurts.

Narrows Too Camping Resort
Narrows Too Camping Resort

Other destressing options for quick getaways or all those eight days can include forest-bathing (head to our favorite forested glamping options including Yosemite Lakes or our Bar Harbor resorts, Mt. Desert Narrows and Narrows Too). Forest-bathing requires you to take a walk in the woods and be mindful of your surroundings, engaging your senses and stopping every so often to just take it all in. Plus, we’ve got glamping options in the lands of the healing vortexes Arizona’s Red Rocks in Sedona or Joshua Tree National Park in California (check out tiny home or cabin rentals at Verde Valley or a colorful cottage at Palm Springs, respectively.) 

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Eat, Glamp, Repeat

Whether you’re a foodie or not, the number of “national” days recognized for different foods practically requires that you eat your way through the month. July has multiple days dedicated to foods like hot dogs and lasagna and we’ve rounded up some of the best places serving up July’s food favorites. Pair them with the perfect glamping location and you’ll be asking for more, please!

National Fried Chicken Day: That’s July 6 so we suggest you head to a few of these places named by Food & Wine as serving some of the best fried chicken in the U.S. Book a tiny home at Natchez Trace and head into Nashville to try the chicken at Hattie B’s which according to the magazine is the best “old-school hot-chicken place in town.” There’s also a tiny house at Natchez Trace named Hattie – a match made in heaven. Another option and another Hattie’s (although not related) is a Hattie’s in Saratoga Springs, New York. Rent a cabin at Lake George Escape and enjoy the roughly 30-minute drive to this establishment that has served up fried chicken since 1938.

National Lasagna Day: Winding up the month of food celebrations, National Lasagna Day falls on July 29 so you’ve got all month to eat this tasty Italian dish that dates to the Middle Ages before its official day. The dailymeal.com ranked some of America’s best lasagna and several are convenient to our glamping locations. Here are a few dinner/glamping combos: Seattle’s Pink Door (#3) and a yurt at Tall Chief; Miami’s Macchialina (#9) and a cabin at Miami Everglades; and Kenny’s Italian Kitchen in Dallas (#22), an old-school, home-style eatery complete with red-checked tablecloths pairs well with a cabin rental at Bay Landing in nearby Bridgeport.

Yurt at Tall Chief Campground
Yurt at Tall Chief Campground

National Hot Dog Day: There’s plenty of ambiguity surrounding how the hot dog came to be called just that, but there’s no dispute that these little sandwiches are a delight whatever condiment you believe belongs on them! July 20 is the day the dog is honored this year and good spots to eat and glamp include: Soledad Canyon (cabin or cottage rental) and LA’s Pink’s Hot Dogs with its variety of celebrity named hot dogs; Wilmington RV Resort (cabin or cottage rental) and a hot dog, brat, or sausage from Avril Bleh’s Meat Market and Deli in downtown Cincinnati, or Cherokee Landing (cabin rental) and Payne’s in Memphis – which while known for BBQ also serves up a good hot dog.

Cottage at Wilmington RV Campground
Cottage at Wilmington RV Campground

For dessert: The sweeter things in life are also celebrated in July and they include National Pecan Pie Day on July 12 (rent a tiny home at Tuxbury Tiny House Village and head to Nashua’s Willie Jewel’s Old School Bar-B-Q for a piece of pie); National Milk Chocolate Day – rent a cottage at Hershey RV and eat all the milk chocolate you want at nearby Hershey’s Chocolate World; or to sample the red velvet cheesecake at Boston’s 7ate9 Bakery consider glamping at either Sturbridge or Gateway to Cape Cod. And the cherry on top – National Cheesecake Day is July 30!

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4 Ways to Celebrate National Goof Off Day

March 22 is not a solemn occasion – and yet, there is a recognized national day that falls on March 22; and yes, it should be honored…. but only in the silliest ways you can think of because it’s National Goof Off Day. And we think it falls at the perfect time – winter is officially over as the spring solstice began on March 20 which means more glamping and more outdoor fun.

National Goof Off day has been around since 1976 and as for goofing off – the phrase became popular in the mid-1940s as an armed forces term meaning to waste time or loaf. BTW – goof off can be a noun or verb. So, when March 22 rolls around, here are few ideas for any of you goof offs who want to goof off.

Cabin at Natchez Trace Campground
Lodge at Natchez Trace Campground

Act Like an Animal: Visit one of national zoos and see who can do the best imitations of their favorite animal. The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere has more than 339 species to choose from to try your best at “being an animal.” Check out Rowan, the zoo’s two-year old giraffe who came to the zoo in October 2021. Or maybe you and your favorite “kid” want to see what the kangaroos are up to at the zoo’s Kangaroo Kickabout. Book at stay at one of the tiny houses or cabins at Natchez Trace in nearby Hohenwald.

Build the Best Sand Castle: Challenge your camping mates to a sand castle contest. After all, what’s goofier that playing in the sand? Beach worthy glamp options include a tiny house at Sunshine Key Tiny House Village or a cottage at Fiesta Key – both located in the Florida Keys. Sand castle experts recommend using moist sand – if a ball of sand stays together while you roll it around, it’s perfect for castle construction! 

Tropical Palms Cottage
Tropical Palms Cottage

Visit the Goofiest Guy of All: Head to Orlando, Florida, and make a date with Goofy at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Goofy’s full name is Goofy Goof and to find him at the Magic Kingdom visit Pete’s Silly Sideshow tent. Goofy also is known to hang out at Epcot and participates in the Park’s Festival of Fantasy Parade. Of course the Magic Kingdom is by nature a great place to goof off, so visiting with Goofy aside, there’s plenty of things to do here that can be considered good for goofing off.  Head to Tropical Palms in nearby Kissimmee, book a colorful cottage, and get your goofy on! Play Outside: Book a tiny house at Leavenworth’s Tiny House Village and get ready to enjoy the outdoor playground in this great Washington State destination. The wonderful thing about Leavenworth is there are so many ways to play outside here from hiking to biking, fishing to ziplining, and so much more. Consider a guided horseback ride into the Cascades or a carriage ride around the quaint town. There may still be snow fun at Leavenworth Ski Hill or listen to live music, eat some great German food, and loaf the day away in Leavenworth.

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Top 5 Galentine’s Getaways

If you’re a fan of TV’s Parks & Recreation, you know that we have the character Leslie Knope to thank for making Galentine’s Day a thing. Celebrated on February 13, the day is designated for “ladies recognizing ladies.” Show your gal pals all the love you feel for them this year and enjoy a Galentine’s Getaway to these top spots.

Nashville, Tennessee: Book a glamping stay at Natchez Trace Tiny House Village and get ready to experience Nashville and the surrounding neighborhoods with some of your best gal pals! Head into Nashville to experience the one-of-a-kind honky tonks that line the city’s world famous “Lower Broadway.” More musical fun can be found at the Ryman Auditorium whether you’re taking in a concert or just a guided tour of this historic music venue. What’s a girl’s trip without a few Instagram shots so make sure you check out the murals around town that provide the perfect backdrop for these photo opps (visitmusiccity.com/trip-ideas/nashville-murals). Nashville’s neighborhoods provide another option for interesting things to do – check out The Gulch, SoBro and Capital View for all kinds of fun. Need more space than a tiny house affords? Natchez Trace also features a gorgeous lodge which sleeps up to 15 and a number of cozy cabins!

Miami Everglades RV Resort Cabin
Miami Everglades RV Resort Cabin

Miami, Florida: There’s more than the beaches to enjoy when the gals gather for Galentine’s Day in Miami. Of course, if you’re looking for prime beach time, the best beaches in Miami include Lummus Park (said to have postcard worthy views), the iconic South Beach (SoBe to the locals), and Crandon Park, when you’re really there for the beach. Then there’s Coconut Grove (mark your February calendars for the 19-21 which is the annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival) – an historic Miami neighborhood with dining, shopping, and the occasional live peacock strutting your way. Located in Coconut Grove, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, a National Historic Landmark that offers 34 rooms on view at the estate as well as 10 acres of formal gardens, is another must-see when taking in Miami.

Mt. Hood Tiny House Village - Scarlett Tiny House
Scarlett Tiny House at Mt. Hood Tiny House Village

Portland, Oregon: Portland is for Pittock Mansion, Powell’s City of Books, and plenty of Instagram worthy pics. It’s also a great destination for pals – as in gal pals this Galentine’s Day. The aforementioned Pittock Mansion is a French Renaissance-style chateau built in 1914 as the home of publisher Henry Pittock. Visitors can choose from guided or self-guided tours of the mansion, the Gate Lodge, and the grounds (pittockmansion.org).  A Portland landmark, Powell’s City of Books is billed as the world’s largest new and used bookstore. Plenty of choices for that book group discussion can be found here! As for the photo opps – check out the marquee at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall for a very large “Portland” backdrop, the Old Town Portland sign (another historic landmark), and underneath the St. John’s Bridge at Cathedral Park. A great place to stay is in an adorable tiny house at Mt. Hood Tiny House Village, which is about 45 minutes from the city.  

Santa Barbara, California: Pick from cabins, cottages, or the unique tipi or western cabins at Santa Barbara’s Rancho Oso RV & Camping Resort to get your sunny Cali Galentine’s Getaway off to a great start. Without even leaving the resort, the fun begins with horseback rides and a look-see at the resort’s Western Village complete with stables, Conestoga wagons and a welcoming stone lodge. Off-site excursions can include a trip into the Danish-style city of Solvang where you can enjoy a trolley ride around town, visit the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, and try some tasty Danish baked goods. Another option is Montecito where must-sees include Butterfly Beach and Casa del Herrero, a 1925 Spanish Colonial Revival estate open for tours. Keep your eyes open when you’re out and about in Montecito as a few well-knowns call Montecito home including Oprah and Harry and Meghan. There are also opportunities for wine tours in Santa Barbara, a visit to the Santa Barbara Zoo, and plenty of shopping, dining, and sunsets to be experienced.

Cabin at Medina Lake RV Campground
Cabin at Medina Lake RV Campground

San Antonio, Texas: A girl’s trip to San Antonio is a perfect trip if you’re looking to combine history, culture, great food, and some fun on the river. Book a cozy cabin at Medina Lake and you’re less than an hour’s drive to San Antonio. For history, there’s the Alamo – there is no admission fee, and you can choose to take a self-guided or guided tour at this historic location where you can learn about the Texas Revolution. The famed River Walk offers all kinds of fun including eating, shopping, and getting your steps in on this 15-mile scenic walk along the San Antonio River. There’s also nightlife options and river cruises here. Viator offers a San Antonio Food Tour as well as a Ghost Walking tour (viator.com).

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Visit an Art Museum Day

Pointillism? Dadaism? Modern? Portraiture? What’s your favorite style of art? Maybe one style speaks to you or maybe you find something in all works of art that can be found in museums around the country. Perhaps that’s the purpose behind November’s Go to An Art Museum Day – you discover and explore the many genres created to delight the eye, among other senses. And while November 9 is the date of this celebration, we think any day is a good day to visit an art museum.

Sacramento: The Crocker Art Museum, in California’s capital city, is home to a collection of California art dating from the Goldrush to present day. Exhibits also include one of the largest international ceramics collections in the U.S. The museum has the distinction of being the oldest art museum in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River. The museum’s collections are on display both in the original Crocker Mansion and Art Gallery, which dates to 1872 and is both a California Historical Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as in the Teem Family Pavilion which was completed in 2010.

Both Snowflower and Lake of the Springs are a little over an hour from Sacramento. Choose from cabins, yurts, and cottages based on your destination. 

Santa Barbara: The California city of Santa Barbara itself can be considered a work of art from the beautiful Spanish-revival architecture to the breathtaking sunsets, but this ocean-side getaway is also home to two wonderful art museums. The Santa Barbara Museum of Art (sbma.net) is home to a collection of art that spans more than 4000 years while the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (mcasantabarbara.org) exhibits some of the best in contemporary works and offers free admission.

Book a cabin, covered wagon, or western themed cabin at Rancho Oso to be near the SB art museum scene.

Miami: Florida’s vibrant city of Miami is another location that can itself be considered a work of art thanks to its Art Deco architecture and the colorful palette of these historic buildings. However, Miami is also home to plenty of art museums, each offering something different. The Bass, housed in the city’s former library, focuses on contemporary art as does the Rubell Museum, whose collection includes works by Keith Haring and Jeff Koons. The Museum of Graffiti specializes in street art and exhibits include an interactive field trip featuring outdoor murals around the museum’s location. Exhibits and collections at the Wolfsonian-FIU focus on functional art and design and include furniture, graphic design, and advertising pieces. 

To explore Miami’s art museums, book a cabin stay at nearby Miami Everglades.

Nashville: Speaking of Art Deco, Nashville, Tennessee’s Frist Art Museum is currently featuring the exhibit “American Art Deco: Designing for the People, 1918-1939” that includes approximately 140 objects from the Art Deco era. The exhibit runs through January 2, 2022. The Frist is also home to the Martin ArtQuest, an interactive, hands-on art experience. If poster art is your thing, don’t miss Hatch Show Print, which offers tours and how-to demonstrations highlighting the famous show and event posters created by Hatch for more than 140 years (hatchshowprint.com).

Lodge at Natchez Trace Campground
Lodge at Natchez Trace Campground

Choose a Petite Retreat accommodation such as a tiny house or cabin at Natchez Trace for your Nashville art tour.

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See You Outside!

Great Outdoors Month turns 23 this month. It initially began as Great Outdoors Week, designated by President Bill Clinton in 1998, but continued to grow under each Administration and became Great Outdoors Month. So, you have to ask – haven’t we always celebrated our great outdoors? Or was it only after the advent of computers, video games, and cable and streaming services that serve as major forms of recreation, albeit indoors, that the call came to remind people to get outside?  

The premise behind Great Outdoors month is to remind Americans about the abundance of great outdoors that exist in our country as well as to re-educate them (or in some cases, educate) them about the importance of conservation and preserving our beautiful woodlands and waters. So, how do you celebrate Great Outdoors Month? Well, the whole month of June has specific days dedicated to outdoor activities, like National Trails Day (June 1); National Fishing and Boating Week (June 5-13) and the Great American Campout (June 26). We say, start with a glamping trip and go from there. Here are a few ideas:

Hiking:  While the events of National Trails Day have come and gone this year, that doesn’t mean you can’t take to the trails any other day this month. Hiking has been proven to improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels, strengthen your core and improve your balance. It’s one of the greatest outdoor activities and requires the least amount of skill. You just walk – a lot! Rent one of the great new tiny homes at Natchez Trace Tiny House Village just outside Nashville and hike the Narrows of the Harpeth Trail – an easy 1.1-mile trail with great views of Tennessee’s Harpeth Valley. Another tiny house and trail is what you’ll find if you visit Oregon’s Mt. Hood Tiny House Village and tackle the nearby Salmon River Trailhead – tackle being the operative word here as it is 7.8 miles, yet still considered a moderate trail that winds through an old growth forest and has great views of the Salmon River.

Cottage at Marina Dunes in Marina, CA

Birding:  According to James Morgan of BirdwatchingBuzz, some the of the best summer birding spots can be found in Maine’s Acadia National Park; Pennsylvania’s Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and California’s Monterey Bay. Birding may seem like a somewhat sedentary activity but there are plenty of benefits – findings show that birding can benefit our overall well-being, mental health, and cognitive functioning. So, grab your binoculars and bird guides and plan a stay with us in a cabin at Mt. Desert Narrows in Maine, a glamping tent at Marina Dunes in California or a cozy cabin at Appalachian RV Campground in Pennsylvania and get into the birds! Maine birders can expect to see warblers, eagles, and puffins while Cali birders might spy a Black-footed Albatross, plenty of seabirds and hummingbirds, too. Visitors to PA’s Hawk Mountain Sanctuary can enjoy the birds as well as hiking trails and native gardens.

Cozy Cabin at Tranquil Timbers in Sturgeon Bay, WI

Fishing: Celebrate National Fishing and Boating Week by either learning to fish or adding to your collection of “fish stories.” We’ve got great accommodations near some of the best fishing locations, so grab your tackle box and gear, wish for some good luck, and drop a line. The waters that surround our cabins and yurts at Tranquil Timbers in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, are teeming with fish, including walleye, northern pike, trout, and bass. You’re bound to get lucky here so rent a yurt and fish away (don’t forget to check out the fishing license requirements). Or book a charter and let the pros show you how it’s done – for specific info, visit travelwisconsin.com/things-to-do/outdoor-fun/fishing. Do you remember the beauty of the fly-fishing scenes from the movie “A River Runs Through It”? Fly fishing not only gives you a total body workout thanks to all the wading, casting, and reeling it requires, but is also known to lower cortisol levels, which means you are de-stressing while wading, casting, and reeling! Head to Leavenworth, Washington, where some of the most scenic fly fishing can be found. Rent one of the great tiny houses at the Leavenworth Tiny House Village and try your hand at wading, casting, and reeling in nearby Fish Lake which is great for yellow perch and largemouth bass in summer.

And don’t forget to make sure to participate in the Great American Campout on June 26. We’ve got plenty of great glamping spots for you– check out www.PetiteRetreats.com for locations!

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