Fall is in full swing in many parts of the U.S., and that means planning as many seasonal activities you can before the falling leaves are replaced by falling snow. Although it may already seem like it’s a little too cold for camping in some regions, the idyllic outdoorsy experience may still await.
If you would like to heighten your camping adventures, consider looking into a trend that allows for all the things that make camping enjoyable, but with less work for you.
Glamping, or “glam camping,” brings the comforts of staying in a luxury hotel to the outdoors. Companies such as Collective Retreats and Under Canvas are doing just that.
Photo courtesy of Collective Retreats.
Collective Retreats
With diverse locations across the country, Collective Retreats offers various options for people seeking an authentic and unique experience. The company’s goal is that each person gets the chance to create their own “Traveler’s Mark,” a mark that represents the individual and them as a traveler.
For a traditional campground feeling, check out Collective Hill Country location in Wimberley, Texas. The retreat is located on Montesino Ranch, a 225-acre sustainable and eco-friendly area overlooking picturesque valleys, canyons and mountains. There are plenty of dining options and activities, including s’mores around a campfire and horseback riding.
Each tent accommodation has its own amenities including French Press Coffee, in-tent spa services and private decks. Enjoy waking up to a Texas sunrise and gaze at the stars during a cool night in one of your private tents.
Photos courtesy of Collective Retreats.
If you’re looking to escape to the outdoors, but want to have a feeling of city-living, book a stay at Collective Governors Island in New York, N.Y. The company’s latest retreat, the Island provides guests with famous skyline of Manhattan’s lower side. Venture out of your tent to popular parks, the Brooklyn area or Lower Manhattan.
Collective Retreat provides guests the option for a Farm-to-Table dinner that features sustainably sourced seafood and fresh produce from the Urban Farm that is located on the Island. Yoga and private boat tours around the city make this location special.
Photos courtesy of Collective Retreats.
Under Canvas
National Parks put nature on display and Under Canvas allows guests to stay within or near their natural beauty. The luxury adventure glamping company took inspiration from African safaris. With that in mind, the founders of Under Canvas combined the safari tent with lush amenities, still keeping the rustic atmosphere.
Photo courtesy of TheNomadicPeople.
With most of the camps being near National Parks, there’s one that is sure to create a memorable time. Each spot features multiple luxury tent options for people to choose from, each with their own individual comforts, such as a viewing window above the tent’s bed for stargazing before bed.
Glamping near Utah’s Zion National Park borders the park and is located on 196-acres. The breathtaking famous red rocks of Zion provide the back-drop for the trip. Guests’ adventures include hiking trails, rock climbing and canyoneering. Wind down with you own in-tent massage and enjoy the extensive meal options provided.
Photo courtesy of Stephanie C. Russo.
Photo courtesy of TheNomadicPeople.
Photo courtesy of HeyKelseyJ_4.
Explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park and be in awe at its natural beauty, bordering North Carolina and Tennessee. Go on a guided hike with a park expert or take the opportunity to tour the park from a helicopter view. Get a view of the mountains from the roaring white rapids or zipline from the mountain tops. There’s no shortage of exhilarating experiences here.
Photos courtesy of Paul Joyner.
Featured photo courtesy of Collective Retreats.
Jessica Nabongo is many things: writer, blogger, entrepreneur, pub-lic speaker, travel influencer. She is also a woman, a Ugandan, and a first generation American. In February 2017, Nabongo was inspired to begin her journey to every country in the world, with 60 countries already under her belt. As of June 2019, she has visited 175 of 195 countries.
“Most things have already been done, but they have not been done by you. I am not the first person who is going to travel to every country in the world,” says Nabongo, who was greatly inspired by the journey of Cassie De Pecol — the fastest person and first woman on record to visit every country in the world.
For Nabongo, traveling has always been a lifestyle. “From a very early age, my parents opened up the world to me, and it was normalized,” says Nabongo, who first left her childhood home in Detroit at age four to travel abroad. “I’ve always wanted to visit every country in the world.”
She is often asked why she choose to embark on such a time-consuming, life- altering journey. “Number one, I wanted to do something that no one else has done. But beyond that, it is about representation. The travel space is super white and very male, so it’s important for me to do this,” says Nabongo, who wants to use her plat-form as an African woman to change the travel narrative.
“The world is not as scary as [the media] wants us to believe, and that is what I love about social media. I really want to change the narrative about the black traveler, and to show women, black people, and everyone else that you can do any-thing you want to do.”
Riyadh. Saudia Arabia. Photo courtesy of Jessica Nabongo.
Nabongo says she often experiences judgement from others when she speaks about traveling to “controversial” countries such as Afghanistan, North Korea or Iraq, and what she does or does not see in those places.
“I am traveling to every country in the world,” she jokes. “North Korea is a country … I have never visited a prison in the United States, so why would I visit a labor camp in North Korea?”
“The world is not as scary as [the media] wants us to believe, and that is what I love about social media. I really want to change the narrative about the black traveler, and to show women, black people, and everyone else that you can do anything you want to do.”
Nabongo encourages travelers to keep an open mind and stop visiting places to affirm assumptions. “Travel with an open mind, not to confirm what you think you already know. And, stop taking advice from people who have never been there,” she says. “You can find beauty anywhere; it is how you choose to look at places.”
China.
Barbados.
Yazd, Iran. Photos courtesy of Jessica Nabongo.
“I love using my platform to help teach people about the world, and also to break down these stereotypes and ideas that people have about different countries,” she adds.
Nabongo talks about understanding the “power of a post” and trying to use her “influence for things that matter,” such as changing the narrative about black and brown countries, advocating toward the reduction of single-use plastic, and empow-ering women to travel freely.
Krygyzstan. Photo courtesy of Elton Anderson.
Meroë, Sudan. Photo courtesy of Elkhair Balla.
Nabongo talks about understanding the “power of a post” and trying to use her “influence for things that matter,” such as changing the narrative about black and brown countries, advocating toward the reduction of single-use plastic, and empowering women to travel freely.
“I am not here to convince anyone to travel to every country in the world, because it is ridiculous,” she jokes, “but what I do want people to get from this story and this journey is that your dreams are valid. Dream big, make a plan and go after your dreams.”
Nabongo, referred to as The Catch Me if You Can on social media, tries to paint each country she visits in a positive light, while prioritizing honesty. “If there is going to be a single story, I believe that that single story should skew positive, especially about a country that is not my own…. Maybe I didn’t like a country, but that is not a reflection of what your experience will be.”
Ultimately, the biggest lesson Nabongo has learned: “people are mostly good.”
With horrific things happening around the world everyday, Nabongo acknowledges that it can be difficult to find the positivity in everyday life. “There are all of these negative things going on in the world, and it can really make people feel depressed… The fact of the matter is, 99 percent of my travel experiences are positive. I move through the world with positive energy, therefore I attract positive things to me.”
Yemen.
Myanmar. Photos courtesy of Jessica Nabongo.
Armenia. Photo courtesy of Elton Anderson.
Whether it’s borrowing cell phones in Nepal, or asking for directions in Japan, Nabongo says strangers are “always” ready to help her. “I have too many examples of the kindness of people during my travels,” she says.
With less than 20 countries remain-ing, Nabongo hopes to end her journey on October 6, 2019 in the Seychelles, on her father’s birthday to celebrate his memory.
Reflecting upon her journey, Nabongo notes that being an entrepreneur has proved a challenge, often testing her strength and dedication. Nabongo advises, “Whatever it is you are seeking, whatever it is you are creating, be careful not to quit too soon.”
8 Rules for Life, From Jessica Nabongo
- You have one life to live.
Don’t live it for anyone else. - Trust the universe. It conspires in your favor.
- Discover what makes you happy.
Question why it makes you happy, and find a way fo fill your life with whatever it is. - Be yourself, love yourself and know that you are enough.
- Be fearless. Fear has no place in this one life we have to live.
- Know when to move on and when to let go.
Then move on and let go. - Create teaching moments and learning moments everyday.
- Take the time to listen to each other.
Talk to people who are nothing like you, because each
and every one of us is living a completely different life and there is wisdom in that.
*As of October 7th, 2019, Jessica Nabongo had reached her final goal of traveling to every country in the world, finishing her list in Seychelles.
TV Producer Rachael Jerahian plans to visit all 50 U.S. states along with every sovereign nation, and that is just the beginning.
Regardless of sex or financial status, Rachael Jerahian wants everyone to overcome their inhibitions and, “embrace exploration:” desire to tour the world and expand horizons without fear of being alone. Being alone is what initially gave Jerahian the strength to begin her travels, and she hasn’t looked back since. “Overcoming tragedy is something everyone faces,” said Jerahian. “Perhaps, it’s because to experience great highs, we have to know how to conquer terrifying lows.”
Acclaimed producer, Jerahian recently announced her intention to complete the first all-inclusive world travel expedition in history. She began her quest in June, and now plans to stop in all 50 U.S. states, travel to each of the 195 sovereign countries of the world, climb each of the seven continents’ highest peaks, and ski the last degree in both the North and South Poles, all while giving back to the many lives she encounters along her way.
Jerahian, though no stranger to traveling, is embarking on this trip knowing it is to be the most significant one of her life thus far. After suffering the loss of both her parents to cancer by age 30, Jerahian now embraces the cliche to, “live life to the fullest,” and vows not to let life pass her by. Her path across the globe is her way of doing so. Yearning to be a reporter, Jerahian’s story begins in New York City, where she tried her hand in broadcast, until she finally fell in love with production behind the scenes. She now works as a prominent TV producer for multiple networks, including CNN, Food Network, Travel, Discovery, Viceland, PBS, Spike and A&E. After losing her mother to cancer in 2014, Jerahian and her sister planned a trip to clear their minds to Mexico. Jerahian caught the travel bug, returning to the states just to plan out a list of where to go next.
Her global expedition begins in the U.S., in which she plans to drive to all 50 U.S. states, and admits on her blog that this was easier planned than executed. “So… as I began the (daunting) process of mapping out the driving route of the lower 48 states, it quickly became apparent just how difficult this trip was going to be. I knew this would be A LOT of driving for one thing!” She will first head to Alaska, then to her hometown of Los Angeles, then the rest of the states starting in July 2018 and ending tentatively in February 2019. Traveling outside the country comes next, with the first stops being the Middle East and Africa for Jerahian. This leg of the journey is to start in early 2019, according to her blog. When Jerahian will tackle the seven summits and the North and South Pole are still to be decided.
