You Should Be Glamping…Yeah!

Americans love the outdoors. Americans love luxury. No wonder, then, that Americans love glamping.

Yurt. Great word. But what is it?

A dairy product? A Nordic cousin of the buffalo? A topcoat worn by royalty in The Wheel of Time?

Wrong, wrong, and wrong. A yurt stands as a symbol of the glamping industry, a movement to combine the great outdoors with the glamor of a five-star resort.

The yurt has certainly come a long way from its humble origins hundreds of years ago when it developed out of the housing needs of nomadic peoples like the Mongols and Turks who moved at a moment’s notice. For shelter they needed something sturdier than a tent, but easy to set up and disassemble—like this:

The yurt and other similar shelters didn’t stay this basic for long. You could say the history of glamping really starts with the Ottoman Empire in the 1300s and 1400s, with its lavish tents, which were really mobile palaces deployed during military campaigns and ceremonies.[1] The roots of yurt design remain, but the trappings of royalty make it clear the concept is evolving:

Proto-glamping continues through to 16^th Century Scotland, where nobles created luxury tented experiences for royalty. And in the early 20^th Century, the wealthiest Westerners on Safari had tents outfitted with furniture, baths, and champagne:[2]

As for the modern era, “glamping” as a term began to appear online in 2007. Interest shot through the roof after the financial crisis of 2008.[3] And while the yurt was there to grab a piece of the action and become the face of this new lodging trend, variety has always been available to the traveler willing to seek it out. There’s more than enough time left in the summer to put together a glamping road trip. Here are a few suggestions, with some local c-stores to provide additional refreshment.

Treebones Resort (Big Sur, California) At SSCS, we have the good fortune to be a couple of hours north of the legendary Big Sur Coast, which happens to be home to one of the most picturesque yurt villages in the country. Nestled in hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Treebones Resort brings the whole glamping concept together in one sweet package. That being said, their most notable lodging may well be the “human nest.” Check it out.
C-store of Note: Treebones is located in a very remote part of the West Coast, south of Big Sur close to a tiny town named Gorda. Thankfully, the Gorda By the Sea Mini Mart is there to help you refuel and get some snacking nourishment.

Conestoga Ranch (Bear Lake, Utah) Conestoga Ranch is a convenient stop in far northern Utah on a major route to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The motif here is “luxury tent,” some with their own bathrooms. The biggest draw, though, are the maxed out Conestoga stage wagons that sleep six. The view of Bear Lake is pretty good, too.
C-store of Note: Bear Lake Market is branded Shell, and features a Subway and a Cooper’s Express chicken franchise.

Domes at Catskills (Catskills, New York) So we’ve introduced yurts and Conestoga wagons as glamping options, now it’s time to explore a third: the geodesic dome. That’s what you’ll find here at Domes at Catskills, each with fine linens, spa-style bathrooms, stocked kitchens, and indoor fireplaces. Each dome also features a private outdoor space with a firepit, grill, and lounge chairs. Options like the Flagler, the Cromwell, and the Mountain View showcase unique themes—from Adirondack cabin vibes to Moroccan-inspired décor that will take you back to glamping’s early days.
C-store of Note: J&H Express, right on Swan Lake where the domes are located, is a cozy country c-store that is branded Mobil, and has a tradition of holding community service events for its neighbors.

El Cosmico (Marfa, Texas) It’s harder to describe this glamping refuge of 21 acres than the others—promotional materials tend to liken the experience to a state of mind. We can’t vouch for the nomadic community’s mental effects, but we can tell you that its accommodations serve to exhibit glamping’s greatest hits: vintage trailers, safari rigs, Sioux-style tepees, a yurt, and open tent sites. Guests enjoy communal spaces like a hammock grove, outdoor kitchen, reading room, and wood-fired hot tubs.
Cstores of Note: Two Stripes stores hold convenience retail dominance in Marfa—a city that is more known for art galleries, cafes, and boutiques; the sites do business a dozen or so blocks from each other. Stripes’ partnership with the Laredo Taco Company gives the site an additional draw besides the fuel on which this rural, somewhat remote town’s citizens depend.

[1] “From Camping to Glamping: History and Evolution” ; glampinghub.com; January 2, 2019.

[2] “History of Glamping”; allboutglamping.com; undated.

[3] Ibid.

For convenience store operators, the end of summer features the last wave of road trippers, many looking for something a little more low key, perhaps more a possibility with the kids back in school. If you are an operator that suspects they aren’t maximizing the potential of their summer season, consider the Computerized Daily Book back office system from SSCS. Our c-store software can help you hold onto profit you may not even know you’re missing—it’s not particularly glamorous, but it certainly is essential. Give us a call at (800) 972-7277 and we’ll show you why.