Why I Still Date Your Daddy: A Hocking Hills Get-Away Review

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From the moment you receive that first positive pregnancy test, your whole world changes. The choices you make from that moment on ultimately affect the most precious gift in the world. You were chosen and trusted with this little life. To rear them up to be great humans, to have empathy, to love and be kind, to laugh and be silly, to enjoy the small things, to make a difference. YOU. ARE. IT. In that moment, you go from being husband and wife, to mommy and daddy.

We have a little motto in our house: “we were husband and wife before we were mommy and daddy.” We think it is essential to rearing our children into forming great relationships with their significant others as they grow older. Trying to set an example and silence the stigma that once you become mommy and daddy, you are no longer husband and wife.

I recently read this quote from @stronger_marriages: “Have a marriage that makes your kids excited to be married one day. This is our goal. We make it a point to date each other. To learn new things. We take little trips, go to small dinners, and my ultimate favorite…at home date nights with a little vino and a lot of takeout (my ultimate faves: Chipotle and Bangkok Kitchen!!) while we watch a recorded show from our bed at 9:00 at night. This past week, we took a plunge…we rented a yurt near Hocking Hills. It was perfectly simple and amazing in all of it’s ways. Brought us full circle in some areas and took us out of our comfort zone in others. It also proved we still need a couple years before we tackle hiking the big National Parks (my dream).

I have compiled a little bit of a review of our trip to the Humming Bird Yurt in Logan, Ohio. It is the perfect close enough to home getaway for a little reset, to clear your mind, and listen to your soul.

We found this yurt via Facebook. It just so happened to pop up one day and we thought…well, that needs to happen. We booked it within a day. The yurt is owned and run by Hillside Retreats. The owner, Alissa, nothing short of amazing. The week before our trip, we were contacted by Alissa for arrival procedures and were told that if we needed anything…maps, attractions, ect., to not hesitate to reach out. When we did have questions, a simple text to Alissa and she got back to us within minutes each time!

The drive down to Logan was approximately 3 hours from the Toledo area. The perfect amount of time to listen to music in lieu of a children’s movie, take a little nap while the hubby drives, swing through Starbucks and enjoy a nice hot coffee, or if you are me…all 3! Arriving at the property, you could just sense it was going to be peaceful. Nestled up against the woods with only one other yurt and a “shipping container tiny house”, a quaint recreation center, and their soon to be ready “igloo”!

Now, I am a clean freak. I am the type of friend who does not care in the least bit if your house is a hot mess, but I typically need my own home to be tidy to function (don’t worry, there are messes, LOTS of messes). I am also not a huge fan of hotels, I am not sure why…the sheets and towels always get me in the stomach, haha. So, it was much to my pleasure when we stepped foot into this establishment and it was SPOTLESS. You guys, I would have felt comfortable eating off the floor (and we did, after I dropped our Costco tacos all over getting them out of the fridge). Not only was this the cleanest place I have ever stayed…and I mean EVER, the decor was out of this world (can we say Target meets Joanna meets Pottery Barn?). I in fact, text my friend and said I was never leaving, to just bring me my kids! Alissa even has the electric fireplace running when you get there to welcome you.

Within the 20 foot yurt, you will find anything and everything you need to kick back, relax, and recharge your batteries. The yurt is equipped with a queen size bed, a kitchenette (2 cooktops, a microwave, pod coffee maker, and a small refrigerator/freezer). There is cookware and dishes ready for use, so no need to bring your own! We got Costco street tacos, small turkey roll-ups from Costco, hummus, pita bread, and frozen breakfast bowls for meals…one night we ordered pizza! We tried to keep it simple and easy!

The bathroom and shower was fantastic. They provide shampoo, conditioner, and body wash…not your typical hotel stuff either! Towels were fresh…you guys, they even had black towels embroidered with “makeup” for you to use when removing makeup so you didn’t stain the white ones…am I the only one who thinks that is amazing?!

Was it cold? SO many people have asked me this question. Simple answer-NO! The yurt is climate controlled and as mentioned before, even has an electric fireplace. There is an Alexa to play your favorite jams and the tv has streaming services. Literally everything you need in a 20 foot space.

As if it could not get better, the back porch is equipped with a 5 person hot tub overlooking Hocking Hills. Have you ever been in a hot tub in the morning? I highly suggest it…with mimosas or coffee…or both! We did bring a small bluetooth speaker to take outside by the hot tub so we could listen to “Jesus Jams” by morning and country jams by night. There is also a gas grill, outdoor furniture, and a firepit(during warmer months, we would surely utilize these)!

The “pole barn” is where you can find recreational activities, like pool and shuffle board. There are also canvas posters where visitors past have signed their names, their reason for staying, and where they were from…and clean fresh ones for you to do the same!

I did mention before, that the yurt was impeccably clean, but being that we are in the middle of a pandemic, I think it is important to point out how comfortable I felt, and how seriously Alissa and her staff take the cleanliness and sanitization of the property.

The second, and only full day of our trip, we drove approximately 30 minutes to hike Hocking Hills and see some of our “local” wonders. During this 8 mile hike, we saw such sights as Old Man’s Cave, The Devil’s Bathtub, Upper and Lower Falls, The Sphinx Head, and the suspension bridge. We laughed so much, got lost driving (not hiking, haha), saw breathtaking sights…also lost our breath on one of the more challenging trails. It was quiet, and very serene. Did I mention we travelled Wednesday-Friday!! Our hiking day the sun was shining and it was the perfect temp. There was just enough snow and still icicles hanging off the rocks. Also, hiking in the winter months almost promises flowing waterfalls! All of the parks within Hocking Hills are free, are open from 8-5, and are very first timer friendly!

We also ventured out to the local brewery, Brewery 33. The owner Amy and her staff were very hospitable, friendly, offered some good laughs, committed to clean, of course had some good craft brews! While there we ordered pizza from a local mom and pop shop and had it delivered to us while there at the brewery to take back with us for dinner!

I can not leave this post without saying that I am smitten with details. We were left with a rock in our yurt to decorate for their rock garden. In true Amanda fashion, I decorated it with a rainbow. I must also point out that there were rainbows each day in our yurt. Call them what you will. But to me it was a sign that we were meant to be there, enjoying this life as husband and wife, before we headed back home to be mommy and daddy.

Hillside Retreats, LLC.

Logan, Ohio

(740)759-2216

[email protected]

Check them out on airbnb.com.

Facebook: Hillside Retreats

IG: hillsideretreats

 

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