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Glamping Adventures in Utah at Blue Sky Ranch

For an action-packed vacation, Blue Sky Adventures is the perfect location.  The ranch is located in Wanship, Utah and covers 3,300 acres of Utah’s diverse and breathtaking terrain.  For the ultimate view, Blue Sky Ranch has constructed the Antelope Yurt with views overlooking the Wasatch Mountains and nearby Deer Valley Park.  This traditional Norwegian glamping yurt is perfect for a family or romantic getaway, and has many amenities which include solar LED power, a wood stove, a propane grill with side burner, an outdoor fire pit, a coffee maker, and deluxe bunk beds. Despite the cozy accommodations, most visitors to Blue Sky Ranch will spend their time engaging in the myriad of activities available year round.

Summer activities include:

Horseback Adventures: Take a tour along Alexander Creek or retrace the steps of Mark Twain’s stagecoach.

 

Mountain Biking: Blue Sky Ranch features over 25 miles of exclusive double-track and single-track trails geared towards intermediate and advanced level riders.  Nearby Park City has 400+ miles of Gold-Rated IMBA trails with various trails that are suitable for all skill levels.

Kayaking: Paddle through one of the nearby unique mountain reservoirs and keep an eye out for wildlife.  Solo or tandem kayaks are available.

Hiking:  Guided overnight hikes and backpacking tours.  Hike to the Antelope Yurt or a designated camping spot for an overnight adventure.

Fly-fishing: A Blue Sky Adventures professional fishing guide will teach you how to angle like a pro!  Fly-fishing excursions are available as half day or full day on either the Provo or Weber rivers.  All necessary gear is included, as well as snacks and drinks. For full-day trips, a full lunch is provided.

 

Rafting:  Guided half-day or full-day river trips on the class II & III Weber River.

Yoga Adventures:  A unique option for the fitness-minded is one of Blue Sky Ranch’s custom yoga adventures.  Blue Sky Ranch has partnered with Park City Yoga Adventures to create the yoga hike.  The hike lasts for 1 ½ hours and wanders through breathtaking views and possible wildlife sightings, to Blue Sky’s yurt where a yoga instructor will guide you through sixty minutes of yoga practice.

Cowboy for a Day:  Live a day in the life of a cowboy! This is an experience that is not for those scared of a little hard work. The adventure starts with instructions on properly tracking and grooming the horse all the way to an honest-to-goodness cattle drive.  Includes a hearty cowboy breakfast and a boxed gourmet lunch.

Winter activities include:

Winter Horseback Riding: A 1.5 hour ride to a historic tavern in the mountains for lunch.  The tavern resides on a high mountain meadow which provides exquisite views of the mountains of Unita.

Wagon & Sleigh Rides: An enchanting ride through the snow-covered ranch.  Cookies and hot cocoa or cider are provided as well.

Alpine and Nordic Ski Touring:  Blue Sky Ranch features diverse ski trails including over seven kilometers of groomed skate track on the farm and light backcountry trails on the ranch.  Available as a 3-hour guided tour or a day-long, self-guided tour.

 

On-Mountain Ski Tours: Exclusive on-mountain guided tours of the ski areas that only locals know about!  Take advantage of the knowledge of a local professional who has hundreds of days spent on the mountain.

Yoga Snowshoe Adventures: Combine a peaceful snowshoe tour through the serene, snow-covered wilderness to the authentic Norwegian yurt on property for a 60 minute yoga session led by Park City Yoga Adventures.

Dog sledding:  Blue Sky has partnered with Pawsatch Snow Dogs to provide an authentic dog sledding experience.  Pawsatch will teach you how to drive your own sled propelled by their friendly and sociable Alaskan malamutes and Siberian huskies.

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New Zealand Glamping at Papamoa Beach

Papamoa Beach Top 10 Holiday Resort has been owned an operated by Bruce and Donna Crosby for over 20 years.  This resort is located in the Bay of Plenty on New Zealand’s North Island.  Papamoa Beach is known for it pristine white sandy beaches and sparkling blue waters and is an excellent destination for fishing and surfing.  Papamoa Beach Top 10 Holiday Resort provides an excellent way to stay right on the beach, where literally, the beach is your doorstep. The accommodations range from campsites all the way to luxury villas.

For a true glamping experience, guests will enjoy the newly-refurbished Beachfront Bliss Villa.  The Bliss Villas feature modern designs and decorations.  Each Bliss Villa has a superking bed (that’s right, it’s even bigger than a king bed!) and a luxury bathroom complete with a shower and free-standing bath tub with stunning ocean views.  Speaking of ocean views, each of these villas also features huge, glass patio doors that provide a panoramic view of the ocean and lead out onto your private patio.  From there, guests can walk right down to the beach.  The Bliss Villas also feature flat screen TVs with Sky Television (satellite TV) and an iPod docking station.

 

Also available are Two-Bedroom Garden Villas which are located in a central park position, and have views of the beautifully landscaped grounds.  These luxury villas feature a queen size bed and 21” television with Sky TV in the master bedroom, and one set of bunk beds and a single bed in the second bedroom.  These modern units feature a shower with double heads, a dining area and kitchen as well as large decks off of the lounge area.

Studio Spa Garden Villas offer yet another alternative for a glamping vacation at Papamoa Beach Top 10 Holiday Resort.  These luxurious villas feature a queen size bed, fully-equipped kitchen and a television with Sky TV.  In addition, the studio villa has a large bathroom with a shower and oversized spa bath.

For those guests who have taken their glamping accommodations into their own hands, Papamoa Beach Top 10 Holiday Resorts provides powered-RV hookups and immaculate communal showers and restrooms, as well as picnic areas with grills.  For a small fee, guests can choose a site with sea view.

 

Activities abound at the Bay of Plenty, and are perfect for a romantic vacation for two, or for families.  There are several attractions close by to Papamoa Beach Top 10 Holiday Resorts.  At Spring Loaded Fun Park, you can take a scenic helicopter flight or take a river jet boating adventure on the Kaituna river.  This river is narrow and windy, perfect for an exhilarating ride!  Other attractions include Classic Flyers, where you can ride in an open top biplane or Blokart Heaven, which is a speedway track for blokarts (think wind-powered go-karts with sails).  For a more laid back activity, guests can visit Kiwi 360, a kiwi orchard.  Here visitors can take a tour of the orchard in the kiwi cart, visit the Kiwi 360 café to enjoy their quirky and delicious kiwifruit fare or kiwifruit wine, or take a picture in the famous, giant kiwi.

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Glamping in Italy at Canonici di San Marco

At Canonici di San Marco, guests are welcomed with open arms by owners Frederico and Emanuela.  This glamping destination features two luxury tented lodges on raised wooden platforms.  Each lodge features a bed appointed with quality linens, electricity, Wi-Fi, and private bathrooms with showers and toilets.  The lodges are each decorated in a chic and sophisticated style which pays tribute to nature through the use of natural materials such as iron, wood and stone, and to history with the use of antique and repurposed furnishings.  Much of the furniture in the glamping lodges are collected by Frederico and Emanuela during their travels and represent different corners of the world.  Each lodge features numerous plants and flowers inside and out to inspire a feeling of symbiosis with nature.  Even bath time feels special with original aluminum bathtubs from England that have been transformed into showers, handmade soaps from Provence, and a ceramic hand basin built from the gate to an old Sicilian brothel. The huge bathroom features a panoramic view of the nearby wheat fields.  The lodges also feature a wide terrace with sunshades and chaise longues where guests can relax and take in the tranquil oasis that Frederico and Emanuela have created.

Canonici di San Marco could almost be considered a sophisticated, glamping bed and breakfast. The canvas lodges are located in Frederico and Emanuela’s expansive backyard.  Each morning breakfast is thoughtfully prepared and includes homemade pastries which can be enjoyed on the veranda of the main house or on the private terrace to your lodge.  Glamping guests are consistently amazed with the level of service and attention to detail at Canonici di San Marco.  From the moment guests arrive, when greeted with a chilled bottle of DOC Prosecco, it is apparent that Frederico and Emanuela have thought of everything.

 

For guests looking to experience the beauty of Venice without having to stay within the hustle and bustle of city limits, Canonici di San Marco provides the perfect compromise.  Guests at this glamping destination can reach Venice via short walk or bike ride (mountain bikes are provided) to a train station, and then a 20 minute ride into Venice which drops you off right at the top of the Grand Canal.  The city of Padua is also a short train ride away.