Sometimes you do have to leave the rivers and lakes that you’re used to.
A couple months ago we decided to completely ignore TLC’s words of wisdom. We booked a tiny house in the woods and set out to chase a few waterfalls.
After planning and packing we filled our little car to the brim and seemingly took the whole house with us on the two and a half hour drive. From the interstate to little twisting and turning two lane roads we traveled. We listened to an audio book, reminisced and played a few rounds of 20 Questions. Huckleberry silently alternated between watching the world go by and sleeping in the back seat. While I on the other hand alternated between excitement and being a nervous passenger who hates 18 wheelers. The hours passed and we finally made it up the mountain to Mentone, Alabama.
As chronic early birds we not so patiently waited for our check-in time to arrive. We drove into the adorable downtown and stopped at Mentone Market. We would end up visiting this market several more times on the trip. While there we grabbed lunch to go and headed to Brow Park for a picnic. This park was a look-out with picnic tables and gorgeous views. From up top I realized all those stressful little uphill roads were actually worth it.
We aimlessly drove around neighborhoods and then stumbled upon a cemetery to stop and explore. We looked for the oldest birth date which we awarded to 1834 before it got too hot and we went to check-in.
For years Mom and I have said we wanted a tiny house. As eclectic maximalists this is a far fetched fantasy but it was so fun getting to experience tiny house living for a few days! Our adorable house “Hikers Haven” was the perfect blend of modern and cozy. The twinkle lights lining the path to the fire pit and the large front porch made the outdoors just as charming as the inside. Huckleberry felt right at home and immediately curled up on the couch as we unpacked. With a fully equipped kitchen we cooked dinner and afterwards cozied up on the couch with popcorn and watched our new obsession Madam Secretary.
One of the reasons we chose to stay in Mentone were all the beautiful trails and waterfalls at Desoto State Park and Little River Canyon. On the first full day of our trip we packed our lunch and headed out to the trails. We visited the Desoto County Store to grab a trail map and started the day with the easy “Talmadge Butler Boardwalk”. It was so beautiful and tranquil. Afterwards we headed to “Lost Falls Trailhead”. After spotty cell reception and getting lost a couple times we decided to pivot and head out to Little River Canyon. We drove down the “Scenic Drive” and stopped at a look-out for lunch. Then it was time to see what we came here for; waterfalls! “Little River Canyon National Preserve” had stunning views of the waterfall. They even had a trail that led out to the top rocks of the waterfall but Huckleberry was such an excited mountain goat we decided not to chance it and potentially have him jump down in the water reenacting Pocahontas.
We drove back to our tiny house (about 25 minutes) and spent the rest of the late afternoon on the patio playing games, reading and catching up on social media. The weather was lovely and Huckleberry loved watching the leaves float down in the cool breeze. Although we had planned a meal for every night of the stay we decided to mix it up and get the highly recommended (by past visitors in the tiny house guest book) Chicken and Bacon Ranch Pizza from Mentone Market, and I’m SO GLAD we did! 10/10 would recommend!
Mentone is a lovely little town and there were a few shops on Main Street but with Huckleberry being with us we didn’t have a chance to stop in. There were two separate restaurants we’d heard incredible things about that even had porch eating to accommodate pets but before planning the trip we didn’t look at their hours of operation and they were unfortunately closed while we were there. We’re definitely looking forward to trying those on our next Mentone trip!
It was back at the trails again for the second full day! We started with a walk around Desoto Falls Picnic Area that had not only a dam but three waterfalls! It was breathtaking! The stairs leading back up to the picnic area had beautiful mosaic art with a quote by John Muir.
We then continued the hiking adventure by hiking down “Indian Falls Trail”. This was a bit difficult and left me exhausted because of the aforementioned Huckleberry in excited mountain goat mode. He loved racing down the pine needle and leaf covered rocks and in the process pulling me down with him.
After this treacherous journey it was back to the tiny house for lunch, playing the Switch in the master bedroom and a late afternoon on the patio. It was the chilliest of the days so we had chicken taco soup with cheese and chips. Everything about the tiny house was so cute and cozy. From the faux fireplace heater to the second bedroom loft. The aqua and yellow color scheme was so cheerful and they had every amenity you’d need, including a Ninja coffee maker (which I was most grateful for). Even though we were in a new town in the woods we felt completely safe in our tiny home!
While Huckleberry is a bit crazy around the edges, really what Miniature Australian Shepherd isn’t, he was incredible during the trip! Of course he loved the long car ride but I was pleasantly surprised at how well he adjusted to the tiny house. He didn’t miss a beat and while we unpacked he settled in and felt right at home! In fact, he didn’t bark once on the whole trip, well except for that one time during lunch when a loud car pulled up to look-out, but that was understandable. The fact that a dog who regularly barks at the mailman, suspicious squirrels in the yard, loud trucks and more multiple times a day didn’t make one peep on this whole four day trip is astonishing! Besides camping this was our first trip with Huckleberry and he added so much joy! Mom and I had fun together, we always do, we even have fun just running errands together. Turning our duo into a trio made it all the more enjoyable!
The last morning packing up, loading up the car, locking up and saying goodbye to the tiny house was a bit bittersweet!
We breathed in mountain air, explored a little town, got lost in the woods, found beautiful treasures in nature, ran our tire into a hole, laughed hard, tired out an ever energetic puppy, played games, lived in a tiny house, hiked until our legs were sore, began planning our next trip and made wonderful memories chasing waterfalls.
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.”- John Muir
