Saturday, February 4, 2023
No Result
View All Result
SUBSCRIBE
The Chimney Rock Chronicle
26 °f
Broadway
40 ° Sun
45 ° Mon
44 ° Tue
54 ° Wed
58 ° Thu
  • Home
    • About Us
    • Pickup Locations
  • Columns
    • All
    • Book Notes
    • Eating Well in the Real World
    • Fishing with Mike
    • From the Potting Shed
    • Fulks Run Follies
    • Gobbler Sports
    • Handy with Randy
    • Headlines from Plains Museum
    • Hiking With Ray
    • Local Business
    • Local Legends
    • Musings from the Woodpile
    • Personal & Professional Development
    • Randy's Ramblings
    • Reflections from a Fuller Life
    • Sarah's Recipes
    • The Gospel Vault
    • The View From Here
    • The Wandering Wilkins
    • When This You See
    Photograph of Ronnie Fulk

    Fulks Run Follies

    Floating in pool

    The Wandering Wilkins

    Dog in woods

    Hiking with Ray

    Spotlight on the Off Broadway Players

    Spotlight on the Off Broadway Players

    Breakfast Pocket

    Sarah’s Recipes

    Bass Fishing with Mike – December 2021

    Bass Fishing With Mike

    Photograph of Wes Dove

    It’s Not You, It’s Me

    Gospel Vault

    Gospel Vault

    Fair and Tender Ladies book cover. By Lee Smith

    Book Notes – Classic Southern Novels

    From the Potting Shed – December 2021

    From the Potting Shed

    Randy image

    Randy’s Ramblings

    Handy With Randy

    Handy With Randy

    The Midnight Ride of Paul Reve …the Moose Hunter

    The Midnight Ride of Paul Reve …the Moose Hunter

    Spotlight on the Off Broadway Players

    Continuity for Off Broadway Players

    Hiking with Ray

    Hiking with Ray

    Trending Tags

    • Entertainment
      • All
      • Festivals
      • Kids Activites
      • Music
      • Off Broadway Players
      • Sports
      • Upcoming Events
      Kansas

      Hunting for the Lesser Prairie Chicken in the Cimarron National Grassland

      Spotlight on the Off Broadway Players

      Spotlight on the Off Broadway Players

      Bass Fishing with Mike – December 2021

      Bass Fishing With Mike

      A Spinning Demonstration

      A Hidden Gem in Plain View

      Rounding the Bases

      Rounding the Bases

      Local Scouts Learn Flag Folding Procedures

      Local Scouts Learn Flag Folding Procedures

      The Midnight Ride of Paul Reve …the Moose Hunter

      The Midnight Ride of Paul Reve …the Moose Hunter

      Spotlight on the Off Broadway Players

      Continuity for Off Broadway Players

      Rounding the Bases

      Rounding the Bases

      • Off Broadway Players
    • History
      • All
      • Bev's Historic Notes
      The Chimney Rock VFW Celebrates 75 Years of Service

      The Chimney Rock VFW Celebrates 75 Years of Service

      HEADLINES From Plains District Memorial Museum

      Highlights from the Plains District Memorial Museum

      Bad Roads

      Revolutionary War Service

      Mattress Shopping

      Retta’s Column

      HEADLINES From Plains District Memorial Museum

      Headlines from PLAINS DISTRICT MEMORIAL MUSEUM

      The Miller Family of the Genoa Area

      The Miller Family of the Genoa Area

      The Lantz Family

      The Lantz Family

      Timberville Historic Notes

      Timberville Historic Notes

      Evaline, Dorcas, and Mae

      Evaline, Dorcas, and Mae

    • Our Sponsors
      • Advertising
    • Home
      • About Us
      • Pickup Locations
    • Columns
      • All
      • Book Notes
      • Eating Well in the Real World
      • Fishing with Mike
      • From the Potting Shed
      • Fulks Run Follies
      • Gobbler Sports
      • Handy with Randy
      • Headlines from Plains Museum
      • Hiking With Ray
      • Local Business
      • Local Legends
      • Musings from the Woodpile
      • Personal & Professional Development
      • Randy's Ramblings
      • Reflections from a Fuller Life
      • Sarah's Recipes
      • The Gospel Vault
      • The View From Here
      • The Wandering Wilkins
      • When This You See
      Photograph of Ronnie Fulk

      Fulks Run Follies

      Floating in pool

      The Wandering Wilkins

      Dog in woods

      Hiking with Ray

      Spotlight on the Off Broadway Players

      Spotlight on the Off Broadway Players

      Breakfast Pocket

      Sarah’s Recipes

      Bass Fishing with Mike – December 2021

      Bass Fishing With Mike

      Photograph of Wes Dove

      It’s Not You, It’s Me

      Gospel Vault

      Gospel Vault

      Fair and Tender Ladies book cover. By Lee Smith

      Book Notes – Classic Southern Novels

      From the Potting Shed – December 2021

      From the Potting Shed

      Randy image

      Randy’s Ramblings

      Handy With Randy

      Handy With Randy

      The Midnight Ride of Paul Reve …the Moose Hunter

      The Midnight Ride of Paul Reve …the Moose Hunter

      Spotlight on the Off Broadway Players

      Continuity for Off Broadway Players

      Hiking with Ray

      Hiking with Ray

      Trending Tags

      • Entertainment
        • All
        • Festivals
        • Kids Activites
        • Music
        • Off Broadway Players
        • Sports
        • Upcoming Events
        Kansas

        Hunting for the Lesser Prairie Chicken in the Cimarron National Grassland

        Spotlight on the Off Broadway Players

        Spotlight on the Off Broadway Players

        Bass Fishing with Mike – December 2021

        Bass Fishing With Mike

        A Spinning Demonstration

        A Hidden Gem in Plain View

        Rounding the Bases

        Rounding the Bases

        Local Scouts Learn Flag Folding Procedures

        Local Scouts Learn Flag Folding Procedures

        The Midnight Ride of Paul Reve …the Moose Hunter

        The Midnight Ride of Paul Reve …the Moose Hunter

        Spotlight on the Off Broadway Players

        Continuity for Off Broadway Players

        Rounding the Bases

        Rounding the Bases

        • Off Broadway Players
      • History
        • All
        • Bev's Historic Notes
        The Chimney Rock VFW Celebrates 75 Years of Service

        The Chimney Rock VFW Celebrates 75 Years of Service

        HEADLINES From Plains District Memorial Museum

        Highlights from the Plains District Memorial Museum

        Bad Roads

        Revolutionary War Service

        Mattress Shopping

        Retta’s Column

        HEADLINES From Plains District Memorial Museum

        Headlines from PLAINS DISTRICT MEMORIAL MUSEUM

        The Miller Family of the Genoa Area

        The Miller Family of the Genoa Area

        The Lantz Family

        The Lantz Family

        Timberville Historic Notes

        Timberville Historic Notes

        Evaline, Dorcas, and Mae

        Evaline, Dorcas, and Mae

      • Our Sponsors
        • Advertising
      No Result
      View All Result
      The Chimney Rock Chronicle
      Subscribe
      Thank you to our Sponsors! Thank you to our Sponsors! Thank you to our Sponsors!
      Home Lifestyle Travel

      Unique Retreat on the Creek

      Sarah Witmer by Sarah Witmer
      December 30, 2022
      in Columnists, Lifestyle, Local Business, Sarah Witmer, Travel
      Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

      Glamping in a yurt – it sounds like a concocted line from a Dr. Seuss book, but “glamourous camping” in a “round canvas tent” is an actual trending experience that can be enjoyed right here in our area, off of Runions Creek. About a year ago, a young entrepreneurial couple dreamed up the idea – Kyle Cowger, a quiet, adventurous businessman and rider coach at Two Trails Motorcycle Training, and his sweet wife Sarah, a strong mother of three boys and parttime sign language interpreter, capitalized on their location and talents to build this unusual Airbnb destination.

      Turning in the lane, you would find what resembles a miniature beige circus tent pitched on a spacious wooden deck that Sarah and her father built – a circular domed canvas with low sidewalls and a high center that provides a spacious interior lined with everything needed to enjoy the getaway. Sitting in the rocking chairs facing south, your eye is drawn to the beauty of Little North Mountain and you start to notice the rippling water of Runions Creek and the bird songs. On a clear night, it is an unpolluted front row seat to take in the breathtaking galaxy of stars. A discreetly and conveniently placed rustic wooden outbuilding provides a composting toilet and sink during the summer months. A cozy woodstove inside the tent is a fair and attractive trade during the wintertime when the amenities are winterized. The list of offerings is complete with a charcoal grill, picnic table, and fire pit.

      So, what kind of fairy dust did it take to create such a magical place? As with most any good thing, it came not sparing blood, sweat, and tears. Sarah shared that in the planning stages, she and Kyle booked a stay at another local yurt to get a feel for glamping and they loved it. She points out that you get to enjoy all the comforts of home packaged with the fun of being in nature. “It was an enjoyable experience and we knew it would be fun to set up our own tent giving it our unique touches!”

      Sarah says, “It was far more work than we thought! If we had known then what we have to go through, I am not sure we would have tried, but I’m glad we were ignorant cause I am very happy with what we have now. Even though it is a tent, it is still in many ways like a tiny house and therefore we had to think through the million little details of what it takes to get a home set up and running. We also ran into some major setbacks with the county officials that delayed us by many months. Because our tent did not easily fall into one of their codes it took a lot time to work through that process and make everyone happy.” Patience, perseverance, encouragement, teamwork, and prayer were among the long list of resources behind the scenes.

      I asked Sarah what they like most about the haven they have created – “the ambient relaxing feeling we experience when on the deck in the rocking chairs just enjoying and soaking in all of natural’s beauty. In the evening we love seeing the colors in the sky change at sunset and at night the beauty of our clear starry nights. I also love the twinkle and fairy lights we have set in and around the tent. They give a magical feel to the tent. When we don’t have guests, we will often go down to the tent just to sit and relax on the deck.”

      Guests to Mountain Creek Haven are predominantly coming from city and suburban areas. They are often amazed by how beautiful the Shenandoah Valley is. Sarah shares that “it has been a great reminder to me of just how blessed we are to live in such a beautiful place all the time. I find it very rewarding to be able to offer little haven that allows for guests soak in the beauty of our mountains, reconnect with nature and to be able to get away from the rush and stress of the city, phones and work to just relax.” There are so many opportunities out and about for those staying at the yurt, considering the proximity to national forests and parks, Harrisonburg, and all the Valley has to offer.

      Kyle and Sarah have truly created a little piece of paradise. Sarah believes what makes their place special is “the tranquil feeling you have after staying a night. By vacationing in a place that is simple, where most of area is slow pace, and there is no wifi or cell service, you are able to truly relax and come away refreshed.” Here’s another modish word in the world of vacationing – ever heard of a staycation? It denotes taking vacation time in your own space or area, and is a much more affordable way to find respite. Consider booking a weekend at Mountain Creek Haven this year to try something new and different that happens to be in our own backyard! Find them on Airbnb: https://abnb.me/D7836OuOUvb

      Sarah Witmer

      Sarah Witmer

      Living on a broiler poultry farm in Broadway with my husband and our three children, I enjoy most home arts (except sewing!) - gardening, canning, cooking, and baking. My grandma grew up on Church Mountain and I enjoy spending time and hunting on the family property there.

      Next Post
      Welcome!

      Happy New Year!

      Popular Articles

      • Rounding the Bases

        Rounding the Bases

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • Gone, But Not Forgotten

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • The Old Inn At Mauzy

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • Handy With Randy

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • Continuity for Off Broadway Players

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • The Blessing of the Pure in Heart

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • Fulks Run Follies

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • Eldon Layman: Retired Educator and Book Creator

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • Unique Retreat on the Creek

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • Highlights of The Plains District Memorial Museum

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • About Us
      • Advertising
      • Contact
      • Pick Up Locations

      © 2021 The Chimney Rock Chronicle - Website & E-Commerce by Bare Web Design, Broadway Va.

      No Result
      View All Result
      • Home
      • Columns
      • Entertainment
        • Festivals
        • Kids Activites
        • Music
      • History
      • Sports
        • Thank you to our Sponsors!
        • Advertising

      © 2021 The Chimney Rock Chronicle - Website & E-Commerce by Bare Web Design, Broadway Va.