I remember that day long ago. The kids next door had found a tattered piece of plastic sheeting. We draped it over a fallen tree back in the woods. Weighted the edges with rocks and crawled into our proud creation. We were camping! Of course, we were soon joined by hordes of mosquitos. That turned out to be a short lived problem when a gusty wind blew the mosquitos and our plastic tent into the next county. Then came the rain...
Our campsite didn't cost us much ($0) but it didn't offer much in the way of comfort or amenities either. What's called camping covers a big territory. Everything from our youthful folly to well-heeled retirees sitting in their air-conditioned motorhome, munching microwave popcorn while watching a movie on a flat-screen TV. And now we have glamping. Which is what? A mash-up of glamour and camping? I'm really not sure.
Something like that is happening at Lock 5 in Schuylerville. Several canvas safari type tents have been set up where the canal joins the Hudson. It's a nice spot, a grassy clearing between the Empire Trail and the water. An outfit called Camp Rockaway runs it and you can find all the details on their website, but if I read it right one detail stands out. A weekend stay here during the summer could set you back almost $700! Can that be true? Can anyone afford $700 to spend a couple of nights in a tent? It's enough to make a person start looking for a stray piece of plastic sheeting...
But there are options. How about The Magic Glamp in Argyle or Runamuk Farm near Cambridge. They are both tentrr sites nestled in the hills of Washington County. Then there's the French company, Huttopia, which is developing a large glampground between Lake George and Lake Luzerne. All look fun and they've got me thinking, maybe I should get with the program. Maybe hosting glampers here on the farm might make more sense than putting up hay for $3 a bale and selling milk for less than it cost to make it.
Also of note is Upstate Kayak Rentals which has a self-serve kayak kiosk at Hudson Crossing near the glampsite and Bigfoot Bike Rentals and Tours in Schuylerville. Everything you need to have a great time. Everything except, perhaps, a Trust Fund.
That Lock 5 site hardly seems like a spot worth shelling out that kind of money for! Out in the open with the sun beating down on the tents, with a public trail where folks could traipse by at any time. No beach, no campfires, no wildlife, no wilderness! The rustic cabins I stayed in as a Girl Scout long ago offered more of a genuine camping experience.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me queasy to know we live in a country where some folks are homeless thru no fault of their own while others can afford big dollars to have a 'camping' experience.
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