LILLIPUTIAN LIVING
There are many reasons people flock to the tiny town of Lyons, home to about 2,000 people. For starters, its location on the St. Vrain River makes it a mecca for whitewater kayaking. Not to mention, it is home to music festivals, epic mountain biking and has easy access to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Another draw is one you might not expect, but it certainly is attracting attention. It’s called WeeCasa Tiny House Resort, a cluster of 22 tiny homes for rent (starting at $159 per night). Some are sleek and European, others are more whimsical. Each one is uniquely decorated, ranging in size from 140 to 200 square feet, and all are ready to roll. They are licensed as recreational vehicles, which means they are on wheels and can be on the move in 30 minutes or less.
As soon as I walk over to my wee abode, known as the Pequod, I realize why so many Americans have become obsessed with this phenomenon.
Outside: The curvy roofline and cedar shingles give it a cottage-like feel. Inside: There’s an arched ceiling and stained-glass windows, two lofts connected by a plexiglass catwalk, a private bathroom and a kitchen where one of the drawer pulls is actually a fork. Despite its small stature, it sleeps four adults.
“I think tiny living in general is really something that people are fascinated with,” says Kenyon Waugh, WeeCasa’s “Wee-EO.” “What we see is people leaving here energized to reduce the amount of things they have and the footprint they have and to really simplify their lifestyles.” WeeCasa is part of a growing number of tiny-home getaways across the nation from Oregon to New York that make for an unusual and Instagram-worthy vacation. Beyond that, though, some of the homes are models available for purchase, so spending time there can serve as a tinyhome test drive.
So much so, one visitor even brought her cat bed along to WeeCasa to see how it would fit in, and another whipped up a quiche to make sure the kitchen space was adequate.
Gregory Johnson, who has kept a close eye on the tiny-living moment for the past 15 years, says many people find it to be a great way to find a peaceful sense of renewal, even if it’s just for a weekend.
In 2001, Johnson became enchanted with the idea of tiny living and commissioned Jay Shafer, owner of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, to build him one a few years later. He also was inspired to create the Small House Society to help foster the growth of the tiny-living movement.
Back then, Johnson says, a Google search for small houses or tiny houses produced no results. Fast-forward to today, and those shrunken homes have sparked so much interest there is now an entire category of reality TV shows and documentaries devoted to the topic. There even are tinyhome jamborees.
With the sheer charm and design aesthetic of these homes, the intrigue is certainly there, but when it comes down to living in one full time, that’s another story.
For Gerrie Stone, who lives in Watertown, S.D., and recently stayed at WeeCasa, it was a good way to bring her family from Nebraska and Colorado together. Although committing to tiny living does not appeal to her, she loved the community atmosphere. And staying in a Hobbit-themed tiny home was worth the trip alone. With its round door and windows, faux ivy and tiny chandelier, it was an instant conversation starter with fellow visitors.
ON THE RISE
The trend is poised to grow.
Right now, travelers can take their pick from such places as Fireside Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyo., which has 23 cabins for rent (starting at $225 per night) near Grand Teton National Park. With such names as Caboose and Light-Haus, the 400-square-foot homes all were built by Wheelhaus and serve as model homes available for purchase starting at $58,000.
Then there’s Getaway, which offers tiny-home stays (starting at $99 per night) in New York’s Catskills and in the forests of New Hampshire. The first thing you’ll notice is the cellphone dropbox encouraging you to disconnect. Homes also are stocked with fun snacks (think: popcorn and s’mores by the fire pit) and simple meals.
They keep the specific location under wraps so renters won’t stress about planning ahead of time, looking up restaurants and such. (Guests enter their starting zip code online, so they will know the approximate drive time.)
“People are yearning to find a counterbalance to the digital age,” says Getaway founder and CEO Jon Staff.
“Cities are great, but nature can provide things the city doesn’t. Technology is powerful, but we can’t be connected all the time. Tiny houses capture the minimalism and simplicity that went out of style ... but seems to be coming back in reaction to a world that has become too busy, complicated and stressful.”
Throughout the year, more tiny-home hotels will open. Tumbleweed, for example, opened Mt. Hood Tiny House Village outside of Portland, Ore., last year, has a tiny-house village in Washington state and also rents tiny homes at camping resorts across the country. And, no surprise, more plans are in the works.
The same goes for Getaway. Their homes typically are booked several months out and weekend dates can book as much as six months in advance. They, too, have more homes in development.
Whatever these minimal dwellings lacking in the square footage department, they make up for it with tons of personality. And for vacationers who may find the quarters confining, a return from Lilliput is just a weekend away.