Cabins in the trees? The brochure for Out ‘n’ About Treesorts in southwestern Oregon intrigued us, so we piled the three kids in the car and headed out. Way out.

The drive from Ashland took us 90 minutes, and got really beautiful once we’d cleared the sprawl and RV sales lots of Grants Pass. Tall triangles of pine lined the roadway, and green foothills brought our gaze to the larger mountains behind them. We wound past an herb farm, a country house with a peace sign out front, turned onto the gravel road, rounded a horse paddock, and we were there.

At first the zuzz of an electric saw, a handwritten welcome sign, and a bevy of excited dogs underfoot made Out ‘n’ About seem more like a hippie camp than the B&B it’s billed as. But once we got a glimpse of the tree houses, which are ingeniously designed constructions made of natural wood, we realized we had come to a magical place.

The girls jumped out of the car and ventured under the canopy where we saw the first odd little wood-colored house up in a big tree: improbably tiny, rambling, on three levels following the branching trunk. With a sturdy wooden staircase bending its way up to a tiny deck cantilevered out from the front door, it looked like elves had made it.

Turning around, we found ourselves surrounded by such tree houses, hard to pick out right away because they were all at different levels and blended in so nicely. Ours was a large teepee ten feet up on a platform (the “Treepee”), and there was also a set of three tiny cabins bridged together over two trees called “Swiss Family,” a magnificent piece of luxury architecture called “The Suite,” and more as you headed further into the forest.

At the center of the cabins sits a large wooden house where breakfast is served every morning. Right outside a series of stairs and octagonal decks climb up a huge Douglas fir, leading to a network of catwalks and platforms worthy of Indiana Jones. At the end of two of these is one of the highest tree houses, 35 feet off the ground. To get to the “Forestree” you walk up the spiral staircase and down a long suspension bridge, hung between the trees. You haul your stuff up in a bucket by a rope and pulley.

At the end of the weekend, we practically had to tear the kids away by force.

All Treesorts come with electricity, bedding, and towels. Those that don’t come with full plumbing have access to “Central Amenitrees” which include a kitchen, bathroom, central fire pit, barbecues, laundry facilities, and (inexplicably) a foosball table.

Prices range from $120-$240 per night, and include breakfast. Plan ahead for summer, or join the long waiting list. Additional “activitrees” including horseback riding, arts and crafts, a ropes course, and rafting (seasonally) are available at extra cost.

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Here’s another weird and wonderful family hotel.  What is it about Oregon anyway?
Rosse Posse Acres: Portland, Oregon

June 6th, 2008 | by Jennifer Margulis 1 comment