Have you ever heard things like this? Have you ever SAID things like this? “My vacations spent sleeping on the ground are long behind me.” “I have done my stretch on the forest floor. I need a soft bed with soft pillows and a minibar.” Conversely, do you miss being outside? Yes, you do. This pull and tug from within come from folks who have some candles on their birthday cake. Their bones may creak each morning, but John Muir’s legacy mantra lives on within their mortal souls. “The mountains are calling, and I must go.” Well, Vacationer, Gildshire is here today to inform you that your next vacation doesn’t need to be an either/or proposition. Glamorous camping, aka glamping, is an alternative to vacations you have known. Glamping is part camping trip, part luxury hotel, and 100% an interesting vacation idea.
Glamping is a comfortable way to commune with nature.
With a camping trip and lux-hotel for parents, one asks which parent Baby Glamp resembles. In many cases, the baby looks more like the luxury side of things. Soft king-sized beds and Keurigs alongside access to spas and Pay-Per-View TV. Heck, you can have your own S’Mores Chef if you want.
However, it doesn’t need to be all about that. If your best idea of glamping is rusticity, only with your bed up from the ground, that is available, too. In fact, you can choose the kind of experience that sounds good for your next getaway and find your dream glamp, tailored to your needs. Here are just a few glamping vacations Gildshire found for when we wish to immerse ourselves in nature, but in a distinctly four-star way.
Under Canvas: The largest glamping company out there boasts sites near Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Glacier, Glacier, Great Smoky, Canyonlands, and Arches. With the exception of their Rushmore property, Under Canvas installed every location hard up against National Parks. You can stay near the gateway to West Yellowstone for only $109 a night. While there, be pampered by the softest bed, covered by the plushest bedding. En-suite you’ll find a fireplace. Just outside and down the path is an on-site restaurant. You can’t cook in, or even near, your luxury tent. But you can reserve your tasty delivered picnic lunch when you book your stay. Crisp fresh air, and a soft bed. Yellowstone National Park practically in view while you munch on the cookie that was part of the picnic lunch. Are we there yet?
Birdwatching is best when you live among the birds.
Timber Ridge Outpost, in Karbers Ridge, IL: Has anyone ever asked if you were out of your tree? Yeah, us too. This unique treehouse lodging option at Timber Ridge gives a whole new meaning to “out of your tree.” The folks who run Timber Ridge call it Maple Oak. It is their most popular option chosen by the several hundred glampers they welcome every year. The price starts at an affordable $165 a night. That’s less than a night’s stay at any luxury lodging we’ve found in years. For that number, you and your partner will slumber in your Sleep Number bed. bathed in air-conditioned comfort. There is indoor plumbing, a cooktop, coffee pot and a refrigerator. The kitchen area includes a convection/microwave oven, and a toaster. It’s the last word in relaxation, securely perched up a tree.
Sandy Pines Campground, in Kennebunkport, ME: Sandy Pines, situated near the pounding Atlantic surf is a relatively new property. But they’ve done this vacation lodging thing right. Sandy Pines offers several different levels of comfort, but glampers will choose one of the glamp tents (naturally) for $198.50 a night. Your tent includes a king-sized bed, adorned with luxury coverings. You’ll enjoy a seating area, cooler, bathroom, and a small refrigerator. There is a cool outdoor deck too. Bring along some grilling implements and you’ll have a lovely dinner beneath the stars.
Asheville Glamping, in Asheville, NC: No one in the glamping industry has as much fun hosting glamp vacationers than the good people that work at Asheville Glamping. Their website shows personality plus! They don’t take themselves too seriously, and they don’t hesitate to make fun of those who do. (S’more’s Chef? Really?) Their signature safari tents offer queen bed accommodations, air conditioning, a rug, and a coffee table. Make dinner with the propane grill or at the site’s fire pit.
Now, doesn’t this sound better than another night at a cookie-cutter hotel? Yes, we agree. See you there!
