Our McMinnville Cottage Rental…I LOVE AirBnB!

The trip from Portland to McMinnville only takes about an hour…except for the unexpected traffic jam in tiny Dundee. That short drive seemed to take FOREVER. I just couldn’t wait to see the little cottage we would be calling home for the next eight nights.

We had booked this stay about six months ago through AirBnB, and it was the first time I’ve used that site. We’ve used other companies to book extended stays in the past, so I was excited to see if our AirBnB cottage would live up to our expectations. My initial impression during the booking process was very positive. Connie (our host at the cottage) sounded very upbeat and cheerful, and she assured me that all we needed to bring would be our toothbrushes! She said her cottage would be a perfect spot for our combination business and pleasure trip.

McMinnville, Oregon feels like home to us since Peepaw and I lived there LONG ago. (More about that later.) But when we finally reached the city limits, I plugged the cottage address into my smartphone GPS since we were unsure of the exact location of the property.

After a short ride thorough a pleasant neighborhood we arrived at our destination. And there it was…a rustic gate. How exciting! We could hardly wait to see what was waiting for us on the other side. I had seen a photo of the front of the cottage…but NOTHING prepared us for what we were about to see…

Behind that gate…we stepped into a magical Secret Garden!

And an expanse of beautifully manicured lawn…all decked out with a variety of comfortable chairs and chaise lounges and swings that were soon calling our names…

And what about that cottage, you ask?

It was absolutely, positively adorable…and we couldn’t wait to check out the inside.

This quaint converted garage has been turned into the perfect little home away from home. (Our host Connie had left the door unlocked so we could make ourselves at home as soon as we arrived.)

We stepped through the door into the compact space. It’s amazing how much comfort can be packed into one small room!

The queen size bed was dressed with quality linens, and the tiny table for two was the perfect size for the small space.

The bathroom facilities and the shower were clean, and more than adequate…and there were plenty of fluffy towels waiting for us.

And don’t laugh at this picture of the cupboard under the sink! I snapped a photo because Connie was right!

There was even a hair dryer waiting for me. Our toothbrushes WERE the only thing we really needed to bring! (Tell that to Peepaw since he always rolls his eyes at the number of items I bring on even the shortest trips!)

After checking out the DVR and the remote controlled air conditioner we had finished our brief tour of our home for the next eight nights. 

And that view? It simply drew us back out into the yard…

The water feature was beautiful and serene…

Even the bumblebees were happy!

There was a vegetable garden tucked in behind the flower bed and bird house…

As we simply soaked in the beauty around us, we heard Connie’s welcoming voice. She and husband Mark had stepped out of their home to give us a personal greeting and to ask if everything was OK.

We assured our hosts that their cottage wasn’t just OK. It was PERFECT.

So Peepaw began to unload the car and to unpack all of my “unneccessary” belongings, and I headed into our little kitchen to whip up some appetizers to share with Rick and Candy, our McMinnville friends who were joining us soon. (You just can’t keep this Meemaw out of the kitchen…no matter how tiny it is!)

So now do I recommend AirBnB? Absolutely! Just click on the link and you’ll even receive travel credit toward your first reservation!

You never know…There might be a Secret Garden out there somewhere…waiting just for you!