Welcome to Summer "Glamp"

The regional company Canopy Crew operates two fully outfitted treehouses in the Red River Gorge, including The Observatory, which is geared toward the adventurous. Photo by Peter McDermott

Camping has long been a favorite Kentucky summer adventure for families, couples and friendly crews – but, admittedly, lugging a car full of supplies to the woods to sleep on the ground in a cramped tent is not necessarily everyone’s idea of “relaxation.”

Several locales in the region are now offering alternative lodging geared to satisfy the sights, smells and sounds of “camping” – but with some added amenities to make the experience a bit more comfortable and appealing for those “semi-outdoorsy” types among us.

PARIS LANDING AT STONER CREEK

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Paris Landing at Stoner Creek, a new Bourbon County event venue, resort and low-key adventure center, specializes in an upscale “glamping” experience, which owner Brian Dickens describes as “camping for people who usually stay at the Hilton.” Photo by Jonathan Hampton and Saraya Brewer

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Having spent the entirety of his adult life working in the events business, Brian Dickens, owner of the new Bourbon County resort, event and adventure center Paris Landing, had long wanted to own his own space for hosting everything from corporate picnics to weekend retreats. The Nicholasville native bought the piece of property for his dream project a little less than two years ago and has been fine-tuning it ever since. Among the most unique and popular offerings of Paris Landing is its “glamping” option, which allows guests to book overnight stays in one of two luxury, weather-proof canvas tents fitted with a King bed, oriental rugs and other antique-inspired furnishings. A more traditional cabin that sleeps four is also available for overnight rentals.

Use of the grounds is included as part of Paris Landing’s “glamping” rental package – hammocks and shady picnic areas are scattered about the property, which sits on the bank of Stoner Creek. Guests have the option to book a two-and-a-half-hour pontoon dinner cruise up the creek, passing some of the world’s most notable Thoroughbred farms en route to a quiet covered bridge. Guests also have access to kayaks, paddle boards and a water tricycle to explore the creek. Upon their return, they can freshen up in what Dickens calls the “oasis of relaxation”: a specially designed bathhouse featuring an old-fashioned claw-foot bathtub and private shower. There’s an outdoor grill on the premises, and Dickens has an astronomer, campfire musicians, storytellers and a fishing guide on call in order to fulfill guests’ every curiosity.

“I’m somewhat nostalgic but also somewhat spoiled,” says Dickens. “A lot of the things I enjoyed as a kid – playing in the creek, camping, cooking hot dogs over the fire and spending time with family – I feel like people miss those days, but they also have become more dependent on their cell phones and the internet. I felt like if we offered them Hilton-like accommodations in a camping atmosphere, there would be a lot of adults who would want to take their kids and show them the simpler life that they enjoyed when they were a kid.”

Guests are also able to explore historic Bourbon County, which Dickens considers to be the perfect location for his dream venture, which is also available to rent for weddings and other events.

“Paris has almost a Mayberry quality to it,” he says. “It’s only a half-hour away from Lexington, but there is a world of difference. I think people from big cities like stepping back into those simpler times. Because it’s a small town, you get a greater flavor of the horse industry here, too.”

HOMEGROWN HIDEAWAYS

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The Berea venue HomeGrown HideAways offers an increasingly diverse array of overnight adventure lodging options, including an elevated yurt and a 24-foot tip. Photo by Jessa Turner

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The Berea venue HomeGrown HideAways offers an increasingly diverse array of overnight adventure lodging options, including an elevated yurt and a 24-foot tip. Photo by Jessa Turner

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The Berea venue HomeGrown HideAways offers an increasingly diverse array of overnight adventure lodging options, including an elevated yurt and a 24-foot tip. Photo by Jessa Turner

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The Berea venue HomeGrown HideAways offers an increasingly diverse array of overnight adventure lodging options, including an elevated yurt and a 24-foot tip. Photo by Jessa Turner

Farm, campground and events. These are the three pillars of HomeGrown HideAways, which opened shortly after Lexington native Jessa Turner and her husband, Nathan, purchased their Berea farm in 2009.

Jessa Turner developed a love for the outdoors early in life through her many exploratory adventures at Red River Gorge and on her family’s farm in Woodford County, where she would often set up a tent and sleep in the backyard. As a student at Berea College in 2006, she wrote her first business plan for what HomeGrown HideAways venture eventually became. The priorities were straightforward: She knew she wanted a farm, she knew she wanted to have events that would bring people together, and she knew she wanted to host educational workshops on her land. With lots of friends in bands, the Turners also wanted a place where they could host small concerts. When the couple first came across the 100-acre holler on the market – which already had a pavilion and a stage on-site, as well as RV hookups – they knew they had stumbled into a special opportunity to realize their dream.

“It was just a really great place to get the ball rolling – if we had just bought a raw piece of land where we had to build all of this stuff, we would probably still be [working on] it,” says Turner.

After years of operating as an event venue, hosting festivals, reunions, weddings and other events, HomeGrown HideAways has recently tightened its focus on the arena of temporary alternative lodging. A 24-foot tipi equipped with an interior fire pit can sleep up to 10 guests, while a vaulted yurt treehouse (dubbed “Abi’s Arboreal Abode”) provides an alternate option for a group of four. Similar to the yurt is an 18-foot custom “yome” option, fit with maple floors, a wood-burning stove and a large deck, that can sleep six. While the tipi is not equipped with furnishings, cots are available for rent, and both the yome and yurt feature futon and bed options.

The couple grows food on the land and Nathan is a chef; guests can request a delicious “on-farm” meal in advance if they wish.

The 100-acre farm also features campsites for tent camping, with a playground, corn hole set and two disc-golf baskets on-site. Further activities include stargazing, swimming, canoeing, fishing, hiking and birdwatching. The facilities all share a bath house with solar-heated showers and flush toilets. The farm hosts several festivals and events during the summer, so check ahead for availability.