1916 Boathouse Converted to Tiny House on Huge Lake! // Camp Wapanacki Tiny House Tour!

Today, we are at Camp Wapinaki. This place has so much history and beauty to it, including a US president, the nation's first camp for blind and visually impaired children, and of course, a boathouse that is converted into a tiny house on this lake. Let's go check this place out. Today, we are in Wolcott, Vermont. I hope I'm saying that right, but it is pretty close to the Canadian border. We're pretty far north, and it's our first time in Vermont on this channel, and I'm just so excited to be here. I've been wanting to visit Vermont for such a long time, especially during fall. We are in peak foliage right now, and it's absolutely gorgeous here, literally out of this world. The colors range from burgundy to orange and yellow and red. That almost looks like it's pink, but if you haven't been here to the northeast, it is very well worth it. Anyway, we are at Camp Wapinaki, which is a special place. There's a lot to show in this video, and trust me, it's gonna be fun and beautiful. It's gonna be a little different because there's a lot of history that I think is so cool. As always, the links are down in the description if you want to come here, and stay for yourself after watching this video if you're inspired to come check it out, which I think you will be. Anyway, Wapinaki is a 250-acre site that has everything from a 25-acre private lake, a tiny house, there's cabins, and great history. Back in the early 1900s, our very own president, Woodrow Wilson, came and fished here at the lake when it was the Trout Lodge Fishing Club. The first two buildings, actually, are the lodge and the boathouse, which is the one we're staying in. Then, Camp Wapinaki was founded in 1938 by the New York Institute for Special Education as a camp for blind and visually impaired children. It was the first such camp in the United States, the very first one in the nation. That's history right there, and there's even a historical plaque right here to show for that. Then, in the 80s and 90s, this place was a Girl Scout camp, and now it's an amazing spot to come rent some Airbnbs and enjoy it for yourself, to come check it out. And the hosts have done a great job keeping the charm of this place by making the buildings usable again. I love hearing the history of places like this. I can't believe we have the honor of being able to stay here, knowing everything that's gone on in this plot of land. It is so cool, and I love hearing the history about places like this. So, there are five cabins here total, but today we are exploring their best one, I think, the Boathouse, which is a tiny house right on the water with your very own private dock and views. It is for a couple, and it is the most private stay here. You guys are going to love it. To start off, you'll drive down the beautiful road that leads up to the camp. The trees and the changing colors are striking and so vibrant. You'll make it to the entrance and drive past some buildings, which we will get to in a bit, and make it all the way to your tiny house. You'll walk down this walkway to your tiny house, and you can see all of the property that you'll have to yourself. The Boathouse has the perfect cabin feel to it, especially being literally right on the lake. The views are incredible. There's a deck that wraps around here, and when we walk on the front, the surrounding lake and trees are just amazing. Out here, there's a grill, a table to have the perfect morning breakfast or dinner at because you have the best views, and some other seating options. We can continue to walk around, and there's your very own private dock that extends out into the water. The sun sets right on the lake, so it's right in front of the tiny house, which makes for the most amazing evenings here. The water is so calm, and there's nothing to obstruct your view here. No building or civilization in sight. The trees around the edges of the lake are breathtaking as well. The sound of nature is all around you, and you can hear a whisper from really far away. It's incredible. During the winter, you can cross-country ski or snowshoe all over the lake. I haven't done that yet, but I think that would be a pretty cool activity. I cannot ask for a better spot for a tiny house. If you take a look at the Boathouse, there's huge windows on the front here for great views from inside as well. If we go on the other side of the Boathouse, there's more to explore. Over here, there's more seating to look out into the lake or a great coffee spot. There's a fire pit and a canoe for you. Yes, you can paddle out onto the lake and explore what's all around, which was really fun. Paddling through the still water and seeing the Boathouse from all around it was so cool. Now, let's take a step inside the Boathouse and see what's in there. This has been renovated, but the charm is still there. This tiny house has a very open floor plan and a great aesthetic. On the left is the main area, which is your kitchen and living room space that also have those huge windows that overlook the lake. The one window is actually a sliding door that lets you walk out into the deck. Back inside, the kitchen includes a full-size fridge, open shelves, which are these reused old crates, which is a great idea, I think. It adds a lot of character to this tiny house. There's an oven and a sink over here, and even more open shelves in this corner. The countertop and cabinets are this natural rustic wood, which fits very well inside this tiny house. Inside the cabinets, they provide all of your dishware needed. I love the overall look of this kitchen a lot. And on the other side is a long table that serves as an indoor dining table and separates from the living room. On here, you'll see a basket where you can purchase some local goods at. They have jam, pancake mix, granola, and Vermont maple syrup. Speaking of syrup, the state tree of Vermont is the sugar maple. Anyway, on to the living room. There are two couches in here that face each other with a coffee table in the middle. This makes it easy to play games in here or chit-chat with whoever. You can also lay down on these couches and you can look out into the windows and into the lake. They were intentionally placed like this, so you get the best views. There's also a fireplace in here for the colder months. And the shiplap all over the walls and the exposed ceiling throughout really set the tone for this interior, and I think it works so good in here. In the back, there's your bedroom space. It's all open, so all back here is your bed, a small wooden closet space, and a unique wooden design for this back wall. They also have some lights on it. Enclosed next to this is your bathroom space. Throughout the pocket door, you'll see your full bathroom with the vanity, toilet, and shower. This is a private stay, so you may be worried, but there is hot water and plumbing here. You're not missing any luxuries of a normal stay. They're all here, but with much better views. If you're looking for a place to scroll through Instagram all day and veg out, this is not the place for you, since there is no wi-fi at the cabin. I genuinely enjoyed this a lot, not being able to plug into my phone and really soak in the nature around. I know you might be worried, but trust me, I was worried too, but I really, really enjoyed it here. It was much easier to connect with the spot you're at, and time didn't really escape from me while I was here, like it can when you're on your phone. I know myself, I know I'll say I'm not gonna get on my phone when I'm at places, but you just subconsciously do it, and then before you know it, hours go by, and you look at your phone when you could have been enjoying the spot. But if you do need wi-fi there at the lodge, there is a wi-fi spot there that you can go up to, and every now and then in the evenings, I'd go up there for 15 minutes and just make sure nothing bad happened. So, that is nice to have, but I genuinely enjoyed not being on my phone while I was here. Anyway, speaking of the lodge, let's explore what else Wappanaki has. First, there's the beach area. Here, you'll have access to plenty more kayaks or canoes and another dock. I'm sure in the warmer months, this is a great spot to cool off at. And you can also see the other cabins here that you can rent. There's another tiny house, a log cabin, and another cabin next to that. If the boat house is booked when you want to come, I'm sure there are other cabins here to rent during those dates, so you don't have to miss out. There's also multiple hikes on this property to explore, as well. We chose the ginger hike, which is a loop that goes all the way around the lake, and it was beautiful. It was so quiet and peaceful, and we got to see some really pretty forest, and of course, the lake. I wish we could have explored the other hikes, especially with all the trees changing colors. Overall, this place is one of my favorites for this year, and I would expect to see this place in the year-end review of my top favorite places. I highly suggest it, and please check out the link in the description to book this place if you really enjoyed this video. You need to check it out for yourself. I was here October 15th, which turned out to be great for fall foliage, in case you're wondering for next year. And no, I did not get paid to say anything in this video. These were all my genuine thoughts and words. I don't get told to say anything in any of my tour videos, so if I say you should come here and check it out for yourself, I really do suggest that, because I think this spot is so cool. And no, I don't have the plans for the boat house. It was just a renovated boat house, and no, I don't know how much anything costs in this place. It varies everywhere you go, so spare those comments. But with that being said, comment and let me know what you think of this place. Anyway, I'll see you guys next week in another Airbnb tour video.