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"Glamping" Catches On As A Rural Getaway
Glamping is a trend sweeping across the country û and the world û for people who like to camp, but are willing to spend some cash to make the experience comfortable. The name comes from combining the word "camping" with "glamour".
  You still sit around a campfire under the stars and enjoy nature. But your wall tent will already be pitched with a real bed and real linens with amenities like running water, electricity, a refrigerator and gas barbecue for cooking.
  "In the past people often wanted to stay out here but there was really no place to stay," says Ali Boyle, who owns Destiny Ridge Vineyards and Alexandria Nicole Wine Cellars in Prosser, Wash., with her husband Steve. With vineyards overlooking the Columbia River, the Boyles have an ideal glamping site located near the water and power sources at their winery. Wine club members were first to try the glamping experience û coming for wine tasting, bringing their own food, and staying the night in a wall tent with all the amenities. Cost is $150/night or $127/night for wine club members.
  People who like to camp love it, Boyle says, but she warns that it's not for everyone. It's still camping, and people who don't camp sometimes don't appreciate hearing coyotes howl or train horns blasting in the distance. Also cell phones don't work, and there is no Wi-Fi.
  People who choose glamping appreciate the outdoors and often bring canoes, horses and bikes to explore the river and trails and enjoy the night sky without city lights.
  "It's kind of a massage for the soul," Boyle says. "People come out here and uncharge."
  The Boyles have three tent sites and an RV site ($50/night) and added a septic and restroom/shower facility this spring.
  Glamping has paid off for the Boyles, and they say it's an idea other rural producers could use to diversify. Consumers like visiting rural areas to see how their food (or drink) is produced, they note.
  To get started, they suggest researching on the internet to see how others do it. Check into permits and zoning that might be required. Also, consider the cost of getting electricity and water to the sites. After that it's personal preference how simple or fancy to go. The Boyles built a deck and purchased wall tents. Furnishings include a queen size bed with sheets and a down duvet cover, Persian rug, mini fridge, gas barbecue and other small appliances. Outside, a deck, barbecue grill and gas-lit fire pit provide a private place to enjoy food and wine while looking at the vineyard and Columbia River.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Alexandria Nicole Cellars, 2880 Lee Rd., Suite D, Prosser, Wash. 99350 (ph 509 786-3497; www.alexandrianicolecellars.com).


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2011 - Volume #35, Issue #3