Come along with us as we visit the Dream Shack Escape, a delightful, vibrant and eco-friendly Airbnb near Johnson City.
Tucked among the hills near Johnson City, there’s a darling little Airbnb with a fun name: Dream Shack Escape. It’s a place offering a chance for world-weary spirits to recharge in a creativity-steeped atmosphere.
The landscape out here is rugged, hardscrabble. Yet the Dream Shack Escape’s owner—Kathleen Marie Wilson, a noted artist and beloved, long-time area resident—has cultivated a restorative getaway.
Basically, it’s the kind of place that can reconnect one’s spirit to the natural world.
The Dream Shack Escape’s story
Crafted by her own hands, the two-story structure offers sleeping space for 8, a modest indoor kitchenette and bar space, a stunning shower, and two toilets (one up, one down). The artist-owner’s work appears here and there, on the walls. But the whole house is an absolute masterpiece.
Built to minimize the human footprint on the land, the Dream Shack Escape is eco-friendly. There’s a rainwater catchment system as well as solar and composting toilets. When the weather’s right, there’s also a large, covered outdoor space with a full-scale Wolf range and a full-size refrigerator.
Love to barbecue or smoke your own meats? It’s a short walk across the driveway – near a hammock – to roast your favorite meat or veggies.
With the artist’s gallery, studio and home just steps away, artistic touches abound. Be it thoughtfully arranged succulent plantings, a colorful away of glass for her art projects, or a hillside studded with walkways and native plants, there’s always a hint of creative ingenuity on display.
Walking through the hills on visible trails brings the promise of meeting all kinds of critters on the 15-acre spread. That includes on-site cats who, after being rescued, have made a happy home together under the live oaks. Expect, too, a merry flurry of birds and butterflies as well—evidence that the owner has created a sanctuary as much for animals as we humans.
“We have abundant birds year round,” Wilson noted, “In fact, I have recorded 121 species here, including Golden-cheeked warblers.”
What to see and do
Once one arrives, it can be hard to leave this property.
There’s a creek nearby, and early risers can make their way to a bench poised perfectly to witness the sun’s rise over trees, water and land.
Even at night this destination shines, be it from a full, cheerful moon or the mystical Milky Way. Whether you sit near the house or stretch out in the hammock, there’s ample opportunity to unwind and recharge day and night. (There’s reliable WiFi, too, if you need it, as well as a good radio that picks up Austin’s KUT station just perfectly.)
Within easy driving distance are Johnson City’s art and dining scene as well as Pedernales State Park. Area wineries and distilleries are close by, too.
In fact, this Airbnb is a great place to use as a hub if you’re torn between wanting to “get away from it all” entirely and exploring places like Fredericksburg, Blanco and Wimberley (as the pandemic permits).
Thanks to a strong air conditioning system, the property makes for a good option, year ‘round. Yet we think it likely shines best in fall, winter and spring.
Indeed, we’re already imagining how pretty Dream Shack Escape will look next April when those bluebonnet shoots we saw on the hillside put forth their own blooms.
Explore more
For additional photos, be sure to see our Instagram trip highlights.
To learn more about this Airbnb property, visit the Dream Shack Escape listing. You can also take a tour of the exterior via IGTV. If you go, don’t forget to tell Kathleen Marie Wilson that we sent you!
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