Why we host

We host because we know, firsthand, how powerful it is to step away.

For years, while living and working in Washington, D.C., we learned how restorative it could be to leave the city — even for a single weekend. The shift happens quickly: shoulders drop, breath slows, conversations deepen. There’s something profoundly grounding about trading noise for open skies, schedules for sunlight, and urgency for stillness.

Those moments of escape mattered to us. They reminded us who we were outside of deadlines and demands.

The Nest at Thistle Ridge was born from that feeling.

When we created The Nest, we didn’t set out to build just a place to stay — we wanted to share the calm, clarity, and quiet joy we found when life slowed down. We wanted to open our doors to others who are craving the same reset: time to reconnect, to notice small things, and to feel rooted again, even briefly.

Hosting allows us to share our philosophy and the magic of this place — the gentle presence of animals, the rhythm of the land, the warmth of a well-loved home, and the comfort of being truly welcomed. Whether guests stay for a weekend or longer, our hope is that they leave feeling lighter, steadier, and more connected than when they arrived.

The Nest is our invitation to pause.

To gather.

To breathe.

To experience what happens when life is given just a little more space.

And if, even for a short while, it feels like a retreat from the world — then we’ve done what we set out to do.