Luxury camping. Yes, you read that right — and it's social distancing in style.
For those of you for whom the word "camping" conjures up memories of damp socks, dirt floors, unwelcomed critters and rummaging through a rucksack on all fours under the dim glow of a rapidly failing flashlight, adding the prefix "luxury" may create an oxymoron of huge proportions. However, for Megan Langan and her husband Josh, luxury camping is their business.
Perhaps it was always meant to be this way. Megan and her brother Micah were the children of a Florida State Park ranger and, it would be fair to say, the great outdoors is in their blood. "As kids we were always off on camping adventures," said Megan.
Luxury camping — or "glamping" as it's been nicknamed — comes in many different forms. Uber-VIP tents, yurts, and cabins, complete with chandeliers and massage tables, have welcomed Hollywood's A-listers at music festivals and special events for quite some time. But Fancy Camps is much more down to earth than all that.
Fancy Camps is about providing you with the uplifting and exhilarating thrill of a night outdoors, under a canvas of stars, but in an ever-so-gentle transition from the indoors. Accommodations consist of 16-foot bell tents — tall enough to stand up in — with a queen-sized bed, fitted linens, electricity to charge your devices, and an all-important cooling and heating system to make being outdoors in the height of a Floridian summer bearable. The company provides pallets with mattresses and comforters to keep the little ones comfortable too.
"Fancy Camps was my brother's idea originally," recalled Megan. "We took the idea to an entrepreneurship conference in Jacksonville called Spark Up, and we got enough encouragement to give it a go."
Megan reached out to contacts in the Florida State Park Service to share her ideas and before too long, the first sites were identified along Northwest Florida's Gulf Coast, including Grayton Beach State Park, St. Andrews State Park, and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.
"Our sites were pretty much booked up from the first moment we advertised them," said Megan. "People loved that they could have the outdoor experiences they remembered from when they were kids, but with a few extra creature comforts."
Perhaps best of all, Fancy Camps sets up and tears down the luxury bell tent, lawn chairs, tables, fire pit and romantic outdoor lighting. They take care of it all. There's no wrestling with guide ropes, metal pegs or mallets. No digging. No making up your bed, or preparing the fire pit. Simply unpack and settle into your new magical outdoor spread.
As for the rules of camping, the expectations for Fancy Camps' guests are exactly the same as any other visitor to Florida's state parks: take out what you take in.
"We are passionate about maintaining the pure nature of the camping experience," said Megan. "Just because you have a more comfortable bed and a little bit of luxury doesn't absolve you from the responsibilities of environmental stewardship and good behavior. Our guests know and appreciate that. It's why they want to come camping in the first place."
With COVID-19 having changed the tourism and hospitality industry worldwide, I asked if the pandemic had impacted luxury camping too.
"Yes, both negatively and positively," said Megan. "Travel restrictions have impacted everyone in hospitality. We have invested heavily in cleaning and sanitizing too. With the usual vacation trips and destinations now out of bounds, many families are looking for something unique. Because of this, we've seen a lot of interest in our experiences." After all, campers are perhaps the original social distancers.
From Spring Break to Labor Day, Fancy Camps sites have been fully booked, and fall and winter weekends are filling up fast. But even with their business thriving, Megan and Josh aren't sitting idle.
"Next year, we're expanding our experience at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park," said Megan. "We want to create a village feel, with shared experiences and interactions that are all part of the joy of campsite life. We also just opened our own coffee shop at Topsail, Kith and Kin, because we know how important a good cup of coffee is for planning a day's adventures." Megan said they are also planning to open a rental service to provide bikes, kayaks, paddleboards and other equipment.
I still get a thrill seeing the faces of people when they first arrive at their campsite.
"You know they're nervous, but when they see the beauty of the park and their campsite, and then they pull open the tent doors and see the luxury inside, their faces light up. It's a great moment to share."
To learn more about Fancy Camps, visit fancycamps.com. Guests can also book their own campsites directly with state parks, and then work with Fancy Camps to set up their experience prior to arrival.
Story by Martin Liptrot · Photography by Jenna Alexander, Hayley Davis, and Shelby Vandenbergh · Originally published in Beach Happy Magazine, Issue 2
