Articles About Education 3

Go Glam with Camping
If the idea of spending your vacation sleeping on the hard ground, in a tent, never appealed to you, but you still want to spend some time in nature, consider giving glamping a try. Glamping is simply “glamorous camping.” You get to enjoy the benefits of nature along with the comforts of home.
Glamping is a great compromise if some members of your family love the camping ideal but others are a little hesitant to spend that much time among the bugs, dirt and wild animals. Glam camping takes many forms. You can find hotels that offer faux-camp areas, typically targeted at children. For example, FoxNews reports that the usually very posh Ritz-Carlton offers in-room camping at select locations.
The Ritz’s version of glamping is targeted at children. For example, the hotel in Orlando offers a featherbed inside a tent, a battery-powered lantern, a toy and a bracelet that kids can wear to get unlimited free ice cream. The New York City Ritz-Carleton’s glamping experience features a tent, a fake campfire and chocolate treats prepared by the hotel’s chef.
The company Solid Ground Shelters was created to give campers a luxurious experience in the great outdoors. One of the co-founders of the company, Jason Johnson, told the Roanoke Times that the concept is just catching on in the US, but has been big over in Europe for some time.
Solid Ground Shelters and similar companies take the hassle out of setting up a campsite. They also do away with the rusticness of camping. Whether your family is camping in a national park or at a music festival, the company will travel to the location to set up your campsite. Tents provided by the company are tall enough for the average person to stand up comfortably. In the tent, the standard sleeping bag and mattress pad are replaced with a real mattress and bed linens. The tents also feature tables and chairs as well as a rug. For added luxury, you can order wine, flowers or s’mores fixings.
Although not as inexpensive as real camping, the set-up from Solid Ground Shelters is relatively affordable. The company offers a basic tent set-up for $250. The cost is based on the distance of the campsite from the company’s home base in Charlottesville, Va.

Consider a Cruise
Another way to break out of your ho-hum vacation pattern is to book a cruise. Cruises have become more popular in North America, notes the staff at Holiday Cruise Line. In 2013, more than 20 million people went on one, the American Association of Port Authorities reports.
Cruises offer something a standard vacation can’t. When you’re on a cruise ship, you are essentially on a floating hotel, according to Cruise Critic. You might get to see various locations over the course of your trip, but you’ll only have to unpack and repack once, as your luggage stays in your room or suite.
There are plenty of different places to go see on a cruise. Many people choose to cruise to warmer parts of the world, such as the Bahamas or other areas of the Caribbean. You can also take a cruise to Alaska, Europe or parts of Canada. Even if you decide to make cruises your preferred type of vacation, you’re not likely to run out of places to visit.
Cruises are also convenient. Like glamping, which brings everything you need to the campsite (or hotel), cruises are typically all-inclusive. You not only get a room to stay in, you also get transportation (although you will have to get to the cruise ship on your own), activities for all-ages and meals.
The staff at Holiday Cruise Line points out that cruises are often cost-effective, especially if you are traveling with a partner or with your family. Cruise Critic notes that you can often find deals on cruises for less than $100 per person, per night, which includes lodging, food and entertainment.
To help people who are new to cruises enjoy the experience, companies such as Holiday Cruise Line typically offer a special deal to new customers. For example, the company offers new visitors a complimentary two-night cruise for two. The only things travelers pay for are the port fees and gratuity. A representative from the cruise line notes that the offer gives people a chance to “familiarize themselves with a cruise and how much fun it can be and then come back for longer later on.”
Glamping and cruises are just two ways that you can shake up your vacation doldrums. This summer, Holiday Cruise Line recommends that you think outside the box when thinking of your vacation.