While the holiday season may end with New Year's Day for
most Americans, New Orleans keeps the party going strong through Mardi Gras and
St. Patrick's Day with parades, balls, and block parties. Then you only have a
short break before the spring festival season! While all of those events can be
enlivening, all of that revelry can really start wearing on a person
physically, mentally, and spiritually. You may start feeling unhealthy or
rundown by the time the weather starts warming up.
Getaway Homochitto is prepared to offer New Orleans partiers
or anyone who needs some time to themselves a break from the norm to reconnect
to nature, relax their body, and rejuvenate their soul. Using the code Mardi2023,
you can receive a 20% discount on your stay at Getaway Homochitto through
April. It's the perfect way to shake off the weight of the intense holiday
season and get back to you before it all starts again.
I felt the need to reorient myself after experiencing Mardi
Gras and St. Patrick's festivities, so I ventured to Getaway about two hours
north of New Orleans with my old dog Charlie for some peace and quiet.
Meet Zelphia
I arrived on a Monday afternoon, and I was surprised to see
that nearly very cabin was occupied. And even though the campground was almost
full to capacity, I never even heard other people. That's the beauty of
Getaway; you feel like you're miles away from society even though you're not
too far from your neighbor.
I stayed at Zelphia; all of the Getaway cabins are named
after the grandparents of the company's employees. The cabin was so warm and
comfortable with yummy treats for me and my dog Charlie waiting for us when we
walked in. The cabins are small, but they have everything that you need for a
little getaway. The kitchen has a small fridge, a sink with potable water, a
two-burner stove, flatware, cookware, cutlery, and some seasonings. The
bathroom has a flush toilet and shower with hot water, and towels are provided.
There's a small table and chair for indoor dining, reading, or completing
Getaway's activity sheet, and this is where you'll find the signature Cell
Phone Lockbox to keep you on track to relax. The queen-sized bed sits against a
huge picture window that lets you get lost in the view.
We spent some time looking at the woods outside our picture
window before I got outside to start the fire before dusk. Using the fire pit's
cooking grate, I made some sausage and peppers steamed in foil packets using
the salt, pepper, and olive oil provided in the kitchen and a splash of
Guinness Extra Stout. It was so good that I feel the need to replicate it at
home! But I cannot replicate the serenity of sitting outside listening to the
wind softly blow through the leaves and the crackling fire cooking my food and
feeling my body unwind knowing I had a peaceful night and a restorative day
ahead of me.
As the sun slowly crept into the sky beyond the tree line in
the morning, Charlie demanded to go outside and take in some deep, slow breaths
of fresh, cool air that has the lightest hint of pine scent while I made coffee
inside. I joined him outside for breakfast, and we listened to the birds singing
all around us.
This was the perfect day to take in a walk. I brought my dog
to the trails that wind through part of the Getaway Homochitto property and
give you great views of the Homochitto Forest. I did not feel lost at any time
because the trails are clearly cut, and there are unobtrusive arrows and
markers ensuring you that you're in the right spot. When you reach the end of a
trail, there's a sign letting you know just that. The trails are so well
developed that my 16-year-old dog easily traversed them. I was astounded at the
fact that you cannot see any of the cabins from the trails, and I know that you
can't see the trails from your cabin.
Open-Fire Cooking
Upon arriving back at Zelphia, I started up a fire to cook
some Mardi Gras Veggie Kebabs (don't forget the 20% discount using Mardi2023). These
kebabs have thick slices of zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant to represent
the purple, green, and gold of Mardi Gras. With just a drizzle of olive oil and
a grind of salt and pepper, the kebabs sizzled over the fire while I played
some music and enjoyed the seclusion.
Getaway recommends visiting some local businesses during
your stay and getting to know the area. One of their recommendations is Old
South Winery in Natchez, and I set off in the afternoon to see what it's all
about. This winery specializes in sweeter muscadine wines, and you can taste
all of their varietals for $5 (and you get to keep the branded wine glass). The
friendly staff poured me five wines that range from dry reds to sweet whites.
There was a surprisingly large selection for a little winery.
I then ventured to Natchez Brewing Co. which is located in a
pretty part of town just a block away from the Mississippi River. This city is
so hilly; some of the oldest buildings were thirty feet above the sidewalk. Natchez
Brewing Co. immediately had patrons upon opening at 4 PM due to the brick oven
pizza. I started sipping a Southern Grace Berliner Weisse to go along with my
perfectly-cooked Jack of the Wood pizza with pesto, fontina, red peppers,
mushrooms, olives, and awesome balsamic reduction drizzle.
I headed back to Getaway as night was slowly encroaching. I
chose not to build a fire for the night and instead opened a book to read while
the sun set and the view outside the window vanished. There are a few books
available in the cabin, and one of them is written by Getaway's founder Jon
Staff. Getting Away: 75 Everyday Practices for Finding Balance in Our
Always-On World is a delightful journey into why Jon started Getaway and
how his customers can fully unplug from the modern world to reconnect with
themselves and their loved ones. In one part, he quoted existentialist Henry
David Thoreau's famous line, "I went to the woods because I wished to live
deliberately…" from Walden, and I found that to be kismet. Walden
is the very book I brought to read this trip!
A Lovely Morning
The morning of my final day was serene. I sat outside with
my coffee while my dog explore our campground one last time (safely tethered to
the picnic table with a leash that Getaway provided). I took in big, slow
breaths of fresh air and listened to the sounds of nature: birds chirping,
squirrels climbing branches, and wind flowing softly through the trees from
time to time.
It's never a bad time of year to visit Getaway Homochitto, but
it is best to come out when you really feel the need to have a moment to yourself.
After giving so much of your energy and time to the spirit of carnival, Getaway
would love to help you give some of that back to yourself. Remember to use
Mardi2023 for a discount on your April stay at Getaway!
