UTICA – In the middle of nowhere near Utica, Minnesota is a
it’s become popular because, well, it’s in the middle of nowhere.
The one-bedroom, half-bathroom cabin (an outbuilding) was built and is owned by former Rochester residents Heather Nierman and her husband, Scott. Staying in the cabin costs $57 a night and it’s about a half mile walk to get there.
People don’t book this cabin to stay connected to the world, but to get away from the world.
“I think it’s just the isolation and people are over-stimulated,” Heather said of the cabin’s appeal. “There’s no TV, cell phone service is hard to get, you have to walk up a hill to find a good bar. But I think people are feeling really overwhelmed lately and they just want to relax It kind of forces them to relax because they’re in the middle of nowhere and it’s peaceful and feels good.
The couple came up with the idea for the cabin in 2018 after buying the land with Heather’s family. They had always planned to build something there, but decided to do something different and chose the little cabin.
While in Rochester, Heather said her husband worked at a construction company and had accumulated spare building materials for the cabin over the years. Once the little cabin was built, they registered it on Airbnb and immediately bookings started coming in steadily.
But the pandemic has made the cabin a rare commodity.
“COVID hit, and it got crazy,” Heather said. “Every weekend was booked, really. People we get restless at home, and they wanted a place to get away from society, relax and unplug.
Managing the cabin is one of Heather’s daughters, who still lives in Rochester. This is necessary as Heather and Scott quit their jobs in 2018 and have been traveling the world ever since.
The idea is one they’ve been planning for years, Heather said.
“We told our family two or three years before our kids graduated that we were going to sell everything and chase the world wholesale,” Heather said. “They were like, ‘What? This is crazy.’ Actually, I don’t think they thought that was going to happen. I don’t think they thought we were serious, but we sold everything and rented out our properties. … So basically we live off very little rent we earn on our three properties.
The two have cruised through Central America and are currently docked in the Dominican Republic with plans to sail to Puerto Rico, followed by the Virgin Islands.
“My husband and I just wanted to go to new places and meet new people from different cultures,” Heather said. “You know, enjoy the world a bit and it’s been amazing. I would never take it back.
Contributed / Heather Nierman
Contributed / Heather Nierman
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