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Happy Glampers

Style Under the Stars

 

By Traci McBride

 

If you haven’t stepped foot in a campground lately, you’re in for a surprise.

 

Elaborate tents with strings of solar lights. Fanciful campers with flowerpots and outdoor rugs at the doorways. Extravagant treehouses. Funky yurts.

You may drag along musty, stained sleeping bags and a package of hot dogs for a few nights under the stars, but your neighbors have upped the camping game: They’re glamping.

 

Outdoor Style

 

Camping lost its novelty for many of us with memories of miserable nights, too many bugs and ash-sprinkled food. The bugs are still there, but the rest has undergone a stylish transformation.

 

Glamping is getting away from it all while enjoying the luxuries of home. Are you a tent, RV or Airstream camper? Spice things up with practical, traditional yet supremely comfortable details that introduce color, patterns and simple amenities to your campsite. You’re a glamper.

 

Details Matter

 

You’ll sleep better and have more enthusiasm for hiking when you’ve rested on a queen-size blow-up mattress, having spent the evening listening to a waterproof battery-operated sound system after cooking a gourmet meal.

 

A portable kitchenette that includes a spice rack, paper towel holder and lantern pole makes food prep easy. You are more likely to get the grandkids to join you if they don’t have to lie on the hard ground and are still able to earn some tablet or cellphone time with a solar-powered charger. Download outdoor apps (such as SkyView and the Audubon Bird Guide) to enhance your hikes. Beautiful design plus practical functionality equals the ultimate glamping experience.

 

Products have certainly affected traditional camping. Battery-operated portable showers, solar chargers and battery-powered twinkle lights keep everyone clean and add a little romantic sparkle.

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Family Affair – Plan a Reunion with the Clan

 

Is it time to make good on that goal of spending more time with extended family?

Facebook photos prove that years pass way too quickly. The gift of building deeper relationships with extended family can benefit every generation. Maybe this is the year for a family reunion.

Here are suggestions to get the ball rolling:

STARTING FROM SCRATCH — Begin with a survey or poll

Consider

Family budgets: Daylong, weekend, weeklong

Audience: How many adults, kids and teens?

What has the larger appeal to your family age group?

• Cruise
• Resort
• Renting a house
• Park, campground, private home

What activities are popular with the majority?

• Snow activities: skiing, tobogganing, snowboarding or hot tubs
• Warm-weather activities: beach, ocean, swimming or spa time
• Other outdoor activities: hiking, biking, team sports or picnics

What’s next

• Begin with a budget and request donations from the families for early expenses.

• Choose a firm date.
• Decide the theme. Go to Pinterest (pinterest.com) to get ideas.
• Create a website/blog or private Facebook page to communicate as plans are made.
• Create a timeline with deadlines.
• Email sign-up sheets with task assignments and list all members’ contact information. Find out skill sets of family members; don’t give a creative task to someone with an analytical personality, for example.

 

RESOURCES

Here’s what local travel experts say about streamlining the learning curve for successful reunions:

Choose a Cruise

Adrienne Greben, franchise owner of Cruise Planners/American Express in Concord Township:

“Groups are complex. It’s important to use the services of a good travel professional who will remember your family’s details and can guide you through every step — at no cost to you. The pricing is the same, but travel pros can often offer extra amenities for your family.

“Book your cruise early — even more than a year in advance.

...