It’s summer time and the outdoors are looking more and more inviting. For avid glampers, that means chasing unique glamping experiences across the globe, especially in the US.
Oprah.com took a look into glamping and found the high-class camping in states from Maine to California. Like a $35 per night four-person tepee in Gunnison, Colorado. Or a $1000 per night for a two-person, hardwood-floor tepee at Mustang Monument Wild Horse Eco-Resort in Wells, Nevada. The quality of living goes up with the price tag, but both provide the one-with-nature feel that has made glamping a huge trend and perhaps permanent method of vacationing.
You know that you’re glamping when there’s no tent to pitch, no sleeping bag to unroll, and no fire to build. Whether in a tent, yurt, airstream, hut, villa or treehouse – glamping is a way to experience the great outdoors without sacrificing luxury. It’s tailored for travelers who want to experience the positive aspects of camping without the “uncomfortable” negatives.
There’s no official definition of what glamping is (yet), but these are the universal elements you’ll see at a glamping site.
- No lobby in sight. Nature is literally right outside your door.
- A unique structure.
- The (basic) comforts of a hotel.
“If you like the idea of spending the night in the great outdoors but aren’t so wild about sleeping on the ground and wearing the same clothes for days, you may be ready for glamping”, says Lindsay Funston, a contributing writer for Oprah.com.
It was 2007 when the keyword “glamping” started to gain traction, according to Google Trends. While the celebrities have popularized it in our era, it was royalty who first began our glamping tradition. Tracing all the way back to the Ottoman Empire. That was 200 AD. The sultan traveled with silk fabrics, embroidery, expensive rugs and furnishings while hosting royal ceremonies or other gatherings. Some of the glamping today might even surpass the extravagance of those days… minus the crowds… modern glamping is a private experience for couples or families.
Except for when it is a ceremony. Take for example Matthew McConaughey who transformed his Texas ranch wedding into a glampground extravaganza in 2012. Perhaps not luxury standard, but each tent had it’s own air conditioning unit!
Check our list for glamping in the USA here. Some locations that offer glamor camping, right here in the states, include places like Yellowstone in Montana and Moab in Utah. Also in Montana there’s the premier luxury dude ranch glamping at Paws Up. Try staying at cottages in Maine at Bay Leaf Cottages or the motor homes at Santa Barbara Auto Camp in California.
Oprah.com points out that, “Despite its name, the activity doesn’t have to be super chichi; at its heart, glamping is about getting close to nature with a little more comfort and a lot less lugging of stuff.” At the end of the day, whether you pitch your own tent or use a permanent canvas king-tent with built-in plumbing, it’s all about getting out of the city and into the wilderness. Both will find you enjoying the fresh air and the heat of a night-time campfire. Glamping adds the option of guided activities and unique excursions. At the end of the day, we’re all roasting marshmallows under the same sky. Get out there and enjoy the outdoors this summer!
The basics:
The most notable downside for 9H is that those staying there must be practitioners of the simplistic lifestyle 9H accommodates. That means luggage… or the absence thereof. The 9H concept is cool for those who only have a briefcase to carry around with them during the day. Having to lug anything more than that through already crowded streets makes the extra price tag for 24h hotel room look very appealing.