our favorite restaurants near Tiny Haven

Sometimes getting away also means treating yourself to meals out! Here are some of our favorite restaurants in our area that have great food, cool ambiance, and are also near other local attractions.

1. Guide House Grill is a diner in Knoxville, MD and is the closest restaurant to Tiny Haven Harpers Ferry. Guide House has great American-style food in a casual atmosphere. They also have a great selection of beer and cocktails.

2. Blue Moon Cafe is a funky cafe in Shepherdstown, WV that is a great spot for sandwiches, pizzas, salads. It also has awesome outdoor seating in their courtyard, where the Town Run also runs through.

3. The Press Room is an upscale restaurant in downtown Shepherdstown, WV serving New American fare in a brick-walled space in an old newspaper building. There is both dining room seating and seating at the bar. Great cocktails and selection of fresh oysters.

4. The Anvil Restaurant is a cozy outpost in historic Harpers Ferry, WV. Enjoy drinks in at the casual bar and seafood and classic favorites in the dining room.

5. Kome is a great thai and sushi restaurant in Shepherdstown WV. Recently remodeled, they have a full menu of thai and japanese cuisine and freshly made sushi. Try the Shepherdstown Roll!

We hope you love these local restaurants as much as we do! When you come to stay at Tiny Haven, let us know if you visit one of these or find another favorite we should add to our list!

journey of "egret" the tiny farm house

Why would we make a week-long journey from West Virginia just to pick up a little tiny house in southern Louisiana? It was more than just that the tiny house was cute. It also had a lot to do with the time I spent in Louisiana years ago - a place that irrevocably shaped the direction of my life.

In 2005, I witnessed an event that would change my life forever: Hurricane Katrina. I was just entering college at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana and I vividly recall my dad looking at the weather report on the TV and saying, “it looks like that thing is heading right for us.” Move in day turned into a mandatory evacuation. I ended up staying with my brand new roommate, who lived about an hour southeast of New Orleans. In true Louisiana fashion, the day we evacuated I helped her family hatch baby alligators. But in the weeks, months, and years following Katrina’s landfall, Louisiana opened my eyes to our world and how we impact it.

I enrolled in a couple environmental science classes, one specifically on natural disasters. As part of the class, we went to the levee breaches I saw how much devastation there really was: houses moved not just off their foundation, but blown down the street; sand and peat up to the eaves burying other homes; children’s toys and families personal possessions strewn about. The areas affected most severely by the hurricane and storm surge were low-income, socially disadvantaged communities and communities of people of color. These people had their lives torn apart at the seams.

I learned that had the wetlands been healthier and more robust, the flooding and storm surge would have been greatly reduced. But due to how humans have built cities, like New Orleans, the wetlands in the Gulf Coast have deteriorated. This has continued to leave these communities vulnerable, and those who are already disadvantaged even more so. The way we interact with and care for (or not care for) the environment directly impacts peoples lives.

Because of this experience, I have actively worked on incorporating environmental sustainability into my life and livelihood. Tiny Haven represents a model of being able to live more with less. Many people live in tiny homes to reduce their ecological footprint. Additionally, I have always felt that the tiny house movement is a movement that has the potential to empower and give quality housing options to marginalized communities. For example, the Veterans Community Project provides tiny homes and support to homeless veterans.

While we still have a lot of work to do to make Tiny Haven even more environmentally sustainable and more active in social equity, we also believe that introducing more people to tiny house life could inspire them to find ways to live in greater balance with the natural world and to give back.

Going to pick up the tiny house in Louisiana felt like coming home in a way to me. We bought the little white tiny from a family who built her themselves. The couple who lived in in before us was a growing family and wanted the tiny house to go to people who would enjoy it. It’s safe to say that is happening! We lived in the tiny house for a year when we were first getting Tiny Haven going. Now it is one of several unique spaces available for getaways at our Harpers Ferry location.

We named this sweet little house “Egret” after a small water bird common to the Gulf Coast. She is a cozy space with a full kitchen, full bathroom, lofted queen bed, living room nook, and a large covered outdoor porch. Check out photos, details, and a video tour of Egret the Tiny Farm House and book this tiny haven for your next adventure!

three great hikes near Tiny Haven Harpers Ferry

With fall in the air, it’s a great time to get outside and enjoy some hiking! Hiking is one of the favorite activities of guests who come to stay at Tiny Haven. Here are our three favorite hikes nearby!

Maryland Heights Overlook

Maryland Heights is an awesome ~4 mile hike with a great view. It’s a steep but fairly wide path out-and-back hike that you can access from the C&O Canal Towpath along the Potomac River. To get here, park in downtown Harpers Ferry, walk across the walking bridge over the river, take a left when you get off the bridge stairs, and cross the first wooden bridge to get to the trailhead.

Photo credit: Kristys Adventures

Weaverton Cliffs

Weaverton Cliffs is a great ~3 mile hike along the over 2000 mile Appalachian Trail. Take the switchbacks up to a great rocky outcrop and view of the mountains. To get there from Tiny Haven Harpers Ferry, take Keep Tryst Rd until you hit a sharp turn where you can pull over and park near the train tracks. There is also a parking lot if you turn left onto Keep Tryst Road, right onto 340N, and get off at the next exit. When you park there you will want to go left onto the trail (AT north) to get to the view.

Photo credit: Danielle LaRock

Bears Den Overlook

Bears Den Overlook is a rocky outcropping on the Appalachian Trail in Bluemont, Virginia. The open ledge offers a beautiful, open westward view of the Shenandoah Valley. In the distance, the Blue Ridge Mountains stretch across the horizon. Bears Den is a wonderful spot for a picnic with an awesome view. It’s also a great place to watch a sunset. On a nice weekend day, you’ll find the overlook busy with families, couples, and solo hikers. There is easy parking in a parking lot off of Route 7 and Blueridge Mountain Road in Bluemont VA.

Photo credit: Ryan Wyckoff