If there’s one thing I expect you guys to know about me it’s that I love me some cupcakes don’t camp.
At least not by choice.
It’s too hot. Or, it’s too cold. And there are snakes. And bugs. And bathrooms that make me immediately think STD. Or homicide. Or both. And, nope, I can’t just go in the woods. Because me in the woods, “making” is not something my mind will ever be okay with. Plus I like to shower. With soap. And warm water. And, let’s not even think about what living wild does to my hair. I go camping and the entire time I look like Swamp Thing, or Sasquatch, or Chupacabra, depending on location and origin of the native peoples.
Plus I need to sleep. And, I can’t sleep with nature sounds going on all around me. That junk’s not soothing; it’s spooky. And it makes me jumpy. Which means I wake up irritable. Like a coyote, in a box.
Point is, I’m scary when I camp. Inside and outside.
However.
Glamping?
Whole other ballgame.
Because they have cabins! And beds that aren’t on the floor where the creatures can get cozy with you. They have indoor plumbing, with soaking tubs, and coffee pots, and Wi-fi (shoddy wi-fi is better than no wi-fi), and awesomeness!
Probably this is cheating, but I don’t even care.
I traveled to El Capitan Canyon with Toyota for a Toyota Women Influencers Network retreat last week and, the beautiful beach locale, coupled with the lovely accommodations, the good company, the delicious food, and the roasting of marshmallows, it had pretty much everything I need in a camping trip.
I awoke to deer munching leaves outside of my window every morning; campish.
We sat outside for all of our meals with a swarm of aggressive flies sitting on our eyeballs: campish.
And, we drank wine by a fire far into the late hours of the night while roasting marshmallows and dancing (okay, I was probably the only one actually dancing); totally campish.
But, I could still wear cute clothing and drink pear cider holy-face that junk is goodness goof around with my blogging buds…
But, I also got to head into the city of Santa Barabara for a day of shopping with one of my favorite people…
Yup, it’s Chelsey from The Papermama. Who is a fan-freaking-tastic thrift shopping partner. She convinced me to snag this gem (if you could hear it you’d know why it’s so special; just know that this Halloween is gonna be bangin’ at Casa de Dummies!)…
And, then, my TWIN homegirls (including my adorable pal Kristi from Live and Love Outloud) and I hit up a beautiful winery, where a snake, an actual snake came to the master chef prepared meal (the snake was totally campish) they served us…
It was such a full trip. We hit the beach, and watched the surfers surf a little…
We even stopped at the happiest place on Earth a Target and bought tons of food to pack into our Toyotas (of course, we sped around town in Toyotas everyday, and I may need to rethink my stance on owning a van, because that Sienna was the shiznitz) and deliver to the local Food Bank. We TWINs like doing good, yo…
I will never camp again if I can help it.
But glamping? I’m not taking that off the table just yet!
Have something to be Wordful about this week?! Angie (Seven Clown Circus) and I would love you to share by linking up. Be sure you also check out all of our featured linkers from last week as well. Very cool stuff…
- Looking for a great way to learn about America? Join a postcard swap like Ramblings from Utopia.
- I love getting to know other cities via bloggers. Thanks to Naptime Momtog for taking us on a photo tour of Norfolk, Va.
- Check out this kid working the bath. Such an awesome shot courtesy of From Our Front Porch Lookin’ In.
- Be inspired by this family doing good together. Lolli at 1 Mom of 5 shares awesome pics of her kids helping out for a Day of Service.
I am a member of TWIN and traveled on this glorious trip courtesy of Toyota. They didn’t tell me to love it. I did that because it really was that fantastic.
I’m so jealous that you got to hang out with Kristi!!! She’s totally from my neck of the woods–different state but totally Mid-West. Love her and Chelsey too. (I’ve never met Chelsey but she seems like a rockin cool chick.)
You had me at indoor plumbing, totally going to try to convince my husband that glamping could substitute for his need to camp once a year!
You have way too much fun, ha!
Glamping sounds like fun! I could get on board with that, especially if there is wine
I’ve been a camper all my life. Even tent camping while pregnant. With no indoor plumbing. But now? With two kids and all their shiznit to bring along? I’d become a glamper in a hot second. Looks lovely.
I like glamping. I would do glamping. I’ve done real camping once when I was a youngster, and I will do my best never to do it again, for all the reasons you listed! Boo! (I will say, though, that my husband likes to sleep to nature sounds, so he has an app fr that. I’ll sleep with automated nature in the background, no problem!)
I totally get your “glamping” thing. Me, too… kinda. I mean, the last time I went camping (and this actually was tent camping, mind you – but with indoor/outdoor Astroturf on the floor of the tent, cots, and comfy pillows and such), I was out there freakin’ out our camping neighbors. They were in awe of the food; lobster and steaks, breakfasts that had them looking over at us a lot and I KNOW they were salivating (because if it wasn’t my food, I would’ve been too). We even ended up giving tent tours; they wanted to see my tent decor. And we weren’t pestered by bugs because I had bug zappers inside and a gazillion citronella candles staged completely around our tent outside (the neighbors LOVED that feature; it somewhat helped them to navigate their way around at night).
We were right by the showers (which were super clean) and always ran hot water. It was a great experience — mainly because I replicated “home” as much as I could in an outdoor tent, minus TV. We drank wonderful imported beer and some great wines, met some nice people, had some interesting conversations, and freaked most everyone out with my catering and event planning party tent approach to outdoor camping.
Y’know, along with liking your blog a lot it was super worth it to stop by. Writing this comment, I just got a great idea for an upcoming blog post; my catering and event planning party tent approach to outdoor camping. I’m a party blogger, BTW. Yep, I write sharing information about catering and event planning (and a few recipes too).
Love, love, love your style of writing. Reading about your glamping, you made me wish I was there. Sounds like you had a blast!
How fun!!!!!! Looks like an amazing trip!!!
This is camping I could do!
Looks like so much fun! You could not pay me to go camping (I’m with you on the whole there will be no “making” in the woods thing), but I’m totally down for glamping– especially with all that campish stuff to document and make it look like I’m a hardcore camper.
Oh I’m so jealous that you got to go hang w/ my friend Kristi on the beaches of my home- So Cal. Awesome trip!
Hi.
Ah! Love Santa Barbara!! And I LOVE El Capitan. I stayed there a few times volunteering for a camp and it.is.AMAZING. The hubs and I were just saying we need to save up and stay there for our anniversary some time! Glad you had fun in paradise :)
Glamping = my kind of camping! I can’t handle the outdoors either. Hubby keeps trying, but it’s just no happening…It’s cute and all, but I cannot sleep in a tent…outdoors…where bugs and critters are everywhere!
Looks like you had a blast! So jealous. And I sat in a Sienna ONE TIME at Carmax and had to be dragged out. Shiznit, yes.
My husband and I had a thunderstorm CD we used to listen to and love. We thought maybe the nature sounds one would be soothing too and it totally was UNTIL A DAMN JACKAL STARTED SCREAMING! All I remember is both of us jumping up, 3 a.m. like shield yourself, there’s wildlife in the apartment.
1. You’re funny.
2. I’m inviting myself to your Halloween party just so I can listen to your skeleton head sing again.
3. I miss those s’mores.
4. I have the cutest pic of you and Chelsey together. I’ll get that to you soon.
5. I had so much fun hanging out with you.
6. Your driving scares me, but I love your driving dance moves. Kidding about the driving.
7. We look so cute in that pic!
See you tomorrow! NASCAR won’t know what hit them. ;)
That is So cool! We took the kids to a KOA right near there with a similar setup. It is definitely the way to go.
I want to go GLAMPING with you!!! Shopping and drinking wine are TWO of my MOST favorite things!!!! :D
So, I’ve read TWO posts on the WW circuit about this Toyota trip that somehow I was not included. I mean, C’MON! My two very favorite bloggers were glamping it with fancy cabins, cars, wine and shopping and didn’t think to hook their favorite mother runner up. What is that about?!
Next time give me a shout. I’ll pack snacks and I’ll pack light. Promise.
Oh I am so jealous!!! You girls look like you were having a blast. I LOVE glamping♥
Laurie
I don’t camp either. Cabins I can do…tents, no! :)
So, that’s where you got that tray! Those surfer dudes and dudettes were certainly a fun view to watch! lol – Miss ya lady!
Glamping was such fun! :)
Glamping sounds like camping done right.
I could tell you a camping story that would make you run straight out for a shot of penicillin.
Glamping? I just don’t know. Sounds like someone has put spinach in the blender and hid it in the spaghetti sauce.
I want to go glamping. It sounds like you had a great time :-)