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One of the things I believe most deeply is that you don’t have to travel across the world to have the travel experience that you need and want. So many beautiful places can be found in your own backyard, and it’s one of the things I’m most grateful for as an American: this big, diverse country contains cosmopolitan and cultured cities, quaint and friendly small towns, no fewer than 58 national parks and an endless array of forests, deserts and coast line to explore. Spending three days alone in Ohio: it’s not exactly what one pictures when one thinks “beautiful, restorative solo retreat.” But when the opportunity to visit the treehouses at the Mohicans presented itself, I couldn’t refuse—even when I realized that Ohio is (surprisingly? Unsurprisingly?) difficult to get to from San Diego, even when I discovered there was no wifi and it would cost me two precious vacation days, even when I gathered that the timing wouldn’t work for David or my best friend to join me. It ended up being an incredibly therapeutic and energizing escape, and I was in awe of just how much I enjoyed being in rural Ohio and exploring the 1,000-acre Mohican State Forest.   The reality is that a few days alone in Ohio checked off more than one of my travel boxes. I want to see my own country: I’m constantly struck by how expansive and beautiful and full of surprises the United States is. I’d never been to Ohio before, and haven’t spent much time in the Midwest at all (and certainly not recently). I really enjoy going to places that people wouldn’t consider a top “vacation destination” and finding reasons why it’s worth visiting. I’m interested in staying in unique, independently-owned boutique accommodation.

And to be totally honest, I need more digital detoxes, more time in nature, more space alone with my thoughts and a good book. The interior of the El Castillo treehouse at the Mohicans was the perfect spot to unplug, and the lack of cell service or wifi forced me to actual relax and truly enjoy my surroundings. And it was surprisingly luxurious for a treehouse! I slept in a full queen bed up a spiral staircase, and it was one of the more comfortable “hotel” beds that I’ve ever slept in.I stayed in a treehouse that was both incredibly luxurious and completely integrated into the nature around it: I slept 10 hours a night, fell asleep to the type of silence that defines deafening and woke up to birds chirping. There was even a bird’s nest right outside my window: I watched the mother sit patiently on the eggs all day, only flying away when I stepped outside. Without the internet or Netflix, I opened my journal for the first time in months. I tore through books and completed “meditation coloring” while alternating between silence and classical music. I drank pot after pot of Constant Comment tea, and made my childhood favorite “cheesy pasta” dinner on the hot plate, heavy on the real butter and the shredded cheddar. I took long walks in the morning and before sunset through the forest surrounding the property, spotting deer and rabbits and chipmunks. Although the treehouse itself was the main attraction, the surrounding Ohio area also exceeded my expectations. The Midwest has been one of my most neglected areas of the country: other than a weekend trip to Chicago in 2010, a few childhood trips to visit family in Nebraska and a college summer living in Colorado, I haven’t really spent any time there.So during the day, I explored central Ohio. Central Ohio! It’s not a place I really ever expected to visit voluntarily or to thoroughly enjoy. I fell for the longest covered bridge in Ohio and the long stretches of hiking trails that twisted through the Mohican forest, past waterfalls and alongside rivers. I discovered that it was Amish country, with shops closed on Sunday and family-owned businesses selling hand-carved furniture and hand-rolled soft pretzels. Well-kept Victorians were painted cotton candy pink, with blooming rose bushes in the front yard.I constantly pulled over in my crappy little rental car, to ooh and ahh over the kids and calves and foals. At one point, I had pulled over and was admiring the idyllic rolling green hills dotted with cows and a man in a well-used pick-up truck pulled over, spit some chewing tobacco out the window and asked if I was OK. I enthusiastically replied that I was just enjoying the view; he looked perplexed, confirmed that my car hadn’t broken down, and went on his way.

A few things not to miss in the area:

• Lunch at Broken Rocks in Wooster: honestly, one of the best meals I’ve had in SO LONG, not just in Ohio.
• All of the pastel-colored Victorian houses in Wooster and Loudonville and surrounding towns
• Hiking in the Mohican State Forest: waterfalls! rivers! covered bridges! hikes!
• Bridge of Dreams: one of the longest covered bridges in Ohio
• The view from the Mohican Lookout Fire Tower: it’s a 1,360-foot tower with some excellent views over the Mohican Forest
• Honey Creek Falls: this is barely a “hike” but there is the reward of a beautiful waterfall at the end of super short trail right off the road

Have you ever been to Ohio? What did I miss? Would you consider a trip?

Note that The Mohicans did offer me a complimentary stay, but all opinions are my own.