"Be careful," my husband murmured in his sleep as I shimmied my way down the loft ladder for the third time that evening.
"I am," I whispered back taking each rung deliberately. I was more than eight months pregnant at the time and beyond grateful that our tiny accommodation came equipped with a bathroom. Climbing up and down the ladder was the fastest way there. Okay fine, it was the only way there, but it was a very direct route. Just one of many perks of staying in a tiny house, I thought.
Ooof. I'd made it to the ground.
By this point, I wasn't exactly light on my feet, and as I climbed back up the ladder, I heard rustling outside. By the time I'd made it to the loft bed, I'd definitely disturbed someone.
The ducks erupted in quacks. It was after midnight and I'd definitely caused a stir. Now Steven was up too, wondering what the commotion was - I snuggled into his shoulder and we giggled, gazing up at the stars through the skylight until the quacks subsided and we drifted back to sleep.
Several hours later, we awoke to the rooster's early morning wake-up call. It was still dark outside and eventually, we fell back asleep.
The rooster was back for round two a couple of hours later, and we were up again, this time looking up at overcast skies. It was raining, and the sound of the drops against the roof eased us back to sleep.
The rooster kept at it.
"Where's the snooze button?" I asked Steven. The turkeys squawked by way of response, like a paid studio audience right on cue. If you've ever heard turkeys squawk, it's a really goofy giggle sound. "At least someone thinks I'm funny," I mused.
You’re probably wondering where on earth we’d landed. Allow me to explain.
A Feathered & Furry Welcome
We had arrived earlier the day before, and as we pulled open the gate to Corbett Farms, our Tiny House stood before us, smack dab in the center of what could only be described as a free-range farm. It was a little like stepping onto the set of Portlandia, or maybe into a Pixar animation movie, with all of the animals going about their business, sticking mostly together with their brood, and a few causing mischief.
We'd booked our reservation through GlampingHub.com, a vacation rental site that runs the gamut of interesting accommodations from rustic cabins, to luxurious safari tents, to yurts, treehouses, and yes - even tiny houses. Glamping Hub has over 19,000 listings worldwide, and booking online is very easy. Listings range from romantic getaways for two, to entire cabins ideal for larger groups of family or friends.
Roll Call
Peacocks, turkeys (the ones with the great laugh), chickens, and ducks would be our neighbors for the duration of our stay, along with one tiny goat who wasn't aware of his own strength (his growing horns were topped with foam balls for our protection).
Adjacent to the tiny house, pigs gleefully played in the mud, and a horse shed revealed a herd of horses, a rabbit who had just birthed a litter of fluffy, chubby baby bunnies, and a family of bearded goats stretched out in their own space. Also, tucked inside was another rental unit - a converted horse shed fashioned into a little studio apartment.
Just outside, walking and horse trails led out to the woods, and another unique accommodation - a vintage school bus that had been transformed into a bohemian bungalow - anchored the far end of the farm. Following the tour, Stuart, the owner of the farm, dressed in a colorful rain coat, slacks, and rubber boots, showed us to our tiny house.
#TinyHouseGoals
Stepping inside the tiny house, I was relieved to find ample headspace for my husband (all 6' 2" of him), and well-designed areas for lounging, cooking, and sleeping. There was also an en suite bathroom (can I call it that?) with a composting toilet and a shower. A ladder led up to the queen-sized bed, and there was actually a decent amount of headspace thanks to the pitched roof. Two skylights provided natural afternoon light, making the entire place glow.
Just inside: A ladder leading up to the loft bed, a minimalist kitchen, and a bathroom.
The view from the top: sitting area with hidden storage, and views of the farm just outside.
It was cozy and romantic, the perfect place to celebrate Valentine's Day. We settled in quickly without much to unpack, and headed out to dinner with the hopes of catching the sunset.
Tad's Chicken & Dumplings
On Stuart's recommendation, we headed back out to Highway 30 for dinner on the riverfront, at Tad's Chicken & Dumplings, an iconic Depression-era restaurant that has been dishing up its namesake since the 1920s.
The classic dish is served in an oversized silver goblet. The chicken is stewed and topped with two softball-sized dumplings. Steven opted for the pan-fried chicken with a single dumpling while I went for the Pacific Northwest salmon. We watched the tail end of sunset over the Sandy River, and admired our surroundings. It was perfect for Valentine's Day and also one of our last dates before the arrival of our baby boy, due March 24th.
We'd been seated in the restaurant's 1990s addition, a beautiful enclosed patio with wall-to-wall windows looking out over the river below. In the summer, all of the windows are opened creating a breezy, indoor/outdoor dining experience.
Stepping into the restaurant was like stepping back in time. There were multiple rooms, one with a hearth fire, the next with a brass bar, and even the ladies room was completely retro.
The Ladies Room: Olive green bathroom stalls and coordinating pink toilets not pictured.
It was a truly lovely meal, and bellies full, we headed back to Corbett Farms.
Later That Night...
We returned to a quiet scene at Corbett Farms around 8:00 p.m. We settled into the lounge area of our tiny house and played a game of cribbage, which had become a weekend tradition over the years. For a moment, we could have been home at our house. We were so cozy, and without the regular distractions of WiFi or a television, it was easy to fall asleep that night. Staying asleep, well, that was another story.
Despite my countless trips to the bathroom, waking our feathered neighbors in the middle of the night, and the rooster's revenge in the early hours of the morning, we awoke refreshed and ready to take on the day.
But first coffee...
When The Breakfast Is Bigger Than The Bedroom
...and fruit and yogurt...and fresh squeezed orange juice...and half a dozen eggs...and cheesy potatoes...and sausage and bacon...and French toast...and blueberry pancakes?
It was the biggest breakfast we'd ever seen. We weren't even sure it would fit through the door as Stuart stood there with his arms outstretched.
"Good morning! Ready for breakfast?"
Was I ever.
Getting There
Corbett Farms is located near historic Highway 30, which runs along the Columbia River, throughout the Columbia River Gorge, and onto Astoria along the Oregon Coast. The highway is actually America's first scenic highway, and also considered a National Historic Landmark. A winding road overlooking the Sandy River, a tributary of the Columbia, led us to Corbett Farms. We admired moss-covered trees, historic bridges, and small creeks carving through the undulating forests along the way.
There's just something about a tiny house. Maybe it's the minimalist in me. Maybe it's the closeness to nature. Maybe it's about realizing how little we need. Maybe it's the close confines that I like best of all - you can't help but snuggle up in such tight quarters. Whatever it is, we found a glamping getaway in Oregon that was just our size. Thanks to GlampingHub.com, we redefined romance this Valentine's Day.
If you go...
Stay: Tiny House Listing
Dine: Tad's Chicken & Dumplings
Plan a Glamping Getaway: GlampingHub.com
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This post is partially sponsored by GlampingHub.com, but the views expressed are my own.