The Tree House Life for me…

I could move.

Well, if it weren’t for the kids’ schools and IEP’s and my parents…I could…I could move.And, if I were to move…I would move to the tree house resort or, as they so eloquently call themselves, the Treesort.  I would.  I really, really would.

The best vacation the kids and I have ever taken happened last summer.  After driving up through the gorgeous Redwoods and enjoying those giants, we landed in Takilma, Oregon’s Out n’ About’s Treesort.  Before we arrived, we even got emails from the treefairy!  It was outstanding.  Five days, sleeping in the treehouse, swimming in the gorgeous and cold river fed pool, riding the horses, playing kick ball and frisbee with new friends, the Tarzan Swing and ZIP LINING! What could be better?  I will tell you absolutely nothing was better than watching autism on the ziplines…and the ADVANCED ziplines.  Take that autism!

Well, the only thing that could have been any better was to stay forever.  To move into our tree house permanently, drop out of school and live at the treesort forever!

I remember being the first person awake in all of the treesort and how quiet it was there.  Through our window, I would wake to see the horses in the pasture next to our treehouse, the pool calm and reflective of the beautiful blue sky and even the rain clouds that hung around for a few days looked delightful in her water.  It was a place of peace and tranquility during those mornings before all of the children woke up.

There must have been twenty kids, aged four to seventeen, and all the children ALL played together and ran in packs.  It was tremendous to watch the dynamics of children unfolding.  All of these children from different towns and different states, of different interests and background, melded together as though they had known each other for years.  It took them only days to bond in ways that other friends need decades.  These new found friends were in tears upon good byes and even us parents remarked how odd it was that we were so terribly sad to see one another go.

The treesort is a remarkable and magical place and, for the life of me, I can hardly explain why.  But it is and all of our memories and our new friends are stored safely and are still warm in our hearts.  I won’t even begin to explain Taco Tuesday.  Sadie and her grandkids may be the only people ever who will break out in side splitting, spit your drink kind of laughter at the mention of Taco Tuesday in Takilma.

Sadly, we didn’t get to stay forever and, in hindsight, that’s okay too.  There was something special about the exact families we met during our week that could never have been duplicated with the new families arriving.  No one could have been a better friend to my youngest son than the older boy he met.  Priceless and unexplainable how a fourteen year old and an eight year old can become best friends in two days and how two teen girls who are all “teen” can cast aside any insecurities and bond as tight in those two days as it had taken my daughter years to bond with girls back home.

After our mind boggling five days, another family was anxiously waiting to check in as soon as we checked out.  Their lovely family would have no part of us staking a claim to their reservation. So, we regretfully checked out of our beloved treehouse but, I will tell you, our memories are so warm and fond that my kids would willingly hop in the car right now and joyfully travel multiple days in our car to go back.   The best part of the last day at the treehouse was breakfast with the cook, Steve.  Steve made us peach scones that were out of this world.  Steve, being the amazing person, even shared the recipe with me when I asked.

I think the next time I visit the treehouse, it will be with women from the Slogbag Sisterhood.  That would be some good time and laughing stories to tell.  Imagine if we could fill all the treehouses with our girls and have a Slogbag Sisterhood weekend.  That would be some kind of fun though I am not sure the staff at Out n About would survive.  Here’s to planning some adventure in the future.  Add it to the Fetchin’ Gretchen Must Do List!!

And, instead of waxing on about how wonderful it was or how beautiful the place is…here are pics….!

When you’re entire navigation turns GREEN and there are no roads or signs of life on the screen…you are almost there!

This was our treehouse and my room.  As comfortable as any bed I have ever slept in.

The view from our deck.  Peaceful in the morning and fun with all the kids in the pool and the meadow in the afternoon.

These kids had only met ten minutes before this…and yet they still (fourteen of them at the height) played together for hours in COLD water and had a blast!

Our Treesort Treehouse

The view from our deck 🙂

The view from our window in the morning.

Ziplining!

The impromptu kickball game…three families, kids and adults!

Another treehouse in the neighborhood 🙂

Our gorgeous and wonderful treehouse…The Suite.