If you have been following the beginnings of my tiny house discovery/adventure, you may recall my mentioning an opportunity to stay at the “Royal Iris” in Mentone, Alabama. I had been wanting to go fall hiking for quite awhile so this 2-night getaway in the mountains was perfect! It was very last minute so there was no real planning for my man to join me, but it ended up being quite mentally therapeutic and an awesome little birthday gift to myself.

Mentone is pretty well known around this area, it’s about as north as you can get in Alabama and lies right on the time-zone border of Georgia (made things somewhat interesting). The tiny house check-in and out times were based in CST and the office that rents it out operates on EST. Not that it matters, it was nearly impossible to get a phone signal anywhere near the house or trails anyway. Although they made it very clear on Airbnb that this was a possibility, the hosts of the Royal Iris didn’t provide WIFI either – so basically, I was dead in the water whenever near the house – truly unplugged whether I wanted to be or not!

I drove up on a Sunday and the ride was beautiful with the leaves and colors changing; it was my main reason for taking the trip. Since I couldn’t check-in until later in the afternoon, I planned to explore some of the waterfalls and trails that were a little further out. My first stop was Little River Canyon National Preserve. The falls were easily accessible via a boarded path (that would be the easiest it would get for the rest of the trip). After about a 2 mile (easy) walk, I had worked up an appetite. I stumbled across a local lunch spot favorite as I headed towards the tiny house location – The Hatter. It looked like a cottage from the outside – I decided to go inside and grab a late lunch.

Inside – you quite literally fell down the rabbit hole. The entire place was decorated in Alice and Wonderland theme. It was over the top x10 and absolutely fantastic. In this case a picture is worth a thousand words – here are some of my favorite things inside the restaurant.

After a really fun (and tasty) lunch, I drove the last few miles to where I would be staying. The tiny house is located in a tiny house community, where pretty much every THOW on-site is rented out. It made for a less homey feel than the first RV park I stayed in while in Pensacola, but it was still a really nice location. The Royal Iris was the first house on the left and there was ample parking and a nice pathway to the front door. Of course – I couldn’t unlock it.

I knew immediately it was something I was doing wrong, but the keys were sticking. I attempted it several times before I noticed I had been trying for about 35 min and should probably call the office. How does a hearing impaired woman who uses an app call someone? Answer: she doesn’t! I walked to the road and managed to send a text (thankfully it went through). One of the owners was about 20 min away and so I just walked around a little, looking at the house from the outside (was really nice). When he got there, the first thing I said was, “I’m sure there’s some kind of trick to this, sorry about this.” He was very nice and said it had happened once before – of course the first time he tried it the door opened immediately – whatever.

The tiny house was HUGE! I couldn’t get over the high-end appliances and first real confirmation that there is more than enough space in a well-designed THOW. Even the spacious loft master bedroom reassured me that space will make a perfect office/guest room. The bathroom had a walk-in tub with jets and I may be spoiled forever now. I put all my groceries away and started to explore the finite details of the home. It was very cozy and helpful in providing ideas and inspiration for our own tiny house.

After I settled in, I decided to walk through the park and look around (plus it was the only way I could get reception to text anyone that I had arrived safely). I appreciated the park’s effort to add communal space and a dog park, but it lacked the neighborhood feeling I would want. The area was beautiful, quiet and so relaxing – but it was getting chilly very quickly. I wisely didn’t lock the tiny house when I left this time (just in case).

My evening was very laid back, snacking and watching satellite TV – there was no social media or texting because there was no service or WIFI. It was a gorgeous clear night, so even though it was chilly, I sat outside for awhile just enjoying the quiet and the amazing stars.

Then it was time to try the walk-in jetted tub. Much to my surprise, it was shaped like a throne/seat (I wouldn’t have to try to cram into the small floor space). It also had a handheld for hair washing and rinsing. The first downside to the walk-in tub was the fact that you have to sit on a cold ceramic tub naked before you can fill it up with water. Sitting on a washcloth helped but it wasn’t ideal waiting for the tub to fill. Luckily it didn’t take that long. Although it’s deep, the volume is probably equivalent to a normal sized tub due to it being fairly short and box shaped. As soon as the water level passed the jets, I turned them on. It was awesome, and I could see the TV from the bathroom. I was able to relax and wash my hair (there was plenty of hot water). I may be sold on this idea if they make a two-person walk-in tub, it is exactly what we need.

When it was time for bed, I decided to try sleeping in the loft. On the one side, the roof was high enough that I could sit straight up and not have to worry about bending my neck (it wouldn’t have worked if we had both come, one of us would be knocking ourselves out). I didn’t feel closed in at all – especially with the windows and head room. The bed was pretty comfortable and the temperature was pretty cozy. I was really happy feeling at ease in the loft because I really want that to be my office and guest space for anyone adventurous.

I woke up pretty early as I usually do in the morning and had my coffee outside watching the sunrise over the trees – it was amazing. Today was dedicated to village shopping and waterfall trails. As it turned out, I didn’t end up going shopping. With a little difficulty I found the semi out-of-the-way parking lot for the DeSoto falls – where visitors and would-be waterfall enthusiasts could “pick a path.” They essentially all go to the same waterfall, but there were/are different vantage points.

The trails were coded or labeled based on difficulty. I would soon discover that “easy” and “hard” were left open to interpretation. I chose the moderate difficult path because it would take me behind the waterfall. There were a good amount of people around and some were in worse shape than me – I was confident I chose wisely and started down the path (I had purchased some awesome new hiking boots just for the occasion). Moderate was about right – in the beginning. I am not sure why suddenly I was expected to essentially rappel myself down a 6ft rock face. A few meters in front of me I could already see a pair of women regretting their choice to continue and were struggling to find a way back up.

I decided to turn around, even though I was more than half-way there, and go back to the beginning to take the easier trail. I am not sure of the mileage my little detour added to the hike, but it was definitely not “moderate” getting back up. The “easy” path started out just as I would expect – but it definitely wasn’t smooth and anyone not used to hiking was going to have an issue. Although there were people on the trail – the trails are very long and I was hiking on a Monday morning. The thought did cross my mind, what if someone lost their footing and needed help out of here or had another medical emergency? It wouldn’t be easy.

The “easy” path was longer, but it was absolutely beautiful – I expected the trail to end with a large viewing area with lots of places to sit, but it ends on a cliff with an amazing view and the sound of rushing water. The long walk was worth it – I sat and meditated for quite some time and no one else came along to ruin the moment, it was perfect.

I started the long walk back and was excited to finish off my day shopping in the local shops and eateries. Below me on the trail I passed a family with some small kids and didn’t envy the difficulty the parents must be having in keeping their kids from falling and getting injured.

With my very next step – SNAP – the hot rush of pain flowed from my right ankle up towards my leg. My left foot failed to compensate and felt the full weight of my body squishing it between two huge rocks. I controlled the fall, amazingly not hurting anything else. Stupidly thinking it might be a “walk-it-off” I immediately tried to stand up on – it wasn’t going to happen. I sat down on the ground, grateful for Mark’s USMC army coat taking the brunt of the mud on my ass. I told myself to “relax, breathe, you’re ok.” Not sure I was “ok” but, okay.

I thought about calling to the family below, but I honestly didn’t want to attempt even an assisted walk out of the woods at that moment. So I sat there. It was early morning, tons of daylight and plenty of people within shouting distance – I wasn’t exactly stranded. I did wonder how bad it was going to be and whether or not I’d even be able to get back to my car, let alone get myself to a hospital. I needed to access the damage but I knew I couldn’t take off my hiking boot, or I’d never get it back on or be able to drive. I got myself up on my feet and estimated it was about .5 mi back to the parking lot. I’m not sure if it was sheer force of will or my body was still pumping some adrenaline, but at a certain strange angle I was able to hobble forward.

At that point, I would have accepted some help, but there wasn’t anyone heading my direction at that time (figures) so I just very carefully limped back to the car. Sitting down felt very good but I knew I’d be in for the night at this point and wanted to get some more things for the house (I needed soda and some creamer). I drove to the nearby Walmart and thought I would use the cart as a “crutch” but I couldn’t even put my foot flat on the ground. I drove myself back to the Royal Iris (it was my last night), and my 45th birthday was the next day. I parked as close to the house as I could and used my umbrella to hobble inside (had the unlocking thing down at this point, thankfully). This would be my first “real life” moment in a tiny house and it would be educational.

I made it to the couch (no pets to worry about tripping over, a plus). I carefully took off my right boot (my left foot would ironically have a worse injury, but at the time my right ankle was the one really hurting and non-functional). It swelled up pretty badly, I elevated and iced it right away. That’s the first really nice thing about staying in a tiny HOUSE vs a hotel room. Sure I could have gotten ice from the front desk or a machine but I had cold packs because I brought food so it was exactly the same set-up I would have at home. I even had pain reliever!

I texted my family but there was no use in worrying them when there was nothing they could do (and would have stressed out not hearing from me due to the lousy service in the area). I did tell my man who knew I’d be able to take care of myself and do whatever needed to be done (that’s always reassuring). It did put a slight damper on the mood of the trip, but birthdays never were super exciting after 21.

There were two bar stools in the tiny house which worked perfectly as a walker. After resting awhile, I was able to make myself spaghetti and meatballs and watch some TV to relax. The walk-in tub was a godsend as sitting in the jets soothed all the other aches and pains I wasn’t feeling while focused on my feet. Needless to say I went to bed early that night – I slept in the loft. How did I get up there you ask? Scooting up on my behind, that’s how. I’m telling you that little trick is a damn life saver. I was able to adequately get around the tiny house with little difficulty. It really was a good test; one that I could have gone without, but as always, I find a way to make things work.

The experience at the Royal Iris was a great one overall – I loved the house and got a lot of ideas for our own. I determined no matter where my THOW ends up that I’ll never be without internet or phone service (you can’t NOT have BOTH). The company the owners hired trim their trees showed up at the tiny house Tuesday morning before 8:00AM to tell me to move my car. I explained my walking situation and that I had the house until 10:00AM. I complained to the owners who were apologetic but it was really stressful. The workers proceeded to cut down limbs with my car nearby so I packed up as quickly as I could (I was pretty much ready), and hobbled to the car for the drive back.

I loved the Mentone area, but don’t really feel the need to go back or take visitors – there are a lot of other waterfalls in the country/world and I plan on seeing many more of them. And I still LOVE tiny houses, and the Royal Iris, but you won’t see us reserving another stay here in the future – the neighborhood just didn’t have a homey feel. Made for a good story with a twist ending though.

Update: Since I’ve been home my ankle(s) have improved a great deal. I probably have a long road of healing time ahead (but I am ok!) and will be following up with my doctor over the holiday break.