Wednesday, August 15, 2012

No camping allowed



I have to admit that I am not a camping kind of girl {which likely comes as no surprise to anyone who reads my blog}. 
Glamour......  that spells 'there will be no camping'. 




I want to have a place to lie down at the end of the day that is off the ground and bug free; neither of those things happen when you are in a tent and sleeping bag. Yes, yes - I know, you can put the sleeping bag on a cot up off the ground {not feeling better about it}. And I know that campsites have come a long way over the years and they offer facilities with hot showers, toilets and various amenities...... which you share with a hundred other people.  Ahh - ummm, NO!


.... and anyway, my tent would need a chandelier.

We didn't have a family cottage, but did have great opportunity getting to go to my Dad's best friends cottage all the time. I loved it.
Jumping off the dock into the lake, taking the little boat out for a spin, fishing with the guys, pit fires at night. All fun - but we slept inside on a regular bed, cooked in a proper kitchen, ate at a table, and when it poured buckets we had the comfort of the cottage to enjoy.

No camping!


At least this bed isn't on the ground.                   source bohocircus

Enter the world of GLAMPING. 
Glamourous camping? seriously?!


Glamping trips offer a stay in tents that are often made with bright designer colours - no army green here. Facilities in the tents may include full-size air mattresses or actual beds for sleeping. Tents are equipped with power for proper lights or appliances {that means the straightening iron right?}.

That sounds civilized, yet somehow I imagined arriving at the glamping site to discover that the tent is in happy circus colours. Well at least I don't think bears would come near the tent.........





There are glamping sites that offer something more refined and along the line of what I would imagine upscale camping would be all about. This is not a scene from Out Of Africa, so do not expect Robert Redford to wash your tresses by the river bank. But the amenities that good glamping sites offer are a comfortable blend between cottage and tenting. Think rustic mountain five-star tenting a'la simple cottage with fabric walls.

RedTail Resort

Wooden deck bases house the bedroom tents that are held up by log beams. Glamping tents are generally decorated with furniture pieces that would similarly be found in a cottage - wood side tables, bedside lamps, rugs under foot, even pictures strung up on the tent interior walls. 





Many of the Glamping sites have gone to extremes by decorating with antique pieces in the tents - yes, those are Chinese lacquer side tables in the bedroom.






So if you want to sleep out under the stars {sort of} and have all the creature comforts without the creatures, glamping may be the vacation for you. At Paws Up in Montana they take it to the extreme with master on-suite bathrooms to each glamping tent, a honeymoon glamping tent that features a soaker claw foot tub, twice daily housekeeping and your own personal staff to swat the mosquitoes away {if you so need}. The 'Glamping Butler' will warm your smores and fluff up the pillows for you at Paws Up.



the resort at Paws Up


Paws Up resort - Montana.

If the tent offered all of this why wouldn't you just stay at a great hotel? Glamping is a novelty that offers the fun of camping, rustic charm around you, sleeping in the outdoor air but on soft cotton sheets {remember you are still in a tent}, but it all gets tied up in a pretty bow.


Out of Africa

If you want the thrill of a safari feel and the Glamour all around you, glamping may be the way to vacation.



Glamping tent
Waking up to a view like this just might sell me on the idea.



7 comments:

  1. I am not the "camper" type either but this "glamping" concept is quite intriguing!
    Some great photos~thank you for opening up a new possibility!
    Have a wonderful rest of the week
    Donna

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  2. Hi Katharine, I would love to have you visit me! Oakville is so very close in the blogging sphere! Yes, it seems this year is a bit of a write off, but I am hoping to get back to normal soon....and will make this work for us! Yes, I am with you, I camped with our sons for years when they were growing up, Algonquin park, and we even drove to the east coast in a camper van...fun then in my thirties, not so much now! Love your pics of glamping, though...I might reconsider for a quick moment! N.xo

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  3. Hi Katherine,
    I'm right there with you on the camping thing. I do have tiny little cabin in the woods though that I have made comfy and 'bug free' to get away to now and then. I love all of these images of glamping at it's best.

    My husband has a large canvas tent that he takes with him when he rides his horse into the mountains. He even has a wood stove for it and all the comforts of home...well, almost I guess, considering there's no bathroom ; )
    hugs from here...

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  4. Glamping is definitely the way to go! Why do it any other way?

    Keri

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  5. Hahaha I'm so with you! Especially about the part about my tent having to have a chandelier!! Have an awesome weekend!
    xo
    Sharon

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  6. Hi Sis, not sure if you've seen whitepod.com in Lake Geneva beautiful. Closer to home Rouge Park is being finally being recognized as Rouge National Urban Park....yay! what a beautiful spot.

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  7. My sort of camping involves a 45 foot motor home with a generator, king sized bed, good sized kitchen and full bathroom...tub if possible. Your Glamping might be OK. Great post!!

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