Here is my trip report on The Chez Tree Rest TreehouseIn May 2020, a friend of mine showed me this listing. It had zero reviews,
It was tempting when I saw it, but I was a bit on the fence due to the lack of feedback.
I decided to reach out and bluntly asked him why it had no reviews. He responded that the listing just went up a few days ago, but he shared a link to YouTube where he uploaded a walk-through.
I decided to go for it and booked one night at the end of August for my 9th anniversary.
I had to let him know my ETA a bit in advance, and he was waiting for me at the entrance.
I followed his car as we drove deep into the woods, where serene, peaceful mother nature replaces the busy hustle of the main roads in town.
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipN3RSQ7CB5wCPGmDFbCWRYcifuU8sOZLmiq_nyw_4t71ahr6mSk1AWZ0ul1IaHNFw/photo/AF1QipPgF20MFSDO6bjlLk-82WWrXMmr1ZIFyczysqlH?key=SFJvQ1pycW1ZYVJPNGtGU0Vuc2lOekxJSXFCSXdBThe host and his wife were super friendly and welcoming, showed and explained how everything works.
Tom is super proud of his work, and rightfully so! Every little detail was done by himself.
He told me that I'm lucky for booking early, as he changed it to a 2-night min, and he was already almost booked up for the following summer.
A shaky cable bridge leads you up 35ft to the house, while another cable bridge connects you to the octagon deck anchored on another tree, which felt higher than 35ft.
The house consists of a tiny kitchen, living room, bathroom (composting toilet), and a stairway leading to the bedroom upstairs.
(note that 2-3 pics I took from the listing)
Below the house, there is another more oversized deck with the fire pit and outdoor shower; there is also a hammock a bit down between the woods, which we enjoyed.
Anniversary dinner - bought ready food and warmed it up in the Betty Crocker.
They also have some zip line cables there but told me it is only for his family due to the liabilities that would come along.
The house is equipped with lighting and outlets. Still, they only work when the generator is on; with the press of one button on a remote, all the lights go on; I just rechecked the listing and noticed that the house is now equipped with battery bank as well, which is a nice upgrade from the noisy generator. However, I would still recommend using it the least possible and immersing yourself in nature.
It does have some oil lanterns that you can light up at night.
Water comes up with a pump from the creek below, into a small tank and filtering system
It is hard to describe the vibe of sleeping in a bed up in the tree while pitch dark and quiet outside, only hearing the noise of the leaves, water from the creek, and feeling your bed sway along with the trees (which he made me aware of before, that it is natural)
I'm sure there are many treehouses all over, but finding such a special one just 3 hours away from home is fantastic!
The stay was indeed magical, and I would recommend it to everyone; if you are lucky enough to find availability unless you have Claustrophobia, then it is not for you.The next day we decided to check out Chittenango Falls State Park, but part of it was closed off due to construction, and therefore couldn't see the falls. We then drove to green lakes state park, which has a breathtaking lake with Caribbean-like clear blue water
We just strolled around, taking in the gorgeous view before heading back home and back to reality.
