Beth Myers - HERLIFE Magazine

herlife | fine thingsGlampingby linda r. priceGo camping? I personally see no reason to give up my verycomfortable bed to sleep with the rocks, sand, twigs,snakes, ants and mosquitoes in hot, sticky weather or evenin cool, rainy drizzle with no bathroom facilities and thebears, sheep and goats poking their noses in where theyshouldn’t. If you agree with me, then “Glamping” may be the way to go (ifyou can’t find a beautiful spa, that is).Glamping is known by many different names, including boutiquecamping and luxury camping. When glamping, you can stay in a yurt, atipi, a tree house and all kinds of tents from safari tents to tent cabins. Thebeauty of glamping is that you have the luxuries of a resort yet nature atyour doorstep. Glamping can be inexpensive, with prices from as little as$50 per night, to luxurious resort sites with prices into the thousands ofdollars per night, depending on your style and what your pocketbook willallow. Because of the difficulty in accessing many of the locations, localtransportation is often included, making the trip even pricier.Luxury camping began in 1836 when William Cornwallis Harris ledone of the first European safaris into Africa. Safari members began byrising early, walking the bush, resting in the afternoon, then having aformal dinner followed by storytelling over drinks and tobacco. Today’ssafaris are often a form of eco-tourism using professional tour guides,safe transportation and educational services. Tours run the gamut fromlearning Italian cuisine in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro to viewing wildebeestcrossing the crocodile-infested waters of the Mara River in Kenya.A sparkling wine breakfast after floating over the Mara plains in a hot airballoon or walking with a Maasai warrior to view lions are other excursions90 HERLIFEMAGAZINE.COMavailable to those looking for luxurious outings. Needless to say, the accommodationsare superb.The doyenne of American glamping is MaryJane Butters, whocoined the term to identify her special form of luxury camping using theAirstream trailer. In 2005, she began a bed and breakfast on her organicIdaho farm using the unusual canvas wall tent for her rooms. She continuesto write and blog about glamping. You can trust her to have the latestdetails on what’s new in glamping equipment and how to navigate thebasics, like having no potty facilities nearby.Other sites in the United States include luxury cabins set in JacksonHole, Wyoming, near the Grand Teton National Park. Fishing, white-waterrafting, hot air balloon rides and horseback riding are just some of thedifferent activities. Yurts and lean-tos accommodating from four to sixpeople (including those with disabilities) are located in the BelleplainState Forest for the glamper visiting New Jersey. Activities include fishing,boating, canoeing, swimming and, in winter, ice fishing, snowmobilingand cross-country skiing. You can also hike, take nature walks, or gohorseback riding and mountain biking. Kokopelli’s Cave in Farmington,New Mexico, is another unusual site for glampers. The Kokopelli’s CaveB&B is built into vertical cliffs 300 feet above the La Plata River. The caveitself is located 70 feet below the surface with access only by a ladderinto the cave. The glamper can enjoy nature walks, hiking and mountainbiking, visit archaeological ruins, play golf or fish.Glamping is not limited to the U.S. Nearby Mexico and Canada haveinteresting sites, as well. Bungalows set in the Baja California desert nearEnsenada offer tours of the wine country and sparkling stars at night.Continued on page 92