***Thank you to Thousand Trails for sponsoring this post so I could share our family-friendly glamping experience with all of you! All opinions and suggestions are 100% my own.***

Raise your hand if you’ve ever glamped?! My family never has…until Thousand Trails invited us to visit one of their nationwide properties, and…we went for it! You see, we were crushing on a beach trip, but it wasn’t in the cards this year to rent a property and hang for a week at the shore. So enjoying the long Labor Day weekend at a beach-local Thousand Trails campground was a genius budget-friendly fix that turned out to be a win in a BIG way! Turns out family-friendly glamping well agrees with us!

Family-Friendly Glamping with Thousand Trails

What is Thousand Trails all about?

Thousand Trails is the largest and most successful provider of RV resorts and campgrounds in North America with over 80 locations in 22 states and British Columbia, Canada. They have 45 years experience combining the beauty and relaxation of a scenic nature preserve with resort-style amenities and a secure, gated environment with park rangers looking out for guests’ safety.

Most campsites are fully equipped with electrical, water and sewer hookups, as well as barbeque pits and picnic tables. They accommodate a wide variety of RVs from pop-up campers to Class A motorhomes. In addition to spacious RV and tent sites, there is also a full range of rental accommodations, from cabins and cottages (where we did our family-friendly glamping!) to yurts.

Where can I go with Thousand Trails?

Thousand Trails Campgrounds are located in the country’s most desirable resort and vacation destinations. You can enjoy sunny Florida destinations like Orlando, the serenity of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, the beauty of the Eastern Seaboard, Arizona’s Red Rock Mountains, the Best Fishing Lakes in Texas and the Pacific Coast from California to Washington! They offer so many spots from which to choose! We stayed at Sea Pines RV Resort and Campground in Swainton, NJ, less than a 10 minute drive to the beach!

What can we do at Thousand Trails?

So much! Like, so, so much. Each of resort community has tons in store to entertain the whole family: from special theme nights like casino nights and Hawaiian luaus, social activities, recreational events, tournaments, concerts, cook-outs and more. There are many amenities, activities, and conveniences including:

Who can visit Thousand Trails?

Thousand Trails parks are enjoyed by more than 100,000 member families and guests. Formerly only open to lifetime members, Thousand Trails has introduced the Thousand Trails Camping Pass, which provides a low-investment way to enjoy the benefits of resort-style camping on an annual basis. There are no sale presentations, no expensive up-front fees, and no long-term commitments. And grab this current savings: buy an annual pass before October 12, 2018 and save 20% off the fee!! That is huge savings, friends!

Why was this Family-Friendly Glamping such a win for us?

1. Glamping in itself is EASY. Compared to tent camping, there is far less to pack up, set up, and clean up. For those of us chasing after kiddos in the midst, this is such a huge score.
2. Glamping is also, by name, a version of camping, so it’s cheaper than booking a hotel or renting a house for a getaway.
3. And since glamping is a type of camping, it’s a gorgeous opportunity to hang out outside. Somehow, with all my planning and packing for our trip, I overlooked this bit. When I saw the campfire pit and the picnic table, I breathed in relaxation…campfires are our jam, after all.
4. Since it includes a nifty kitchen, complete with an oven and full refrigerator, you can save even more money on your trip by bringing your own food/cooking your own meals.
5. Did I mention Thousand Trails provides the linens? Yup, towels, blankets, sheets…which makes this such a super option especially if you are traveling and didn’t have room to pack these items.
6. Speaking of packing room, if you are flying or visiting from afar and haven’t space for tents and the like, but still want the camping experience…glamping in a cabin or cottage is genius fix!
7. The activities…THE ACTIVITIES. As a parent, this is what completely sold me on the trip. From 9am to evening hours, the campground staff provided fun activities to engage my children without me. Don’t get me wrong, parents are still welcome, but if you desire a break from the endless kiddo management (anyone?…ANYONE?? 😉 ), you can find it with Thousand Trails.
8. And while we’re chatting entertainment…WOW! I was floored, truly, by all there was to DO at Thousand Trails. From the mini-golf course to the pool to the splash pad to the game room to the DVD/video/book library…wow. After seeing all of this I got it–Thousand Trails is a place you visit…and stay. With all the activities and things to do, our family might have happily hung out there for a time…a long time!
9. As a mom, I loved the convenience store on premises! Forgot paper towels? Need more ketchup? A treat to ply kids’ good behavior? They have it! As in, you can just walk over to the store, snag what you need and move on with your day without leaving the campground. Genius!!
10. Glamping is the best of both worlds. It is cost-effective, outdoors-loving camping mixed with the convenience of a hotel suite. You can pack less while making your own food and sleeping on your own beds with a private bathroom…yes!!!

And one thing that didn’t squeeze into the list of wins, but will mean scads to my Northeasterner friends battling this late summer/fall deluge of mosquitos–we had a screened in porch with our cottage!! Be still my heart! We could sit out, but sans the constant nagging of pests. It was brilliant and wonderful!

Vacations are such a lovely, wonderful thing, and we all go at them in our own ways, but friends, if you are seeking an affordable option to explore our nation and beyond, take a moment to check out Thousand Trails. They are not only everywhere and affordable, but such a genius way to travel in fun and convenience!

I am tickled with our long weekend at Sea Pines Thousand Trails Resort, and am happy to share our genuine delight with you, friends! Treat yourselves, your family–book a stay with Thousand Trails, pause a moment in the hectic pace of life, and enjoy.

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Meredith

Meredith blogs at The Mom of the Year, where she dedicatedly earns her title one epic parenting fail at a time, offering quick, relatable laughs for fellow parents and all their empathizers. She has been part of several best-selling anthologies, featured on prominent sites such as Huffington Post, In the Powder Room and BlogHer, and loves her role as the Executive VP/Operations Manager of The BlogU Conference. When she's not breaking up fights over Legos and juice boxes, she remains fully committed to sharing a less serious look at the world of parenting.

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