Eat, Glamp, Repeat

Whether you’re a foodie or not, the number of “national” days recognized for different foods practically requires that you eat your way through the month. July has multiple days dedicated to foods like hot dogs and lasagna and we’ve rounded up some of the best places serving up July’s food favorites. Pair them with the perfect glamping location and you’ll be asking for more, please!

National Fried Chicken Day: That’s July 6 so we suggest you head to a few of these places named by Food & Wine as serving some of the best fried chicken in the U.S. Book a tiny home at Natchez Trace and head into Nashville to try the chicken at Hattie B’s which according to the magazine is the best “old-school hot-chicken place in town.” There’s also a tiny house at Natchez Trace named Hattie – a match made in heaven. Another option and another Hattie’s (although not related) is a Hattie’s in Saratoga Springs, New York. Rent a cabin at Lake George Escape and enjoy the roughly 30-minute drive to this establishment that has served up fried chicken since 1938.

National Lasagna Day: Winding up the month of food celebrations, National Lasagna Day falls on July 29 so you’ve got all month to eat this tasty Italian dish that dates to the Middle Ages before its official day. The dailymeal.com ranked some of America’s best lasagna and several are convenient to our glamping locations. Here are a few dinner/glamping combos: Seattle’s Pink Door (#3) and a yurt at Tall Chief; Miami’s Macchialina (#9) and a cabin at Miami Everglades; and Kenny’s Italian Kitchen in Dallas (#22), an old-school, home-style eatery complete with red-checked tablecloths pairs well with a cabin rental at Bay Landing in nearby Bridgeport.

Yurt at Tall Chief Campground
Yurt at Tall Chief Campground

National Hot Dog Day: There’s plenty of ambiguity surrounding how the hot dog came to be called just that, but there’s no dispute that these little sandwiches are a delight whatever condiment you believe belongs on them! July 20 is the day the dog is honored this year and good spots to eat and glamp include: Soledad Canyon (cabin or cottage rental) and LA’s Pink’s Hot Dogs with its variety of celebrity named hot dogs; Wilmington RV Resort (cabin or cottage rental) and a hot dog, brat, or sausage from Avril Bleh’s Meat Market and Deli in downtown Cincinnati, or Cherokee Landing (cabin rental) and Payne’s in Memphis – which while known for BBQ also serves up a good hot dog.

Cottage at Wilmington RV Campground
Cottage at Wilmington RV Campground

For dessert: The sweeter things in life are also celebrated in July and they include National Pecan Pie Day on July 12 (rent a tiny home at Tuxbury Tiny House Village and head to Nashua’s Willie Jewel’s Old School Bar-B-Q for a piece of pie); National Milk Chocolate Day – rent a cottage at Hershey RV and eat all the milk chocolate you want at nearby Hershey’s Chocolate World; or to sample the red velvet cheesecake at Boston’s 7ate9 Bakery consider glamping at either Sturbridge or Gateway to Cape Cod. And the cherry on top – National Cheesecake Day is July 30!

Read More:

4 Ways to Celebrate National Goof Off Day

March 22 is not a solemn occasion – and yet, there is a recognized national day that falls on March 22; and yes, it should be honored…. but only in the silliest ways you can think of because it’s National Goof Off Day. And we think it falls at the perfect time – winter is officially over as the spring solstice began on March 20 which means more glamping and more outdoor fun.

National Goof Off day has been around since 1976 and as for goofing off – the phrase became popular in the mid-1940s as an armed forces term meaning to waste time or loaf. BTW – goof off can be a noun or verb. So, when March 22 rolls around, here are few ideas for any of you goof offs who want to goof off.

Cabin at Natchez Trace Campground
Lodge at Natchez Trace Campground

Act Like an Animal: Visit one of national zoos and see who can do the best imitations of their favorite animal. The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere has more than 339 species to choose from to try your best at “being an animal.” Check out Rowan, the zoo’s two-year old giraffe who came to the zoo in October 2021. Or maybe you and your favorite “kid” want to see what the kangaroos are up to at the zoo’s Kangaroo Kickabout. Book at stay at one of the tiny houses or cabins at Natchez Trace in nearby Hohenwald.

Build the Best Sand Castle: Challenge your camping mates to a sand castle contest. After all, what’s goofier that playing in the sand? Beach worthy glamp options include a tiny house at Sunshine Key Tiny House Village or a cottage at Fiesta Key – both located in the Florida Keys. Sand castle experts recommend using moist sand – if a ball of sand stays together while you roll it around, it’s perfect for castle construction! 

Tropical Palms Cottage
Tropical Palms Cottage

Visit the Goofiest Guy of All: Head to Orlando, Florida, and make a date with Goofy at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Goofy’s full name is Goofy Goof and to find him at the Magic Kingdom visit Pete’s Silly Sideshow tent. Goofy also is known to hang out at Epcot and participates in the Park’s Festival of Fantasy Parade. Of course the Magic Kingdom is by nature a great place to goof off, so visiting with Goofy aside, there’s plenty of things to do here that can be considered good for goofing off.  Head to Tropical Palms in nearby Kissimmee, book a colorful cottage, and get your goofy on! Play Outside: Book a tiny house at Leavenworth’s Tiny House Village and get ready to enjoy the outdoor playground in this great Washington State destination. The wonderful thing about Leavenworth is there are so many ways to play outside here from hiking to biking, fishing to ziplining, and so much more. Consider a guided horseback ride into the Cascades or a carriage ride around the quaint town. There may still be snow fun at Leavenworth Ski Hill or listen to live music, eat some great German food, and loaf the day away in Leavenworth.

Read More:

Top U.S. Tours to Take

When it comes to seeing what any location you visit has to offer, certainly the local Visitor’s Guide and suggestions from friends and family who have visited the area can work for creating a great itinerary. But why not let someone else do the heavy lifting and sign up for a tour experience with a local provider. There are all kinds of tours ranging from history and architectural to sampling local foods and bevvies or getting your scare on with a spooky ghost tour. Consider the tours we’ve listed here next time you’re in the area! 

There are plenty of Jeep tours around the U.S. that give visitors an off-road experience like no other. Planning a tiny house stay at Verde Valley in Sedona or a cabin rental at Las Vegas and consider booking a trip with pinkadventuretours.com and let the cool Pink Jeeps be your guide. An open-air red Jeep and Joshua Tree National Park combine for a one-of-a-kind experience if you’re visiting Palm Springs and want to see the rugged desert landscape surrounding the area. Visit red-jeep.com for tour info. Planning a trip to Bend, Oregon? Try a yurt or cabin rental at Bend-Sunriver and then check out Bend Jeep® Tours for a great way to see Deschutes National Forest.

Foodie tours are a great way to get to know the history and culture of a city and there are several that stand out. Book a tiny house or cabin stay at Natchez Trace and take in Nashville’s culinary experience. Bites and Sites is a walking tour that combines attractions and food on a walking tour while Nashville Food Adventures are driving tours that offer food and drink experiences. Both are offered through nashvillefoodtours.com. According to Tripadvisor, the food and cultural walking tour of Seattle’s Pike Place Market is one of the most booked food tours in the U.S. Rent a yurt at nearby Tall Chief and head into Seattle to experience this 100-year-plus historic market that is considered “the soul of Seattle.” Visit savorseattletours.com for tour details.

Arrowhead RV Campground
Arrowhead RV Campground

Did you ever ride a duck? What about touring the waters of your vacation destination on a duck? We’re not talking about the waterfowl here but instead the unique amphibious tour bus. If you want to experience the original duck tour rent a cabin at Arrowhead in the Wisconsin Dells where the duck tours originated in 1946 using the decommissioned amphibious trucks introduced in WWII. Since the original duck tour was quite popular with visitors, others began to pop up around the U.S. and similar duck tours can now be found in Boston (book a cottage Gateway to Cape Cod); South Beach and Miami (stay with us at the Miami Everglades RV Resort); and Seattle (Tall Chief is a great location to stay for a Seattle duck adventure).

Read More:

Last Minute Trips for Your 2021 Bucket List

It’s been awhile, but think back to early January 2021. What resolutions did you make then? What about that 2021 Bucket List? Is everything crossed off? If not, we’ve got a few ideas on how to clear the slate to get ready for your 2022 list. 

  1. See a National Landmark: In a list of the Top 10 National Landmarks compiled by flightcentre.com, two are nearby to our locations that enjoy year-round visitors. Those include Hoover Dam (less than 35 miles from cozy cabins at our Las Vegas location); and the iconic Space Needle in Seattle (less than 30 miles from the yurts and cabins at Tall Chief RV & Camping Resort). Another must-see landmark is the historic Alamo, in San Antonio, Texas, which is less than an hour from the cabins at Medina Lake.

2. Drive an Iconic Highway: A drive on the 100-mile-plus engineering marvel known as Florida’s Overseas Highway will take you from the southern tip of Florida down to the Florida Keys with the beautiful waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico all around you. Choose to stay two hours north of the road’s starting point in a cabin at our Miami Everglades Resort or stay at one of our Keys locations, Sunshine Key or Fiesta Key. Enjoy a glamping experience in a cottage or glamping tent at California’s Marina Dunes and enjoy an equally glamorous experience along the 17-Mile Drive that includes charming towns, woodlands, and ocean views along the Monterey Peninsula. 

3. Learn a new skill: ‘Tis the season to don a pair of snowshoes and tackle this winter sport. Consider a stay in a snow covered cabin at Tahoe Valley in California’s Lake Tahoe area and learn how to traverse and glissade with the best of them. Stalk the striper and try your hand at catching hybrid striper bass in the winter waters of Texas’ Lake Conroe. Book a stay in a cabin at Lake Conroe RV & Camping Resort in Willis and see what you can catch. How about hopping on a “fat bike” and tooling around the snowy trails available near Leavenworth, Washington. Book a tiny house at Leavenworth Tiny House Village to go along with your fat bike experience!

Family Trip at Thousand Trails Lake Conroe Campground
Family Trip at Lake Conroe Camping & RV Resort

4. Girls’ Trip, Guys’ Trip, Family Trip, Couples’ Trip: Whichever one remains on your list unchecked, Petite Retreats has locations that can satisfy any of them (or all if you’ve got the time). Perfect family trip locations can include Orlando and all the theme park fun (book a stay in a colorful cottage at Tropical Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Florida) or Yosemite National Park in winter with all its activities (try a yurt at Yosemite Lakes RV Resort in Groveland, California); California’s wine country and a girl’s trip are a perfect match and a cabin or cottage accommodation at Russian River is the perfect wine country girl’s getaway home base. Nashville is great for girls, guys, and family fun depending on the activities you choose – there are bars and honky tonks, historic sites, museums, and outdoor adventure to be found here – and any of the rental cabins at nearby Natchez Trace work for all of these groups. Guys trip options could include the casinos and nightlife of Las Vegas (stay in a cabin or cottage at our Las Vegas location) or deep-sea fishing charters in the Florida Keys (Sunshine Key Tiny House Village is a great option as they run charters from the resort). Looking for romance? Check out the tiny house and cabin accommodations at Verde Valley in Arizona’s scenic and transformative Red Rocks country or a cozy cabin at Rancho Oso RV & Camping Resort in Santa Barbara and explore this charming California oceanside town with its wineries, architectural tours, and romantic sunsets. 

Read More:

Sense-ible Glamping

Of course, glamping is good for the soul as it provides the opportunity to disconnect from everything and reconnect with nature. It’s good for the body too as it lowers stress levels and provides plenty of opportunity for exercise in the great outdoors. Glamping is also good for the senses – and we found some locations that will delight all five of them. Next time you’re planning a trip, keep these sense-sational spots in mind.

Touch: Sand – gritty, soft or silky. Tree bark – rough, smooth, notched. Snow – cold and wet. There are so many tactile experiences to be had while glamping. See how the beach feels beneath your feet when you stay Oregon’s beach town location of Pacific City or the cold snow falling on your face when you stay in a tiny house at Leavenworth Tiny House Village in winter. How about a healing touch? The vortexes of Sedona are said to provide just that. Book a cabin or tiny house stay at Verde Valley and see if you experience this unique touch of healing energy.

Sight:  What can be more picturesque than field upon field of blooming tulips? Check out the Skagit Valley come spring and stay at La Conner. Or, catch the spectacular views from Yosemite National Park any time of year. Plan to stay in a yurt or cabin at Yosemite Lakes and see just how beautiful every inch of this treasure is. The Dry Tortugas in the Florida Keys made the list of the “50 Most Beautiful Places in the U.S. You Can’t Afford to Miss” (according to attractionsofamerica.com), so book a colorful cottage stay at Fiesta Key RV Resort and Marina and find out why after a short drive along the Overseas Highway.

Sound: Rolling waves hitting the sand; wildlife sounds in the night, the clip clop of horseshoes, the rustle of the trees – can you hear these sounds? Most definitely if you glamp with us at California’s Rancho Oso where guided horseback rides are available. Or, rent a tiny house at the Sunshine Key Tiny House Village and let the sounds of the ocean relax you – it’ll be right outside your window. So many of our locations are nestled in the woods or in the quiet wilderness. What about the sounds of camp-side laughter? Wherever you’re glamping, gather your crew at dusk and recap the day, tell jokes, and play games to evoke this always-pleasing sound.

Bend-Sunriver Yurt
Bend-Sunriver Yurt

Smell: How about the smell of a pine forest – check into a yurt at Bend-Sunriver and check out Deschutes National Forest, which is home to thousands of fragrant Ponderosa pines. The smell of Seattle’s Pike Place Market is a mix of exotic spices, flowers, coffee beans, and more mixing to make it memorable for sure. Add in another yurt experience with a stay at Tall Chief and see how many scents you can identify at one of Seattle’s most visited attractions. What about the plethora of smells emanating from a botanic garden? Plan to stay in a cabin at Bay Landing and head into Dallas to experience the scent-sations of the blooms found at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanic Garden.

Cabin at Miami Everglades
Cabin at Miami Everglades

Taste: How do you taste glamping? Well, for our purposes, you glamp near a unique foodie experience. For example, sample succulent Maine lobster when you stay at our Bar Harbor resorts or try an iconic Door County, Wisconsin, fish boil when you stay in a cozy cabin at Tranquil Timbers in nearby Sturgeon Bay. Enjoy the fruits of the sea when staying at our Pacific Northwest locations and taste seasonal Chinook salmon, Dungeness crab, or Oregon Pink Shrimp or oysters. A stay at Natchez Trace means Nashville’s culinary treats, which include hot chicken (named for the healthy dose of cayenne pepper used), buttery, flaky biscuits, and the oh-so-gooey and sweet Goo Goo clusters. Miami is all about classic Cuban cuisine which can be experienced through a food tour. Check out miamiculinarytours.com when you stay with us in a cabin at Miami Everglades.

Read More:

Themed Cabins at Natchez Trace RV Campground

Nashville, TN
Nashville, TN

Tennessee is a special place to visit almost any time of the year. Tennessee is famous for its barbecued comfort food that sticks to your ribs like an Elvis song can stick in your head; for its Great Smoky Mountains and endless opportunities for fishing and hunting; for Memphis and Nashville, two cities built on the blues and rock n’ roll; for Route 66, “the main street of America” that runs through Tennessee as roadtrippers traverse this land-locked state.

Natchez Trace RV Campground
Natchez Trace RV Campground – University of Alabama Themed Cabin

Immerse yourself in the charm, the culture, and the nature of the “Volunteer State” when you stay in a themed cabin at Natchez Trace RV Campground in Hohenwald, TN. These cabins are situated near the water among the trees on this beautiful forested property and each one celebrates a different facet of the Tennessee experience. There’s a cabin for the fishermen, the hunters, the Music City lovers; Tennessee Volunteer fans and Crimson Tide rivals; and for those who love the road, an ode to Route 66. Each cabin is ready for you to move right in- linens, flat screen TVs, fully stocked kitchens, coffee makers, and much more to make your stay feel just like home. At Natchez Trace, you’ll disconnect and relax – there’s no wifi connection here, but you’ll be too busy taking in the beauty of Tennessee and sleeping soundly in your cabin to notice anyway. No matter which cabin you choose, you’ll have the best view of the Tennessee sunset from your screened in porch.

Natchez Trace RV Campground
Natchez Trace RV Campground – Fishing Themed Cabin

Book your stay in a themed cabin at Natchez Trace RV Campground or another Petite Retreat today!