Hidden in the Homochitto
An invitation to head into the woods, lock up your phone, and do absolutely nothing
Day One: Into the Woods
John Muir once said, “Come to the woods, for here is rest.” His infinite wisdom has not waned since the days when he embarked on long treks across the wilderness. In the woods, we detach from the hustle and stress of daily life, to disconnect from our electronics, put aside our troubles, and lean into the rhythms of nature.
On a chilly weekend last fall, my family and I embraced the idea of rest and relaxation at Getaway House Homochitto. Tucked away in a pine forest in Mississippi, a series of tiny cabins offers “everything you need and nothing you don’t.” This was ideal, since unlike Muir, I had no intentions of entering the wilderness without a good mattress and a coffee pot. Getaway House had us covered, outfitting their tiny cabins with a full bathroom including a shower, a kitchenette with fridge and two-burner stove, and a queen bunk with a picture window view of the woods outside. There’s even a lockbox to hide away phones.
Getaway Chief Experience Officer Carlos Becil shared that typically guests embrace the opportunity to do very little, or “absolutely nothing.” You can roast marshmallows, read books in the provided Adirondack chairs, take leisurely nature walks, and fully immerse yourself in the Homochitto forest, which is full of fascinating wildlife. “Time and time again, our guests have shared that their stay with Getaway left them feeling rejuvenated, more connected to their loved ones, and excited to make free time a regular ritual in their lives,” he said.
After a stressful work week and two-and-half-hour drive from New Orleans, we were more than ready to immerse ourselves in the outdoors. We arrived mid-afternoon at our cabin and promptly scoped out the property, taking in every detail of the cabin’s streamlined, functional design and the forested area beyond. The map of the property showed a series of trails beyond the cabins, and Getaway offered suggestions for nearby day excursions.
We decided to make the most of the waning daylight with a quick trip to the National Forest’s neighboring Clear Spring Recreation Area. As the starting point for the ten-mile Richardson Creek trail, the spot also features a campground and park hugging the shores of a tranquil lake. Our oldest son donned his polarized sunglasses and entered his fishing zone, while the rest of us set off on the mile-long loop trail around the water. Zion, our dachshund/terrier mix, led the way, pulling us over leaf-strewn hills, scrambling up a red dirt cliff, and setting out across a foot bridge offering an impressive view of the sparkling lake below.
As night crept in, we headed back to the cabin, where I whipped up dinner in the kitchenette, and the boys built a roaring campfire. We ate by the fire, counting the stars overhead and toasting marshmallows over the flickering flames. Although there were other cabins nearby, all was quiet, and we keenly felt the solitude of the forest.
Day Two: Natchez Trace Parkway
The sun’s early rays filtered through the pines, shining through our picture window to gently wake us to the new morning. We feasted on blueberry pancakes at the picnic table outside, while the boys blazed their way through the forest around us. When they emerged armed with makeshift walking sticks that doubled as swords, we were reminded that no matter how old they get, boys will always be boys.
Getaway House Homochitto is only a short distance from Natchez, and we couldn’t miss the opportunity to venture to part of the Natchez Trace Parkway. A 444-mile scenic drive from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, the Natchez Trace follows an old travel road used by Native Americans and early settlers. Entering at the southern terminus, we found ourselves on a picturesque, tree-lined drive through rural Mississippi.
[Read about traveling the top of the Natchez Trace, from Nashville to Tupelo, here.]
At the Old Trace exhibit, we walked a portion of the original trail, traveling the sunken dirt path carved between steep cliffs packed with twisting tree roots. We wet our feet in the creek at Loess Bluff, searching the creek bed and towering wall for fossils. The loess dates to the Ice Age, when enormous dust storms from the western plains blew topsoil up to ninety feet deep over this part of the United States. Beneath the loess stands sand and clay from an ancient sea, and the creek flowing here washes out tiny fossils of early sea creatures.
At Mount Locust, we learned about the circa-1784 historic home built by farmers William and Paulina Ferguson. The house served as a “stand,” or inn, for boatmen who, after floating their flatboats down the Mississippi River to Natchez or New Orleans, walked their way back north along the Natchez Trace. For twenty-five cents, the boatmen were served a meal of corn mush and milk and allowed to sleep on the porch. Behind the Inn, a paved path leads to the resting place of forty-three people who were enslaved at Mount Locust, with all but one of their names listed.
Next, we marveled at the nearly thousand-year-old Magnum Mound built by the people of the Plaquemine culture, ancestors of the modern Mississippi and Louisiana tribes, and wandered along the trail to view the water dropping over the ledge at Owens Creek Waterfall. At Port Gibson, we vaulted back to present-day Mississippi before retracing our route to our Getaway House for another relaxing evening of dinner by the fire.
Day Three: Clark Creek Natural Area
On our last morning, we sipped coffee in bed, burrowing under the soft covers while gazing out at the forest surrounding us. The kids in the bunk above us still slept soundly after staying up late playing with the cabin’s old-school radio. We cherished these last quiet moments of our tiny house in the woods before packing up to head back to the city.
Our journey home led us through the Homochitto National Forest to the quaint town of Woodville, where historic buildings lined the streets that serve as a gateway to Clark Creek Natural Area. The overflowing parking lot hinted at this trail’s popularity, but the crowds quickly fell away as we descended into the creekbed and set off in search of the famed waterfalls. Barely more than a trickle, the waterfalls are still a phenomenon rarely seen this close to Louisiana. We wandered deeper into the wilderness until dark clouds rolled in, forcing us to huddle in a crude cave to wait out the storm. As I watched the raindrops splatter in the creek at our feet, I thought again of Muir and his words of wisdom, grateful for this time of rest and natural immersion we had been granted.
Disclaimer: This trip was hosted and partially funded by Getaway House, though the opinions of the writer are entirely her own and formed independently of this fact.