When we rang in the New Year we had a lot of amazing vacation plans. We were going to Cancun for Cinco de Mayo for my husband’s company incentive trip, the Greek Islands in June for our friend’s 40th birthday, and Cabo San Lucas in October for our friend’s wedding. Our kids were finally at an age where we felt like we could leave them with family for a vacation so we were pretty stoked as we rang in 2020.
Well, life has a funny way of working things out and all of those amazing vacations that we had planned will have to be rescheduled to another time. However, we did manage to make lemonade out of lemons by doing a quick glamping trip in Big Bear, CA and it was perfect.
Glamping (noun): “A form of camping involving accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping.”
Here’s a list of why your family needs to go glamping:
#1: Easy
This is my top reason to go glamping again. There are different types of glamping and we stayed in a tiny cabin that had A/C, a kitchenette, a table/desk, a queen-sized bed, and a private bathroom and shower. The tiny cabin had everything from cookware, crayons for the kids, and organic cooking oil packets to use when you cook.
As a parent, we always have to pack a lot and it was nice to not have to worry about everything you’d need for a standard camping trip. We were able to get the experience of being outdoors and away from the hustle and bustle of a city or resort but with the ease of packing light.
#2: Affordable
In past years, our family vacation was typically Hawaii and some years we’ve stayed at Disney’s Aulani resort. It was often a trip we had to save for because of airfare for four people, shuttles, ubers, food, souvenirs, excursions, and most expensively the resort stay.
Glamping is nice because we only paid for our gas and tiny cabin. We cooked our food and enjoyed activities that didn’t cost money. It’s nice to be able to go somewhere without having to pay an arm and a leg. In the end, both experiences were different but they were priceless. We look back and it was amazing family time.
#3: Clean & Safe Adheres to Social Distance Guidelines
This is the primary reason we went glamping this summer. I’ve read a lot of the hotel and resort guidelines regarding their health and safety measures against COVID but I’m still not 100% sold. To each his own, but I’m still weary about the multiple common areas like entrances, pools, and elevators, and I still have my concerns about circulating air in hotel rooms.
What’s nice about glamping whether it be cabins, yurts, or teepees is that it’s an independent unit. The tiny cabin we stayed at had private picnic tables, chairs, and fire pits so we never had to worry about sharing anything. The tiny cabins were also spread out so there was plenty of social distance.
Glamping was the way to go for us and we’re already looking at booking for the fall. It was easy, affordable, clean, safe, and we left with great family memories.