a largely off-the-grid, truly unique, 420-friendly cabin and YURT in beautiful Livingston Manor, NY. Two ‘tiny houses’ with every conceivable amenity—full kitchen, hot shower, indoor toilet, woodstove, spacious living room, enormous sleeping lofts, speakers for your music, excellent wi-fi—thoughtfully arranged to maximize space and ease of use. The houses are at the end of a shale road on a blueberry orchard. Guests are invited to pick all the fruit they like. The hillside’s high elevation provides an oasis of cooler temperatures during every summer heat wave. The panoramic view of the Catskills from the front porches has to be seen to be appreciated. Across the property, smack in the middle of the blueberry bushes, is the latest addition to our eco-getaway: a YURT. It’s a slightly larger tiny house, albeit a round one with walls of cloth instead of wood. Like the cabin, the YURT has a full kitchen, hot shower, indoor toilet, woodstove, excellent wi-fi, etc. If glamping is your thing, come and spend a night or two under the stars while sleeping indoors. While the setting is delightfully off the beaten path, it’s also a short drive to the cafés, breweries, and eateries in the charming hamlet of Livingston Manor. World class hiking, swimming, camping, and fishing is even closer. (Camping and hiking gear provided.) Perhaps most importantly, our place offers more than a getaway. Guests learn how hygienic a composting toilet is, how easily a spring provides water for one’s home, the joys of heating with wood, etc. A few days—or months—on the blueberry patch is both a rewarding glimpse of the sustainable life and an invaluable education in how comfortable a small house can be. If you’re considering procuring your own, spending time in one of ours will help you decide if such a home is right for you. How to get here: depending on traffic, it’s about two hours from NYC. Take the Thruway to the very first exit, Exit 16 for Rt. 17 west. Follow Rt. 17 for an hour to Exit 98/Parksville. (The houses are in Livingston Manor.) What to expect: the yurt was literally just finished. The cabin is spotless too. However, both are rustic cabins not hotels. Because they have a composting toilet, because they’re heated with wood, because the property is accessed via a chip path not an asphalt one, invariably sawdust, wood flecks, and the occasional spider web make their way inside. The country will follow you indoors. Please visit expecting that. In the interest of keeping the place tidy we ask that guests remove their shoes before entering. You’ll have to walk about 75 yards from your car so… make sure those shoes are comfortable. Both the cabin and yurt sleep two couples each. House broken, well-mannered pets welcome. Expect a location that’s off the beaten path and, consequently, not super easy to find. But for ours, there are no houses in sight. Relevantly, our house is next door. (See photos.) We are quiet folks and you’ll likely hear little but the rustling trees and nearby spring.What to bring: if you’re planning to pick blueberries or go hiking, bring clothes you don’t mind getting a bit dirty. A headlamp is recommended for enjoying the grounds at night and hiking up from your car at night. Speaking of cars, the shale road that leads to our cabin and yurt does NOT require a 4wd drive vehicle. However, you should drive cautiously if you arrive in a Prius or any other car that’s low to the ground. Whatever you’re driving, please do so slowly as the road is one way. A standard release is required. Must be comfortable with a composting toilet and should know how to light a fire in a woodstove.$175 per night, $350 per weekend, $750 per week, tiny cleaning fee, monthly rates negotiable. A standard release is required. Must be comfortable with a composting toilet and should know how to light a fire in a woodstove.
