As someone that has lived here in Missouri for almost 10 years, I tend to find myself constantly leaving the state to seek out time nature. Little did I know, a two hour drive from Kansas city will lead you to this pocket of magic in Missouri.
If you are a Kansas City local, or live in the general area and are seeking time in nature, beautiful views, and a little adventure… you’ve come to the right place. This blog post is the key to creating the perfect getaway, without having to break the bank or spend all day traveling.
Where too?
We are heading to Osceola, Missouri. Never heard of it? I hadn’t either, before booking this tiny home in the woods.
Osceola is a small town, it the middle of no where Missouri. With a population under 1,000, it is the perfect place for a quaint getaway.
A break from all the noise of the city, a break from the tv, computer, and phone screens, a break from the busy-ness of life.
A reset, something we all need every now and then.
Getaway House:
So, why Osceola? Because Getaway House has created this little (literally LITTLE- its a tiny house) paradise in the woods. Getaway House is a company that has these simple tiny home compounds all over the country. We are lucky enough to have one in our backyard.
There is about 45 tiny homes on the property, each spaced out enough to give you privacy. We didn’t see the other homes or guests, unless we really looked for them. Aside from the homes themselves, the property has a few nice trails to hike. Giving us that nature fix we always crave living in the city.
The tiny homes are equipped with everything you may need for a cozy stay. A queen mattress, toilet, shower, sink, two burner stove, pots, pans, dish ware, kitchen utensil, fire pit, and magical views all around. No tv, no wifi, and limited cell service. The perfect space to relax and recharge.
The homes have “extras” such as coffee, tea, snacks, toy kits for kids, fire wood bundles and more for purchase, if you choose to use them.
I got very lucky, scoring our two night stay at only $70 dollars a night, plus taxes and fees! You can find discount codes, and deals for Getaway House on their website. I stumbled upon a “midweek fall deal” when I booked, I did use see they are running another sale for 20% off using code (FALLFOLIAGE) (posted 10/20/23) Prices will vary per location and time of year.
What to pack:
We kept the packing pretty simple.. comfy clothes to wear, tasty treats to eat, and games to play. A couple books to read too, although they even had some there!
Depending on the time of year you go this list will change. We were here in mid October, it happened to be a pretty wet couple of days. We still had some time outside, having the right gear made that possible.
- hiking boots
- hiking pants/ yogas
- rain jacket/ layers
- hat
- any colder and gloves would be a good idea
Other than the hiking clothes and gear, pack comfy! We stayed cozy inside the house a majority of our time here. Yahtzee, scrabble, and cards providing us with all the entertainment we needed.
SNACKS! This one is important, there are a few spots about 15 minutes from the house but we opted to try and bring most of what we needed. Some ideas for what to bring: stuff for grilled cheese (bread, butter, cheese), soup (I made homemade butternut squash, carrot, sweet potato- stored it in a mason jar and we reheated it on the stove), charcuterie board fixin’s, ingredients for breakfast burritos, cinnamon rolls (pre-made from the bakery), chips, cookies, tea, LaCroix, all the things you love to get snacky with!
One thing I wish we knew before, no coffee pot! Just the kettle for pour over. If you are going to bring your own coffee, keep this in mind. We made a make shift coffee filter with the sink drain and a few paper towels, but let this tip save you the hassle.
All in all, keep it simple. Here’s all you need:
- comfy clothes
- hiking gear
- games
- books
- food
- good vibes
What’s around:
If you know me, or have followed any of my trips before, then you know I will seek and find whatever an area has to offer. While this trip was all about relaxing, for us relaxing is getting outside and connecting with nature.
Soooooo, we obviously had a couple of fun stops that you may want to make on your trip to Osceola!
In Osceola:
On the way to the Getaway House there is an Amish trading post, that is definitely worth a stop. They have tons of beautiful wood workings, home remedies, snacks galore, and homemade jams, salsas, and butters.
The Amish Trading Post is right off highway 13. About 15 minutes from the house.
Across the street from The Amish Trading Post is Osceola Cheese (which we sadly didn’t stop at). And just a few minutes from there is Sugarfoot BBQ, which we did grab a bite at. Good eats if you don’t feel like packing in all your meals.
Bridal cave:
In Camdenton, about an hour from the getaway house lives this incredible cave full of stalagmites and stalactites. Bridal cave has been open since 1949. Fitting to the name, there has been 4,250 weddings held inside.
We found ourselves here because it was a super rainy, brisk fall day and we weren’t able to check into the house until 3. So why not go explore a cave?!
The property sits overlooking the Lake of the Ozarks. When you’re walking around the shop you may wonder, where the heck is the cave? Take a stroll outside to the covered pavilion, and there is the entrance. To enter the cave you’ll have to book a guided tour, which they run all day.
It’s only $22 a person and the tour is about an hour long.
Funny story about this cave… My dads close friend runs it. I remember visiting when I was about 8 years old, and that was the last time I was in the area. It was pretty cool to go back all these years later, visit him and see the cave again. After visiting, I was chatting with my dad, he said back in the day they used to party in the cave in off season! LOL
Bridal Cave is a fun little stop, not too far from the Getaway House that I would recommend visiting.
Ha Ha Tonka:
About 15 minutes from Bridal Cave lives Ha Ha Tonka state park. A beautiful Missouri state park, full of trails to hike, and nature to be explored.
This property was purchased by Robert McClure Snyder in 1905. He built an incredible estate, which sadly burned down, leaving us with these castle ruins to enjoy.
While at Ha Ha Tonka, we hiked the Quarry Trail and Spring Trail. All of the trails in the park are well marked, and fairly easy to explore.
Tonka Quarry Trail green loop is 2.6 miles. It leads you through two quarry sites where sandstone was mined to build the castle, past the carriage house, and water tower.
Spring Trail is 1.4 miles. It starts off just past the upper parking lot, left of the castle ruins. The path will take you on a wooden boardwalk, down a bunch of steps, to the bright turquoise spring.
Going here in the fall was any leaf peepers dream. The leaves were bright red, orange, and yellow, creating rolling waves of fire in the landscape.
It is free to enter. The park is open sunrise to sunset. Bathrooms in most parking lots. There are picnic tables and a few grills for use.
Bring some snacks, have a picnic. Explore all the trails. Enjoy nature!
Time to getaway :
And there you have it.. Whether you are a Kansas City local, or looking for a Missouri adventure there’s all the insight you need to make a lil magic happen in Missouri.
Craving a little more adventure, and don’t mind a bit more travel ? Check out my blog posts on some other incredible hiking destinations.
Colorado is always a good idea, being 10 hours from Kansas City the mountains are always calling. Here’s some of the most scenic hikes in Colorado.
Utah is one of the coolest states in my opinion. If you’ve never been to Bryce Canyon or Zion National Park, you need to add it to your bucket list. Here’s a guide that will help you plan the perfect road trip.
Don’t let the cold weather keep you inside. Get the good gear, and get outside all seasons. Here is my cold weather hiking gear list.
