Glamping in Big Sur

July 31, 2014

 

 

I went camping for the first time the summer after my freshman year in college. We dined on canned beans and had some mild girlie hi-jinks (namely, having my friends follow me into the woods as I answered the call of nature and capturing it on film.) It rained all night and I woke up shivering to find that water had leaked into the tent and my sleeping bag soaking wet.

 

 

It turned me off camping for several years.

 

 

Fast forward a few years later, to my office’s non-sponsored annual camping weekend. The organizers were BBQ junkies and the food was always spectacular: there was the traditional tri-tip lunch (massaged in a mustard-spice blend and cooked for hours) and the lobster boil on the first or last night (to entice campers into coming up early or staying until the end.) I looked forward to it every summer.

 

One year, my friend Van offered me his spare air mattress.

“Oh, it’s okay, I have padding.”

“Trust me,” he said with a knowing look as he shoved the mattress into my arms. “You’ll thank me later.”

 

 

And now I can’t imagine camping any other way. I thought that was “glamping” until I heard about yurts. (Yurts, for those who don’t know, are a cross between a cabin and a tent, free-standing structures that look like enormous tents, except there’s usually a solid wood floor. There are real beds, and sometimes sinks.)

 

 

My friend Pat had booked us the Sibley Tent at Treebones Resort in Big Sur, California (the yurts were a little out of our price range.) It resembled a teepee but with a permanent wood floor. It was situated on the edge of the property with a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean.

 

 

Forget the upper-classy comfort of the yurts. This was about as good as I’ve ever had camping, and we didn’t even have to pitch a tent. (I still brought along my trusty air mattress, though.)

 

 

I was already a happy camper before arriving in Big Sur, as we stopped for wine tasting at Laetitia, one of my favorite wineries, and a simple yet tasty lunch of sandwiches on the sand in Pismo Beach.

 

 

We arrived at Treebones to find that there was a pool, jaccuzzi and bar (all overlooking the ocean), bathrooms with real toilets, showers and warm water (very civilized),  and two options for food onsite: a high-end restaurant in the lodge and a sushi bar (should’ve left the portable stove at home.)

 

 

Treebones prides itself on being eco-friendly, generating its own electricity and growing a lot of the produce on its own land.

 

We opted for a spendy dinner at the lodge restaurant; I ordered the risotto, and appreciated that the vegetables were homegrown. Breakfast was included with our stay (eggs and freshly made waffles.) I normally love cooking on camping trips, but in this case, it was nice not to have to worry about it.

 

 

 

Active campers can take advantage of the famous surf or plethora of hiking trails for fun. There’s yoga and massage on site for some pampering. Or a jaunt down to charming Cambria or up to stunning Monterey/Carmel along the picturesque highway for an alternative way to pass the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the most wonderful part of Treebones is that there is no cell phone service. Spotty wi-fi is available for those who need it, but the opportunity to disconnect was perhaps its most attractive asset.

 

 

To me, at least.

 

 

Then I found out about the Human Nest, neither yurt nor tent but a curious alcove tucked into a tree. It’s just one more reason for a return trip. How can anyone pass up the chance to go off the grid and wake up with a squirrel in your face? Sign me up!

 

 

 

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