Tiny House Travel and Why You Should Do It

Don’t you sometimes just want to simplify your life? Travel more?

The vast majority of us (at least in America) are bogged down by the roof over our heads. About 72% of us spend a full 50% of our income on our homes. That’s insane!! It’s a big reason why Americans have an unprecedented amount of debt, and many are living paycheck to paycheck. (Pssst….tiny house travel!) Whoops, I’m so excited, I’m getting ahead of myself.

But it doesn’t have to be this way! We have been raised in society by the notion that when you grow up, you should get a job working for someone else. This is, of course, to pay for a ton of stuff: your house, your car, your clothes, your kids, your pets…some of this is obviously important. But true to form, we tend to overspend. It’s just the way our economy has been set up.

When you buy a house, you need to buy stuff to fill it. Some of it pretty damn expensive. Then we are bombarded with ads all the time that taunt us with great new stuff: that trendy outfit, the latest gadget, or that awesome new vacuum cleaner with all of the bells and whistles. When in reality, at the end of the day, it’s just STUFF. We don’t NEED MOST of it. And the stuff we DO need can be bought for so much cheaper if you know where to look.

And you know what? More people are coming to this realization. They are coming to realize that if they get rid of all of the material clutter in their lives, their life will be simpler. That closet of clothes, where 75% of it hasn’t been worn in over a year, or that storage cabinet full of junk that you have to rifle through to get at that ONE thing you do need. Why do we keep all of it? When we get rid of the stuff we don’t need any longer, a tremendous burden starts to lift from our shoulders.

The same is true for our homes. Many of us live in spaces that are simply too big for our lifestyle. I realize some of you may scoff at this statement. You may feel that you DO need all of your living space. But for what? To house all of the crap you don’t need? You spend money on maintenance, upkeep, repairs, heating, cooling…all of which cost even more money for space you don’t need (as long as you get rid of the material stuff you no longer need). Are you starting to get my point?

All of this leads to the tiny house revolution. More people are realizing they can downsize and start to live a simpler life. And guess what happens? Wait for it…. they are HAPPIER. Gasp!! With a smaller living space comes more freedom. Less time worrying about the house and more time to devote to family, friends and….TRAVEL. Having less living space will also equate to more money in your pocket.

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Can you say WIN WIN ?!?

The best news is, now you can try out the tiny home lifestyle on your next vacation. Travelers are getting savvy in that they are beginning to reject the standard (often expensive) hotel room in favor of a more inexpensive and more unique experience. Booking accommodation in a tiny house. What could be better than that?

Many people equate tiny houses with yurts, but that’s not accurate. Read about my yurt camping experience here. I love yurts, but they are not really a tiny house. Sure, there is a roof over your head, but yurts, by and large, do not have running water or toilets in them. Tiny houses do. It’s what really sets a tiny house apart from a yurt, which is basically an elevated camping experience. Yurts are awesome, but they’re not meant to be lived in for a long period of time. You still have to cook your meals outside on a grill or campfire.

Another example is the tree house phenomenon. Sort of a cross between a yurt and a tiny house. There is no running water (most of the time) but there are so many cool configurations in a tree house, much like a tiny house.

I have compiled a comprehensive list of the tiny house experience in the Pacific Northwest. And no surprise, most tiny homes you can rent through Airbnb. I invite you to browse Airbnb for tiny houses, wherever you may travel. However, below are some dedicated properties that are touting the tiny house revolution for travelers. I was hoping to include a dedicated place in British Columbia for tiny home rentals but was unable to find any in my research. I hope this changes in the near future! And if you know of a great B.C. Tiny house rental website, please let me know!

Here is a great blog post showcasing just a few of the tiny homes for rent in B.C.

Also, check out Glamping Hub for tiny house accommodations all over the Pacific Northwest (and beyond).

Washington State

The Bavarian wonderland that is Leavenworth, Washington is a destination unto itself. Tucked into the alpine-like mountains in central Washington, Leavenworth has an entire cute and quaint downtown area loaded with Bavarian-style buildings. Read about Leavenworth here.

And just in 2018, they have opened up a Tiny House Village where visitors can lay their heads. A two-night minimum stay is required. This is a fantastic petite retreat that will charm your socks off and elevate your German village experience. With only five tiny homes on this property, you may want to book well in advance!

Oregon

The great state of Oregon has a couple more options. Tucked in the Kerns neighborhood of Portland, Tiny Digs Hotel is situated on a converted car dealership parking lot that has transformed into a hotel of tiny house dreams. Currently, eight tiny homes (more to be added) are situated around a central “outdoor lounge” guest area and hangout space.

Caravan – The Tiny House Hotel has six custom-built tiny houses to choose from in the Alberta Arts district of Portland. During the winter months, there is not usually a minimum night stay but come spring the minimum is two nights. Both the Caravan and Tiny Digs offer tours of their property. I like Caravan because they have events like campfire s’mores socials and music in the summertime.

Mount Hood also has a Tiny House Village! Part of the Petite Retreats franchise and the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, they currently have five tiny houses for rent in Welches, Oregon. Right at the foot of Mt. Hood. As with any of these properties, they are few and far between at the present time and in high demand. So book early!