It’s late October and I’m peering out the front of a tightly rooted thick canvas tent staring straight up into the milky star-filled sky. This, I think to myself after a wild and work-filled summer, is living. After a few minutes of allowing my imagination to drift off into the big sky abyss, I reel my mind back to earth and carefully zip my tired and happy body in for the night. I was three days in on my cycling and glamping adventure with TerraVelo Tours in remote Southern Utah about to slink into the tightly tucked sheets and starfish in my cozy Tempur-pedic bed for another dreamy nights rest.
When I arrived at our first site without any expectations, it was easy to pick out my tent with my name beautifully etched in white chalk on a small sign just out my front door. Details from the Turkish towels and soft bed linens to the luxury bath and body products in a basket atop the full size dresser next to the bed were on point. After unpacking and meeting the on site staff, we headed out for a lesson to get comfortable riding our road bikes. I had never ridden a road bike before (you can also get a hybrid) so this was very helpful before setting out.
For that week, I felt the wind in my hair as I raced down the steep hillsides after exerting myself to the max to make it to the top of each insane vantage point. I was an active participant in nature riding anywhere from fifteen to twenty miles a day. I love that the sprinter van followed along the entire way in case I wanted to opt out of a portion and take a break and just enjoy the scenic view.
Though cycling was the focus on the trip menu, there were many other activities to partake in in the diverse landscapes. We hiked Bryce Canyon and part of Zion National Park and explored toward the end of the trip on horseback. Watching the sun set and the moon rise from the top of Pink Coral Sand Dunes State Park as we listened to dune buggies whip around from a distance was a special treat. Another completely unique and off the beaten path gem we explored just after sunset was Goblin Valley. I’m not normally a guided group kind of traveler, but what I loved about TerraVelo was that the trip was flexible and accommodating to some spur of the moment things.
TerraVelo did a great job of packing our itinerary with adventure but still allowing time to slow down with yoga, massage, time to watch sun set from the outdoor luxury lounge, roast s’mores, tell stories around the campfire, and wake up and walk/run down the road in one of our three off the beaten path camp locations.
One of the things that makes TerraVelo Tours completely unique is their mobility. They actually move the campsite for you so you get to experience staying in different locations. You don’t even have to pack up any of your things. Just leave them in your dresser and they do it all for you.
It was nice coming home, or to a new home, after each experience to a warm perfectly prepared meal accompanied by a glass of wine in the dining tent, and even under the stars with hot soup one of the evenings. Dining together gave it a real family style feel and an opportunity to engage and get to know other guests.
I did a lot of listening that week in Utah. I unplugged and listened to the sound of nothing at all, to sounds of the campfire crackling after dark, and listened to my own inner voice reminding me that I need very few things in life to make me happy: my camera, a delicious meal, the great outdoors, and family. TerraVelo fulfilled all of these in their own way and then some. A balance of incredible food, wellness, and wanderlust, made it a truly one of a kind experience. At the end of the day, a growing catalogue of experiences is one of my most treasured things I own. Being able to flip through this chapter in my life is more fulfilling that any possession I could ever buy.
Enjoy the film I produced and be immersed in my journey.
SOUTHERN UTAH GLAMPING from Border Free Productions on Vimeo.
It’s been great to watch TerraVelo evolve and grown into other destinations like Wyoming, the California Coast, and the Adirondacks. There aren’t many places where you can have an experience quite this wild and special.
Photography Credit: Justin Hackworth
Exploring rugged to refined, digital storyteller and film producer Kristen Kellogg has a unique eye and flair for capturing the essence of a brand or destination that is immediately recognizable in the work she crafts through her Wanderlust Website + Creative Agency: Border Free Travels. Kristen’s work has been featured in Yahoo Travel, AFAR, and Microsoft among others. A Nantucket resident, when Kristen isn’t on the road, she is literally running around exploring her own backyard. Kristen is from Southern Illinois. Follow her daily adventures on Instagram here.