OUT OF DODGE: Glamping – Rural Living/Urban Comfort

story by Theta Pavis / photos courtesy of Firelight Camps

My parents loved to rough it. Growing up, that meant car-camping in Cape Cod and pitching tents in New Jersey state parks. My mother had her own mallet for hammering in tent spikes.

You’d think that would make me a hardy, backwoods girl—but the truth is I will almost always opt for a cabin instead of a tent. Or, you know, a resort with a spa.

Of course the idea of “glamping” has appealed to me since I first heard about it. Sleeping in a deluxe tent (that someone else pitched) with gourmet food and maybe a yoga class? Sign me up.

Here are two glamping spots worth checking out in our area…

Blue Hills Farm in Narrowsburg, NY is a quiet spot in the Catskills. Driving there will take just over two hours. Once you arrive, you’ll enjoy the quiet of a single large canvas tent in the middle of the woods. The tent is on a platform and is equipped with a queen bed. There’s also a full bathroom. Breakfast will be served in a log cabin treehouse nearby. From this rustic spot you can go hiking, fishing or kayaking on the Delaware River. You’re also less than 25 minutes from Bethel Woods, site of the original Woodstock concert—which now features live music, a museum and festivals.

If you’re up for longer drive and a little less solitude, head to Ithaca and the Firelight Camps. This special place is on the grounds of the La Tourelle Resort and Spa. The drive will take about four hours. Their platform tents have hardwood floors (king or queen beds), battery-operated lanterns and safari-inspired furniture. Each tent includes a private balcony. You’ll enjoy access to plenty of trails (at nearby Buttermilk Falls State Park), continental breakfast in the tented lobby, a bathhouse with hot showers and best of all a communal fire circle with a complimentary drink and sometimes live music with local performers. Pick up a s’mores kit from their store or bring your own. You can have dinner at two different places on the property, or explore downtown Ithaca (about 5 minutes away.)

Not decadent enough? You can walk from your tent to the August Moon Spa for a lush treatment. They also have special events that you can sign up for, such as a Wild Foraging Hike or yoga on Sundays. Prices range at both properties and they each take reservations into October. You might not want to go home.