I recently stayed at a Tiny House in a very small Texas town called Luling. It was low-key on my bucket-list to stay in a Tiny House, especially after binge-watching Netflix documentaries about this phenomenon. I consider myself quite a minimalist since I travel full time, and well have all of my belongings in a suitcase. So I was stoked when I finally got the chance to stay in one of it’s very own. Here is what you need to know about Tiny Texas Houses:
HISTORY
This tiny house village is made entirely out of salvaged materials. Hence the name of this village is actually “Salvage Texas”. This cute little community of tiny houses has managed to make people’s trash out of treasure. The owner Darby has spent countless hours working on the impeccable details— from the doorknobs to the windows. These tiny houses are made completely reused, organic, and natural. And boy does it show!
FEATURES
Other than the Tiny Houses I was really impressed by the other activities Salvage Texas had to offer. I enjoyed all of the “extras” that there were, such as:
-
Kayaking
-
Multiple natural pools to swim in (Darby actually told of us a new one he built that we could enjoy)
-
A manmade bentonite clay cave perfect for grounding
-
Exploring the other salvaged architectures
MY HONEST AF OPINION
Staying at a Tiny House was a dream come true, BUT it was NOTHING I expected. I was truly amazed by the community aspect of it. The creator, Darby, was building the village while he was there. And his joy for sharing all the village has to offer was incredible. When I went, I actually did not know about Darby and the great impact he has. He is a truly knowledgeable man that puts all of his love and passion into these tiny houses. It is remarkable. I was also very surprised by how much room the tiny house I actually stayed at had. During the nighttime, when my boyfriend and I had a campfire another manager approached us and held a very long, interesting conversation with us. She explained the vision behind Tiny Texas Houses and all about the architecture. I left not only impressed with the Tiny House, but blown away by the experience as a whole. Not to mention, this is an extremely budget friendly experience.
HOW TO BOOK A TINY TEXAS HOUSE
You can do it directly on their website.
OR the way I did it, by reserving a tiny house through AirBnb. You can get $40 USD off of your AirBnB and $15 USD off your experience by using my link here.
Our tiny house— the Kidd
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU STAY
There are a few helpful things to know before you stay in your wonderful Tiny House:
-
Bring a swimsuit— you will definitely wanna do some swimming if weather permits
-
Bring mosquito spray so you can enjoy your fabulous porch (Texas mosquitos are not a joke)
-
Be prepared to commute to the toilet (at least in my Tiny House there was no toilet)
-
The shower is very small. Very small. Be careful to not get any of your valuables wet in the common area by accidentally letting the shower handle run free. (speaking from experience… RIP MacBook)
-
Bring clothes you do not mind getting dirty. You might get a little mud from walking around and doing outdoor activities.
A FEW OTHER RESOURCES
-
Check out Salvage Texas’ website
-
Watch this documentary about Darby
-
Here is a general documentary about Tiny Houses
FINAL THOUGHTS
What are you waiting for? BOOK THAT TRIP! It is a truly incredible experience if you come with AN OPEN MIND. It made me aware of all of the toxins that are in my own home that I just accept.. because I am used to it. I highly recommend walking around and taking advantage of all of the features they have to offer. If you get the chance, try and talk to the staff. They are ridiculously knowledgeable and engaging.
Buy my FAVORITE daypack I swear by. Perfect for full time travelers, and digital nomads.
Check out my budget traveler’s guide to Gdańsk, Poland here.