Tiny House Living: Part 1

Everyone seems involved with the new “Tiny House” trend and I have been super curious about the small corridor living experience myself. The trend really does appeal to me but I kept wondering where can one actually find a tiny house to rent for a night? Welp, I actually found one! It is a tiny house community called “Tiny Estates” in Elizabethtown, PA. Let me tell you, it was one of the most unique weekend getaways I have had in months!

I call this review “Part 1” because we are already planning a trip to go back in the summer and staying in a different home!

Since check in wasn’t until 3:00pm we decided to arrive in Elizabethtown, PA a few hours early and go on a nice walking trail. We agreed to try the trail called the “Conewago Recreation Trail.” This was a peaceful flat trail that was a straight line through wooded areas and chirping birds.

The path in total was around 5 miles long one way. Keep in mind it’s 5 miles long in one direction so walking the path and then turning around and walking back would be around 10 miles total. We ended up not doing the whole trail because we were dog sitting a puppy and his little legs wouldn’t have handled it well but we did accomplish about 4 miles and it was really nice!

After the hike we headed over to our tiny home. When we checked in they gave us a map of the tiny home property and showed us where all the communal activities were located. They also gave us a “welcome gift” which consisted of pretzels and popcorn. What a cute idea! Once we received our keys we drove up to a gate and swiped our card to get inside the community which provided a sense of security.

“Tiny Estates” has around 10-15 different homes you can rent, and some are even pet friendly. It is a semi gated community with two well kept ponds on the property that could be right outside your rental (depending where your tiny home is located). The Estates has communal fire pits, outdoor games (Jenga, corn hole, etc), and hot tubs. I personally was super stoked about the hot tubs.

We stayed at the Tiny House called “The Dingo” which wasn’t my first choice but these homes book up fast! You also get 1 complimentary parking spot in front of your home. It’s 1 car per house. I was pleasantly surprised when we got inside the house; the pictures did not do it justice! Our home included a kitchen, couch, TV, IPad, bathroom (which included a sink, full deep tub, usable toilet, and hair dryer), and a loft for sleeping. The floors were wood and tile and had an adorable cabin/modern design. Additionally it also had little signs with sayings around the house.

The living room/kitchen area had an air conditioning unit and a space heater which actually warmed up the house really well. They provided lots of extra pillows, towels, and blankets as well.

The door to the bathroom was a sliding door that opened and closed easily. The only compliant I would have about it is you don’t really feel like you have any privacy in the bathroom due to this door but the design aspect was appealing.

Ideally, being super outdoorsy people, John and I would have loved to grill in one of the communal fire pits, but since it was March and chilly we decided to go out to eat instead. We were recommended to go to “T.J Rockwell’s American Grill and Tavern” which was only about an 8 minute drive. We arrived there around 3:30pm for a late lunch and the place was packed, you could instantly tell this was the spot to be according to the locals.

The staff was super friendly and they had a tasty cocktail menu. I ended up having the “Caribbean Crush” which had Mango Rum, Triple Sec, Sierra Mist, Fresh Orange, and Grenadine. It was delicious, highly recommend!

Besides the drinks, the food was delicious. They had a large variety of options from burgers, to salads, sandwiches, etc. There’s something for everyone. One option we saw was called the “Rhino Tour.” This dish included a mix of their signature appetizers such as Rhino fries (Fries with melted cheese and bacon), boneless wings, pretzel logs, wimpy burgers and onion rings. This dish is served with four distinctive sauces is large enough to feed about 4 people.

After some yummy grub we headed back to the tiny house community and made S’mores over the fire pit next to one of their ponds. Don’t get me wrong, it was really cold and I was wearing a jacket and gloves but it was still really relaxing. There’s something about having a drink and eating good dessert around a lake and fire that makes a night feel relaxing and magical. Additionally, we wanted to try out the hot tub, but unfortunately it wasn’t working the night we were there.

Our tiny house included a small flat screen television where we were able to watch a movie and cuddle with the dogs on the couch. It was nice that even though this adventure felt like a “Glamping Experience”, we were still able to access modern technology such as watching a movie. It was a good way to detox after a full day of being outside in the chilly weather.

I personally felt like the sleeping arrangements were not that bad and the bed was comfy. The only factor to watch out for is how low the ceiling was and if you had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night climbing up and down the ladder wasn’t exactly ideal. John and I can both openly admit we hit our head a few times on that ceiling, whoops.

The next morning for breakfast we headed over to another local favorite place called “Country Meadows Restaurant.”

I ordered the French Toast Cinnamon Pancakes and let me tell you, they were extremely delicious. It’s not often I get only carbs for breakfast, especially with so much sugary goodness, but it was worth it.

Here’s a close up photo…because the picture far away doesn’t do it enough justice!

John ordered the Hash Brown, Eggs, and Creamed Beef which came with toast. Basically it was a deep dish bowl with hash browns and eggs mixed together with creamed beef layered on top. To be honest I thought that sounded kind of weird but when I tasted it, it was amazing. I was low key jealous I didn’t order that for myself! If you’re adventurous I would try that dish as it was really really good.

So if you ever wanted to try tiny living just for a fun vacation or to see if that’s a lifestyle you might be interested in, I would definitely check out “Tiny Estates.” Like I said, I’m already planning my second trip back when the weather is warmer because I have a whole bunch of activities in that area I want to try and write to ya’ll about! Some of the activities include Hershey Park, Hiking Trails, and The Turkey Hill Experience. If you have other suggestions of places in the area for me to try or good restaurants leave a comment as I would love to hear your thoughts!

Tiny living for the win! 🙂