Glamping

A 75-year-old matriarch wanted to take her family camping -- her family  wanted to stay in a hotel. Our great compromise: Glamping. We enjoyed turning a Florida beachfront hotel into a family camp with all the amenities. 

We started out by making flags, banners snd tshirts representing "Camp Oma." 

The camp meet and greet was held on the hotel patio where family members were divided into teams for cabin competitions. Each guest receive a lanyard on which to write their "camper" name.

A teepee and clothesline entertained the littlest campers.  

Hot dogs and hamburgers were served up on pie tins with homemade baked beans served in cans! We cut old plaid shirts into napkins and tied them with twine around silverware. The fabric  scraps were tied into a rustic garland. Log chips made for cute name tags on mason jars. 

Logs made from corrugated cardboard and painted white were lit from beneath with white lights to simulate a real campfire. Campers enjoyed roasting s’mores over sternos tucked in terra cot pots while participating in a campfire singalong. 

Camp Oma campers were easily spotted at the hotel and beach. 

The next night campers were treated to a NATIONAL PARKS themed party for Oma's birthday celebration. 

We pitched a safari looking tent right in the hotel banquet room and hung a chandelier of mason jars from the center of the tent. An old-fashioned beverage dispenser was stuffed with lights for a festive glow and we sprinkled the bar with some park signs and wild animals. 

Little red lanterns, old maps, miniature forest animals and moss topped 
burlap-covered cocktail tables.

A “scenic overlook” featured a wall of pictures of Oma’s friends and family. Guests wore their own Camp Visitor lanyards.

Logs, moss, succulents and candles lined the center of the tables creating a woodsy tablescape. Napkins tied with national park logos were a nod to Oma’s pilgrimage to almost every national park in the country. 

A row boat fashioned from cardboard and painted, made a big splash at the party for photo opts.

 After three days of fun, family camp activities like crafter-noons, surf lessons, a scavenger hunt, skits and a singalong, it was time for camper awards. Everyone left with something -- even if it was just a hangover. Good thing we had survival kits on hand (vodka, bloody mary mix, mini bottles of Tabasco sauce and Alka Seltzer! 

Remember, there's always a reason to celebrate. Amy