Do you love the idea of camping but hate the hassle of setting up a tent? Want to sleep under the stars, but find your aching back disagreeing with the idea? Well ladies and gentlemen, I have a solution for you. Introducing "glamping" or glamour camping - a cross between a campsite and a four star hotel. We gave it a try at El Capitan this weekend. Our thoughts? We're sold.
In case you are imagining yourself packing stilettos and a little black dress for your weekend of glamour, I should let you know that glamping isn't exactly glamorous. You'll still have skunks crawling by your cabin at night and your kids are likely to leave with skinned knees and burrs in their hair. But you can enjoy all the benefits of camping without really roughing it. El Capitan provides you with either a cabin (complete with a shower, bathroom and kitchen) or a tent (with comfy bedding and showers and restrooms in a building nearby). We opted for a tent, which my dad said reminded him of an old gold mining tent. Too bad we didn't try out mining in the nearby creek...
The campgrounds are located about 20 miles north of Santa Barbara, nestled in a quiet valley near the beach. The whole layout reminded me of the pictures in Uno's Garden, Toby's favorite kids' book, which is a story of how man and animal should live harmoniously together in balance. We went with some friends who also have three girls and about seven other families who live near them in the Cheviot Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. Evie spent the weekend on her bike, exploring the valley trails with a bike gang of about 15 kids. Lu and Noni enjoyed the pool, the playground, and just playing outdoors. I had one of the best runs of my life up a wooded trail to the top of a hill, which provided a 360 degree view of the ocean, the organic gardens, llamas and the mountains. We all enjoyed dancing to live music at Saturday night's barbecue. And of course there was plenty of time for s'mores, tequila and music by the campfire.
We're not giving up regular old camping anytime soon. There are lots of places to explore and few places that offer luxury camping accomodations. Plus, at $155 a night for the family, it's not quite as cost effective as paying $5 for a campsite. But we'll definitely be back to El Capitan. And for all of you not-quite-so-outdoorsy Los Angeles friends reading this, we're bringing you with us!
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2 comments:
someone, with whom I used to travel, used to think that camping was going to a hyatt without room service! Love the pictures.
Poppy
I've heard so many moms talk about this place. A couple of local private schools take year end trips here for the "camping" experience. This is doable for me, but I might have to make a pitstop at Bacara on the way in for a vacay from this "glamping" vacay. :-)
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