Tag: travel

Top 10 October Activities for Your Glamping Getaway

October is more than leaf peeping, pumpkins and Halloween (although we will point you toward some Halloween fun). October is the tenth month of the year so we found 10 ways to celebrate when glamping with us.

Apple tree in Julian, California
  1. National Apple Month: Julian, California is considered the “Apple Capital of Southern California” and is about a half hour drive from Thousand Trails Oakzanita Springs, which makes it the perfect place to spend the day on your travels. For a list of orchards, check out visitjulian.com. If you want to just eat apple pie, consider Mom’s Pies or the Julian Pie Company. If you want to taste apple cider (the hard kind), check out the Julian Hard Cider Tasting Room (julianhardcider.biz). 
  1. National Dessert Month: Celebrate with dessert all month as October is National Dessert Month. If you’re glamping in the Florida Keys, then Key Lime Pie is the dessert du jour. Book a glamping stay at Sunshine Key RV Resort or Fiesta Key RV Resort and check out these spots, which according to authenticflorida.com have some of the best: Kermit’s Key Lime Pie Shop in Key West or the Lorelei Restaurant and Cabana Bar on Islamorada.
Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington
  1. National Seafood Month: Since 1990, October has been designated as National Seafood Month. Hmm – seafood. How about lobster in Bar Harbor, Maine while enjoying a glamping cabin at Narrows Too Camping Resort (Stewman’s Lobster is always a good choice)? If you’re glamping at Tall Chief Campground, take a drive into Seattle to taste the offerings of fresh seafood at the famous Pike Place Market.  
  1. Fossil Day: If you dig fossils (get it?), then spend National Fossil Day, October 14, searching for treasure. Some great glamping locations for this can include Florida’s Thousand Trails Peace River as the Peace River is a great place to hunt for shark teeth and marine and reptile fossils; Thousand Trails Lake Tawakoni in Texas, which is just under an hour’s drive from Ladonia Fossil Park, or California’s Pacific Dunes Ranch where nearby Pismo Beach is known for its marine fossils dating back to the Pliocene epoch. 
  1. Sweetest Day: Even though its original purpose was to perform random acts of kindness for those less fortunate, Sweetest Day, which falls on October 17 this year, has evolved to Valentine’s Day Part II in the US. So, whether your random act of kindness is to take a friend glamping or to spend the day glamping with your sweetie, rent a cozy glamping cabin or cottage at California’s Thousand Trails Idyllwild and spend the day glamping surrounded by the beauty of the San Jacinto Mountains.  
  1. Howl at the Moon: On October 26, people are encouraged to step outside and howl at the moon. Some of the best places to see the moon is over the ocean on a beach in Miami (glamp at Encore Miami Everglades); at Maine’s Acadia National Park’s Jordan Pond (glamp at Narrows Too Camping Resort) or in California’s Joshua Tree National Park (glamp at Thousand Trails Palm Springs) which is designated as an International Dark Sky Park. 
  1. Eat a Pretzel Day: Where better to enjoy Eat a Pretzel Day, October 22, than in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, known for their soft pretzels. Check in to a glamping cottage at Thousand Trails Circle M and check out the plentiful pretzel offerings in the area (check out discoverlancaster.com/blog/10-places-to-get-pretzels-in-lancaster-pa) head over to the pretzel master, the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, and take a class on pretzel rolling (https://juliussturgis.com/). 
Domaine Carneros, Napa Valley
  1. Global Champagne Day: Enjoy a glass of bubbly on Global Champagne Day, October 24, in California’s Wine Country which produces many champagnes in addition to all the wines. Book a glamping cottage at Thousand Trails Russian River and check out Domaine Carneros, Buena Vista Winery and Schramsburg Winery.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
  1. Visit a Cemetery Day: Well, it is October after all. And October 25 to be exact is designated as Visit a Cemetery Day. One famous burial places to visit when staying at Thousand Trails Soledad Canyon in California is the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the final resting place of Judy Garland, Rudolph Valentino and George Harrison among other famous celebrities. Another is the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California which boasts 17 Academy Award winners and 5 US Presidents buried there. 
  1. Halloween: If you’re looking to get into the Halloween spirit early, book a glamping stay at O’Connell’s RV Campground in Amboy, Illinois to experience their last hurrah before the end of their season. October 9-12 is the Final Fright weekend – you don’t want to miss this. October To really get your Halloween on, check out all the events at Florida’s Walt Disney World. Book a colorful glamping cabin at Encore Tropical Palms in Kissimmee and get ready for frights galore!  

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Fall Getaways Along America’s Open Roads

Maybe you keep the windows rolled down; maybe you curate a fall playlist from Spotify, maybe you stop at farm stands along the way for the last bounty of summer’s harvest. Fall is a great time to take a road trip – less traffic, less heat and possibly more colorful than summer trips. A good fall road trip is a great way to keep that quick glamping getaway feeling alive and well. Here are a few ideas: 

Cabins at Thousand Trails Seaside
Thousand Trails Seaside

Seattle, Washington to Cannon Beach, Oregon:

We recommend starting from Tall Chief Campground at the end of your glamping stay there. Your trip will be roughly 200 miles or 4 hours with no traffic and no stops. Stops add to your timeframe, but also to your adventure. Don’t take the quick way – we promise it’s worth the time. Make sure to book a cabin or cottage at Thousand Trails Seaside as your home base in the Cannon Beach area. Washington’s capital, Olympia, is on the way. A stop here could include a visit to the farmers market (open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.); the Billy Frank Jr Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (about 20 minutes out of Olympia) to see coyotes, eagles, herons and more roaming the refuge; or tour the State Capitol Building and grounds. Aberdeen, the childhood hometown of Kurt Cobain, is also a possible stop if you love Nirvana or just music nostalgia. There is also the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport here. By the time you reach the charming coastal city of Astoria, Oregon, you’re almost there, but there are several things to see here too. The Oregon Film Museum is one of these – it’s a small museum dedicated to the films and television productions filmed in Oregon that includes paraphernalia from “The Goonies”, “Twilight” and “Kindergarten Cop” among others. There’s also the Astoria Column, to commemorate the settlement of the West; Fort Clatsop, a replica of the Lewis and Clark encampment and the scenic riverwalk. Then on to Cannon Beach – don’t miss Haystack Rock, Ecola State Park and the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse.  

Cabins at Thousand Trails Lake Conroe
Thousand Trails Lake Conroe

Houston, Texas to Dallas, Texas:

If you’ve spent time glamping at Thousand Trails Lake Conroe, most likely you’ve taken in the highlights of Houston, including Space Center Houston, the Houston Zoo and beautiful Hermann Park. Now it’s time to meander north to the Big D, aka Dallas and see what there is to see along the way. One stop to consider would be the college town of College Station, home of Texas A&M. Buy your Aggie gear, visit The Gardens, the college’s living classroom full of flora and fauna, or grab a quick bite at the many restaurants ranging with a variety of fare from wood-fired pizza to soul food. Back on the road and you may want to consider another stop in Waco – that is if you’re interested in prehistoric animals! In Waco, you will find the Waco Mammoth National Monument. This is the site that in 1978, paleontologists began the dig that eventually unearthed the bones of a nursery herd of Columbian mammoths, dating back 1 million years. Have you heard of the Pierogi Path? The town of West, Texas, is on the Pierogi Path, a route that celebrates the Czech heritage of the area and of course, has bakeries and shops along the route that offer Czech specialties like kolaches and pierogies. Don’t miss the Czech Stop and the Little Czech Bakery which can be found in West. On to Dallas, where your glamping cabins can be found at Thousand Trails Bay Landing or Thousand Trails Lake Whitney. Dallas attractions can include the Dallas Museum of Art, the Sixth Floor Museum and Dealey Plaza commemorating President John F. Kennedy, the Bishop Arts District, and White Rock Lake. If you’re visiting Dallas between now and November 1, don’t miss Autumn at the Arboretum, a spectacular harvest festival with pumpkins, a Goth Garden and more, put on by the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. 

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