Summer breaks are here. The school year has led up to these few weeks of dusk-till-dawn excitement. Among the BBQs and water gun fights the kids demand some adventure. They want to play explorers out in the wilderness, and while kids might be happy pitching a tent and spending nights in a thinly-comfortable sleeping bag… well, let’s bring in the glamping to keep both adults and kids happy!
This summer you might not be able to travel international and adjust to a different time zone for a weekend, so let’s check out the glamping spots easily accessible from every state in the U-S-of-A.
Midwest.
First stop would have to be The Resort at Paws Up. This glamping haven has been featured by nearly every glamping enthusiast – and for good reason. Located in Greenough Montana, Paws Up is within easy distance of just about anyone in the states. Your kids will feel like Lewis and Clark did when they ventured into these regions all those years ago. It’s a luxury experience and adults will appreciate having their own camp butler and chef. The kids will be enthusiastic after they see the activities options – including go-karting, archery, river rafting and more.
Looking further south on the glamping map brings you to Yellowstone National Park. Here there’s the Under Canvas safari-like experience. Yellowstone Under Canvas is just 10 minutes from the national park entrance, so your family can spend the day exploring the riches in one the most well known national parks. Get up close and personal (guided by park rangers) to the Bears, Moose, Bald Eagles, Buffalo and other wildlife who know this area as home.
For a unique midwest experience, try the Conestoga wagons by the Rock Ranch in Georgia. Your kids may have studied about the pioneers in schools, now bring the history lesson to life by camping in pioneer styled wagons. For some extra fun you can hire a storyteller or astronomer to join in the evening and add intrigue to the history of these pioneer trails and the starry sky. Perhaps it’s not midwest… but since the pioneers were journeying west I had to include this one-of-a-kind glamping experience.
Utah has some magnificent red rock, making it a midwest destination for filmmakers and tourists alike. In Moab, Under Canvas has introduced a luxury glamping camp sure to please everyone. The site is near to both Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, set against red and orange platea backdrops. You’ll feel transported back to the times of cowboys and indians. Be careful of the clothes you choose to bring – this red dirt does tend to get on everything.
If you find yourself near Chicago, try staying at the Kinnikinnick Feather Down Farm. The experience guarantees to be a fun one so you won’t grow tired of hearing the kids chanting “kinnikinnick” in the back seat. You’ll be staying in wood-floored tents and the kids will be able to put on their farmer hats while feeding animals and helping around the organic family owned farm. There’s no electricity in the tent, but you will have a flushing toilet, cold running water in the kitchen, and a wood-burning stove.
Still looking for options? Check out these Yurt locations throughout the Midwest – including Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oregon and other states/countries. Yurts are round, off the ground cloth huts. Every location has its own character with different amenities and they almost always include electricity.
*Photo credit: MoabUnderCanvas.com
