The Benefits of Staying in a Cabin

If you’re looking to get away in the warm summer months, I highly recommend you rent a cabin to enjoy your time in nature while still having the comfort of cool cover during the warmest hours of the day. My partner and I have started staying in a historic cabin as a part of our annual travel routine, and we can’t get enough of it. There’s nothing quite like being in the nice fresh air, surrounded by greenery, while you get to still enjoy the comforts of having a cozy fireplace and a nice kitchen (and electricity, of course). So, without further ado, here are the benefits of staying in a cabin (with a few additional tips on what to bring with you).

Cool Comfortable Nights

My absolute favorite part of staying in a historic cabin is enjoying the cool, comfortable nights that come with it. It’s almost always cooler in the evenings when you’re out in the woods, so it’s the perfect time to head out into the world, gaze at the night sky, and light a fire / fire pit. We regularly make the effort to bring our telescope out with us while we camp, as being out in nature offers little to no light pollution, making it perfect to see the stars. Grabbing a beer or a cigar and sitting out looking at the stars makes for a perfect night! And once you’re done gazing at the sky, you could light the fireplace or a fire pit (whatever the property has) to sit by the fire and talk as the wee hours of the early morning draw close. We also make an effort to explore the grounds at night time with a lantern. These types of adventurous and exciting activities at night are without a doubt the best benefits of staying in a cabin, if you ask me. Because at the end of the night, you get to sleep in a nice cozy bed with regulated air after enjoying the nature around you.

Close to Great Food in the Daytime

Another great reason to stay in a cabin is as follows: you’re close to great food, and the daytime hours offer the perfect time to grab a good meal! During the hottest hours of the day, when you’ll likely not want to be outside, you can either cook a nice meal in your cabin’s kitchen or journey out to find some great spots to eat! By staying in a cabin, you’re likely near-ish to some great places to eat that are surely easy to get to. We just recently stayed in a cabin near Charlottesville, Virginia (more on that below), and we were blown away by the variety of delicious food places around us. We specifically discovered Carmello’s Italian Restaurant, and we were delighted by the delicious home-cooked style Italian meals and the fantastic service. The waiter kept giving us presents to eat “later” at our cabin, and it was so sweet. We were overwhelmed by how incredible that place was. So, getting to discover new food finds is one of the best benefits of staying in a cabin, in my humble opinion!

Hiking in the Evening

When the weather begins to transition to the cooler side after the mid-day heat, that’s the perfect time for hiking! A major benefit of staying in a cabin is that you likely have easy access to many hiking trails around you. The hours between lunch and dinner and / or before it gets dark are the perfect times to go out and either take on an established trail or explore the area around you. Getting out into nature is, of course, while most people want to stay in a cabin. We choose our spot in Charlottesville because it’s very close to Shenandoah National Park, so the variety of hiking trails around us in endless!

Our Cabin

If you happen to be in the Charlottesville, Virginia area or are looking to vacation out that way (and with the variety of hiking trails and vineyards in the area, why wouldn’t you!?), we can’t recommend Tim’s Cabin enough! We’ve stayed there several times now, and the host is so kind. He comes to greet each and every guest personally. The property is nestled in the middle of the woods on a hill, so you feel fully secluded while still being on his larger property which consists of other cabins and a lake. Staying in the cabin gives you access to the canoe on his lake (the life vests and paddles are in the closet in the cabin), and he provides detailed information in the kitchen on the things to do around the area.

This cabin is the perfect mix of historic old log building with modern electronic luxury. You get the feeling you’re back in olden times; however, you can still have access to all the electronic, cooking, and bathroom essentials you could need. Consider it more “glamping”, perhaps, than camping. It’s perfectly secluded, cozy, and rustic: the perfect place for the perfect getaway.

Don’t Forget Your Travel Essentials!

Finally, even when getting away in a more “glampy” setting, it’s so important not to forget your travel essentials! When I do these smaller getaways, I try to backpack my way through everything, so the more consolidated my packing can be, the better! That’s why I fell in love with The “Mini Traveler” by J. R. Liggett’s Travel Ready! These shampoo bars are super compact and solid (so you can travel with them without any additional thought), and they keep your hair healthy, beautiful, and clean while you’re out on your adventures. I used mine all trip, and I LOVE it. I can’t get enough of these.

Despite being for hair, I also use this shampoo as a mild body soap and as a make-shift stain remover if I happen to get mud on my clothes when out and about. It’s safe and easy to use and helps to shrink my packing list substantially. Plus, I love the little bag it comes in, too!

I think it’s safe to say that I love staying in cabins and the adventure that comes with it. I hope I’ve swayed you to join me exploring the world, one cabin at a time.