Our First Attempt at "Glamping"

We travel curiously

We’ve heard about this “glamping” craze. What could this be? Where can we do this? Are we really campers? Like always - curiosity got the best of us so we thought we would give this a try. We set out to find a place that would satisfy this desire.

For those of you that may not know what this is - glamping is a hybrid between - glamour and camping - “glamping”. Think of it as the intersection between luxurious comfort and the great outdoors. Sounds perfect for those of us that enjoy our amenities but want to experience all the beauty of what nature has to offer - all in one. We also thought during the pandemic, this would be a great way to get out of the house and still socially distance.

We wanted to see The Great Sand Dunes National Park in Southwestern Colorado. Another destination on our list! This oddity of nature is spectacular and a must see. More on that in a bit.

We found a glamping site very close to the National Park.

We checked in to the The Rustic Rook Resort, which is situated about 13 miles north of Alamosa, Colorado. www.rusticrookresort.com

First impressions? - It’s a bit more “rustic” than “resort”. But hey, we’re up for just about anything and we were excited about our stay. The 30 or so tents are situated throughout the property which has a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains and the Great Sand Dunes in the distance. It's a bit stark with the on-property landscape being a bit barren and void of trees or any meaningful vegetation.

After checking in at “The Lobby”, which is housed in a giant tipi we were escorted to our “Estate” tent by the very accommodating staff. For a little bit of extra “glamp”, we opted for a tent with its own bathroom and shower. I guess we wanted to ease in to this whole camping thing. The "Standard" tents share individual bathrooms and showers in a trailer located in the center of the property.

Our tent, which sits on a raised platform, was well appointed with a king size bed, couch, night stands and a heating stove in case we felt the need through the night. As mentioned, it had a toilet, sink and shower with a curtain which offered a bit of privacy.

Each night, a camp fire is arranged for those wanting to make s’mores, chat with other glampers, tell ghost stories or simply gaze at the night sky filled with millions of glistening stars.

In nearby Alamosa we found The San Luis Valley Brewing Company where we enjoyed our meal and a cold beer, outdoors in this thriving little college town. https://www.slvbrewco.com

Trip Monkee Tip - After dinner check out The Purple Pig across the street for a night cap.

Back at the tent, we took time to watch Mother Nature’s show in the sky before turning in for the night. The cool night air made for a comfortable and great sleep. We woke up rested, ready and eager to visit The Great Sand Dunes. A breakfast burrito is included in your stay and coffee is served in the tipi lobby.

The Great Sand Dunes National Park is located 16 miles from The Rustic Rook Resort.

The park features the tallest dunes in North America. Many are close to 800 feet high. As you sit and look at the seemingly endless, gigantic mountains of sand, its hard not to wonder - where did all of this sand come from? The park rangers will give you a much more scientific answer - but in layman’s terms - it was blown down from the surrounding mountains over a millennium.

Visitors and thrill-seekers can walk up the dunes and slide down on a surfboard, if they so choose. It’s much like the world’s largest sand box! The park offers camping and a general store for those that want to stay within The National Park.

Trip Monkee Tip - The park is open 24 hours a day. Check out the dunes in the evening under a moonlit night.

We strongly recommend The Great Sand Dunes National Park as it’s truly a sight to see. And if you’re looking for accommodations which are a bit on the rustic, outdoorsy side - check out The Rustic Rook Resort. It’s a great combination!