I'm convinced I could win "Survivor" without a doubt. Building shelter, scavenging for food, living off the land - I could do it all. My friends, on the other hand… could not.
Naturally, I'm the outdoorsy and adventurous one in my group. I've been trying to get my friends to come camping with me for years, but they just don't get how amazing it is! It's my time to escape work, dim all the screens that have invaded my life, and reconnect with nature.
Since I can't force them into a tent, I decided to start small. A few months ago, I requested we only sit outside for dinner so they can realize how great fresh air is. I'd been commenting about how miserable the traffic in the city is, and how my mind's melting from the omnipresent screen time. I just wanted to see the wide sky and stars. How about some stars?
Once we agreed how sick we are of the city, it was time to introduce my final act: Getaway. It's the perfect common ground for everyone! I showed them the website, the cabin glass windows, told them about the local activities, and promised that Getaway has all the necessary amenities.
My plan worked! My friends said yes with only a few sighs, and we booked our trip.
The drive up was awesome and inspiring. Only two hours outside the city, but as soon as the skyline was out of sight, we felt like a huge weight had been lifted from all of us. It felt so nice to get back into our groove while we talked, laughed, and listened to music.
When we pulled up, they were shocked — and honestly, so was I! The cabins are 50 to 150 feet apart — isolated, but not lonely. We had absolutely contactless check-in and the cabin itself was a golden world lined in pine wood. While I was staring out the window at the changing leaves, I heard my friends ooh and ahh over the mini-kitchen with a double burner, the stocked bathroom, fluffy towels, crisp white sheets, and perfectly curated knick-knacks.
I let them settle in and unpack, and then the strangest thing happened: They asked me for my phone. "They're all going in the lockbox!" I never expected them to give up their phones for the entire weekend. But when they saw everything Getawayhad to offer, they decided to totally lean in.
We took some of the suggestions from Getaway's local guides for hiking routes and we ventured out to see some Mother Nature! When we got back, we cracked open a bottle of wine, sat around the campfire (which I started, of course), and laughed about how if they'd known this was camping, they'd have come years ago.
We shared all of my favorite camping activities like going on hikes, reading, drying leaves, and looking at the stars. But we also did things that traditional camping doesn't offer. We snuggled in bed and watched movies we'd pre-downloaded and cooked breakfast in the kitchen. I will say, having a working toilet is pretty nice.
Getawayis the perfect option for the hiker in me and the city slickers in them. Each of us found things we love about Getaway and are already planning a return winter trip.