Oak Cottage at Sea Pond Plantation

A private retreat in Brooks County, Georgia, earns our top honors.

21 Plus Salute!

By Hope S. Philbrick

Who can create a perfect writer’s retreat?

A writer.

Oak Cottage sits on property where a writer lives, so when she says her two-bedroom rental cottage makes for a great writer’s retreat, she knows what she’s talking about.

Does she ever!

If you really want to get away from it all, this is your destination. Come here to write, paint, quilt, write computer code or do whatever it is you need and want to do without interruption.

This place is remote. There’s a big 150-year-old house somewhere nearby, but unless you hike around specifically looking for it, you won’t see it. You won’t hear any noise from neighbors, either, which can be a little disconcerting for a city dweller…at first. And then you realize you’re thinking more clearly and even sleeping better without the disruptions of ambient noise like fire truck sirens, a humming highway, upstairs neighbors prancing around on hardwoods, car horns.

Come alone and what you’ll hear here are chirping birds, leaves rustling in the breeze, perhaps chicken and geese who live in the mule barn somewhere nearby, an occasional horse’s neigh, the nighttime chorus of cicadas and tree frogs, and silence. The silence is what makes this place a perfect creative retreat: It’s a place to be alone with your thoughts.

Bring along a loved one or group of friends and conversations and laughter will fill the air. Honeymooners or any couples who want to feel like they’re the only people in the world will find an idyll haven. Groups of friends or families will find a private escape—go ahead, gossip on the back deck; no eavesdropper will overhear your saucy tales.

Oak Cottage is surrounded by 420 acres of natural woodlands and planted pines, cypress swamp, marshlands and open pastures. The area attracts wood storks, herons, ibises, egrets, ducks, cranes and more. Many birds are residents; some frequent visitors; all mind their own business.

Miles of woodland trails await exploration. An anecdote to writer’s block.

Essentials…

• Odds of Encountering Children = ZERO, unless you bring your own. 21 Plus Salute!
• Oak Cottage is 10 miles south of Quitman, Ga., about 30 miles southeast of Thomasville, Ga., 30 miles southwest of Valdosta, Ga., 4 miles north of the Florida state line, and an hour from Tallahassee, Fla.
• Oak Cottage has a living room, an eat-in kitchen, full bath with clawfoot tub and two bedrooms—the most private one has a queen bed, the other (which anyone must walk through to reach the bathroom) has a daybed and trundle. There are also front and back screen porches plus a deck.
• The sofa in the living room is a sleeper, so it would be possible for six people to share the cottage.
• The relaxed and neutral décor style of Oak Cottage is pleasant to any design sensibility.
• Oak Cottage is available for rent by the week or the month. Weekly rates are $500 ($550 with horses—you can bring up to two horses, which can be accommodated in the adjacent paddock). Monthly rates are $1500 ($1700 with horses).
• A non-refundable deposit of $100 is required.
• Pets are welcome.
• The cottage is equipped with central heat and air for year-round comfort.
• There’s a gas log fireplace in the living-room.
• You’ll find a washer and a dryer in the utility closet.
• The kitchen is equipped with a stove, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher and all basic cooking equipment (pots, pans, coffee maker, etc.)
• Wireless internet, computer speakers, blueray player and HD TV are provided.
• Reaching Oak Cottage requires driving on some dirt roads, which can get slippery after rain showers.

More Information…

Oak Cottage at Sea Pond Plantation
Sea Pond Lane 323
Quitman, GA 31643
229-263-5211

VisitBrookscounty.com

-Photos © HSP Media LLC

Featured products, services and/or travel arrangements may have been complimentary in part or in full; this affords the research opportunity but does not sway opinion.

Hope S. Philbrick is founder and editor-in-chief of Getaways for Grownups. She became a freelance writer and editor because she believes that work and fun should not be mutually exclusive. Her work has appeared in dozens of publications nationwide. When not writing, she can usually be found on the road or savoring something tasty.