Rent Tiny Homes on a Lake in Bloomington

Let’s say you’re intrigued by tiny houses but also love your big-screen TV, interior walls, and closets. A cluster of rental tinies in Bloomington invites you to experience the trend without committing. Three cottages on wheels, owned by the same couple and rented separately on Airbnb, sit in a clearing near Griffy Lake, 10 miles north of town. Two have air-conditioning, though none have a shower. A weekend here with a couple of friends would feel like glamping in teensy wood-walled cabins—one of which, Bindle Drum, is outfitted as a textile studio, with skeins of yarn, a wall of thread, a sewing machine, and embroidery hoops used as creative decor. You and your dogs could hit the nine hiking trails in the 1,200-acre Griffy Lake Nature Preserve. A boathouse rents canoes, kayaks, and rowboats. Swimming is prohibited, but on July 19, you can join the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department’s guided night paddle under a full (not tiny) moon.

Snails Away: most nights around $50

Bindle Drum: most nights around $50

Gypsy Tug: most nights around $30 (no air-conditioning)