Let’s face it – the words “Los Angeles” and “camping” aren’t often seen together in the same sentence. Sure, there are plenty of Angelinos who probably like the great outdoors quite a bit, but that’s just not the reputation of most of the people who call L.A. home. Which is why so many L.A. folks probably will love the idea of glamping.
Glamping isn’t exactly glamorous camping, although that’s arguably where the made-up name comes from – it still involves sleeping outdoors, usually in a tent, and cooking your food over a campfire or a portable camp stove. Makeup should still not be toted into the wilderness, and you should probably also leave your fancy car at home, too. Glamping is still more about the “camping” than the “glamor.”
But there are some pieces of travel gear that will make camping – sorry, glamping – more palatable to people who might not be as comfortable sleeping in something other than a hotel room. And if bringing something like a self-inflatable air mattress, a camping-friendly wine carafe, a portable collection of kitchen utensils, a mini espresso maker, or even an inflatable nightstand with a checkers board on top makes someone more interested in camping, then we figure that’s fine.
Now, if you’re all set with your “glamping” gear and you’re looking for the perfect place to try them out, may we suggest nearby Colorado? You can find cheap flights to Denver from L.A., and within a short drive you’re surrounded by beautiful mountains (not to mention lots of people who know what they’re doing when it comes to camping). A trip combining Denver with camping in the nearby wilderness is actually a great way to introduce someone who’s less keen on being outdoors to camping in general. Because not only are you showing them how beautiful the scenery can be when you zip open a tent in a quiet campground away from civilization, you can also bookend the trip with a night or two at any one of the Denver hotels to make sure they don’t hate you afterward.
photo by Zaskoda