What does Brad Pitt and Glamping have to do with this week's "nesting" talk?
offers a luxurious outdoor experience
Get creative with a favorite family vacation idea,
camping, and turn it up a notch to a
"Glamping" vacation
It's in our nature to want to feel close to the earth.
It seems everywhere you turn there are references to camping and tents, and in the most unexpected places, even in our home.
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| my kids had a tent just like this one during their toddler years, and it was pitched right in our living room. They'd spend hours languishing in their little tent, and even eat lunch inside. As a collective society we are so infatuated with camping that it even creeps into our interior design, as can be seen from camp-like furniture and interiors. |
who doesn't love the juxtaposition of the rustic with the glamorous feel of being outside in the wilderness, the grass poking through our toes
My husband and kids have taken the notion and kept it going. As part of a school wide tradition each and every year the fathers and sons head off to the wilderness for a festive male bonding weekend. Over the past eight years it has almost always rained and that darn tent is getting a little musty smelling, but it has been a source of great joy for my son and husband. As I think about the chill of fall starting to creep back into our daily life, I remember this as the best time of year for camping, just at the tail end of summer and early fall. Now of course I have to go and ruin it all with this silly idea of "Glamping" as I ponder our next family vacation. What is Glamping you ask? It's a popular vacation option for those who want elements of the rustic camping vacation but with a little more of the bells and whistles pampering many of us desire from a vacation. It's the combination of rustic with luxury. My hand is up waving, and I'm on board, so sign me up. I have had a lifelong fill of hiking to a top of a mountain with a heavy backpack fastened tightly to my shoulders then pitching a tent. I want the glory! Please give me the glamorous version of all of this. It's hybrid camping with a bit
more style and comfort thrown in for good measure. Glamping
takes on a whole new meaning to the camping experience and raises the bar quite
a bit by offering luxury amenities. True die-hard campers may scoff at the indulgent accessories and comforts,
but for those of us who relish the experience of being outdoors with
nature and sleeping under the stars this promises to be a rewarding experience
without the hassle.
Glamping has been a popular luxury hobby and activity in several parts of the
world for quite some time. We have all heard about luxury safaris in Africa, but most
recently it has become a popular family vacation option in the United States with
over seven top notch facilities around the country. There is Normandy Farms in Cape Cod,
Massachusetts which has been around since 1971 and now offers deluxe options for cabins and
lean-to sites. The facilities offer
traditional camping experience at the seashore but with more options, and of
course one can still be in touch with nature.
If the rugged nature of Northern California is more to your liking there
are Glamping facilities in Big Sur, California, provide retro and indulgent
options. They offer vintage Airstream
campers rebuilt and stocked with modern amenities for camping, all with
breathtaking mountain views and gorgeous sunsets in the peace and tranquility
of remote California. However, the
luxury camping that caught my eye the most was at Paws Up in Montana in the
Blackfoot Valley of Montana. They offer luxury safari-style tents
throughout the property that is one-part cowboy experience and another part spa get away all set beneath towering pines. There are fine linens, art hung on the tent
walls, electricity, en-suite (er, tent) bathrooms, and fine dining.
They boast on their website that this is the “Original American Safari”
experience. With rugged terrain, crystal
clear lakes and streams, unspoiled wilderness and truly breathtaking Rocky
Mountain views, the Paws Up territory served as the shooting location for the
movie, A River Runs Through It. Do you remember Brad Pitt in this movie? Well, between the beautiful landscape and young Brad, that movie is worth renting...
rent this movie to inspire
After a busy work year, finding time to sneak away for a week of
outdoor relaxation with the family but with someone else pitching that tent and
preparing the food sounds quite enticing.
We can still enjoy the simple wonders of nature, maybe dip out toes in a
lake or run through the grass, ride through the forest on horseback, yet arrive
back to a perfectly set up, luxury camp site and a three or four-star meal
prepared by a trained chef. Glamping may
just become our go-to vacation this fall, and a unique way to take in the wonders of nature all the
while still enjoying a little pampering and luxury.
please visit for links to each website
Happy Nesting XO!
