January, 2019 | Petite Retreater

Glamping in Style with Petite Retreats!

Thanks to the advent of “glamping,” more and more people are catching the camping bug. And, because glamping made alternatives to tent camping cool, camping is no longer just a warm-weather getaway option. With glamping becoming trendier, accommodations like yurts, cabins, and tiny houses are now sought after options, compared to the more traditional, yet weather-dependent tent and all the outdoor accoutrements associated with camping.

Glamping options like tiny houses have all the amenities of a hotel while also providing the cozy, communing with nature feeling campers seek. Cottages and cabins can range from rustic to well-outfitted yet still maintain that same “one with nature” atmosphere provided by the camping cottages and cabins of yesteryear. Yurts offer a unique way to spend time among nature in a setting that is both cozy and spacious all at once.

Whether you’re looking for a wintery glamping experience filled with hot cocoa and activities bouncing around in the snow, or escaping the cold until the winter in the North is over, there are plenty of options ready and waiting to help make your glamping dreams come true with Petite Retreats!

Is the Pacific Northwest calling your name this season? Check out the Tiny House Villages in Leavenworth, Washington, or Welches, Oregon. The Mt. Hood Tiny House Village in Welches sits amid all the winter sports activities in the area and is also close to Portland so you can get your big city fix when you’re done playing in the snow.

Leavenworth Tiny House Village has the backdrop of the Cascade Mountains (and all the snow fun that comes with it) and is, of course, is just a few miles from the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth, where you may just feel like you went to sleep in Washington and woke up in Germany!

There are also yurts at Bend-Sunriver in Oregon, the aforementioned Mt. Hood, and several Pacific Coast locations from Washington on down through Oregon. Cabins can be found in California, Oregon, and Texas. And, if you insist on spending winter on the beach, colorful cottages in Florida beckon you to locations that include the Florida Keys and centrally-located Kissimmee.

Florida speaks for itself in terms of fun and sun. Kissimmee offers perfect proximity to all the theme parks and the Keys are as close as you can get to a tropical adventure without leaving the U.S. So, enjoy a cottage in the sun and go glamping the Sunshine State.

Pick a yurt and enjoy a stay at Tall Chief RV Resort in Fall City, Washington, which is less than a half hour outside of Seattle. Or, choose a cozy cabin at Pacific City RV Resort in Cloverdale, Oregon, and enjoy winter hiking in Cape Meares State Park. Try out staying in a cabin “Cali-style” and book a stay at Rancho Oso RV Resort, located just outside the charming city of Santa Barbara. Enjoy “America’s Riviera” as Santa Barbara is known, and take in the history, culture, arts, and local wineries.

Get your winter glamping groove on while you can! Petite Retreats provides you with lots of variety in your choice of destination, or destinations if you’ve got the time. So, get going and get glamping!

Visit petiteretreats.com to find your perfect winter glamping getaway.

Yurt Stays with Petite Retreats

As the saying goes, “there’s no place like home,”so it would be fitting if you chose to spend a winter getaway in a yurt, which means “home” in Mongolian. Now add in some California sunshine and you’ve got a delightful mix that combines for a memorable trip. Book a stay at one of the yurts at Lake of the Springs RV Resort in Oregon House, California, and you’re on the road to a cozy, homey retreat.

There’s plenty of neat things about yurt camping. First, there’s no extra gear and no set up required. Simply open the door and explore the roomy yurt. Thanks to its circular design, the yurt provides plenty of living and sleeping space. And when we say sleeping space, we don’t mean space for your typical camping bedroll, but a real bed (sometimes a bunk bed)! This is the true definition of glamping. As for the living space, many yurts at our Petite Retreats locations have refrigerators, microwave ovens, kitchen tables and a furnished seating area for relaxing. The yurts also have outside decks that provide more space for fun and activities. Best of all, the yurts have heat so your winter getaway will be warm and cozy, for sure!

Children fishing at Lake of the Springs RV Resort

As for location, Lake of the Springs is nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains and the towering pines and 120-acre lake add to the resort’s charm. The cozy lodge is the perfect spot to enjoy some social time and to enjoy the magnificent views of nature through floor to ceiling windows. The resort has shuffleboard and horseshoes, tennis and pickleball courts, a game room with a billiards table, and other sporting options including volleyball, basketball, and mini-golf. The lake in winter can be used for canoeing, kayaking, and stand up paddling. Hiking trails round out the wonderful recreation opportunities at Lake of the Springs.

For more outdoor adventure, check out the Sutter Buttes, outside nearby Yuba City. The Buttes have actual eroded lava domes, formed more than a million years ago, that rise above the area’s flat plains. They are often called the smallest mountain range in the world. You can explore the buttes via car, bicycle, or on foot with an interpretive hike.

A unique destination is the Bok Kai Temple in Marysville. During the Gold Rush Days, the Chinese came to the area to work the mines and erected the first temple in 1854 on the banks of the Yuba River. The location of the temple provided the name, Bok which means north, and Kai, which means stream: Temple of the North Side of the Stream. The exterior grounds contain a garden and beautiful pagoda. It’s a must-see for architecture and history buffs.

For the best of winter activities, head to Tahoe National Forest with its miles and miles of trails for cross-country skiing. Downhill skiers can hit the slopes at many nearby ski resorts including Tahoe Donner and Squaw Valley Resort, host to the 1960 Winter Olympics. Check out the Olympic Museum if you’re visiting Squaw Valley.

We’ve got yurt next adventure lined up! Visit PetiteRetreats.com to book your next adventure, today!

Winter in Sedona: Sixties, Sunny, and Styling

It doesn’t matter which season you visit Sedona because the magic of the desert and the Red Rocks is there year round. However, if you’re more of a cooler weather person, winter is the best time because the average temperature is around 60 degrees, which makes any outdoor activity enjoyable.

Another thing you will find enjoyable in Sedona is accommodation options at Verde Valley in Cottonwood. Just as unique as the Red Rock formations that dot the Sedona desert, your accommodations at this conveniently located resort are unique as well. Cabins, cottages and the oh-so-trendy tiny homes are available options at Verde Valley.

Rose, Tiny House, Verde Valley RV Resort

Cabins are complete with a kitchenette, flat screen TVs and covered porches while the cottages have private bedrooms, full-sized refrigerators, and flat-screens, too. You certainly wouldn’t be roughing it while taking in the beauty Sedona has to offer! Or, opt to be a trendsetter and choose from one of two tiny houses, Finn or Rose, and enjoy big-time amenities in small-space sizes. While the hospitality of the resort and the cozy charm of your choice of accommodation may find you not wanting to leave “home,” don’t miss everything that makes Sedona, and the surrounding area, so magical.

Take a trip up into the mountains and explore Jerome, a charming ghost town that was once a booming mining town. Stop in at the Douglas Mansion which serves as the history museum for the town and learn all about Jerome. There’s also the Sliding Jail, an actual Jerome jail that slid 225 feet downhill due to the land shifting from so many mining shafts in the area. Jerome also has some neat restaurants, shops, and even a winery.
Tuzigoot National Monument and Montezuma Castle National Monument are where you will find well-preserved dwellings used by the Sinagua people almost a thousand years ago. In 1906, Montezuma Castle was one of the first four National Monuments designated by President Theodore Roosevelt.

Another interesting way to get some historical insight into this area is the Verde Valley Archaeology Center and Museum which is dedicated to preserving artifacts and archeological sites of the area. Visit verdevalleyarchaeology.org to learn more.

If you’re planning to spend a chunk of your winter soaking up the culture, history and Sedona sunshine, there are two big events you’ll want to take note of.

Sedona VegFest cooking demonstration; Image courtesy of Sedona VegFest.

Sedona VegFest 2019 is scheduled for the weekend of January 19-20, 2019, and is a celebration of plant-based eating with exhibits, products, and speakers who are national experts in plant-based nutrition and lifestyle. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the official Sedona VegFest page! To stay connected, visit the Sedona VegFest Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!

From February 23 through March 3, the Sedona International Film Festival will feature more than 160 films (from documentaries to foreign films), and host celebrities, filmmakers and movie fans alike. For information visit sedonafilmfestival.org.

Image Courtesy of the Sedona International Film Festival

Don’t wait! Make your reservations for your winter getaway with Petite Retreats, today!