Ever Tried Glamping? This Is What You Should Expect

Glamping, when we first heard this term from our friends, we had no idea what’s it all about. We knew about tent camping, RV camping, and backpacking camping, but this one was something new. Our friends (Manish & Sonam) explained the term Glamping which actually means Glamourous Camping. Basically, when you want to do camping without leaving the comfort and luxury of your home, Glamping is your best bet.

They also haven’t tried it yet, so we planned to do it together. Manish did the research and found Kimberly Creek Retreat in Ashland, Nebraska as the perfect place for this activity. The best part was its proximity to our places. It was like half an hour’s drive from our house.

There were various glamping cabins out of which we chose the King dome, a furnished dome having 1 King bed and 2 Queen beds. After we all agreed, Manish booked that dome for a single-night stay on Jan 16th. This was done well in advance on Dec 1st.

This outdoor activity was just one week after our return from NJ, so it was officially our first trip of 2022. Manish was a little worried due to the sudden increase in COVID cases. I assured him if we feel any symptoms, we will let them know and then can probably reschedule or cancel the plan.

Two to three days before the trip, we created a Whatsapp group and discussed the items to bring for the trip. Harmit volunteered to prepare Shimla-aaloo(green peeper, potato) curry and to marinate paneer (cottage cheese) at home while Sonam volunteered for fried rice and frozen chapatis. I decided to take care of tea stuff – sugar, tea leaves, pot, milk, and snack items while Manish arranged grilling tools.

On the day of our trip, we decided to reach the place at 3 PM, but marination and curry preparation took time so we got late and reached there at around 5 PM. Manish and Sonam were waiting for us and were a little restless. We don’t have a very good reputation for punctuality and we somewhat lived up to the expectation (really need some retrospection).

We parked our car and moved our luggage into the dome. The dome was cute and it had everything you would need in a well-furnished unit. We just gave it a quick look as we already lost most of the day’s light so wanted to do a quick hike. Manish already had a few trails in his mind and there was a trail map available in the dome. Firstly we started for Trav’s trail, but due to recent snow in the area, it was very slippery and uneven. So we decided to turn back and choose another trail.

Bill’s spot was the right trail in those conditions and it was very short. The trail led to a creek. We walked slowly and reached the creek after some time. There were other people as well on the trail.

The creek was frozen and was the dead-end of the trail. We took photographs there and saw the last remaining colors of the sky. It was getting late so we decided to head back to our dome.

Once we returned, we decided to start the propane fire pit. It was the perfect time for tea. We gathered all the ingredients for tea and started the fire. We couldn’t have lunch due to the food preparation, so were hungry. We decided to have snacks and food as well. There was a microwave inside so we heated the curry and rice in it. There was no cooktop, so cooking frozen chapatis became a challenge. The solution was to heat them for 10 seconds in the microwave and then prepare them on the firepit.

It took us nearly 30 mins to prepare the tea and another 20 mins to cook chapatis. We used the crockeries provided in the dome. It was cold but the fire gave needed warmth. The food was delicious and tea was the best thing you could have asked for at that time. Soon stars also popped up in the sky. We talked a lot and after being outside till 8 PM, we came inside the dome.

The dome was well heated, there were actually 3 heaters inside. It was time to grill the panner, so Manish and I went outside to work on the outdoor grill while Harmit and Sonam stayed. Both of us were naive, so it took us some time to figure out how to use it. We used the grill sticks provided for the grilling. We covered the grill for 20 minutes and came inside. When we went back again to check, they were burned and stuck to the grill. Our inexperience was visible, still, they tasted well.

After talking till 10 PM, we went to bed. Manish and Sonam took the king bed at the main level while we took the queen bed at the loft. There was a portable heater in the loft. The blankets were normal and due to excessive load, we had multiple power drips. I believe it was due to 4 room heaters operating. We had to get an extra blanket from our car to fight the cold. Soon Manish found extra blankets in a chest on his floor. After Manish told us about the blankets, we also searched and found an extra blanket in a chest. The blanket was thick and warm and the bedsheets were soft and comfortable. The stars were visible from our beds. We slept like babies and woke up from the sounds of Manish and Sonam. It was one of the best sleep and we wanted to stay long in bed. But since they had already gone outside, we got ready and joined them.

We again started the fire-pit and prepared the tea. It was still cold and the timing of the tea was perfect. The checkout time was 11 AM, so we stayed there till 10:30 AM.

It was a wonderful experience. It ended too soon, we wished it to last longer. It was the perfect start for the year 2022. We hope to have more such trips in the coming months.

Facilities:-

• Bedding
• Towels
• Dishes
• Glasses
• Flatware
• Propane Grill
• Fire Pit With Fuel
• Mini-Frig
• Microwave
• Toaster
• Coffee Pot, Coffee
• Room Heaters
• Indoor Furniture
• Hot Water
• Indoor Bathroom & Toilet
• Couch

Points To Consider:-

1. There is no cooktop inside the dome, so be prepared for that.
2. There were some power drips which made it a little uncomfortable for us.
3. The cost of a King dome for 1 night is 295$ excluding taxes.
4. Pets are not allowed in the dome, but some arrangements are available.
5. Check-in time is 3 PM and Checkout time is 11 AM.

To book the reservation – Kimberly Creek

It was definitely a great experience, but we won’t do it again. We found it expensive and though comfortable not our cup of tea. In our opinion, camping always comes with little discomfort and that is actually the fun part of it. If you are expecting luxury in the outdoors, better be in the comfortable environment of your house. Even the backyard can be used for mini-adventure.

What are your thoughts on it? Have you ever done the Glamping? Do you find its concept exciting?

Happy Reading! Keep Traveling !!!

- Harpiytravel

#glamping #outdoors #harpiytravel #coupletravel #covidtravel #daytrips #trip2022